Welcome to my absolute favourite autumn recipe! This easy plum custard tart recipe is so simple, my 11-year-old helps me make it every year. It's got a buttery crust, a sweet, soft plum filling, and a homemade vanilla cream that just melts in your mouth. This whole treat takes under 30 minutes of active preparation time, and the baking time is perfect for catching up on a TV show or starting dinner!
I've been playing around with recipes for years, and I promise you that making something this good doesn't need to be hard. We're skipping the tricky steps and using simple ingredients-nothing fancy required! The combination of tangy plums and rich, homemade vanilla custard is pure comfort. So grab your apron and let's make a beautiful dessert that everyone will think took hours to create.
🥧 Serves 8 | 🍒 Seasonal Dessert | 🍳 Family-Friendly | ⏱ 1-Hour Bake
Did you know that plums are one of the most comforting fruits you can bake with? Much like a classic cinnamon apple cake, they offer a cosy warmth. They have a little bit of sourness that cuts through the sweetness of the sugar and cream perfectly. If you have a friend who says they don't like plums, this tart is the one to change their mind! We are using simple store-bought shortcrust pastry, which is a great time saver. Plus, we'll talk about how to keep the bottom crust nice and crisp-no soggy bottoms allowed here!
This recipe is made for sharing. While it's special enough for a holiday meal, it's truly simple enough for a weeknight treat. This is a simple plum tart recipe that tastes like it came straight from a French bakery, but we made it right here in your kitchen. We'll walk through every step, including how to make a truly puff pastry plum custard tart if you prefer that lighter crust. I'm excited for you to try this one!
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💗 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The dessert has a perfect contrast of soft, warm plums, thick creamy vanilla custard, and a crisp, buttery crust.
- We use store-bought pastry and simple cooking steps, making this an ideal bake for beginners.
- Plums are at their best in late summer and early fall, and this recipe is the perfect way to showcase their great taste. Another fruit-based autumn bake, broadening your seasonal baking collection, is my apple cake with fresh apples.
- The classic lattice top looks beautiful on the table, convincing everyone you are a master baker!
🥧 Ingredients
*See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Plums: Varieties like Damson or Victoria are excellent for baking as they hold their shape and have a good balance of tartness and sweetness. If your plums are very ripe, you may need slightly less added sugar.
- Brown Sugar: You can substitute light or dark brown sugar, but the darker variety will add a richer, deeper molasses note to your plum filling. Always pack brown sugar firmly when measuring for consistent results.
- Egg Yolks: For the richest custard colour, choose eggs from pasture-raised hens, as their yolks often have a deeper orange hue. The freshest eggs are best for sauces. Using high-quality yolks is crucial for creating a smooth, rich cream for your custard or other classic French desserts.
- Vanilla Pod: To easily scrape the seeds, use the back of a small knife to split the pod lengthwise, then scrape the seeds out. You can save the remaining pod and place it in a jar of sugar to create homemade vanilla sugar.
- Cornstarch (Cornflour): This ingredient clumps easily when added to hot liquid. To ensure a smooth sauce, it is best to mix it into a small amount of cold liquid (a "slurry") before adding it to the main hot mixture.
- Shortcrust Pastry: If you are using pre-made shortcrust pastry, allow it to sit at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes before attempting to unroll it. This prevents cracking and makes it much easier to handle.
- Dry Beans: You can reuse the same dry beans or rice for blind baking indefinitely. Just be sure to store them separately and clearly label them, as they should not be used for cooking afterwards.
♻️ Substitutes & Variations
This easy plum custard tart recipe is very easy to change up!
- Puff Pastry Plum Custard Tart: If you prefer a lighter, flakier top, you can swap the shortcrust pastry for puff pastry for the lattice layer. The baking time will be the same.
- Fruit Swap: You can use other fruits that are slightly tart, like blueberries, rhubarb, or even cherries! If you love cherries in your bakes, consider making a classic baked cherry dessert like a clafoutis. Use the same amounts for the filling!
- Spice Swap: If you don't have ground cloves, you can use ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon or a pinch of nutmeg instead.
- Crumb Topping: If you don't want to make a lattice, mix ½ cup flour, ¼ cup sugar, and ¼ cup cold butter until crumbly. Sprinkle this over the plum filling instead of using the second pastry roll.
