Purple Prune Plum Pie

When purple prune plums are in season, this is the pie to make. Twenty halved plums get arranged in overlapping circles over a sugar-flour-cinnamon mixture in a single pie shell, dotted with butter, and baked. No top crust, no lattice, just the plums themselves caramelizing and bubbling in their own juices.

The arrangement matters. Overlapping the plum halves cut-side up in concentric circles means each slice of pie gets a beautiful pattern of fruit. As they bake, the plums soften, release their juice into the cinnamon-sugar base, and the edges caramelize slightly where they peek above the filling.

A quarter cup of flour mixed into the sugar keeps the filling from turning into a soupy puddle. It thickens the plum juices just enough to hold together on a fork without turning the pie pasty or gummy.

Kitchen Tips

• Start at high heat for the first 10 minutes to set the crust, then reduce for the remaining bake. This prevents a soggy bottom
• Sprinkle a quarter of the sugar mixture on the crust before adding the plums. This creates a sweet base that absorbs excess juice
• Choose firm, ripe prune plums. Overripe plums release too much liquid and underripe ones won’t soften properly
• Let the pie cool until just warm before slicing. Hot fruit pies run everywhere

Variations

• Add a crumb topping (butter, flour, brown sugar) instead of leaving it open-faced
• Mix in a pinch of ground cardamom or nutmeg with the cinnamon for a more complex spice
• Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream