• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Plant Based School
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Us
  • ITA
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • All Recipes
  • Mains
  • Tofu
  • Pasta
  • Sweet
  • Collections
  • About Us
  • ENG
    • ITA
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Desserts » Vegan Italian Crostata

    Vegan Italian Crostata

    Published: Jan 21, 2021 · by Nico

    Jump to Recipe

    How do you make vegan crostata? In this blog post we will show you how to make a vegan crostata, just like the one made in Italy. We made 3 different variations: a classic strawberry jam crostata, a wholegrain crostata with apricot jam and an oatmeal crostata with blueberries.

    vegan Italian crostata
    vegan Italian crostata
    On this page:
    • Ingredients & Substitutions
    • Equipment
    • Tips
    • Questions & answers
    • Storage
    • Variations
    • Recipe

    For other delicious vegan Italian crostata recipes, check out:

    • Vegan lemon tart
    • Sweet ricotta and chocolate chips pie
    • Strawberry tart with vegan custard
    • Fruit tart with vegan custard
    • Mini apple tarts

    Ingredients & Substitutions

    • Flour: you can use really any flour for these crostatas. Our favourite is to take rolled oats, blend them up in a blender into a fine flour and make crostata with them. But you can also use cake flour, all purpose flour, or wholegrain flour.
    • Sugar: you can use any sugar in granular form. We tested both unrefined cane sugar and regular white sugar. They both work.
    • Sunflower seed oil: that's our favourite vegetable oil for baking. It's affordable and it doesn't have much flavour. If you want you can replace it with coconut oil.
    • Water: for vegan crostata we prefer to make our shortcrust pastry with water rather than plant-milk because it's cheaper and because it yields a crunchier crostata.
    • Citrus zest: orange, lemon, or lime. Grate their zest to add flavour to the base of the crostata.
    • Vanilla: extract, essence, aroma, or real vanilla beans, anything will work in this recipe. We use it to flavour the base of the crostata.
    • Baking powder: this will help make the pie a tiny bit more fragrant.
    • Jam or fresh fruit: we prefer to use fresh fruit that is in season. Here we use blueberries for the crostata. But you can also use jam.
    blueberry and oats crostata
    blueberry and oats crostata

    Equipment

    You'll need a pie dish with removable base that is either 24cm or 26 cm in diameter or 9 to 10 inches. You'll also need a rolling pin to flatten the base for the crostata and a clean worktop.

    Tips

    • Make your own flour: while you can make this vegan crostata with any flour of your choice, we recommend to blend your own flour from rolled oats. The taste will be a lot richer this way, and the crostata will be a lot healthier.
    • Dissolve the sugar in the liquids: do this before adding the flour to get a lighter and crispier crostata.
    • Don't over-knead: over-kneading will develop the gluten which in turn will make the crostata more compact and heavy.
    • Use fresh fruit if you can: crostata is traditionally made with jam, however we recommend using fresh fruit if you can to reduce the amount of added sugar, increase the overall nutrition, but without compromising the taste.
    vegan Italian crostata
    vegan Italian crostata

    Questions & answers

    Can I make crostata gluten free?

    Yes. You can sub the flour with gluten free flour. The base of your crostata might not be as sturdy as with regular flour, but it will still taste good and you'll be able to eat it with a fork.

    Why do you make holes with a fork?

    We pierce the pie with a fork so that during cooking it the hot air and moisture can get out from under the pie and won't form bubbles that would break the base.

    Can I use a different fruit?

    Yes, you can use any type of fruit jam for your crostata. We recommend following the season. If you do it in spring/summer go for strawberry, peach or apricots. If you do it in winter go for chocolate, apples, citrus, etc.

    What if I don't have a pie dish with removable base?

    Then you can either cut the crostata into the tray and only take out the slice you serve. Alternatively, you can cut 2 long and thick stripes of parchment paper and place them in a cross position into the pie dish under the dough. When the pie is baked, let it cool completely and then you'll be able to lift it out of the tray by pulling up the parchment paper stripes.

    Storage

    The best way is to keep it up to 4-5 days in a dry and cool place covered in a cake cover. You can also store it in the fridge for up to a week however make sure you wrap it up well or it'll absorb weird flavours from your fridge. Also, it is likely that in the fridge it'll become a bit soggy as the crust tends to absorb moisture when stored in the fridge.

    Can I freeze vegan crostata?

    Yes, but we don't recommend it because it is likely that the crust will absorb moisture and won't be a fragrant as freshly made.

    If however you decide to freeze it you have two options. One, freeze raw before you bake it. Then on the day you want to bake it you need to let it unfreeze for two hours before baking it.

    Two, freeze it cooked. In this case we recommend cutting it into slices before you freeze it so that you can take out of the freezer just the right number of slices you are about to serve. In both cases you can only freeze it for up to one month.

    Variations

    Vegan strawberry tart

    An eye-catching dessert that will wow your friends and family thanks to its popping colour and flavour. Our tart is made with a crunchy shortcrust pastry base, filled with a smooth and creamy vanilla custard, and topped with sweet fresh strawberries.

    vegan strawberry tart with custard
    vegan strawberry tart with custard

    Mini apple tarts

    The perfect treat for a mid morning snack, or for a cosy tea-break in the afternoon. They are pretty, crunchy, filled with fresh apples and raisins, and made with a delicious vegan shortcrust pastry that is super easy to make, and even easier to eat!

    mini apple tarts
    mini apple tarts

    Fruit tart with custard

    This beautiful and delicious fruit tart with lemon custard is a classic Italian pastry recipe that everyone loves. It's egg-free, dairy-free, made with wholegrain flour and plenty of fresh seasonal fruit.

    fruit tart with custard
    fruit tart with custard

    Recipe

    vegan Italian crostata

    Vegan Crostata - Italian Recipe

    Author: Nico
    How do you make vegan crostata? In this blog post we will show you how to make a vegan crostata, just like the one made in Italy. And because we love crostata so much, we made 3 different variations: a classic strawberry jam crostata, a wholegrain crostata with apricot jam and an oatmeal crostata with blueberries. Our favourite? Oats and blueberries!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe
    5 from 14 votes
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 12 slices
    Calories 227 kcal

    Equipment

    • Pie dish 9 to 10 inches (24 to 26cm) easiest if with removable base.