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👩🍳 How To Make Easy Plum Custard Tart
Love simple desserts? You should try my classic French cherry clafoutis next! They're quick, easy, fun, and perfect for family treats or meal prep. Explore more easy, tasty desserts in my collection!
Step 1: Wash the plums, remove the pits, and halve them. Cook with brown sugar and cloves on low heat, stirring until thick like jam. Let it cool completely.
Step 2: Line a 9-inch pie dish with the first pastry roll and trim the edges neatly.
Step 3: Cover the pastry with parchment paper, fill it with dry beans, and blind bake at 350°F (180°C) for 15 minutes until lightly golden.
Step 4: Remove the crust from the oven and take out the beans and parchment paper.
Step 5: Spread the cooled plum filling evenly over the crust bottom.
Step 6: Cut strips from the second pastry roll, weave a lattice over the plum filling, and brush with egg wash.
Step 7: Whisk egg yolks and sugar. Temper with warm milk and vanilla cream, stir in cornstarch, then cool.
Step 8: Let the tart cool completely before slicing. Serve each piece with a scoop of cooled custard.
*See the recipe card for detailed instructions.
🥗 Serving Suggestions
This tart is already a complete dessert, but here are a few fun ways to serve it:
- A La Mode: A scoop of homemade vanilla bean ice cream is always a winning combination with any warm fruit tart.
- Whipped Cream: A dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream (or even crème fraîche) adds a soft cloud of richness, and it's also a wonderful addition to classic light blueberry pancakes.
- Powdered Sugar: Just a light dusting of powdered sugar over the top right before serving makes the lattice really pop.
💭 Expert Tips
- Always Cool the Filling: Make sure both the plum filling and the custard are completely cool before you put them into the pre-baked crust. If they are warm, they will melt the butter in the crust and give you a soggy bottom!
- Cornstarch Mix: When you add the cornstarch to the custard, make sure you stir it well. If you have lumps, whisk a tiny bit of cold water with the cornstarch before adding it to the warm milk.
- Preventing Cracks: If your crust edges start to get too dark while baking, cover them with strips of foil. This trick can also be used for large bakes like a Walnut Roll to avoid a burned pastry top.
- When blind-baking, prick the crust base lightly to avoid air pockets under the bottom.
❓ FAQs about Plum Custard Tarts
For a sturdy base that holds up to the wet plum and custard, shortcrust pastry is best. However, many people enjoy using a puff pastry plum custard tart recipe for the lattice top, as it adds a lovely flaky texture.
The two best ways to prevent a soggy tart bottom are to blind bake the crust (baking it partially before adding the filling) and to make sure your plum filling is thick and fully cooled before you pour it into the crust.
Besides this easy plum custard tart recipe, the simplest dessert is a plum crumble or a plum cobbler. These desserts don't require any pastry skills at all and are done in under an hour. You could also make a simple apple cake if you prefer a different fruit-based dessert.
Yes, you absolutely can! If you use ready-made custard for your simple plum tart recipe, you might need to add a little extra cornstarch or gelatin to it, as the pre-made versions are usually too runny to set properly in a baked tart.
Leftovers should be covered tightly with plastic wrap and kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For the best taste, let the slice come to room temperature before eating, or warm it gently in the oven for a few minutes.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Plum Custard Tart Recipe
Equipment
- 9-inch Pie Dish (or tart tin)
- Saucepan (medium)
- Whisk (hand whisk is fine)
- Rolling Pin
- cling film (plastic wrap)
Ingredients
For the Plum Filling
- 2.2 lbs plums 1 kg
- ⅔ cup brown sugar 140 g
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
For the Custard
- 4 egg yolks large
- 6 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup double cream (heavy cream)
- Seeds from 1 vanilla pod seeds from 1 pod
- 3 teaspoon cornstarch (cornflour)
For the Crust
- 2 rolls 2 x 11 oz packs / 2 x 320 g packs shortcrust pastry
- 1 egg + 1 tablespoon milk for brushing
- 1 cup dry beans for blind baking
Instructions
- Make the Plum Filling: First, grab your plums! Wash them up, pop out the pits, and split them in halves. Throw the plums, brown sugar, and cloves into a saucepan over low heat. Just let it bubble gently, stirring now and then, until it gets super thick-like a chunky jam. This step is key so the filling isn't too runny! Slide it into a bowl and walk away; it must cool completely before we use it.2.2 lbs plums, ⅔ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- Prep the Creamy Custard Sauce: Okay, now for the cream! Whisk your 4 egg yolks with the white sugar until the mix is pale and thick. In a separate pan, warm your milk, cream, and vanilla seeds until it starts steaming (don't let it boil!).4 egg yolks, 6 tablespoon white sugar, 1 cup milk, 1 cup double cream (heavy cream), Seeds from 1 vanilla pod, 3 teaspoon cornstarch (cornflour)
- Here's the important trick: slowly pour just a tiny bit of the warm milk into the egg bowl while you whisk like crazy. This "tempers" the eggs so they don't scramble. Once that egg mix is warm, pour it all back into the milk pan.
