Plum Crumble with Red Wine
This plum crumble is made with juicy plums simmered in red wine and topped with crunchy streusel, making it an easy fall dessert that everyone will love. The combination of warm spices, caramelized sugar, and a buttery topping turns this classic treat into pure autumn comfort food.
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When the evenings get cooler and autumn coziness sets in, nothing beats pulling a warm plum crumble straight from the oven.
This Plum Crumble with Red Wine and Streusel Topping is a show-stopping yet fuss-free dessert for any fall dinner party. Just like in my Austrian Stewed Plums recipe, the plums simmer in red wine and spices until jammy and aromatic, while the buttery streusel turns golden and crunchy.
In Germany, we traditionally use Italian plums (Zwetschgen) – smaller, oval-shaped plums with firm flesh and a deep, tart-sweet flavor. In the US, you can use any type of plum for this crumble, but Italian plums (sometimes labeled “prune plums”) are the very best choice. Unlike round, juicy plums, Italian plums hold their shape when baked or cooked and give the filling a richer, less watery texture.
Served with vanilla ice cream – or even better, my homemade Cinnamon Swirl Ice Cream – this is autumn dessert perfection.
This plum crumble is the best dessert when you’re in a hurry:
- Rich & aromatic: Plums + red wine + cinnamon = cozy fall comfort food.
- Easy to make: Just fruit & streusel – no dough, no stress.
- Versatile: Works with different fruits, can be made vegan or alcohol-free.
Tips & Variations
- No alcohol: Swap red wine for grape juice or plum nectar.
- Mix fruits: Try red currants with plums, or apples with plums.
- Streusel upgrade: Add oats, pistachios, or shredded coconut.
- Vegan: Use plant-based butter or margarine.
Yes – cook the fruit filling the day before, store the streusel separately, and bake when ready.
Yes, just thaw and drain them first to avoid excess liquid.
Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave before serving.
More recipes with Italian Prune Plums
- Plum Coffee Cake
- Best Traditional German Plum Cake Recipes
- Chocolate Vanilla Cheesecake with Plums & Port
Easy Plum Crumble
Ingredients
- Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1 ¾ lbs 800 g Italian plums, pitted & quartered
- ½ cup 80 g brown sugar
- ½ cup 100 ml red wine (Merlot or similar)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp cardamom and 1/4 tsp cloves optional
- 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch stirred into a slurry with a splash of water
For the streusel topping:
- 1 ¼ cups 150 g flour
- 7 tbsp 100 g cold butter
- ½ cup 80 g brown sugar or white sugar
- optional: ½ cup 50 g chopped almonds or hazelnuts
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
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Halve the plums and remove stones. In a medium sized pot, simmer plums with wine, sugar & and spices for 3-4 minutes.
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Stir in cornstarch slurry, cook just until thickened, then pour into a small casserole dish.
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Mix flour, sugar, nuts & salt, rub in butter until crumbs form.
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Sprinkle crumble topping over plums, bake at 350°F (180°C) for 30–35 minutes or until the crumble topping is brown and the fruit bubbly.
