If you’re looking for a dessert that feels special but is a breeze to make, these Individual Plum Tarts are it. With purchased puff pastry as the base, all you need to do is layer on some juicy plum slices tossed with lemon zest, mint, a little sugar, and cinnamon. A quick brush of apricot jam before baking gives them a glossy, golden finish. They’re perfect for a cozy weeknight treat or a fun addition to a dinner party—easy, delicious, and sure to impress!
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My husband Robert and I often venture to Mexico to spend time with my childhood friend Katey Hartwell. One evening while we were there, a neighbor brought a simple and delicious dessert that combined buttery puff pastry with perfectly ripe plums in a rustic galette. Every last bite was delicious. Once we returned home, I decided to create my own version, including transferring it from one large galette into individual tarts. This way, guests get a perfect little something all their own!
Ingredients in Plum Tarts
Here’s all you need to make this quick and easy plum dessert (details, including quantities, are included in the recipe card below):
- Frozen puff pastry sheets
- All purpose flour
- Butter
- Ripe but slightly firm plums (any kind) – try to select ones that are approximately the same size
- Granulated (white) sugar
- Fresh mint
- Lemon zest
- Ground cinnamon
- Apricot jam or preserves
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
How to Make Plum Tarts
While these delectable Individual Plum Tarts look like they take more effort to make, they don’t. Beautiful and scrumptious, these tarts make for an impressive, easy to prepare recipe. Here’s a video showing how to create these enticing desserts, followed by step-by-step instructions with photos:
- Prep oven.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. - Create pastry rounds.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out 1 puff pastry sheet until very thin. Cut into 3 (6-inch) circles. Pierce the bottom all over with a fork. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet; you will have a total of 6 rounds.
- Butter rounds.
Place on prepared baking sheet and brush with melted butter. Set aside. - Prep plums.
Pit plums and cut each into 16 slices (around 1/4-inch thick). - Season plums.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine plums, sugar, mint, lemon zest and cinnamon. - Place plums on pastry rounds.
Arrange sliced plums on top of pastry rounds, placing slices on their side, forming a pinwheel. Fold over edges of the pastry up to (but not over) plums, to form a small rim. - Coat with warm jam.
In a small saucepan, melt jam over medium heat, stirring. Remove from heat; brush lightly over the top of plums with a basting brush. - Bake; cool.
Bake about 30 minutes or just until the crusts are golden brown and the fruit is starting to bubble and get juicy (watch carefully so they don’t get overdone). - Serve.
Serve at room temperature, placing a small scoop of vanilla ice cream in the center, if desired. Garnish with whole mint leaves.
Plum Pastries Flavorings
Here are a few ideas for varying this recipe:
- Add orange zest (in addition to or in place of the lemon zest).
- Substitute chopped fresh basil for the mint.
- Use currant or other fruit flavored jam in place of apricot.
- Add 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg.
Can You Substitute Other Fruit in this Tart?
Yes you could use other stone fruit in this recipe in place of the plums, including sliced apples, peaches, apricots, or nectarines.
Ways to Serve Mini Plum Tarts
I like to serve these tarts at room temperature, topped with a scoop of vanilla, butter pecan or sea salt caramel ice cream.
How do you eat these plum pastries? (Do you cut it?)
I recommend eating these pastries with a knife and fork.
How do you transport individual plum tarts?
If taking these tarts to a pot luck or as a contribution to dinner at another home, cool, leave on the cookie sheets and cover with plastic wrap. Don’t stack them!
Plum Tarts Puff Pastry Storage
If making earlier in the day, cool, leave on the cookie sheets, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Plum Tarts Recipe FAQs
It depends on how you’re using them. When making jelly or jam, yes you should peel plums. When making this recipe, or other recipes where you roast or bake plums, leave the skin on. They add nice color and shape, plus a bit of tartness that contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the plum flesh.
For this recipe, yes you definitely need to remove stones from the plums. I always half plums and remove the stones before cooking. However, technically, you can cook plums whole and then halve and remove the stone later.
I took a few liberties in naming this plum dessert a “tart.” Mine is actually not really a tart or a galette. Technically, tarts are baked in a very specific style pan (a tart pan) while a galette is a French pastry that’s basically a freeform pie. For a galette, pie crust is rolled flat, filled with lots of fresh fruit (sliced or chopped) then the edges of the crust are folded over the edge of the fruit, overlapping around 1 inch. My tarts are freeform, but with a thinner, puff pastry crust instead of a pie crust. In addition, mine don’t have as much fruit as a typical galette, and the edge of the crust isn’t folded on top of the fruit.
A galette is basically a freeform pie that’s baked on a cookie sheet instead of in a pie dish. In addition, a galette made with puff pastry will have a light, crisp crust whereas a pie will have a flaky crust.
I’ve never had an issue with these tarts getting soggy. Don’t make them more than 8 hours ahead and make sure to cook them until the crust is crispy.
If You Like Plum Tarts, Try These Other Desserts!
- Individual Peach Upside Down Cakes (can make with plums)
- Roasted Peaches, Plums and Nectarines with Candied Walnuts
- Individual Butterscotch Pies
- Mini Banana Cakes
- Individual Blueberry Cakes
Individual Plum Tarts
Light, fresh, and sweet with a touch of tartness, Individual Plum Tarts with Puff Pastry are the perfect ending to any meal. These rustic freeform tarts are prepared in the style of a galette, calling for only 8 ingredients. Easy, elegant and impressive!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 (17.3-ounce) package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, thawed
- all purpose flour, for rolling the pastry
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 6 ripe but slightly firm plums – see Note below
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, plus whole leaves for garnish
- 3 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup apricot jam
- Vanilla ice cream (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 puff pastry sheet until very thin. Cut into 3 (6-inch) circles. Pierce the bottom all over with a fork. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet; you will have a total of 6 rounds.
- Place on ungreased cookie sheets and brush with melted butter. Set aside.
- Pit plums and cut each into 16 slices (around 1/4-inch thick).
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine plums, sugar, mint, lemon zest and cinnamon.
- Arrange on top of the pastry, placing the plum slices on their side, forming a pinwheel. Fold over edges of the pastry up to (but not over) the plums, to form a small rim.
- In a small saucepan, melt the jam over medium heat, stirring. Remove from heat; brush lightly over the top of the plums with a basting brush.
- Bake about 30 minutes or just until the crusts are done and the fruit is starting to bubble and get juicy (watch carefully so they don’t get overdone).
- Serve at room temperature, placing a small scoop of vanilla ice cream in the center, if desired.
- Garnish with whole mint leaves.
Notes
Note on plums: I recommend using red or purple plums like Elephant Heart – they have great color (red inside, dark red/purple outside) – and are commonly available.
Make Ahead: Tarts can be made earlier in the day, cooled, covered and kept at room temperature
- Category: desserts, quick and easy
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tart (witout ice cream)
- Calories: 615
- Sugar: 19.1 g
- Sodium: 215.5 mg
- Fat: 39.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 9.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 60.9 g
- Fiber: 2.5 g
- Protein: 6.8 g
- Cholesterol: 20.3 mg
Note: this recipe was originally posted in 2013 and then updated a few times over the years, most recently in November 2024.
