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Italian Jam Crostata

This easy-to-make Italian Jam Crostata is just the recipe you need in your baking repertoire for a simple, delicious dessert that’s made with ingredients you likely have in your kitchen!

overhead view of Italian Jam Crostata with a slice on a pie server

Easy Italian Jam Crostata

Every once in a while, you find one of those magical recipes that’s so simple yet so delicious and gorgeous that it immediately becomes a favorite. Well, baking friends, this recipe is exactly that. Let me introduce you to this Italian Jam Crostata.

There are lots of recipes out there for crostatas, but I just adore the simplicity of this one. It begins with a simple shortbread crust that’s also used as part of the topping. That’s followed by fruit jam and sliced almonds. And that is all there is to this beauty! It’s a perfect example of something that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

Another plus? It’s very easy to keep the ingredients for this on-hand for whenever you need a last-minute beauty of a dessert. That’s winning!

What is a Crostata?

We’ll get the fancy name out of the way first. A crostata is an Italian dessert, specifically a pie or tart that’s usually filled with fruit jam or other fruit fillings. It may or may not have a pastry topping as well. There are other variations, but we’ll stick with jam for our purposes here.

overhead view of ingredients for Italian Jam Crostata

What You’ll Need

You’ll just need some baking basics to whip up this tart! Scroll down to the bottom of this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

  • Unsalted butter – Set out the butter about half an hour before baking so it will be properly softened for mixing. Learn more: How to Soften Butter
  • Granulated sugar
  • Vanilla extract
  • Almond extract – You can just use vanilla extract, but the almond addition provides wonderful flavor.
  • Salt
  • All-purpose flour – Measure by weight for best results. Otherwise, spoon and sweep to avoid over-measuring.
  • Jam – Use your favorite fruit jam. The jam is really featured here, so be sure to use a good one.
  • Almonds – Use sliced almonds for the best texture and appearance.

How to Make Italian Jam Crostata

This is such a simple recipe to make! It’s great for bakers of all levels who want a simple yet impressive dessert.

Prepare for baking. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grab a 10-inch springform pan. With all the butter in the crust, you shouldn’t need to grease the pan.

Mix the wet ingredients. With an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until the mixture is light in color and fluffy. Add the extracts and the salt, and mix just until combined.

Add the flour. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour and mix just until combined. The dough will be crumbly but should hold together when pinched.

Reserve the topping. Take 1/2 cup of the crust dough and press it onto a small plate until it’s 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick. Cover the plate with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer while you finish assembling the tart.

Press the crust into the pan. Transfer the remaining crust dough to the pan. Press it firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan. You can lightly flour your fingers to make this easier to do without sticking.

Finish assembling. Spread the jam over the dough, leaving about a 1-inch border around the outside edges. Next, crumble the reserved dough over the jam. Finally, sprinkle the almonds over the top.

Bake the crostata. Place the pan in the oven, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. The edges will be golden brown when the tart is done. Cool completely before removing the sides of the pan and cutting into wedges.

overhead view of freshly baked Italian Jam Crostata in a springform pan on a marble surface

What Flavor of Jam to Use

You can use any flavor of jam you like! I personally love using blueberry or strawberry jam, but you could also use flavors like raspberry, peach, blackberry, or apricot jam. If you can find it, apple jam is another lovely idea! I usually see apple jam at the farmer’s market once fall draws closer.

slice of Italian Jam Crostata on a white plate with fresh berries

Serving Suggestions

This beautiful, simple Italian jam tart is lovely served all on its own for a simple dessert or sweet snack. But if you want to dress it up a bit for a special occasion, here are some simple ideas to do just that.

  • Whipped cream – A dollop of sweetened whipped cream is a simple, delicious way to top off servings of this tart. Learn more: How to Make Whipped Cream
  • Fresh fruit – Serve with fresh berries or other fruit to complement the flavor of jam you used.
  • Ice cream – Add a scoop of ice cream. Vanilla is always a good choice, but try a complementary flavor for something a little different.
  • Confectioners’ sugar – Simply dust confectioners’ sugar over the top of each serving.
  • Lemon curd – For a citrus twist, add a little dollop of lemon curd.
slice of Italian Jam Crostata on a pie server with the remaining tart and a bowl of fresh fruit in the background

