Plum Apple Cardamom Crumble with Pistachios
Warm fruit crumble combining tart plums and sweet Honeycrisp apples with cardamom spice, topped with a buttery oat-flour crumble and toasted pistachios. The filling thickens with cornstarch while baking, creating a jammy base beneath a golden, crunchy topping.
Ingredients
- 2 pound plum
- 2 pound Honeycrisp appleGranny Smith apple1:1
tartness increases
- 1 whole lemon
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamomground ginger0.75:1
warmth shifts to peppery
- ¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup all-purpose flourwhole wheat flour1:1
adds earthiness, density increases
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup pistachios
Instructions
- 1
Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 350°F.
- 2
Spray a 10-inch deep dish pie plate or 8x8x2-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- 3
Toss apples and plums with lemon juice in a medium bowl.
- 4
In a small bowl, whisk together oats, brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom.
- 5
Sprinkle oat mixture over fruit, gently stir, and let sit until juices accumulate, about 5-10 minutes.
- 6
Make topping by mixing oats, flour, brown sugar, and cardamom in a medium bowl.
- 7
Add butter and blend with a fork until crumbly and well-combined.
- 8
Transfer fruit mixture to prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
- 9
Scatter crumble topping over fruit and sprinkle pistachios evenly over the top.
- 10
Bake until juices thicken and bubble, apples are tender, and top is golden brown, about 40-50 minutes.
- 11
Cool slightly and serve warm.
Tips
Letting fruit macerate with the oat-sugar mixture before baking draws out juices for a more cohesive filling.
Use a fork to blend butter into the topping for even texture; avoid overmixing.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche for contrast.
Good to Know
Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat gently before serving.
Prepare filling and topping separately up to 1 day ahead; assemble and bake day-of.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or plain.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip the maceration step to avoid a watery, unthickened filling.
Do not overbake to avoid a dry fruit layer and burnt topping.
Do not overmix the crumble topping to avoid a dense, cake-like texture instead of crunchy crumbs.