Plum Bars with Crumble Topping

5 from 1 vote

Plum Bars with Crumble Topping

Looking for creative ways to use up some delicious summer stone fruit? These plum crumble bars are totally decadent, easy to make, gluten free and low in carbs! With a delicious shortbread style crust, jammy plum filling, and crumble topping with pecans.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Cooling time2

Total Time3 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 257kcal

Author: Briana

Ingredients

For the crust:

2 cups almond flour (224 grams)
¼ cup coconut flour (28 grams)
½ cup granular erythritol (96 grams)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (COLD!)
1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:

6 whole plums, cut into pieces (around 600 grams)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup granular erythritol (or to taste)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon xanthan gum (added to achieve desired thickness)

For the crumble topping:

½ batch crust from above
¼ cup pecans, optional (about 1 oz)

Instructions

Lightly grease the bottom of a 9x9 baking pan, then put parchment inside. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, sweetener, lemon zest, xanthan gum and kosher salt and cold butter. Work the butter into the dry ingredients by hand with a dough cutter, or use a food processor if you prefer. The mixture should look like wet sand. You can use your hands at this point to shape the dough into a ball.
Cut the ball of dough in half. Set half aside to press into the bottom of the baking pan. Add the pecans to the remaining half, mixing it together with your finger tips. This will be your crumb topping. Set aside.
Press half of the dough into the bottom of your pan. We use a measuring cup to ensure it’s as even as possible.Bake the crust for about 15-17 minutes, until it’s golden brown. Set aside and allow to cool for about 15-20 minutes before moving on.
In a sauce pan, add plums, lemon juice, remaining butter, lemon zest, sweetener, cinnamon, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer to allow the plums to soften, break down and thicken for about 15 minutes. Adjust sweetness and flavors while tasting as you go.
After the mixture has began to thicken now that some water has evaporated off, add in the vanilla extract and some xanthan gum in small bits at a time, whisking continuously to avoid clumping. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 20 more minutes.
Add the jammy plum filling to the cooked crust, spreading it evenly. Add your crumble topping, and lightly press it in to the filling to adhere. Bake for an additional 22-27 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting. This takes us about 2 hours or more.
Cut into 12 equal pieces. Serve plain, or with some low carb ice cream or whipped cream if you want. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Notes

Use any sweetener you prefer, just make sure it's granular so you can achieve the appropriate texture. Brown sugar or brown sugar replacement will also add a lovely depth of molasses like flavor.
Not all plums are equally sweet, so make sure to add sweetener to taste.
The butter for the crust and shortbread crumble MUST be cold to create the right texture.

Nutrition