Tips for Success

  • Measure accurately. I mentioned this above in the details of the ingredients, but it bears repeating. Accurate measurements will give you the best results. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, I highly encourage you to get one.
  • Use a light-colored metal pan. The crostata will bake more evenly and thoroughly. If you have a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, you can use that instead of a springform pan. Just be careful when removing the bottom so the tart stays intact.
  • Get creative! I often make this tart using whatever jam I happen to have in the refrigerator, and I’ve yet to find one that doesn’t make a delicious addition. For a fun twist, try using a few different kinds of jam divided into sections on top of the tart so that you can easily offer some flavor variety.
partial Italian Jam Crostata on a white cake stand

How to Store

  • Counter: Cover the cooled tart and store it or individual slices in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 3 days.
  • Fridge: For a few more days of storage or if your kitchen stays fairly warm, place the container in the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for serving.
  • Freezer: For longer storage, wrap the completely cooled tart or individual slices in two layers of plastic wrap and then wrap again in aluminum foil or place in a freezer-safe container. Stored properly, it should keep up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for an hour or two at room temperature.
slice of Italian Jam Crostata served with fresh berries on a white plate

Video Tutorial: Italian Jam Crostata

Italian Jam Crostata

Yield 10 to 12 servings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Italian Jam Crostata is wonderfully delicious and so simple to make. A great last-minute dessert!

slice of Italian Jam Crostata on a white plate with fresh berries

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 & 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup jam
  • 1/3 cup sliced almonds

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Set aside a 10-inch springform pan.
  2. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and the salt. Mix just until combined.
  3. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour, mixing just until combined. The dough will be crumbly.
  4. Remove 1/2 cup of the dough. Lightly flour your fingers, and press onto a small plate until it's about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in the freezer.
  5. Transfer the remaining dough to the pan. Lightly flour your fingers, and press the dough firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan.
  6. Spread the jam over the dough, leaving about a 1-inch border around the edges. Crumble the chilled reserved dough over jam. Sprinkle the almonds over the jam and crumb.
  7. Bake 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool before removing sides of pan. Cut into wedges with a sharp knife.

Notes

Recipe slightly adapted from Chow.

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    40 Comments on “Italian Jam Crostata”

  1. I love the simplicity of this tart. Shortbread + jam + almonds = delicious! I’m going to keep this recipe on hand for the next time I need a quick treat!

  2. So simple and yet so beautiful! I love quick, delicious recipes like this 😀

  3. This looks and sounds so delicious, I can not wait to try it…thank you.

  4. I don’t normally like jam but this looks delicious! And easy, too. Just a few comments. One-third of a cup of jam does not sound like much for a 10-inch pan, but I’m sure it is supposed to be a thin spreading with enough flavor. And, I really like using my tart pans with removable bottom for tarts. I wonder why this would call for a springform pan? The photos are beautiful, but I do love the pretty edge the tart pans have.

  5. This reminds me of homemade thumb-print jam cookies. Love it…will be pinning and making soon!

  6. Good point – thanks jennifer!

  7. this looks amazing…I make jam and this year I have some blueberry that would be perfect for this…making this weekend! Thanks!

  8. I HAD to come back and let you know my thoughts on this recipe…I am simply delighted !!! First off…a very simple recipe to make, with items that you will have in your kitchen. But it is the results that were utterly incredible, I did over cook it a bit, and next time I will take it out when YOU said to, but the texture, the flavors…wonderful !! I used a very nice strawberry jam which is made by a family in Wisconsin, they have so many different kinds, I can not wait to make seedless raspberry and BLUEBERRY..peach…the list goes on!!! Not only will this simple and flavorful recipe be delighted by all, but it’s presentation is very impressive also. Thank you for a NEV amazing recipe, which will be used daily in my kitchen…I am so happy !!!

  9. It’s in the oven and the smell is awesome!

  10. This was just amazing. So simple to make and so so tasty. Will definitely be making it again and again. Thank you so much.

  11. I usually don’t eat jam but this looks so delicious. I would love to taste it. It reminds me of cashew cake i made myself.