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 350 g rolled oats or wholegrain flour or all-purpose flour
    • 130 g sugar unrefined or white
    • 80 g cold water
    • 65 g sunflower seed oil
    • ½ lemon zest + juice
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 pinch salt
    • 2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 500 g fresh blueberries + 3 tablespoon sugar

    Instructions
     

    • If you use rolled oats, blend the oats in a blender until you get a fine oat flour. Set aside.
      If you use fresh blueberries, add them to a bowl with 3 tablespoon of sugar and the juice of half a lemon. Give it a stir and set aside to marinate.
      marinate the blueberries with lemon and sugar
    • In a large bowl, add sunflower seed oil, water, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla extract and with a spatula stir well until the sugar is dissolved in the liquids.
      mix the wet ingredient for the crostata
    • Add the oat flour (or any other flour of your choice), the salt, and the baking powder all at once and mix with a spatula.
      adding the dry ingredients for the vegan crostata
    • When the dough is hard enough, knead with your hands for a minute to bring everything together. Do not over-mix.
      kneading the shortcrust pastry
    • Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. You can put it back into the bowl and cover with a kitchen cloth. Then prep the pie dish by greasing it with oil. Then dust it with flour. We use a 10 inch (24 cm) pie dish.
      oil and flour the pie dish
    • Preheat the oven at 360˚F (180˚C). Then take ¾ of the dough, shape it into a ball, then flatten it to 4 to 5 mm (around ⅛ of an inch) thick.
      flatten the dough
    • Roll the dough around the rolling pin to lift it, and place it into the pie dish. Trim the excess. With a fork, make some whole into the base of the pie.
      put the rolled dough into the pie dish
    • Add the fresh blueberries and spread them around the base.
      NOTE: If you are using store bough jam, then pour it into a bowl first, and stir it around to make sure it's smooth.
      add the fresh blueberries
    • Take the rest of the dough (you should have ¼ left) and roll it flat in a rectangular shape on your table. Then with a sharp knife, cut nine stripes, ½ inch wide (1 to 1.5 cm thick).
      roll the rest of the dough to make the stripes
    • Position the first 4 stripes on the pie at equal distance from each other. Then position the other 3 or 4 stripes on top of the others diagonally. Now seal the pie by pressing with your fingers where the stripes meet the edge of the pie. Brush the top of the crostata with some water or plant milk.
      cover the crostata with dough strips
    • Bake for about 40 min if you use oat flour or wholegrain flour. And around 30 if you use all-purpose flour. The pie is ready when slightly golden on top. Let the crostata cool down completely before cutting it and eating it.
      bake in the oven and serve

    Video Recipe

    Notes

    MEASUREMENTS
    We recommend using the metric system for this recipe.

    Nutritional Values

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Crostata - Italian Recipe
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 227 Calories from Fat 63
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 7g11%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Potassium 211mg6%
    Carbohydrates 37g12%
    Dietary Fiber 4g17%
    Sugar 15g17%
    Protein 4g8%
    Vitamin A 23IU0%
    Vitamin B6 1mg50%
    Vitamin C 6mg7%
    Vitamin E 3mg20%
    Vitamin K 9µg9%
    Calcium 48mg5%
    Folate 12µg3%
    Iron 1mg6%
    Manganese 1mg50%
    Magnesium 43mg11%
    Zinc 1mg7%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you like this recipe?Leave us a comment below or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. It would mean the world to us 🙂
    « Vegan Oatmeal Pancakes
    Homemade Margarine »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a comment and star rating :-) Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Nico and Louise founders of the Plant-Based School.

    Hi, we are Nico and Louise and we love cooking! Welcome to the Plant-Based School. Here we share everyday plant-based recipes, from our family to yours!

    More about us →

    Trending

    • Vegan Ricotta Cheese
    • Vegan Cheese (5-Min Nut-Free Recipe)
    • Vegan Donuts - Homemade Recipe
    • Vegan custard (pastry cream)

    Seasonal

    • Tofu Curry
    • Tofu Soup
    • Garlic and Oil Pasta (Spaghetti Aglio e Olio)
    • Vegan frittata - no eggs, no tofu

    We make sure our recipes are delicious and nutritious!

    plant-based nutrition certificate from ecornell

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Top Recipes
    Vegan Custard
    Melty Vegan Cheese
    Easy Focaccia
    Apple Cake
    Vegan Ricotta

    Top Compilations
    Best Tofu Recipes
    Vegan Pasta Recipes
    Easy Dinners
    Best Plant-Based Desserts
    Vegan Appetizers

    Most Shared
    Tomato Confit
    Vegan Mayo
    Vegan Donuts
    Lentil Curry
    Fried Tofu

    HOME ABOUT RECIPES SUBSCRIBE PRIVACY POLICY NUTRITION DISCLAIMER IMPRINT

    Copyright © 2022 The Plant Based School