- Keep the heat low and whisk it constantly. Stir in the cornstarch fast! Keep whisking until the sauce gets thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour it out, cover it tightly with plastic wrap (touching the surface!), and let it cool completely
- Bake and Finish the Tart: Line your 9-inch pie dish with the first pastry roll. Trim the edges.2 rolls
- Cover the pastry with paper, fill it with dry beans, and blind bake it at 350°F (180°C) for 15 minutes until it's light golden. The beans stop the bottom from puffing!1 cup dry beans
- Take the crust out from the oven, ditch the beans and paper. Spread the cooled plum filling all over the bottom of the crust. Cut strips from the second pastry roll and weave a lattice (a crisscross pattern) right over the plum filling.
- Mix that extra egg with a splash of milk and brush it all over the pastry strips. Bake the tart at 400°F (200°C) for 25-30 minutes. You want it deep golden brown.1 egg + 1 tablespoon milk
- You have to be patient here-let the tart cool totally before you cut into it. When you're ready to serve, top each slice with a generous scoop of that cooled vanilla custard sauce we made!
Video
Notes
Critical Prep Notes
- Cooling is Key: Make sure both the plum filling and the vanilla custard are completely cool before you add them to the pre-baked crust. Warm fillings cause soggy bottoms!
- Preventing Cracks: To easily unroll store-bought shortcrust pastry, let it sit at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes first.
- No Lumps: When mixing the cornstarch for the custard, whisk it with a tiny bit of cold milk or water before adding it to the warm cream mixture to prevent lumps.
Baking & Finishing
- Blind Baking Tip: You can reuse the same dry beans or rice for blind baking indefinitely; just store them separately and label them.
- Crust Protection: If the lattice or crust edges start browning too quickly during the final bake, cover them gently with small strips of foil.
- Serving: The tart must cool completely before slicing. For the best result, serve each slice with a generous scoop of the cooled vanilla custard sauce.
Christine says
This plum tart is just exquisite! Such a treat during the fall season. The recipe was easy to follow and well explained. Thanks for sharing!
Hannah says
Great recipe - the pie was delicious and the plums didn't fall apart, which I appreciated.
Claudia Ciorteanu says
Thank you so much! I’m really glad you liked it — and yes, keeping the plums just soft enough without falling apart makes such a difference, doesn’t it?
Yvonne says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Claudia Ciorteanu says
So happy to hear that! Thanks for trying it and for letting me know it worked perfectly!
Angela says
This was a great way to use up the last of my plum harvest!
Claudia Ciorteanu says
That’s wonderful to hear! Fresh garden plums make it even better — what a perfect way to use them up!
Liz says
Such a beautiful, delicious tart!! My family loved it!
Claudia Ciorteanu says
That makes me so happy to hear! I’m really glad your family enjoyed it — it’s one of my favourites to bake when plums are in season!
Raijah says
This looks absolutely lovely! Plums and vanilla custard are such a comforting combo. I’m saving this for our next weekend bake, especially since it’s beginner-friendly enough to make with my niece!
Claudia Ciorteanu says
Thank you! I love that combo too — it’s simple, tasty, and perfect for baking together with little helpers. Your weekend bake sounds like it’s going to be so much fun!
Claudia Ciorteanu says
My family loved this!