Mini Plum Tarts are quick to prepare and utterly delicious. Flaky puff pastry is filled with a sweet cream cheese mixture and topped with fresh plum slices. These tartlets are ideal for brunch, dessert, or served alongside a cup of coffee. This simple recipe looks impressive while being easy to make.
Why we love this recipe:
Stone fruit season is one of the best times to bake, and these Mini Plum Tarts showcase ripe plums beautifully. You can easily substitute other stone fruits — apricots, peaches, or nectarines all work well — or even try apples or pears when in season.
With roughly 30 minutes total time, including prep and baking, these tartlets are perfect for unexpected guests or when you want an effortless sweet treat that still feels special.
Ingredients in this recipe:
See the recipe card below for exact quantities and the full method.
Puff Pastry — Butter puff pastry gives the best flavour and flakiness, but standard puff pastry works too. I keep pastry in the freezer for quick baking sessions.
Plums — Fresh, ripe plums are ideal. Swap in apricots or peaches if preferred.
Cream Cheese — Provides a silky, slightly tangy base for the fruit.
Icing/Powdered Sugar — Sweetens the cream cheese filling.
Egg — A beaten egg brushed on the pastry edges adds shine and helps the demerara sugar adhere, creating a crunchy, caramelized rim.
Vanilla and Lemon Zest — Add brightness and depth to the filling.
Step by Step Instructions:
Begin by preheating your oven and ensuring the pastry is defrosted but still cold.
- Combine the cream cheese, icing sugar, lemon zest and vanilla until smooth. Prepare and slice the plums.
- Cut rounds from the puff pastry using a 7cm (2½”) cookie cutter.
- Using a smaller cutter, mark a circle about 1cm (¼”) in from the edge to form a border.
- Prick the center of each pastry circle with a fork to prevent puffing.
- Spoon a teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture into the center of each circle, staying inside the smaller marked area.
- Arrange plum slices on top of the cream cheese.
- Brush the pastry edges with beaten egg and sprinkle demerara sugar around the rim for crunch and color.
- Bake until the pastry edges are golden, about 10–15 minutes.
Tips for Success and FAQs:
Puff pastry is a convenient pantry staple. I usually buy butter puff pastry for the best results. Keep the pastry cold throughout the process: if it warms up it becomes hard to work with and won’t puff properly. If it softens, return it to the fridge briefly.
If you buy a roll, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and follow the packet instructions. Sheets thaw more quickly at room temperature, but always keep unused sheets refrigerated. Work quickly to maintain a cold dough for flaky layers.
Save the scraps — they make a delicious snack. For a sweet option, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar before baking. For a savory twist, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and a pinch of paprika or cayenne. Bake on a lined tray until golden.
These tarts are best enjoyed warm from the oven. You can reheat them the next day in a hot oven for a few minutes to refresh the pastry and warm the filling.
More delicious recipes for you to try:
If you love stone fruit, these recipes are worth exploring:
- Easy Plum Jam
- Apricot Jam
- Fresh Peach Chutney
- Peach and Plum Crumble
- Spiced Poached Plums
- Peach and Mint Smoothie
- Fresh Peach Salsa
- Peach, Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins
- Apricot and Cream Cheese Pastry
I hope you try these Mini Plum Tarts — they’re delightful with coffee or served warm with vanilla ice cream. I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments.
Alex xx
This post was originally published in March 2019 and has been updated with new photos and additional information. The recipe itself remains unchanged.
Mini Plum Tarts
Please note:
For best results weigh ingredients when weights are provided. All oven temperatures are fan-forced unless stated otherwise.
Ingredients
- 2 sheets butter puff pastry — 22½ cm (9″ square)
- 170 g cream cheese — at room temperature
- 3 tablespoon icing/powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 9 fresh plums
- 1 egg — beaten
- 4 tablespoon demerara sugar
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Allow the frozen pastry to thaw until cold and flexible but not soft; return to the fridge if it warms too much.
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In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, icing sugar, lemon zest and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
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Halve the plums, remove the stones and slice each half thinly (about ½ cm / ⅛”).
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Use a 7cm (2½”) cutter to cut nine circles from each pastry sheet.
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Mark a smaller circle about 1cm (¼”) from the edge with a smaller cutter, then prick the center with a fork.
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Place about a teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture into the center of each pastry, spread within the inner circle, then top with plum slices.
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Brush edges with beaten egg and sprinkle each rim with about ½ teaspoon demerara sugar.
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Bake for 10–15 minutes or until the pastry edges are golden brown.
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Transfer to a cooling rack and allow a few minutes to cool before serving — the fruit will be hot. Serve warm, optionally with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Butter puff pastry delivers the best flavour and texture. Always keep the pastry cold while working; chill it if it softens.
- Australian tablespoons are 20ml (4 teaspoons); many other countries use 15ml (3 teaspoons). Adjust measurements accordingly.
- The number of plums needed depends on size — typically 5–9 plums will be enough.
- Nutritional information is an estimate per tartlet and does not account for accompaniments.
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Nutrition Estimate:
| Carbohydrates: 20 g
| Protein: 3 g
| Fat: 14 g
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate and is derived from online calculators. For accuracy, calculate nutrition based on the exact ingredients and brands you use.