Italian Stewed Prunes

published 4/29/14; last updated 8/06/24

I know what you're thinking.

Prunes? Is this lady nuts? I mean, who eats prunes?! (Besides 80 year-old ladies, of course.) Which is what I’m sure you were thinking based off the title alone. But don't hate it til you've ate it (or at least until you've read through the entire post haha) because I’m telling you these stewed prunes are melt-in-your-mouth buttery, carmel-y, warm, spiced, cozy, decadent goodness and once you try them, I swear, you won’t be able to get enough of them.

You see, growing up, my Mom would make a variation of stewed prunes and would then “force” us to eat it on things like yogurt and oatmeal. Suffice it to say I was all too happy to leave stewed prunes in the past of my childhood. But then, just like that, the prunes stewed their way back into my life. We were out to dinner at a favorite restaurant (this was years ago now, in one of our old neighborhoods in New York) and you’ll never believe what a server recommend as their most popular dessert. Stewed prunes! And because it was topped with marscapone (and only because), I couldn't say no (heck, if someone topped paper shreds with marscapone, I probably wouldn't say no....I love the stuff!). Much to my surprise, it was delicious (the Mr. and I were even fighting over the last bite). So I immediately did something that only old ladies do....I went and bought prunes. And then I stewed them. And I ate them on everything. As only someone who is really just an old lady at heart would do.

INGREDIENTS you need TO MAKE STEWED PRUNES

One of the many great things about this recipe is just how few ingredients you need to make it. And they’re all so simple and easy to find as well as inexpensive, making this a dessert that is especially approachable to make.

PRUNES- Of course, the star of our dish. I buy mine from Trader Joe’s as their bag is the exact amount of prunes needed to make this recipe. I get the non-sorbate ones, but any will do, as long as they are pitted.

CITRUS- I like to use a combination of lemon and orange, but you can use just one or the other if you prefer.

CINNAMON STICKS- The cinnamon sticks are what infuse the prunes with so much warm and cozy goodness. Whatever you do, don’t skip them or you’ll be missing out on all sorts of fragrant flavor! However, if you want even more spice in your prunes, try adding a slice or two of fresh ginger and/or some star anise, as well.

WINE- Wine is how we kick things up a notch in this recipe and take the prunes from blah and boring to elevated and dessert-worthy. I tend to use a red wine that’s rich and warm, with notes of citrus, spice, plums, anything that I feel like will complement the flavors of this dish nicely. However, it doesn’t need to be anything special or fancy. A cheap wine will do the trick here just fine. So, feel free to use the wine of your choice, or, if you can’t or don’t want to do wine, use orange juice instead.

WATER- Last but not least, we got all of the remaining liquid required from good ol’ water.

HOW TO MAKE STEWED PRUNES

Just like the ingredient list, the steps for making stewed prunes are minimal and quite simple.

STEP 1

Add everything to a saucepan. I like to add the prunes first, then the citrus slices and finish with the cinnamon sticks before adding the liquids in.

STEP 2

Simmer everything down until it’s bubbling with fragrance and goodness. The prunes will be super soft and bursting apart and enrobed in a kind of jammy caramel-y warm, spiced sauce. It won’t take long, 20-30 minutes at most. However, you can keep simmering for a few hours for even softer prunes and even more flavor. Just be sure to keep adding more water, as needed, to keep the prunes from sticking to the pan.

STEP 3

Serve and enjoy! Yup, it really is that simple and easy.

HOW TO SERVE STEWED PRUNES

• My favorite way to enjoy these prunes is how I showcase them in this post, with a dollop of marscapone as a dessert. You can go the extra mile and do whipped marscapone and also add some orange zest and/or a slice of candied citrus (I used half slices of the candied oranges from Trader Joe’s in these photos). I definitely recommend jusing them up a bit if you’re serving to guest or after a dinner party.

• This is an especially perfect dessert to serve and enjoy in the fall and winter months because it’s so warm and cozy. It’s also great when you want something rich in flavor but still healthy and not decadent and heavy. While it’s great after any meal, I find that it’s especially nice after a meal that includes short ribs, pork, chicken and/or heavier pasta dishes.

• This is also a great dessert to serve for a dinner party as it’s so easy to make, it doesn’t require many ingredients and it’s easy to double or triple the recipe to make a big batch. It’s also naturally gluten-free, refined-sugar free, dairy-free and vegan so it’s great for a variety of dietary restrictions and needs.

• Besides dessert, these prunes taste great on yogurt, ricotta cheese, oatmeal, cereal, on vanilla ice-cream, with whipped cream, mixed in with pudding (vanilla, tapioca or rice pudding, especially), on toast/pancakes/waffles or french toast and even on pavlova. The options are truly endless.

• You can enjoy the prunes warm or cold, but if you prefer them warm, it can easily be reheated in the microwave or in a small saucepan set over medium-low heat for a few minutes (you may just need to add a splash of water, or you can also do orange juice, when you’re warming it up).

HOW TO STORE STEWED PRUNES

Stewed prunes will last for a month (and sometimes even beyond) when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I like to make a big batch and then just keep it on hand to add to breakfasts and desserts throughout the weeks and month to come. You can store it with the citrus slices and cinnamon sticks in it (which, as a bonus, will continue to add to and enhance the flavor as it sets), or you can remove those and toss them before tranfserring the prunes to the storage container.

NOTES + SUBSTITUTIONS

Yet another great thing about this recipe is just how adaptable and adjustable it is.

FOR THE CITRUS- If you don’t have a lemon, just double up on the orange. Or omit it all together. Try it with blood oranges instead of a navel orange. Or use just lemon and omit the orange.

FOR THE SPICE- Try adding other spices, such as star anise or ginger, in place of, or along with the cinnamon. You can also add a generous splash of vanilla extract, or a half a vanilla bean.

FOR THE WINE- Instead of the wine, try orange juice. Worst case scenario, you can also just use water. However, it won’t give the same richness and depth of flavor that wine or orange juice will.

FOR SWEETNESS- I find these prunes to be plenty sweet enough as they are, and because I prefer this to be as healthy as possible, there is no added sugar in my recipe. However, feel free to add some to suit your tastebuds as needed. You could also add in some maple syrup or honey for added sweetness.

FOR COOKING- These will be ready in 20-30 minutes, but if you prefer, for even softer prunes and more flavor, you can keep cooking them for a few hours. Just be sure to add more water as needed, or at any point the liquid has evaporated too quickly and the prunes are starting to stick to the pan, simply add more water and stir to combine.

BECAUSE FOOD TASTES BETTER WHEN IT’S SHARED WITH OTHERS…

If you make these stewed plums, please snap a photo and share it, tagging me on INSTAGRAM or PINTEREST so I can see. Truly nothing makes me happier than when I see others making and enjoying my recipes!

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