  12. Hi! Love your version for this dessert, but, if I may, I’d like to write down a few suggestion (I’m Italian) in case you want to do an original italian crostata.
    First of all, the shortbread crust that we use is Pasta Frolla, here’s the recipe:

    300 g flour
    150 g sugar
    150 g butter
    1 egg
    1 yolk
    1 tsp lemon zest (if you like)
    1 pinch of salt
    work very briefly all the ingrediets together (make sure you use cold butter), let it rest in the fridge for half hour.
    then, you can put it in your tart pan.

    second, you should put more jam in it (at least 5 mm).
    it’s very common to do a lattice top with some of the pasta frolla.

    congrats for your blog from Italy! 🙂

  13. I made this delicious crostata today and it was a bit hit. The simplicity of the preparation is not proportionate to the gorgeous presentation. I used my tart pan, and the fluted edge was very pretty (it came apart from the bottom easily, with just a little wiggling where some of the jam spilled over).

    Thanks for this recipe! I’ll surely be making it again.

  14. What a simple and delicious recipe. I think I used a little bit more jam and almonds, but the bottom line is that it came out soooo good and so beautiful. Simple and delicious would best define it. This is a real keeper!!

  15. This looks so buttery and delicious! I always love the way sliced almonds look on top of any dessert!

  16. They serve these often for breakfast in Italian hotels and B&Bs. Yum. Making one tomorrow!

  17. Do you think I could use lemon curd? If yes, how much? My son’s girlfriend just had a baby and she loves lemon. Would love to make this for her. Thanks in advance!

  18. I used a 10″ dark tart pan with removable bottom and the crostata browned in approximately 30 minutes.  Anyone else experience this?  A much shorter baking time?  I’m waiting for it to cool!

  19. I’m wondering how Nutella would work in this recipe

  20. This is the easiest and most heavenly dessert.  I used raspberry preserves and it was outstanding.  

  21. I also used raspberry preserves (seedless) and LOVE this recipe. A couple of things I’ll do different when I make it again (tomorrow). Parchment paper is your friend. I’ll use it to roll out the 1/3 cup for the topping (top and bottom of the dough) instead of using floured fingers and also, when patting down the dough in the pan – one piece over the top and use the 1 cup measuring cup to smooth it all out.  I also used a silicone basting brush to spread the jam – worked great!

  22. I’ve made this recipe several times in the last few weeks with raspberry, blackberry, and grape jams and preserves, and each one has been spectacularly good – and easy to make!

  23. Excellent! I particularly liked the crust being more like a sugar cookie than a pie crust and my husband LOVED it. Believe just about any jam (or even a mixture if one wants to get rid of bits) would do.

  24. I’ve made this recipe so many’s times I have it memorized. It’s a hit at every get together. And it’s SO easy!!! Any jam works my favorites are strawberry and blackberry. Sometimes I don’t have almonds on had and I sprinkle some old fashioned oats on top. Comes out perfect every time!!! 

  25. Okay – so it is Thanksgiving Day and I just made this. I cut a very small slice so I could try it before serving it. Delicious! Very quick and easy. I used seedless raspberry jam and 1/3 cup was fine – I used a small offset spatula to spread it – that helped a lot. The crust is very tender – I am thinking of blueberry preserves next. Or maybe even put a layer of cream cheese on the crust before the preserves. One of the great assets to this dessert is that I would always have all the ingredients on hand to make it. Thanks so much for posting this.

  26. To think that I would prepare my first Crostata on the day before Thanksgiving depicts how simple this treat was getting into the oven. And to think that the day after Thanksgiving, that I made another Crostata tells you how delicious this pastry is. Yesterday I had to satisfy an “itch”, and instead of the 10 inch springform, I had my way with a 9 inch fluted tart pan with removable insert. I ended up baking for 55 minutes, simply judging the border pastry color. For both the springform and tart pan, I found a sheet of foil on the baking rack to be my friend. There was some butter leakage. The 1 inch border of pastry magically does rise a bit, making it appear that you’ve rolled out pastry dough in a pie dish. After my tart pan rested from the baking for about 30 minutes, it was pure simplicity to push the base up through the sides of the pan. I simply placed the tart over an object that was smaller than the perimeter. Then I gently pushed down on the sides of the pan, revealing a stunning pastry with fluted edges. When fully cool, I also gilded the lily and finagled the tart off of the base, although it’s super easy to cut slices directly on the base as well. Based on a technique that I developed for other desserts, I had some fun with the reserved dough that you crumble. I did not chill or freeze. I used a hand grater, and simply pushed the dough through, directly over the jam, forming perfect shards that covered easily. This is a beautiful pastry, introduced by a beloved and beautiful blog that I follow! Thank you Jennifer……as always.

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