Plum Pie

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Easy Fresh Plum Pie Recipe

Summer plums make the best pie!

Easy fresh Plum Pie is a simple fruit pie that comes together in minutes. If you can roll out a pie crust and slice plums, you can make this pie!

Just like many stone fruits, plums are a terrific choice for cobblers, pies and crisps. These juicy fruits don’t need a lot of added ingredients to transform into a delicious dessert.

Ingredients Overview

• One double crust pie pastry recipe either homemade or store-bought
• Fresh firm plums
• Half of a Granny Smith apple grated on a large box grater
• Lemon juice
• Granulated sugar
• Minced candied or crystalized ginger, or ground ginger (optional)
• Cornstarch for thickening the juices
• Salt
• Pinch of cinnamon
• One large egg beaten with water for brushing on the pastry before baking
• Coarse sugar for sprinkling on top

How to make an easy fresh Plum Pie

1. First, prepare a double crust pastry and refrigerate until needed.

Roll one pastry disk into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Gently ease the dough into a 9-inch deep dish pie plate leaving a 1-inch overhang. Refrigerate until needed.

Roll out the top crust on a lightly floured large piece of parchment paper to a 10 by 14-inch rectangle.

Using a pizza cutter, fluted pastry wheel or small sharp knife, cut the dough into eight (1 1/4-inch) strips. Refrigerate until needed.

2. Make the plum mixture

Cut the plums in half and remove the pit. Cut each half into 6 wedges about 1/4-inch wide. Transfer the sliced plums to a large bowl and add the grated apple. Drizzle the mixture with lemon juice

In a separate small bowl combine the sugar, ginger, cornstarch and salt. Pour the sugar mixture over the plums and fold together with a spatula until combined. Set aside for 15 minutes.

While the plums are macerating preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking stone or rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Place in the oven to preheat.

PRO TIP: Baking the pie directly on a hot baking stone will help prevent a soggy bottom crust. If using a glass pie plate skip this step.

3. Assemble the plum pie

Pour the plum mixture into the prepared pie shell. Weave a lattice design over the filling. Trim away any excess dough.

Fold the dough overhang up and crimp together to seal. Brush the egg wash over the crust and sprinkle lightly with sugar.

4. Bake!

Bake immediately for 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking until the filling is bubbling and the crust is deep golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes more.

Cool on a wire rack for 4 hours or until the filling is set.

Tips for the best fresh Plum Pie

• Use firm plums that are not too soft so they don’t break down to mush.

• Do not peel the plums as the skin helps hold the plums together as they cook. The plum peels also give the pie that beautiful pink color.

• Use a lattice style crust or cookie cutter cut-outs to help vent the steam. Plums are very juicy so make sure your crust design has plenty of open space for the steam to escape.

• Brush the crush with an egg wash for a nice sheen and great color.

• Cornstarch seems to be the best thickener I’ve used for this plum pie recipe. I’ve also tried tapioca and instant clear gel as thickeners but had the best results with cornstarch.

• Allowing the plums to macerate for 15 minutes before baking helps ensure all the cornstarch is saturated with juices for the best results.

• Let the pie to rest until the juices are set before slicing. This takes about 4 hours depending on the temperature in your home.

• I haven’t tested this pie with frozen plums but believe it will work fine. I would thaw the plums first and drain before adding the sugar mixture.

Why add half of a grated apple?

We’ve been adding half a Granny Smith apple to our fruit pies and cobblers for years. Apples are loaded with natural pectin which helps the filling set perfectly.

You can’t taste the apple nor can you see it in the baked filling. We’ve had great success with this simple method in our blueberry pies, too.

What kind of plums are best for pies and cobblers

Any variety of plums will work in this pie and our cobbler too. We like black plums for their size, texture and the beautiful tart flavor it adds to this pie.

Black or purple plums are also easy to find in many markets and grocery stores. For this pie filling you’ll need 10 to 12 large black plums.

The colorful filling comes from the skin of the plum. As mentioned above, do not peel the plums as they tend to fall apart more easily and the color will not be there.

Tender bites of plum and jammy filling

Slicing the fruit into small wedges produces the best results. The plums cook perfectly and hold together without drying out.

The filling is juicy but almost jam-like in consistency. It may not hold together as well as some drier pies but that in no way takes away from the success of this dessert.

Serve Plum Pie topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

Storing leftover Plum Pie

Feel free to store Plum Pie at room temperature for up to 2 days. Cover with plastic wrap or seal in an airtight container for best results.

This Plum Pie also keeps very well in the refrigerator for 4 or 5 days. I’ve also had great success with freezing individual slices of Plum Pie for up to 3 months.

Thanks for PINNING!

Easy Summer Plum Pie

This simple and delicious pie is loaded with tart juicy plums, candied ginger and fresh lemon juice. It’s easy to make and even easier to enjoy!

If you find yourself with tons of extra plums, try this no-peel, no-pectin two ingredient Plum Jam.

We also love baking plums and blackberries together. If you think you’ll love this combo too, try our Plum Blackberry Bars recipe with a sweet crumble top. So good!