This Plum Galette is beautiful in it’s simplicity. It’s like the “little black dress” of tarts. The delicate walnut pastry makes this a crave-worthy treat.

This recipe was inspired by a perfect little gem of a tart I enjoyed on my very first trip to Paris.

That tart was nothing more than a slender wedge of sweet plums baked in a crust, with no other filling or embellishments. It was absolutely perfect in it’s simplicity and the memory of that elegant tart stays with me to this day.

As soon as I saw these beautiful blue “Mount Royal” plums in my farm share I had an instant craving for a plum tart like the one I had in Paris decades ago.

How to make a Plum Galette with a Walnut Crust:

My plum galette is made with a buttery walnut crust, which is just perfect with the sweet juicy plums.
It is a tender crust that can be a little tricky to roll. After it’s baked it stays soft so should be handled gently to avoid breaking the crust.
Since a galette is meant to be rustic there’s no shame in just serving it from the baking pan.
You can use the parchment paper lining to transfer the tart and then just cut away the excess paper.
If you have a flat serving tray you can slide it under the tart and lift it off the baking paper.
If you want a slightly dressier presentation you can press the dough into a fluted tart pan with a removable base.
You can make the tart with pie crust or short dough if you don’t like nuts or if you prefer to work a more resilient dough.

Click through the step by step photos to see how to make a Plum Galette with a walnut crust:

Grind the walnuts with the sugar and spices.

ground walnuts with butter and flour in a food processor

Add the butter and then the flour

Add the egg and process just until the dough comes together, then wrap and refrigerate until firm.

For easy handling, roll the dough on a sheet of parchment paper.

a round of dough covered with sliced plums

Arrange the fruit on the dough, sprinkle with sugar and then use the parchment to lift the edges of the dough over the fruit.

Slide a serving plate under the cooled tart or use the parchment to transfer

Beautiful, simple, yet so tasty. This Plum Galette with a Walnut Crust brought me right back to that Parisian cafe, if just for a moment.

If you love this recipe as much as I do, I’d really appreciate a 5-star review.

Plum Galette with Walnut Crust

Name: Plum Galette with Walnut Crust
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1/2 cup (2 oz, 56g) walnuts; 1/3 cup (3 oz, 84g) granulated sugar; 1 stick (4 oz, 112g) cold unsalted butter cut into 1" cubes; 1 cup (5 oz, 140g) all purpose flour; 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; Pinch of salt; 2 egg yolks; 1 pound (448g) fresh plums; 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 1 egg for egg wash

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

A tender walnut crust is wrapped around fresh plums. Just a sprinkle of sugar is the only other ingredient. Perfectly simple and perfectly lovely.

Ingredients

For the Crust

1/2 cup (2 oz, 56g) walnuts
1/3 cup (3 oz, 84g) granulated sugar
1 stick (4 oz, 112g) cold unsalted butter cut into 1" cubes
1 cup (5 oz, 140g) all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
2 egg yolks

Assembly

1 pound (448g) fresh plums
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg for egg wash

Instructions

For the Crust

Combine the walnuts, salt, cinnamon and sugar in a food processor. Pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until the pieces of butter are no larger than a pea. Add the flour and pulse until the mixture looks like wet sand. Add the yolks and process until the mixture forms a ball.
Remove the dough, wrap in plastic, form into a flat disc. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, or until completely firm.

For Assembly

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Have a baking sheet ready on the side.
Flour a sheet of parchment paper generously. Roll the dough to a circle slightly larger than the short side of the parchment
If the dough gets soft and starts to break apart, generously flour your hands and piece the dough together.
Cut each plum in half and remove the pit. Cut each plum half into 4 pieces.
Arrange the plums in circles, starting at least 1.5 inches from the edge of the dough. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the granulated sugar over the fruit.
Use the parchment paper to lift the edges of the dough over the fruit. Transfer the parchment with the tart onto the baking sheet.
Brush the crust with egg wash and sprinkle the dough and fruit with the remaining tablespoon of sugar.
Bake until the crust is golden brown and fruit is bubbling, about 20 minutes.
Cool on the pan for at least 1 hour before transferring to a serving plate.

Notes

Because of the nuts this is a very tender crust. To transfer the tart to a serving platter it's easiest to carefully slide a cake lifter or plate between the tart and the parchment paper, or use the parchment to lift the crust onto a serving platter and then cut away the excess paper.