This Italian plum tart is made with plums, eggs, cream, and sugar, and no fancy techniques are needed to make it. Perfect for when plums are in season.
What I love most about this Italian plum tart is that it looks really sophisticated and like something that you would have spent a lot of time making but it is actually very easy. After all, you know that if you are here on my site then the recipes will always be easy no matter how fancy they may look.
Especially my desserts!
That is just how I like to cook and bake. If you like easy desserts like this one then you also like my Classic Carrot Cake, Vanilla Almond Cake, and Italian Berry Cake! They are some of my favorite easy desserts and they also look so beautiful assembled.
Ingredients
The ingredients for this Italian plum tart are fairly simple. Here is what you will need:
- Italian plums or regular plums.
- Pie crust or pastry crust. If you need a pie crust recipe I have included that below for you.
- Eggs.
- Sugar.
- Brown sugar.
- Heavy cream.
- Cinnamon
The crust for this plum tart can be made with any pastry crust or pie crust that you prefer. I like using my quiche crust because it is flaky and delicious and perfect for holding in fruit.
I will usually make a big batch of these pie crusts and freeze them for just this type of recipe. Good quality store-bought pie crust will work fine too.
Tips
- Choose a plum variety that is firm. Many of the purple plums in the store can be a little on the soft (almost mushy side) when you buy them. When you buy the plums, give them a gentle squeeze. If they feel firm then they will hold up to the heat of the oven. If they are too soft, look for a different variety or slightly underripe ones.
- When choosing a tart pan (see dimensions in the recipe below), make sure it is not too large. A standard pastry or pie crust will fill a small circular, square, or rectangular tart pan nicely leaving a slightly thicker crust which is what you want.
- Make sure you let your tart cool for a bit when it comes out of the oven so you give the crust time to pull away from the pan before removing the sides of the pan.
- If you do not have a tart pan, then using a pie pan is fine! You will not be able to expose the sides of the entire tart but it will taste just as amazing. If you do use a pie pan then make sure you only bring the crust halfway up the sides. This recipe's filling is not for a deep dish pie and will not fill an entire pie pan to the top.
This Italian plum tart is so easy to make no matter what pan you use. It is versatile and can be eaten for dessert, breakfast, or even as a light snack with some coffee or tea. I hope you give it a try!
More Italian Desserts
Here are some more Italian desserts for you:
More Like This
If you love this Italian plum tart, you may also like these:
Italian Plum Tart
Tried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!
Equipment
- either a small rectangular tart pan (9.5"x 13.5"), a round tart pan (9.5") or a small square tart pan (9")
Ingredients
- 1 ​ disc of pastry dough/or pie crust
- 2 cups ​plums 3-4 plums depending on size . halved and pitted
- ½ cup heavy cream​
- â…“ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ​ large ​egg
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract​
- a pinch ​of ​cinnamon
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.
- While your oven is pre-heating, prepare your plums by cutting them in half, removing the pits and then set aside.
- Grab a tart pan (circular, rectangular or square work fine) and grease it and set aside so it is ready for the pastry crust you will be rolling out. If you do not have a tart pan, a pie dish will work well too but the presentation will not be as pretty.
- Now on a lightly floured work surface, roll out your pastry crust or pie dough until it is just a little bit bigger than your tart pan.1 ​ disc of pastry dough/or pie crust
- Place your crust inside your pan pressing up along the sides so that it stays in place.
- In a medium bowl, mix together your plums, cinnamon, brown sugar and lemon juice. Once the plums are all mixed in with the spices, place the plums on top of your pie crust cut side up and bake for 15 minutes.2 cups ​plums, 2 tablespoon brown sugar, a pinch ​of ​cinnamon, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- While it is baking, in a medium bowl, whisk together your egg, sugar ,vanilla and cream until it is a pale yellow color.⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 ​ large ​egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract​, ½ cup heavy cream​
- Remove your tart from the oven and now pour this egg mixture over the top of your plums and pastry and place back in the oven and bake for 20 more minutes until the custard is set and not jiggly anymore and the top is a nice golden color.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes on a cooling rack. If you used a tart pan, carefully remove the outer layer of the tart pan and let it cool for another 5 minutes.
- Cut your tart into slices, dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition Values are estimates only.
See full nutrition disclaimer here
Sammy says
This plum tart was absolutely delicious and so simple. Can’t wait to make it again!
Melissa says
So glad to hear that!
Tracy says
Can this be made the day before it is to be eaten, if so should it be stored in the fridge?
Melissa says
Hi Tracy. I haven't made the whole thing ahead of time but I have refrigerated extra plum tart that wasn't eaten- you want to do this because of the dairy. It tasted wonderful the next day. You can eat it cold out of the fridge or let it come to room temperature before serving.
I hope this helps 🙂
Dorothy Ianucilli says
Can I leave out the lemon juice as I am allergic to lemon
Melissa says
Hi Dorothy. Sure. The lemon just adds a little complexity of flavor. You can just leave it out or substitute some orange juice if you that is something you can have.
Hope this helps!