Prunes is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store them, what to substitute, and 177 recipes to get you started.
Prunes are dried plums, specifically dried from European plum varieties bred for high sugar and a pit that pulls out clean. Drying turns the fruit dark and wrinkled, intensely sweet, with a deep caramel-and-fig flavor that fresh plums never quite reach.
The marketing name "dried plums" is the same thing. Producers pushed the rebrand to shake off the fruit's reputation as a remedy for the older crowd, but on a recipe card and a store shelf, prunes and dried plums are interchangeable.
What makes them worth keeping around is moisture. A good prune is soft and pliable, almost sticky to the touch. That built-in moisture is the secret behind their two best kitchen jobs: melting into savory braises and standing in for fat in baking.
Their sweetness has a savory edge, which is why prunes work so well alongside rich meat. They soften into braises and stews, balancing fatty pork or game, as in this classic Best Chicken Marbella and the French bistro Coq Au Vin Aux Pruneax.
The same logic works with brisket and roasts, where prunes thicken the sauce and add a dark, jammy sweetness, as in this Brisket with Prunes.
On the sweet side they fill pastries and bake into dense cakes, like this Chocolate Prune Cake and a rustic Prune & Almond Tart.
If a prune has gone firm, a five-minute soak in hot water or wine plumps it right back and gives you a flavored soaking liquid for the dish.
This is the trick most home bakers never learn. Puréed prunes replace some or all of the butter or oil in baked goods, cutting fat while keeping things moist and tender.
To make the purée, blend about 1 cup pitted prunes with 6 tablespoons of hot water until smooth. Then swap it for fat in a roughly 1:1 ratio by volume, starting with replacing half the fat so the texture stays close to the original.
It works best in dark, moist bakes: brownies, chocolate cake, and spice cake, where the prune flavor disappears and the color hides it. The pectin and sorbitol in prunes hold water, which is why the crumb stays soft for days instead of drying out.
Do not expect it to work in delicate, pale cakes or anything that relies on creamed butter for lift, since the purée adds no aeration.
Other dried fruit steps in depending on the job. Dried figs are the closest match for braises, sweet and jammy with a similar body. Raisins or dried cherries work where you want chew and sweetness, though they are smaller and less meaty.
For the fat-substitute trick, unsweetened applesauce or mashed very ripe banana does the same moisturizing work, with applesauce being the most neutral in flavor.
When a recipe wants prune flavor and you have none, a few chopped dates plus a splash of strong tea approximates the deep, dark sweetness reasonably well.
Look for prunes that are glossy and plump, soft to the squeeze. Hard, dull, sugar-crusted ones are old and will need soaking before they are good for anything but stewing.
Pitted prunes are the convenient default, but the few brands that leave the pit in tend to be moister, since the pit slows drying. Either way, an unopened package keeps for months in the pantry.
Once opened, store them in an airtight container to keep air out, and they hold for about six months at room temperature. They last close to a year in the fridge, which is worth doing in a warm kitchen to stop them drying and crystallizing.
If they do dry out, do not toss them. A quick hot soak revives them completely.
Specific kinds of prunes and the recipes that use them.
Prune puree is simply prunes (dried plums) blended with a little water into a thick, dark, jam-like paste. It is sticky and sweet, with a deep caramel-and-fig flavor and a smooth body that comes from the fruit's natural fiber and sorbitol.
In baking it earns its keep as a fat replacer. Swap it for some of the butter or oil and the puree holds in moisture and binds the crumb. Its dark color and gentle flavor disappear cleanly into chocolate and spice batters.
Where to find prunes: Prunes are usually found in the snacks section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
Food group: Prunes are a member of the Fruits and Fruit Juices US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 cup, pitted | 174 grams |
| 1 prune, pitted | 9 grams |
There are 191 recipes using and its varieties.
Lighter peanut butter chip brownies use prune puree instead of butter for moisture, with egg whites for structure. Fudgy chocolate brownies studded with peanut butter chips, no oil required.
