Plum Bars Recipe with Crumble Topping
These jammy cookie bars pair sweet plum pie filling laced with spices and a hint of fresh herbs with a crisp, buttery, brown sugar oat crumble topping for an unforgettable summer dessert.
Servings 12 servings
Calories 413kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Plum Filling:
- 3 cups chopped fresh ripe plums use purple or red plums; no need to peel them; this is about 1 1/4 to 1/2 pounds or 6 large-ish plums
- 1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground green cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 4 tablespoons cold water to form a slurry
Top and Bottom Crust:
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats plus 1 tablespoon more for sprinkling on top if desired
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Other:
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar for dusting on top (optional)
Instructions
Plum Filling:
- Cook. Stir together the plums, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cover the saucepan and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 10 minutes, turn the heat down to medium-low, lightly mash the plums with a potato masher (we still want some larger pieces), and cook uncovered 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the lemon juice, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, vanilla, and cornstarch slurry. Cook until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Cool. Set aside to cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
Top and Bottom Crust:
- Use a hand-held electric mixer to cream together the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the flour, oats, cornstarch, and salt, and beat just until combined.
Assemble and Bake:
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8 by 8-inch pan (or equivalent) with 2 pieces of parchment paper so it hangs over all 4 sides.
- Assemble. Press about half of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the room temperature plum filling (see Notes below for how much to use) evenly onto the dough. Crumble the remaining dough on top of the plum filling. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon oats on top.
- Bake and cool. Bake until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 50 minutes. Cool completely before slicing. Dust the top with powdered sugar (if desired), and serve.
Notes
- Plum Filling: This makes about 2 cups of filling. I use all of it in these bars, which are super jammy and reminiscent of pie slices (they're easier to eat with a fork!). If you're making these bars to take somewhere and want them less messy, only use about 1 cup of filling and freeze the rest of it.
- For a More Classic, Simpler Flavor Profile: Omit the thyme, nutmeg, green cardamom, and allspice and add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon instead.
- Storage: Once the filling is cooled to room temperature, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Once the jam cookie bars are cooled to room temperature, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 144mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 619IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg