Plum Crisp with Pistachio, Oat and Almond Topping
This simple plum crisp recipe features honey-sweetened summer plums. The gluten-free topping is made with oats, almond flour and pistachios.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 10, 2025
Meet the ultimate plum dessert! This plum crisp recipe has been one of my favorite summertime desserts for over ten years. I’m sharing it again today with fresh photos because the originals didn’t do the recipe justice.
This concept came to be when my friends dropped off a big bag of fresh plums from the plum tree in their front yard. After much debate on what to do with my surplus, I settled on my default fruity dessert: a crisp. Fruit crisps are my favorite because they’re easy to make (no mixer, no fuss) and a guaranteed delight. They’re the perfect low-key project for a summer afternoon.
I finished my honey-sweetened plum crisp with my go-to topping, which is made from oats and almond flour instead of regular flour. It’s tender, nutty and irresistible, and I love that I can share it with my gluten-free friends. I added some pistachios, too. They taste fantastic, and their green color contrasts beautifully with the dish’s vibrant fuchsia interior.
Change It Up
You really can’t go wrong with a crisp, so don’t hesitate to play with the recipe. Here are a few ways to make it your own:
- Substitute another stone fruit for some or all of the plums, like peaches, nectarines or cherries. (Here’s my peach crisp recipe.)
- Check the recipe notes for suggestions on how to make this crisp vegan and/or nut-free.
- If you don’t have almond meal on hand, check the nut-free notes for an alternative topping that uses regular flour.
- You can substitute any nuts for the pistachios. Slivered almonds or chopped pecans would be lovely.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this crisp with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for dessert. Leftovers will keep well for up to five days. Reheated crisp makes a spectacular breakfast with plain or vanilla Greek yogurt.
More Fruity Crisps to Try
Crisps are my favorite. Here are a few more summertime options:
- Blueberry Crisp
- Dark Cherry Crisp in my cookbook, Love Real Food (page 198)
- Mixed Berry Crisp
- Peach Crisp
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Save these crisps for fall:
Please let me know how your dessert turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you and hope this one entices you to make more crisps before summer comes to an end.
Gluten-Free Plum Crisp with Pistachio, Oat and Almond Topping
This simple plum crisp recipe features honey-sweetened summer plums and a gluten-free oat and almond meal topping! Ginger and pistachios send it over the top (but you can substitute another nut for the pistachios). Recipe yields 8 servings.
Ingredients
Plum filling
- 2 pounds plums
- ⅓ cup honey or maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot starch or cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Gluten-free topping
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats (certified gluten free if necessary)
- ½ cup packed almond flour
- ⅓ cup chopped pistachios, almonds or walnuts
- ⅓ cup lightly packed coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt (regular or Greek)
For serving
- Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. To prepare the plums, you don’t need to peel them. Cut them in half, discard the pits, and slice the flesh into ½-inch wide wedges.
- In a 9-inch square baking dish, mix together the sliced plums (leave the excess juice on the cutting board), honey, starch and cinnamon.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the oats, almond flour, pistachios, sugar, ginger and salt. Mix in the melted butter and yogurt. Stir until the mixture is moistened throughout.
- Dollop spoonfuls of the oat mixture over the filling and use your fingers to break up the mixture until it is evenly distributed (no need to pack it down).
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling around the edges and the top is lightly golden. Let the crisp rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream or plain yogurt, I insist. Store this crisp in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my pear and cranberry crisp.
Make it nut free: Omit the sliced almonds and use ¾ cup whole wheat flour and ¾ cup oats instead of the almond meal and oats specified above. It will no longer be gluten free. If you want to keep it gluten free, I suspect that you could replace the almond meal with about ⅔ cup oat flour (haven’t tried that, please comment if you do!).
Make it vegan: Use melted coconut oil in place of the melted butter and yogurt (use 4 tablespoons coconut oil and add up to 3 more, until the topping mixture is moistened throughout) and maple syrup instead of the honey.
Change it up: Substitute any variety of stone fruit for some or all of the plums, including peaches, apricots, nectarines or cherries.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I loved the recipe. Thank you very much❤️
Can I substitute white or whole wheat flour for the almond flour? If yes, how much should I use?
Hi, I haven’t tried it here so I can’t say for sure.
Many thanks for the great idea. We picked many Damson plums from a neighbor’s tree and used some in this recipe, which I modified to make it super-celiac safe (no oats) as well as vegan (cashew yogurt, maple syrup, olive oil). I also added coconut flakes. It tastes fantastic!
I don’t usually eat vegan or gluten-free, but there is definitely nothing missing in this version either. Again, thank you for the base recipe. I’ll be making it again in different forms, I’m sure.
I’m glad you liked it, Plisca! I appreciate your review.
Yes, made this and it was delicious. I believe I put too much corn flour in relation to the plums I used.
I will be using the recipe again and will be sharing it with my friends.
Thank you Cookie and Kate
After making your scrumptious gluten free peach crisp adding some blueberries( with requests for the recipe), I’m on to your other crisps. Easy and yet elegant dessert for company and gets my husband to eat more fruit! I made it with maple syrup in place of the honey and sugar and coconut oil in place of the butter and YUM!