Learn how to make Fruited Passover Kugels using matzo, eggs, apples, and prunes. This satisfying dish is perfect for Passover celebrations. Enjoy a tasty, kosher dessert that is sure to impress your family and guests.
Skinny chocolate cupcakes: deep, fudgy cocoa cupcakes made with pureed prunes instead of butter. Weight Watchers-friendly, lightning fast, and surprisingly rich. No one will guess the secret.
Hamantaschen are triangular Purim cookies with a tender butter dough wrapped around a prune, raisin, walnut, and lemon filling. Traditional Jewish holiday treat, makes 5 dozen.
Cappuccino cupcakes blend espresso into a moist chocolate batter lightened with prune puree as a butter substitute. Topped with whipped cream and cocoa for that cafe-style finish.
This is Eastern European recipe of a very tasty salad. It is known to be beneficial for digestion. Enjoy.
This granola is filling and loaded with energy filling ingredients. Great with tons of blueberry's and vanilla yogurt as pictured.
This Christmas pudding has plenty of delicious fruit and nuts, but it's really simple to make - just plan ahead and then make the warm vanilla-bean custard on the day.
I made this granola last night, it was so simple and easy. The granola turned out golden brown, and nuts were deliciously toasted, nutty and crunchy.
Soft chocolate chip cookies made with prune puree instead of butter for moist, fudgy texture. Brown sugar and vanilla create rich flavor at just 145 calories per cookie.
Making your own granola bars is always the best. It tastes delicious and it's packed with you favorite ingredients. After I tried making my first bunch, there is no turning back to store-bought ones any more. Just made these bars a while ago, still cooling, and smells divine :-)
This very rich cake from the West Indies is ideal for those who prefer not to ice their Christmas cakes.
You heard it right, these brownies are made with black beans, so they are totally gluten free, super moist, and good for you. The additional chocolate chips and walnuts on top add extra deliciousness to these irresistible treats.
Whole wheat prune bread for the bread machine. Hearty fiber-rich loaf sweetened with prunes and molasses, dump-and-go method with no kneading or proofing.
Granola is great for breakfast, packed with nutrition and very filling. Making your own is always better, lots of nuts, dried fruits and real maple syrup with some yogurt or milk give you all the energies you need to start a beautiful day.
You can use any dried fruits, they will come out as delicious as these bars. Perfect for grap-go breakfast or snack.
This moist yet delicious coffe cake is made with whole wheat flour, oat bran, applesauce, peanut butter, chocolate chips and several kinds of dried fruits. It's great for breakfast or a healthy yet tasty snack with a cup of coffee or tea.
If you are a chocolate fan, this is an excellent recipe for you to try without guilt, it is much lighter than normal chocolate pie. The thick chocolate taste will satisfy you. Also it is a great dessert for holiday.
Pieces of almonds, dried apricots, cranberries, prunes and chocolate chips are tossed with creamy peanut butter, oats, a bit honey and ground flax seeds. These delicious granola bars are perfect for grap-go breakfast.
These delicious cookies are made with a mixture of dried fruits, chocolate chips, ground flax seeds, whole wheat flour, oats, and walnuts. They are packed with goodness and yumminess. A quick grab-and-go breakfast, or a wholesome snack whenever you feel hungry before the meal time.
This delicious chocolate bundt cake contains ground flax seeds, chopped walnuts, buttermilk and bittersweet chocolate, not only tasty but also full of goodness.
Super chocolaty, super delicious and super energized. These yummy squares are made of chocolate, cocoa powder, prunes, nuts... Lots of goodness. They are great snack to boost up your energy.
First time I've paired pork chops with dried fruit. During braising the apricots and prunes plumped up and added a nice mellow fruitiness which paired with the tender pork perfectly.
Warm brown rice breakfast cereal simmered with chopped prunes, cinnamon, and a pat of butter. Low-fat, naturally sweet, and ready to top with milk, honey, or fresh fruit.
Ring-A-Ling Ringers are quick Bisquick shortcakes with a deep thumbprint filled with spiced prune filling, apricot, or raspberry jam. A retro biscuit pastry ready in under an hour.
