Hairy Bikers Plum Crumble

If you’re after something simple that smells like heaven and tastes like home, you’re bang on.
Hairy Bikers’ Plum Crumble is everything good about British puddings: juicy sharp fruit, crunchy sweet topping, a bit of mess, a lot of joy.

Si and Dave don’t faff about with this one. No overthinking. No crazy ingredients. Just good plums, good butter, and that proper, scruffy crumble you can’t wait to shovel onto a plate.

Made it on a lazy Sunday — ended up eating it straight from the dish, standing at the kitchen counter. Wouldn’t change a thing.

Why You’ll Love It

• Juicy plums bubbling up around the edges
• Thick buttery topping that actually crunches
• Done in under an hour
• No fancy kit, no weird steps — just hands and a spoon
• Tastes like your gran made it (if she was feeling generous with the butter)

Ingredients

For the crumble

• ½ cup plain flour
• ¼ cup ground almonds
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 tbsp cold butter, chopped small

For the plums

• 1 lb ripe plums
• 2 tbsp sugar
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp allspice
• ⅛ tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• ½ lemon, zested
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

How to Make Hairy Bikers’ Plum Crumble

1. Whack the oven on: 190°C / 375°F.
2. Bowl out. Flour, ground almonds, brown sugar in.
   Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips — stop when it’s crumbly, little lumps are fine. Looks like beach sand. Good enough.
3. Slice the plums up. Stones out, into bite-sized pieces.
4. Chuck the plums into a big baking dish (something about 11–12 inches wide).
5. Scatter over the sugar, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and cornstarch.
   Grate in the lemon zest. Squeeze in the juice. Toss it all gently with your hands so it’s coated but not smashed.
6. Spread the fruit out a bit. Don’t stack it too high.
7. Sprinkle the crumble over the top.
   No patting down. No fiddling. Just get it on there.
8. Into the oven for 35–45 minutes.
   You want bubbling fruit at the edges and a golden top that smells like heaven.
9. Let it sit for a few minutes before you dive in — molten plum juice is no joke.

Common Mistakes to Dodge

• Hard plums: Won’t give you that juicy base. Go ripe.
• Pressing down the crumble: Makes it cakey. Just scatter.
• Skipping the cornstarch: Hello, plum soup.
• Undercooked topping: Pale = sad. Wait for golden and crisp.

What to Serve It With

• A fat scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into it
• Thick custard poured all over
• A swirl of whipped cream if you’re feeling fancy
• Or just a spoon straight out of the dish (not judging)

Leftovers (If You Have Any)

Fridge: Covered, 3–4 days easy.
Freezer: Wrap it up tight — good for 2–3 months.
Reheat:

• Oven for crispness
• Microwave for speed (won’t stay crisp, but still lush)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do you need to peel the plums?
Nah. Skin softens and gives it colour. Skip the faff.

Why is my crumble soggy?
Probably too much juice and not enough bake time. Give it those full 45 minutes if needed.

Can I swap the fruit?
Yeah — nectarines, peaches, even cherries if you fancy.

Can you make it ahead?
You bet. Assemble it, whack it in the fridge, bake when needed.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 237 kcal
• Fat: 10g
• Carbs: 38g
• Sugar: 29g
• Protein: 2g

Try More Recipes:

• Hairy Bikers Roasted Vegetable Lasagne 
• Hairy Bikers Chicken Stew And Dumplings
• Hairy Bikers Lemon Drizzle Cake