This easy stewed plums recipe, bursting with the warmth of cinnamon and a hint of lemon zest, requires just 4 ingredients.
Perfect for topping your morning yogurt or porridge, and equally delicious with custard or ice cream for a sweet treat.
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The plums are gently poached in a syrup made from lemon and brown sugar, with a comforting, earthy hint of cinnamon.
What's great is that they only take 10 minutes to prepare and can be kept in the fridge for up to a week!
👩🍳 You might also like my easy plum compote and cinnamon spiced stewed apples.
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✔️ Why should you try it?
- Stewed plums are simple to make, requiring just a few ingredients and minimal cooking skills.
- They can be served at any time of the day, be it for breakfast with porridge, or as a dessert with custard or ice cream.
- Once cooked, they can be stored in the fridge for up to a week, making them a convenient ready-to-eat option.
- Plums are at their freshest in late summer or early autumn. Making stewed plums allows you to make the most of this delicious seasonal fruit.
🛒 Ingredients
You only need 4 ingredients to make these delicious stewed plums:
Plums - any variety will work but make sure they are ripe. Wash, de-stone, and halve the plums (leave the skin on).
Lemon - the juice of half a lemon adds a subtle citrus flavour to the sugar syrup in which the plums are poached.
Brown Sugar - I prefer to use light brown sugar but you could use dark brown sugar.
Water - to make the sugar syrup.
Cinnamon Stick - gently infuses its flavour into the poached plums.
🔪 How to stew plums
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Put the brown sugar, lemon juice, and water in a saucepan and place it on a medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved.
Two: Add the halved and stoned plums to the pan, along with the cinnamon stick.
Three: Cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes until the plums are glossy and the sauce is syrupy.
Top Tips
- If you're using slightly under-ripe plums, increase the cooking time by 2-3 minutes.
- The amount of brown sugar can be adjusted depending on the sweetness of your plums and personal preference.
- Be careful not to overcook the plums, as they can become mushy. Keep an eye on them and test them with a fork for desired tenderness.
- While cinnamon adds a traditional warm note, feel free to experiment with other spices like star anise or cardamom for a twist.
🍴 What to serve with stewed plums
What to do with stewed plums? Here are some ideas:
With yogurt, oatmeal (porridge), or granola for breakfast.
On top of buttermilk pancakes or drop scones.
With honeycomb ice cream or custard for dessert. They're also delicious stirred into creamy rice pudding.
The stewed plums make a great base for a plum crumble, or why not use them to top a plain vanilla cheesecake?
📖 Variations
- Use honey or maple syrup instead of brown sugar to make the recipe refined sugar-free.
- Replace the lemon juice with orange juice.
- Swap the cinnamon stick for a vanilla pod, cardamom pods, star anise, or chopped stem ginger in syrup.
- Add a splash of port, red wine, or brandy for a grown-up version.
- Add 2 peeled and chopped Bramley apples for stewed apples and plums.
🥡 Storage
Store - Allow the stewed plums to cool completely before attempting to store them. Once cooled, transfer the stewed plums, along with any syrup, into a clean, airtight container. Store this in the fridge for up to a week.
Reheat - When you're ready to serve, you can enjoy them cold, or if you prefer, gently reheat them in a saucepan over low heat until warmed through.
❓ FAQs
If you wish to store them for longer, stewed plums can be frozen for up to 3 months. Make sure they are in a suitable, well-sealed container to prevent freezer burn. Thaw in the fridge overnight before use.
Plums are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. You could replace the brown sugar (used in the sugar syrup) for stevia in order to reduce the sugar content of the stewed plums.
You can stew plums whole with stones in, and then cut them in half when cool and discard the stones. I prefer to halve and stone plums before stewing.
Yes, you can stew plums in the microwave. You will need to put the ingredients in a microwaveable bowl, cover with clingfilm and pierce the lid, and cook on high for 5-6 minutes.
Yes, in fact, slightly underripe plums often work better for stewing as they hold their shape well and their tartness balances the sweetness of the syrup.
😋Related recipes
More delicious fruity recipes!
- Easy Blueberry Compote
- Frozen Berry Compote
- Strawberry Coulis
- Stewed Rhubarb
- Blackcurrant Coulis
- Roasted Rhubarb
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Recipe
Easy Stewed Plums
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Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Knife
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 8 Plums halved and stoned
- 3 tablespoon Light Brown Sugar
- ½ Lemon juice only
- 4 tablespoon Water
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
Instructions
- Place the brown sugar, water and lemon juice into a saucepan. Put the pan on a medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.3 tablespoon Light Brown Sugar, 4 tablespoon Water, ½ Lemon
- Add the halved and stoned plums and cinnamon stick, and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes until the plums are tender and the syrup is glossy.8 Plums, 1 Cinnamon Stick
- DIscard the cinnamon stick and allow the plums to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- If you're using slightly under-ripe plums, increase the cooking time by 2-3 minutes.
- The amount of brown sugar can be adjusted depending on the sweetness of your plums and personal preference.
- Be careful not to overcook the plums, as they can become mushy. Keep an eye on them and test with a fork for desired tenderness.
- While cinnamon adds a traditional warm note, feel free to experiment with other spices like star anise or cardamom for a twist
- Use honey or maple syrup instead of brown sugar to make the recipe refined sugar-free.
- Replace the lemon juice with orange juice.
- Swap the cinnamon stick for a vanilla pod, cardamom pods, star anise, or chopped stem ginger in syrup.
- Add a splash of port, red wine or brandy for a grown-up version.
- Add 2 peeled and chopped Bramley apples for stewed apple and plums.
Katherine says
I love stewed plums! Such a versatile way to use them up.
Gina says
Love enjoying these for breakfast over some yogurt with granola!
Toni says
It is seriously amazing! I love that it is really quick and easy to make, too!
Tavo says
Just made this today, I had all the ingredients! So fast and easy to make! Thank you!
Dannii says
I grew up eating stewed plums at my grandparents. Such a delicious dessert.
Caroline says
I haven't had stewed plums in so long, but these are making me think I should make them myself soon - they look and sound so tasty.