This healthy breakfast bar recipe is perfect to grab 'n run on-the-go quick and healthy breakfast or snacks.
Prune puree: a low-fat baking substitute made from blended pitted prunes with fruit juice and lecithin. Replace butter or oil in brownies, cakes, and muffins with richer, moister results.
Parcha bozbash is an Azerbaijani lamb soup with chestnuts, quince, prunes, and chickpeas simmered in a rich broth and finished with ghee. Warming, fruit-kissed, and deeply aromatic.
The colors the fruits used in the cookies suggest those of the robes worn by the four ordres mendiants, monastic orders that originally lived on charity -- the Augustinians, Carmelites, Dominicans and Franciscans.
Tea-soaked prunes stuffed with a brandy and orange zest filling, glazed in sugar syrup. An elegant French-style confection for your petit four tray.
A big-batch bran muffin batter with three types of bran, buttermilk, molasses, and raisins that keeps in the fridge for up to 2 months. Scoop, bake, and enjoy warm muffins any morning.
Red beans tossed in a bold balsamic-prune dressing with fenugreek, coriander, and chili-garlic paste. A chilled bean salad bursting with sweet, tangy, spicy layers.
Spiced pepper cake with pumpkin, prunes, crystallized ginger, and walnuts. Black pepper adds a warm, unexpected bite to this deeply flavored autumn loaf cake.
Classic prune and raisin hamentachen filling with chopped nuts and whole orange (rind included) for citrus brightness. Traditional Purim cookie filling pulsed in the food processor.
Too much fruit salad is a big-batch medley of pineapple, melon, citrus, peaches, kiwi, and banana bathed in apricot nectar and chilled overnight so the flavors meld. A bright, make-ahead crowd salad.
Braised rabbit with prunes in a rich beef and chicken broth, pan-fried in butter until fall-off-the-bone tender. A classic French-inspired one-pot dish served over wild rice.
Cider chicken braised Normandy-style with hard cider, calvados, bacon, prunes, slow-cooked onions, and a fresh bouquet garni. Rustic French autumn cooking at its best.
Old-fashioned prune cake with buttermilk, pecans, and warm spices soaked in a boiled buttermilk-butter sauce. Needs three days to cure for the richest, most intense flavor.
Roast turkey with port-soaked grapes and prunes in cornbread stuffing, then cooked inside a paper bag for a juicy bird with golden bronze skin. A holiday twist on the classic roast.
Lower-fat banana cake with pureed prunes replacing most of the butter, nonfat vanilla yogurt, and egg whites. A moist sheet cake that cuts the fat without losing flavor.
Old-fashioned prune muffins with brown sugar, nutmeg, and soft cooked prunes that melt into the batter. A simple mix-and-bake recipe with domed tops and tender crumb.
Prevention's perfect kabobs: chicken and scallops marinated in yogurt-mint, skewered with vegetables and dried fruit. A balanced, colorful, Mediterranean-leaning grill plate.
Lamb cutlets pan-fried in ghee and served with an aromatic coffee sauce made with honey, Worcestershire, cardamom, mace, cinnamon, and lemon juice.
Fruit pudding: apples and prunes simmered into a sweet, juicy base, topped with light dumplings steamed right on the fruit. A cozy, low-fat stovetop pudding that comes together in one pan.
Vintage prune chocolate cupcakes made with cream, grated unsweetened chocolate, and cooked prunes. A moist, old-fashioned treat with no butter needed, ready in 30 minutes.
Prune cake is an old-fashioned Southern holiday spice cake with chopped prunes, pecans, buttermilk, and warm spices, soaked with a buttermilk-butter sauce. Three-day rest deepens flavor.
Old-fashioned mincemeat-style fruit preserve with prunes, dried apples, and raisins simmered with corn syrup, vinegar, and warm spices. Meatless take on traditional mincemeat for pies and tarts.
Lemon cream and nut cookies, buttery shortbread ovals spread with homemade lemon curd and crowned with toasted almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, prunes, rum-soaked raisins, and candied orange. A jewel-box holiday cookie.
