Fresh Fruit Tart

Loaded with a lush assortment of seasonal berries and other fruit, there’s nothing quite as lovely as a Fresh Fruit Tart. You’ll also learn some baking basics, like a tart crust and pastry cream, along the way.

Fresh Fruit Tarts are a professional-looking dessert that anyone can master. If you’ve never gotten the hang of crumb coats on cakes or pastry bags full of frosting, fear not. This is a dessert you can handle.

There are a few different steps, but each one is, I hope, simple to understand and easy to execute. It’s also a lesson in baking basics as you explore tart crusts and pastry cream.

Then let your creativity shine when choosing and applying the fruit of your choice. You can arrange fruit in a pattern or just pile it organically, but either way, your Fresh Fruit Tart going to look lovely and oh-so professional. Prepare to impress!

Recipe ingredients

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

• Vanilla: ½ vanilla bean, split, may be substituted for the vanilla extract in the pastry cream.
• Fruit: Choose an assortment of different types, colors, and shapes. You could also decorate on a theme such as tropical (pineapple, kiwi, mango) or winter citrus (red grapefruit, blood orange, and clementine).
• Apricot jam: Brushing some warmed apricot glaze over your fruit is like adding a shiny top coat. It keeps the fruit hydrated and looking its best. Apple jelly works too. Strawberry jelly tastes good but will tinge the fruit pink.
• Pie weights: Used when blind-baking a crust so the crust stays flat. You can use store-bought pie weights or substitute dried beans (you cannot eat the beans after they’ve been baked). After baking, cool the beans completely and store them in a plastic bag for future baking projects.

Step-by-step instructions

To make the pastry cream:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat milk until tiny bubbles appear on the surface, about 6 to 8 minutes (about 180 degrees). Stir to prevent the milk from scalding.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Whisk in cornstarch and salt.

3. While whisking constantly, pour in half of the hot milk.

4. Whisk in remaining hot milk and return to saucepan.

5. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens to a firm consistency, about 5 to 8 minutes.

6. Whisk in vanilla, then pour in to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on to the surface of the pastry cream. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 to 3 hours.

To make the tart crust:

1. In a standing mixer fit with the paddle attachment, or with an electric mixer by hand, cream the butter and powdered sugar together on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 

2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add egg. Continue mixing until combined, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add vanilla and salt and mix until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add flour and baking powder and blend until the dough comes together.

3. Scrape dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and chill at least 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a thickness of 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch.

5. Loosely roll the dough around the rolling pin, then gently unroll it over a 9-inch tart pan. Press the dough firmly into the bottom of the pan and up the sides.

6. Trim any excess dough.

7. Cover the dough with parchment paper or foil. Fill with pie weights or dried beans (you will need about 2 pounds). Bake 12 minutes.

8. Remove pie weights or beans and parchment paper or foil.

9. Return to oven and bake until golden brown and fully cooked, about 10 to 15 minutes longer. Cool completely.

To assemble the fruit tart:

1. Fill cooled tart crust with chilled pastry cream.

2. Arrange fruit in a decorative pattern. 

3. Using a pastry brush, brush fruit with melted apricot glaze (reheat as necessary if glaze cools and becomes too sticky).

Recipe tips and variations

• Yield: This recipe makes 1 (9-inch) tart with 8 slices (including 4 cups pastry cream).
• Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Make ahead: This fruit tart is a showpiece and should be served the day it is assembled. However, unbaked tart dough may be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out to bake. The pastry cream can be made up to 4 days in advance. Store covered in the refrigerator with plastic wrap pressed directly on its surface.
• Butter: For a buttery pastry cream flavor, softer texture, and a lovely shine, add 2 tbsp. butter with the vanilla in Step 3 of the pastry cream.

Recipe FAQs

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Fresh Fruit Tart

By Meggan Hill

Loaded with a lush assortment of seasonal berries and other fruit, there's nothing quite as lovely as a Fresh Fruit Tart. You'll also learn some baking basics, like a tart crust and pastry cream, along the way.

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Chilling time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs

Servings 8 servings

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Calories 403

5 from 423 votes

ReviewPrint

Equipment

• Tart Pan (use one with a removable bottom)
• Stand Mixer (this is my favorite heavy-duty KitchenAid)
• Rolling Pin
• Non-Aluminum Saucepan

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

For the pastry cream:

• ▢ 2 cups whole milk
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 6 egg yolks
• ▢ 1/4 cup cornstarch
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (see note 1)

For the tart dough:

• ▢ 7 tablespoons butter softened
• ▢ 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• ▢ 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour sifted
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

For the fruit tart:

• ▢ 1 pint Fresh cut fruit such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, peaches, mango, and kiwi (see note 2)
• ▢ Apricot jam melted, as needed (see note 3)

Instructions 

To make the pastry cream:

• In a medium non-aluminum saucepan over medium heat, heat milk until tiny bubbles appear on the surface, about 6 to 8 minutes (180 degrees). Stir to prevent scalding.
• In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Whisk in cornstarch and salt. While whisking constantly, pour in half of the hot milk. Whisk in remaining hot milk and return to saucepan.
• Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens to a firm consistency, about 5 to 8 minutes. Whisk in vanilla and pour in to a bowl.
• Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on to the surface of the pastry cream. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 to 3 hours.

To make the tart dough:

• In a standing mixer fit with the paddle attachment, or with an electric mixer by hand, cream the butter and powdered sugar together on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add egg. Continue mixing until combined, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add vanilla and salt and mix until combined.
• Reduce mixer speed to low. Add flour and baking powder and blend until the dough comes together (do not over-mix). Scrape dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and chill at least 1 hour.

To blind-bake the tart crust:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a thickness of 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch. If the dough crumbles or breaks apart, press it back together with your fingertips. 
• Loosely roll the dough around the rolling pin, then gently unroll it over the tart pan, preferably with a removable bottom (9 inches, or substitute a pie plate).
• Press the dough firmly into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Trim any excess dough. Cover the dough with parchment paper or foil. Fill with pie weights or dried beans (you will need about 2 pounds, see note 4). Bake 12 minutes.
• Remove pie weights or beans and parchment paper or foil. Return to oven and bake until golden brown and fully cooked, about 10 to 15 minutes longer. Cool completely.

To assemble the fruit tart:

• Fill cooled tart crust with chilled pastry cream. Arrange fruit in a decorative pattern. 
• Using a pastry brush, brush fruit with melted apricot glaze (reheat as necessary if glaze cools and becomes too sticky).

Recipe Video

Notes

1. Vanilla: ½ vanilla bean, split, may be substituted for the vanilla extract in the pastry cream.
2. Fruit: Choose an assortment of different types, colors, and shapes. You could also decorate on a theme such as tropical (pineapple, kiwi, mango) or winter citrus (red grapefruit, blood orange, and clementine).
3. Apricot jam: Brushing some warmed apricot glaze over your fruit is like adding a shiny top coat. It keeps the fruit hydrated and looking its best. Apple jelly works too. Strawberry jelly tastes good but will tinge the fruit pink.
4. Pie weights: Used when blind-baking a crust so the crust stays flat. You can use store-bought pie weights or substitute dried beans (you cannot eat the beans after they’ve been baked). After baking, cool the beans completely and store them in a plastic bag for future baking projects.
5. Yield: This recipe makes 1 (9-inch) tart with 8 slices.
6. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 403kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 7gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 199mgSodium: 290mgPotassium: 124mgFiber: 1gSugar: 38gVitamin A: 640IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 103mgIron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill

Meggan Hill

Website | + posts

Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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