Fig Crumble with Streusel Topping

This simple and yet incredibly delicious fig crumble is the perfect way to use my favorite early-fall fruit, and a super easy dessert.

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Every September, the fig tree in my yard explodes with beautiful ripe figs. And it’s become a September tradition on my blog to post a fig recipe. While my favorite way to eat figs is to pop them straight into my mouth while picking them off the tree, we end up with so many that I have to find creative ways to use them. Last year I posted this lemon ricotta fig cake and these gruyere and fig crostini, and the year before these fig bars. This year, I’m taking inspiration from those fig bars as well as one of my favorite fall treats, an apple crumble, to make this fig crumble. And it’s exactly what it sounds like – fresh figs covered with a streusel topping and baked until bubbly and golden. It’s a super easy recipe, and the perfect way to highlight the humble yet incredibly delicious fig.

If you’re a long-time reader of my blog, you’ll know that I live in what was once my grandparent’s house, and that I always feel connected with them, especially when I cook. And if you’ve read my past fig recipe posts, you’ll know that the fig tree in my yard was once the pride and joy of my grandfather. Every time I pick figs from the tree, I think of him. And making this fig crumble was extra special because my niece Scarlet helped my make it. She sliced all of the figs in half (using a butter knife, since the figs were just that ripe). So while she will never meet my grandfather (her great-grandfather), I love that she has this ancestral connection with him to, by helping to prepare the fruit that he loved, grown from the tree that he cherished.

FIG CRUMBLE 101

I loved making this fig crumble because it’s such a simple recipe, but still impressive to serve to a crowd. Simply halve your figs, toss with some sugar and lemon zest, top with the crumble and bake. If you’ve ever made a crumble or pie before, you’ll know that some recipes call for you to mix the fruit with flour or corn starch to thicken up the fruit juices while it bakes. And figs happen to contain a ton of juice, way more than apples or even berries. So to make sure that my crumble wasn’t soupy, I tossed the figs with both corn starch and flour before baking them. While the crumble bakes, the figs break down and the juices mix with the flour and corn starch to become essentially a fig jam. The result is a thick and sweet fig filling, topped with a buttery sweet streusel topping.

I know that not everybody has access to the very large amount of figs that I do, and that figs can be expensive to buy in the store. So if you wanted to modify this recipe, you could use half the amount of figs that I did and then use another type of fruit (blueberries or peaches come to mind). But don’t forget, if you’re using a fruit that doesn’t have as much moisture as figs, use a little less flour and cornstarch so that you’re filling doesn’t get gloopy.

TWO TYPES OF CRUMBLE

If you google any kind of “crumble” recipe, you’ll come across two different types of crumble toppings. One made with oats or granola, and one that I’m calling a streusel topping that can be made with only three ingredients: butter, flour and sugar. I opted for the streusel topping for this recipe, whipping up a streusel that really couldn’t be easier. I mixed white sugar, brown sugar and flour (along with a sprinkle of salt and a few spices) in a bowl, then drizzled in melted butter and tossed it until big crumble pieces formed. You can use whatever spices you like to flavor your fig crumble, but I went with ground ginger and nutmeg, which I think pair with the figs perfectly.

While the fig crumble bakes, some of that streusel topping will sink into the figs slightly and absorb all of those delicious fig juices. And that gives you the perfect textural contrast; some topping that’s slightly crispy and browned, and some that’s gooey and bursting with fig flavor. Pair this crumble with whipped cream or ice cream, and you have the absolute perfect early fall dessert.