Name: Vegan Jam Crostata
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Ingredients: 300 g (2 ½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 100 g (½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar; pinch salt; finely grated zest of 1 large lemon; 170 g (scant ¾ cup) vegan block butter (cold and cubed); about 3 Tablespoons cold non-dairy milk or water; 300 g (10 oz) good quality jam; non-dairy milk for brushing

Go to Recipe

Vegan jam crostata - this vegan version of the classic Italian jam tart is easy to make with basic ingredients and tastes delicious!

Sweet and fruity with a crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth texture, this crostata is perfect for dessert, a snack or even for breakfast!

Vegan jam crostata on a marble board with forks and a bowl of jam.

This vegan jam crostata is a delicious sweet treat for any occasion. A rich and crumbly lemon-scented pastry base is filled with fruit jam and topped with a pretty pastry lattice.

It is easier to make than it looks, and doesn't require any fancy ingredients.

What Is Crostata?:

A crostata is a rustic Italian tart made using Italy's version of shortcrust pastry, pasta frolla. There are various different versions, including ricotta and nutella filled ones, but the most common is a jam filled tart with a lattice top.

The pastry is usually made with added eggs and baking powder, which makes it lighter and softer than regular shortcrust pastry, it also tends to be a bit sweeter.

Crostata may be eaten for breakfast, as a snack with coffee, or as dessert with a scoop of ice cream.

Close up of vegan crostata with two slices cut out.

What Do I Need To Make Vegan Jam Crostata?:

Jam: The only filling ingredient in this crostata is the jam, so make sure that you use a good quality one that you like the flavour of. I used raspberry but apricot, strawberry or peach jams would all be good (or literally any kind of jam you want really).

Plain flour: Just regular plain (all-purpose) flour is best. I haven't tried making it gluten-free.

Baking powder: The big difference between this pastry dough and regular shortcrust pastry is the addition of baking powder. It gives the pastry a lighter, softer texture.

Vegan butter: You MUST use a block vegan butter/margarine, not the spreadable kind in a tub which contains too high a water content and will make your pastry too soft to work with. I use Naturli vegan block or Flora plant butter.

Milk: A little cold non-dairy milk brings the pastry together in place of the eggs. You can use water instead.

Lemon zest: The addition of some grated lemon zest gives the pastry a lovely fragrant flavour.

Caster sugar: I use caster sugar but granulated will also work.

How To Make Vegan Jam Crostata:

(Full measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page)

Start by making the pastry. Place the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and lemon zest in a large bowl and mix well.

Add the cold, cubed butter and rub it in using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs and no lumps of butter remain.

Step 1, the flour with the butter rubbed in.

Gradually mix in enough cold milk or water to bring the pastry togther into a ball. Shape it into a disc, wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, until the pastry is firm enough to roll out.

Section off ¼ of the pastry and return it to the fridge. Roll out the rest of the pastry on a floured surface into a large round about ½ cm thick.

Carefully transfer the pastry to an approx 25cm/10 in round loose bottomed tart tin and gently press it into the corners of the tin. Trim off the excess pastry.

Roll out the reserved pastry, along with any scraps. Use a pizza wheel, dough cutter or sharp knife to slice 10 strips of pastry.

Step 4, the pastry strips for the lattice.

Fill the tart case with the jam. Lay 5 of the pastry strips across the top in one direction.

Step 5, the jam filled case with half of the lattice strips on top.

Lay the remaining 5 pastry strips on top, going in a different direction to form a lattice pattern.

Trim the ends of the pastry strips then fold the edge of the base over the ends of the lattice, sealing them in.

Step 7, the finished crostata before baking.

Place the crostata in the fridge or freezer for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven. Gently brush the exposed pastry with milk then bake for 35-40 minutes until deep golden.

Vegan jam crostata on a marble board with a bowl of jam.

Top Tips:

All of my recipes are developed using grams, and as with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale rather than the cup coversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!

It is important to chill the pastry before rolling it out, otherwise it will be too soft and you will struggle to roll it.

The pastry can be made in advance and stored (well wrapped) in the fridge for up to 2 days. If it becomes too firm to roll out let it sit out at room temperature for ½ an hour before rolling.

This crostata is best eaten on the day it is baked, but it will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Use any kind of jam you want for the filling, but go for a good quality one, or homemade for the best flavour.

The jam can be swapped for a vegan nutella/chocolate spread.

More Vegan Tart Recipes:

If you tried this recipe let me know how it went! Rate it, leave a comment or tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess

All images and content on Domestic Gothess are copyright protected. If you want to share this recipe then please do so by using the share buttons provided. Do not screenshot or post the recipe or content in full, instead include a link to this post for the recipe.

5 from 2 votes