Brown Sugar Nectarine Crumble
Nectarine season is fleeting and what better way to say farewell to summer than to make a sweet and tart, buttery-topped crumble? Whether you’re team nectarine or team peach, use your favorite stone fruit here to bring this crowd-pleasing, hostable dessert to your end-of-summer table.
Why you’ll love this Nectarine Crumble recipe
This Nectarine Crumble is beautifully balanced on its own or can be topped with your favorite vanilla OR salted caramel ice cream for a shift in pace. It’s a dish your friends will be talking about well after your end-of-summer cookout.
A crumble is the solution to wanting pie but not necessarily wanting to make a pastry crust. The crumbly, almost cookie-like topping bakes into the macerated fruit like a late-summer dream. Dramatic? Maybe. Appropriate? Most definitely.
What’s the difference between a crumble, a cobbler, and a crisp!?
I’m so glad you asked. While the primary ingredients in each topping type are the same, the ratio of flour, sugar, and butter makes all the difference.A crumble is generally made of flour, butter, and sugar and, when baked, results in an almost cookie-like topping. A cobbler calls for more flour and less sugar than a crumble and more closely resembles a traditional American biscuit topping. Lastly, a crisp is made of butter, sugar, oats, and a scant amount of flour. Again, it’s all in the ratios.
I’m glad we cleared that up. Phew. Now, let’s make our Crumble, shall we?
Nectarine Crumble Ingredients
For the nectarine base:
- 6-8 medium nectarines, about 4 heaping cups sliced or chopped (fresh or frozen, not canned)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, adjust to your taste
- 1 Tablespoon real maple syrup (optional, depth of flavor)
- 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
For the crumble topping:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened and slightly melted
- ½ cup brown sugar, adjust to your taste – this is a less sweet baseline to start
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom (optional, depth of flavor)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch Kosher salt
This recipe will generously serve 6 people as a delightful after-dinner treat.
How to make a Nectarine Crumble
Step 1: Preheat and Prep
Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8×8 baking dish with butter and set aside.
Step 2: Make the Nectarine Base:
Rinse and slice the nectarines into equal-sized pieces. You can choose to keep them in slices or chop them up into cubes, your choice! Place in a medium bowl and add the brown sugar, maple syrup, lemon juice, corn starch, and flour. Stir gently to combine. Pour the nectarine mixture into the base of your prepared baking dish and set aside. Quickly rinse and dry your mixing bowl to use for the next step.
Step 3: Make the Crumble Topping
Quickly rinse and dry the large mixing bowl to reuse, or in another large bowl, place the butter, sugar, cardamom, vanilla extract, and salt. Use a handheld mixer for best results and mix on low until everything is evenly combined. Slowly add the flour to your butter/sugar mixture until it is fully incorporated and you are able to crumble the mixture with your fingers. When you squeeze a small pinch of the mixture, it should easily form a ball. When you rub it between your fingers, it should just as easily crumble to pieces.
Step 4: Assemble + Bake the Crumble
Using your hands, crumble the topping over the nectarine mixture until evenly distributed. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet (in case the nectarine goodness bubbles over) and into the 350F oven for 40 minutes. Check for bubbly fruit edges and golden brown, crumble top. If it’s not quite browned enough or needs more time to bubble, give it another 5 minutes in the oven. Once you are pleased with the coloring, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
This dish can be served hot, at room temperature, or cold – you decide! Serve with fresh whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream.
Brown Sugar Nectarine Crumble
Equipment
- 8×8 baking dish
- Baking sheet
- Cutting board or butcher block
- Paring knife
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring spoons & cups
- Rubber spatula
- Clean dish towel for drying the mixing bowl for reuse
- Hand-held mixer
- Serving spoon
Ingredients
Nectarine Base:
- 6-8 medium nectarines about 4 heaping cups sliced or chopped (fresh or frozen, not canned)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, not packed adjust to your taste
- 1 Tablespoon real maple syrup optional, depth of flavor
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
Crumble Topping:
- ½ cup brown sugar, not packed adjust to your taste – this is a less sweet baseline to start
- ½ cup unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons for pan prep softened and slightly melted
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom optional, depth of flavor
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch Kosher salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8×8 baking dish with butter and set aside.
Make the nectarine base:
- Rinse and slice the nectarines into equal-sized pieces. You can choose to keep them in slices or chop them up into cubes, your choice! Place in a medium bowl and add the brown sugar, maple syrup, lemon juice, flour, and cornstarch. Stir gently to combine. Pour the nectarine mixture into the base of your prepared baking dish and set aside. Quickly rinse and dry your mixing bowl to use for the next step.
Make the crumble topping:
- Quickly rinse and dry the large mixing bowl to reuse, or use another large bowl. Place the butter, sugar, cardamom, vanilla extract, and salt. Use a handheld mixer for best results and mix on low until everything is evenly combined. Slowly add the flour to your butter/sugar mixture until it is fully incorporated and you are able to crumble the mixture with your fingers. When you squeeze a small pinch of the mixture, it should easily form a ball. When you rub it between your fingers, it should just as easily crumble to pieces.
Assemble the Nectarine Crumble:
- Using your hands, crumble the topping over the nectarine mixture until evenly distributed. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet (in case the nectarine goodness bubbles over) and into the 350F oven for 40 minutes. Check for bubbly fruit edges and a golden brown, crumble top. If it’s not quite browned enough or needs more time to bubble, give it another 5 minutes in the oven. Once you are pleased with the coloring, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- You can use a larger or smaller dish based on what you have. The size of the dish will also effect the thickness of the dessert, so plan to adjust the bake time (less time for a larger dish).
- If you only have a pile of peaches or red plums on hand, no trouble at all! You can use your favorite stone fruit to bring this crowd-pleasing, hostable dessert to the table. Thicker skinned fruit might benefit from removing the skin before slicing and baking into the crumble.
- This dish can be served hot, at room temperature, or cold – you decide! Serve with fresh whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I make this ahead of time?
A: Yes! Fully assemble and store in the refrigerator for 1-2 days and bake the day of serving OR bake ahead of time and once fully cooled, store in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. You can also freeze the fully baked dish for up to two months and defrost and reheat as you like.
Q: Can I use peaches instead of nectarines?
A: Yes! Some people prefer the tender skin of a nectarine so taking an extra step to peel the peaches is a good idea to avoid any texture issues with the crumble.
Happy Baking! (and a few notes)
I feel like it should be said, anytime you see me use a combination of stone fruit and anything cardamom-spiced, it’s because of Samin Nosrat. Her incredible Almond Tea Cake with macerated plums and a cardamom cream? Changed everything for me. I hope you love the subtle use of this flavor inspiration here.
Lastly – if you enjoy baking and are looking for another any-season dessert to share with friends and family, try my No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake Bars. They’re scrumptious with fresh or frozen berries are super easy to pull together.
