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Home » Desserts » Stewed Prunes

Stewed Prunes

A photo of Vered DeLeeuw.
by Vered DeLeeuwUpdated Jan 30, 2025
26 Comments
5 from 26 votes

Jump to Recipe Review Recipe

Stewed prunes are so delicious. Cooking softens them, and they end up swimming in the most delicious syrup. They keep well in the fridge for several days, so you can make a big batch and enjoy a few of them daily.

Stewed prunes are served in a white bowl with a napkin and a spoon.

Fruits are wonderful in their raw state, but I also enjoy them cooked. Some of my favorite desserts are blueberry compote, strawberry compote, and fried bananas. Stewed prunes might be forever tied in our minds to constipation relief, but they are actually delicious. Sweet and flavorful, they make a wonderful dessert or snack.

Ingredients

The ingredients needed for stewed prunes.

You'll only need four simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

  • Prunes: Obviously, you should use pitted ones in this recipe. I like to use fairly large ones, but any size should work.
  • Water: Some people use orange juice, straight or diluted. But I like to simply use water.
  • To flavor the dish: Vanilla extract and ground cinnamon. These really add a lot to the dish, so I wouldn't skip either of them.

Variations

One way to vary this recipe is to cook the prunes in orange juice, as mentioned above.

You can also cook them in water as I do and add orange or lemon zest to the water. This adds a nice layer of flavor.

Instructions

Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:

Place the ingredients - dried plums, water, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon - in a small saucepan. Gently stir. Bring the mixture to a boil.

The prunes were placed in the saucepan.

Lower the heat to medium-low and gently stir again. Cover the saucepan and simmer the mixture for about 15 minutes.

The prunes are ready in the saucepan.

The last step is refrigerating the dish. This allows it to thicken. But you can certainly serve it warm, especially if you'd like to pour it over Greek yogurt.

The stewed prunes are served.

Expert Tip

Stewed prunes are wonderful when served warm, but you can also eat them cold after refrigerating them overnight (or longer). The advantage of refrigerating them is that it considerably thickens the cooking liquids and makes them more syrupy.

Recipe FAQs

Are prunes the same as "dried plums?"

They are. 20 years ago, there was a marketing effort to rebrand "prunes" and call them "dried plums." I don't know if it succeeded or not. The package I have says "California Pitted Prunes," so maybe they gave up.

The thing is, prunes are delicious! They are sweet but not cloyingly so (unlike dates, for example, which are VERY sweet). They have a deep, complex flavor, and they boast mild sour notes that balance their sweetness. 

When cooked, they are especially delicious. Cooking softens them, and they end up swimming in the most delicious syrup. Just as important, making them is so easy.

Should I add sugar?

Some recipes add sugar or honey to the dish. I find it unnecessary. Dried fruits are naturally very sweet, and cooking them brings out this sweetness and enhances it.

I do add vanilla and cinnamon, and those are indeed lovely additions. But I don't add any sweetener.

Should I serve this dish warm or cold?

Both are good. I typically serve it cold because I like to let it thicken in the fridge. But it's also good warm, especially when spooned over Greek yogurt.

Serving Suggestions

You can simply eat these prunes on their own as a sweet homemade dessert, and that's how I usually serve them. You can also spoon them on top of plain Greek yogurt for a filling breakfast or snack. Sometimes, I spoon them over homemade frozen yogurt. Delicious!

Storing Leftovers

The leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you'd like to reheat the leftovers, do so gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.

Stewed prunes are served in a white bowl.

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Recipe Card

Stewed prunes are served in a white bowl with a napkin and a spoon.
5 from 26 votes
Save this RecipeSaved! Rate this Recipe Print Recipe

Easy Stewed Prunes Recipe

Stewed prunes are so delicious. Cooking softens them, and they end up swimming in the most delicious syrup.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Rest time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 40 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 100kcal
Author: Vered DeLeeuw
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Ingredients

  • 20 pitted prunes - 160 grams
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  • Place the prunes in a small saucepan.
    The prunes were placed in the saucepan.
  • Add the water, vanilla, and cinnamon. Gently stir.
    Adding cinnamon to the saucepan.
  • Bring to a boil (this will likely take about 5 minutes). Gently stir again, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the prunes are soft and swimming in syrup.
    The prunes are ready in the saucepan.
  • Transfer the prunes to a heat-proof glass storage container. Cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This allows the syrup to thicken and flavors to develop. Serve alone as dessert, or spoon on top of plain Greek yogurt.
    The stewed prunes are served.

Notes

  • These prunes are wonderful when served warm, but you can also eat them cold after refrigerating them overnight (or longer). The advantage of refrigerating them is that it considerably thickens the cooking liquids and makes them more syrupy.
  • The leftovers keep well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 4-5 days. If you'd like to reheat them, do so very gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
  • This is not a low-carb recipe.

Nutrition per Serving

Serving: 5 prunes | Calories: 100 kcal | Carbohydrates: 27 g | Protein: 1 g | Sodium: 5 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 12 g

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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.

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Comments

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Sunil Sukumaran says

    January 07, 2025 at 9:17 am

    5 stars
    Superb

    Reply
    • Vered DeLeeuw says

      January 07, 2025 at 10:08 am

      Glad you liked it, Sunil!

  2. Fibregitl says

    January 01, 2025 at 2:46 pm

    5 stars
    Such a simple but delicious recipe! Thank you. We eat ours with tapioca. Love the orange juice idea. Will try that next!

    Reply
    • Vered DeLeeuw says

      January 01, 2025 at 7:58 pm

      You're very welcome! 🙂

  3. Shery Sullivan says

    December 06, 2024 at 9:26 am

    5 stars
    Good for my husband and me in many ways. Also simmered them in orange juice.

    Reply
    • Vered DeLeeuw says

      December 06, 2024 at 9:59 am

      Glad you liked them, Shery!

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Healthy Recipes Blog was founded in 2011 by Vered DeLeeuw. It features real food recipes with a focus on low-carb and gluten-free ingredients. All recipes are nutritionally reviewed by a Registered Dietitian. Contact us at HealthyRecipesBlog@gmail.com.

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