End-of-Summer Treat: The Healthy Plum Crumble You’ve Been Waiting For

There’s nothing better than something that looks beautiful and wildly indulgent — but is secretly good for you. That was the concept behind our MINERALIST Lip Gloss-Balm, which combines wonderfully glossy color with the comforting, hydrating feel of a lip balm. Key to this innovation was nothing less than the plum, a summer stone fruit that’s loaded with nutritious vitamins and antioxidants, and is secretly responsible for the high-shine finish of our Gloss-Balm, too. 

Inspired by this best-of-both worlds innovation, Jane Coxwell is sharing a plum crumble recipe that only looks lavish. By skipping the butter and sugar of your traditional recipes, she lets the fruit itself take the spotlight. 

Plums are so beautiful when they are cooked — all of their natural sugars are released and they keep a lovely, almost-silky texture. While all crumbles are delicious, they’ve always felt unnecessarily unhealthy to me! There are so many alternatives to make them just as delicious with less unnatural sugars and saturated fats. So, here’s a simple crumble recipe that you don’t have to feel bad about.

Plum Crumble

Ingredients

Serves: 6

Plum base:
8 plums (depending on size) 
1 tbsp arrowroot (cornstarch works too)
2.5 tbsp maple syrup 
1 tsp vanilla extract 
Zest of 1 lemon 

Crumble mix:
1.5 cups rolled oats
1 cup almond flour
1.5 cup roughly chopped walnuts
1.5 cup maple syrup
4 tbsp coconut oil 
Pinch of salt 

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 370 degrees. 

• Cut your plums into halves and wedges, to create different textures after they’re cooked. You can use any type of plum, including a mix of plums and pluots if you’d like. Mix the cut plums, maple syrup, vanilla and lemon zest in a bowl. Add the arrowroot and mix again until even dispersed. Place the mix in a pie dish (or in individual dishes if you’d prefer) and set aside. 

• For the crumble top, simply put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined. 

• Using your hands (I find this the easiest way to handle the crumble mix), evenly disperse the topping over the plums. I like to keep some of the plums slightly uncovered so you get little bits of roasted plums along with the crumble top. 

• Bake for 45 minutes, but check it at around 30 minutes to see how it’s coming along. You may want to turn the dish around if you feel that one side is getting cooked faster than another, so that the whole top is a deep golden color and the fruit base is slightly bubbling. (For individual crumbles, check after 20 minutes.)

• Serve with a sorbet for a dairy-free option, or with crème fraiche or vanilla ice cream for a little more decadence. It’ll also be delicious on its own. 

Meet Jane

Jane Coxwell is a chef, author and consultant, and has earned her reputation as one of the most sought-after private chefs with a style that’s as elegant as it is unpretentious.

Equally comfortable working over open fires on the beaches of Papua New Guinea as she is in the kitchens of the biggest names in fashion, media and entertainment, Jane has cooked her way around the world, cultivating an approach to food and travel that is uniquely her own.

Born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa, Jane was one of the youngest chefs ever appointed to run the kitchen of a Camper & Nicholsons yacht. At just 23, she joined Hall Wines in California’s Napa Valley as Executive Chef and Culinary Manager, where she cooked for prominent guests including Hillary Clinton. For the last near-decade, Jane has served as Diane von Furstenberg’s chef, both on Eos, the 305-foot sailing yacht she and Barry Diller own, and in New York and Connecticut.

Her experiences on and off Eos — ranging from meals in the villages of Southeast Asia to the vibrant open-air markets of the Italian Riviera — inspired her first book, Fresh, Happy, Tasty: An Adventure in 100 Recipes. Now based in New York City, Jane continues to develop food-and travel-centric content while working on her second book. She also consults for large events, including the creation of the first sustainable meal for the 2017 CFDA Awards.

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