I’m delighted you enjoyed it, Jeanne! I appreciate your review.
I made this recipe with the following modifications: turbinado sugar in place of brown sugar, slivered almonds, added fresh lemon juice to the plum mixture baked for only 35 minutes instead of 55. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this! This is the BEST gluten free crumb topping I have ever made–a definite keeper! I top many of my baked goods with crumb topping, and now I have your wonderful gluten free crumb topping to replace my whole wheat one permanently! My 19-year-old does not like almonds and even he said, “Mom, you make almonds taste good,” and he enjoyed a couple of servings. Thank you so much for sharing this with the world
Thank you for sharing, Rosa! I appreciate your review.
At the risk of asking a ridiculous question. I am guessing you weigh the plums after cutting and slicing them? Thanks!
Hi Divya, not a ridiculous question at all! I specify two pounds before slicing them. Since plums come in many sizes the weight is helpful when deciding how many to purchase.
Kate, This sounds great! Thank You!
I currently have a fig tree that is bountiful.
Could this be used for figs, do you think?
I haven’t tried it. Could be nice. Let me know what you think!
Any suggestions for good yogurt substitute? I presently don’t have any in my fridge
Sometimes sour cream can work. However, I haven’t tried it for this recipe.
Never mind, just bought some sheep yogurt!
I only had a pound of plums, so I added a half pound each of blueberries and raspberries. Perfection!! Love the recipe.
Hi Kate we love crisps I am going to try the plum one out. A question we have a lot of wild saskatoons what fruits go with it to make a crisp I like the many crisps you have, do you have a recipe book on crisps. Or are they in a different book? Cheers
Hi Dwayne, I’m so glad you enjoy the crisps! Wild saskatoons have a blueberry-almond flavor, so I think they’d complement many flavors, such as berries or stonefruit. Common wisdom is that fruits and vegetables that are ripe together and share a season often have complementary flavors, so I always recommend fresh, local, and in season produce when possible. All the recipes for crisps I have on the website are linked in this post, and I have a cherry crisp in my cookbook, Love Real Food.
The plums are not peeled in your dish, correct? Do the skins add a strange texture? (I don’t like unpeeled peaches in a dessert, so I’m hoping to avoid that texture!). I’m curious as i’ve not baked with plums before.
Hi Maryann, I don’t peel the plums, and don’t find they add an unpleasant texture, but you absolutely could.
Looks divine! Can i sub oil for some of the butter? How much can i reduce sugar? Don’t use artificial sweeteners. Insulin diabetic here. Thanks so much!
Hi Roberta, I recommend the recipe as written. You could try substituting oil but you won’t get the same rich flavor. You can reduce the sugar if you prefer a less sweet option.
Can you make the plum crisp the day before and reheat before serving?
Hi Laura, yes this reheats well. I sometimes have leftovers with yogurt for breakfast.
Thank you for responding! I made this exactly as written and it was delicious! I loved the tartness of the plums with the sweetness of the crumble, and a dollop of ice cream:) I will definitely make this again!
This was quick to make and delicious! I will use this as my crisp topping going forward, it’s easier than my usual one that calls for working cold butter into the oats. I didn’t have enough plums in my fruit CSA box, so I included a couple of white nectarines and one yellow one and the combination worked really well. Thanks Kate!
Hi Alyce, that stone fruit combination sounds wonderful! The pistachio, oat, and almond topping will complement many fruits so you can can use it on other seasonal fruits as well.
I made this. I thought I would serve tiny portions with coffee the next morning… nope. It was gone. I did precook the plums in the starch, cinnamon and I used sugar for ten minutes at 375. I added the crumble while still hot. It was such an amazing summer treat.
Hello there, always nice to here from you.. Am Khuzi from South Africa
I love your recipes, haven’t try anything as yet but will share as soon as I do so!!
Another wonderful recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Can I use ground almonds in place of almond flour for this recipe?
Hi Judy, yes, you could. This will slightly alter the taste and texture, but they will both work. Almond flour is made from finely ground blanched (skinless) almonds, resulting in a finer, powdery texture, a lighter color, and a mild flavor suitable for delicate baked goods. In contrast, ground almonds (also called almond meal) are typically made from whole almonds with the skin on, creating a coarser, more granular texture, a darker color, and a more robust, slightly bitter taste.
I made the vegan version and this was absolutely delicious. I didn’t have enough plums so I added some cherries. I also added vanilla bean paste and orange zest to the filling.
Hi Erica, your version with the vanilla paste and orange zest with plums and cherries sounds amazing! What I love about crisps and crumbles is they are so flexible.
Does this freeze well?
Hi, I haven’t tried to freeze it. If you do, please share how it turns out.
For the person who asked about Saskatoons – I always pair rhubarb with Saskatoons in desserts. My usual ratio is roughly about 2/3 Saskatoons to 1/3 rhubarb (or whatever you have) and add a bit of nutmeg and you have a great flavour. Going to make the plum crisp this week.
One of the best desserts I’ve ever made. Pistachios with plums tasted incredible.