This Crostata recipe is an old Italian jam tart recipe made with a soft crumbly sweet pasta frolla dough. It is a sweet shortcrust pastry pie made with baking powder and filled with fresh fruits or jam. It is easy to make and it keeps fresh for a long time. It is often eaten at breakfast, as a snack, or served at the end of an informal meal as a dessert. In Italy, you can buy it in most bakeries and pastry shops, but homemade is so much better.

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What does Crostata mean?
Crostata in Italian means crispy crust, it is a crumbly pastry pie filled with fruit or jam.
Crostata means pie or tart, so you should always specify its filling: Crostata di frutta, fruit crostata; or Crostata di marmellata, jam crostata.
Fruits and jam are the most common fillings, but Crostata can also be filled with chocolate, nutella, ricotta or custard.
Jam crostata is the most commonly made as everyone has a jar of jam in their pantry they can use up. It is very easy to make, it can be stored for a long time and it is easy to eat on the go.
Ingredients
This crostata is made with a very crispy, crumbly, and fluffy pastry, an old classic recipe that uses baking powder.
The ingredients for the pasta frolla pastry are:
- 1 cup - 200 gr sugar
- 4 cups - 500 gr flour
- 2 tablespoon baking powder
- ⅔ cups - 160 gr butter at room temperature
- 3 eggs
2 cups of jam for the filling.
Making the dough
- First mix all the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, and baking powder
- Then add all the wet ingredients
- Mix until the dough is formed
- If the dough is too warm, wrap it in cling and store it in the fridge for few minutes. Cold dough is easier to roll.
- Put the dough on a well-floured surface and cut ½, keep ½ of the pastry aside for the top
- Roll the rest of the pastry to make the base of the pie
Preparing the base
This quantity of dough is enough for a 9 in - 22 cm D / 1 in - 2.8 cm H baking pan with removable bottom.
- Butter and flour the baking pan
- While you roll the dough, check the size of the pastry vs the size of the pan
- Once the pastry is large enough, lay it on the baking pan
- Press the dough into the pan
- Trim the edges
- Pierce the pastry with a fork
- Pour the jam and spread it evenly
Preparing the top of the Crostata
- Cut the remaining pastry into 8 parts
- Make 8 strips with each part.
- 2 Longer strips
- 4 Medium strips
- 4 Shorter strips
Baking the Crostata
- Place the 2 long strips as a cross in the center
- Place the 4 medium strips next all around
- Last place at the end the 4 short strips
- Bake in the oven for 35 minutes at 355 F - 180 C
How to serve and store jam crostata
Jam Crostata is served at room temperature. It can be cut into small slices or squares and eaten with your hands.
It will last for a week stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
It is not necessary to store a jam crostata in the fridge. Fresh fruit crostata should be stored in the fridge during the hot summer months.
Why Crostata is easy and handy
Crostata is very easy to make at home and does not require any planning.
As long as you have the ingredients to make the shortcrust pastry (pasta frolla) and some jam, it can be made at the last minute and will last for the week.
It is the perfect dessert to use up opened jars of jam or marmalade.
You can use any jam you like, here, I am using my homemade caramelized peach jam.
When to eat crostata
Jam Crostata is a practical snack for children going to school or served for breakfast with a cup of coffee.
It is also very handy to offer as a dessert for a buffet, bring to a potluck or a picnic as it can be easily carried and eaten with your hands like a biscuit.
Crostata is the perfect dessert to serve with your homemade liqueurs. You can find a selection of liqueurs in the article: Homemade Italian liqueurs
More fruits desserts you may like
You can find more desserts made with fruits and jam here below:
- Peach Tarte Tatin
- Pear crumble recipe
- Pavlova Recipe with Chestnut Mousse
- Lime sorbet
- Apple cupcakes
- Apricot jam cake with marshmallow topping
- Strawberry shortcake
- Magic lemon cake
If you are making this Italian Crostata recipe, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.
📋 Authentic Italian Crostata Recipe (Jam Tart)
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup butter at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 cup flour
- 3 fresh eggs
- 2 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 jar peach jam See my homemade
Equipment
Instructions
Making the dough
- First mix all the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, and baking powder1 cup sugar, 4 cup flour, 2 tablespoon baking powder, 1 pinch salt
- Then add all the wet ingredients⅔ cup butter at room temperature, 3 fresh eggs
- Mix until the dough is formed
- If the dough is too warm, wrap it in cling and store it in the fridge for few minutes. Cold dough is easier to roll.
- Put the dough on a well-floured surface and cut ½, keep ½ of the pastry aside for the top
- Roll the rest of the pastry to make the base of the pie
Preparing the base
- Butter and flour the baking pan
- Check the size of the pastry vs the size of the pan
- Once the pastry is large enough, lay it on the baking pan
- Press the dough into the pan
- Trim the edges
- Pierce the pastry with a fork
- Pour the jam and spread it evenly1 jar peach jam
Preparing the top of the Crostata
- Cut the remaining pastry into 8 parts
- Make 8 strips with each part: 2 Longer strips, 4 Medium strips, 4 Shorter strips
Baking the Crostata
- Place the 2 long strips as a cross in the center
- Place the 4 medium strips next all around
- Last place at the end the 4 short strips
- Bake in the oven for 35 minutes at 355 F - 180 C
- Crostata should be served at room temperature
Video
Notes
- The butter should be at room temperature
- If the pastry is too warm, place it in the fridge for few minutes. Cold dough is easier to roll
- You can use any jam you like, even nutella
Beth @ Binky's Culinary Carnival
Oh, Laura, that looks delicious! I found it Foodgawker! Lovely!
Laura
WOW, my first one !!
Marsha | Marsha's Baking Addiction
What a gorgeous, delicious looking pie!
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry
This looks super easy to make, and what a treat too! I think the kids would love this
Dannii
What a great way to use up peaches before the season it out. This looks delicious.
David @ Cooking Chat
tasty summer dessert! Like the ideas for variations, including have kids help to decorate it.
Lucy
What a delicious way to use homemade jam! I love peach desserts, so I will definitely have to try this out. And I will let my son decorate the top 🙂
Emily
I love crostata, with homemade peach jam I bet this is absolutely delicious!