Plum and Rhubarb Crumble (Rhubarb Crisp)

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Plum and rhubarb crumble, also known as rhubarb crisp, is a classic and comforting British dessert. This easy rhubarb crumble is bursting with sticky caramelised fruit and finished with a traditional crispy crumble topping. Its made extra special with the addition of juicy plums, which adds an natural kick of sweetness to balance out the tart rhubarb.

plum and rhubarb crumble cooked in a cast iron pan.

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👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe
🥘 Ingredients
🔪 Step by step instructions
💭 Expert tips
❓ Frequently asked questions
🍨 Other British desserts:
📖 Recipe

👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

The middle of summer is the best and most productive time of year for rhubarb. If you've ever grown your own, you will know that at this time of year it goes crazy. Rhubarb crumble is always the first recipe on the list when a large batch of this tart and lovely fruit is ready.

By happy coincidence, mid summer also brings with it plump and juicy plums. Plums and rhubarb were just meant to be together when it comes to a crumble. One balances out the other perfectly they both roast down into a deliciously sweet and sticky filling.

🥘 Ingredients

To make plum and rhubarb crumble you will need:

Ingredient notes

Measurements: For the amounts required, see the recipe card below and use the toggle button to see the recipe in cups.

Fruit filling: You can replace the plums and rhubarb with your preferred fruit filling. Try an apple crumble or just go for all rhubarb or all plums.

Ginger and mixed spice: Sweet spices are great in crumble fro adding extra flavour and warmth. However, you can leave these out or substitute with other sweet spices such as cinnamon, star anise or nutmeg.

Demerara sugar: Demerara has large crunchy crystals with a caramel taste, which is perfect for a crumble. It can be substituted with brown sugar although this has a finer texture and more subtle taste.

🔪 Step by step instructions

Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). Place plain flour and cold cubed butter into a large mixing bowl. Rub the butter into the flour using your finger tips until well mixed and like breadcrumbs. Set to one side.
In a separate large mixing bowl mix together the sliced plums, chopped rhubarb, 150g Demerara sugar, ground ginger and mixed spice. Stir until the sugar and spice fully coats the fruit.
Next transfer the fruit mixture to an ovenproof dish or cast iron pan. Spread the fruits out to cover the base of the dish. Scatter the crumble mixture over the top of the fruit. Then sprinkle the remaining 50g of sugar evenly over the top of the crumble.
Place the plum and rhubarb crumble in the centre of the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown.

💭 Expert tips

Crumble: For ease use a food processor to pulse the butter and flour into a crumble

Extra crispy topping: For an extra crispy crumble, finish off the baked crumble under the grill for 1 -2 minutes. Pay close attention as the topping will burn easily.

More crumble: This recipe has more fruit than crumble. I usually concentrate the majority of crumble in the centre and leave some fruit uncovered around the edges. This means that the fruit around the edges has more space to bubble and for the liquids to evaporate, leaving behind richer, sweeter and more caramelised fruit. However, if you would prefer a thicker crumble topping that covers all your fruit, then double the amounts of butter and flour in this recipe.

❓ Frequently asked questions

Do you need to peel rhubarb for a crumble?

Tougher rhubarb, from later on in the season may stringy and so will benefit from the outer edge being lightly peeled. However, in general rhubarb doesn't need to be peeled.

Should rhubarb be cooked before baking?

No, although raw rhubarb is very hard and robust it softened very quickly when exposed to heat. If cooked before baking you will find that the rhubarb becomes too soft and looses its shape.

How to store?

Cooked fruit crumble is best stored in the fridge. Once cooked allow to completely cool then cover with a lid or cling film and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Note that topping will not be as crisp when reheated.

Can you freeze rhubarb crumble?

This recipe is better frozen before baking and with the raw crumble and filling stored separately. When ready to eat, defrost on the side for a few hours then make up the fruit crumble and bake according to this recipe.

Can you prepare this recipe in advance?

Both the filling and the crumble topping can be prepared in advanced. Refrigerate both separately. When you are ready, put the fruit crumble together and bake. The crumble may need slightly longer in the oven due to the ingredients being chilled.

Plum and rhubarb crumble baked in a iron pan with some served in a bowl with ice cream.

🍨 Other British desserts:

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📖 Recipe

This post was first published in Aug 2020. Updated in Nov 2021 with new step by step instructions and expert tips.

Plum and Rhubarb Crumble