Simple Fruit Tart Recipe

Here is my favorite fruit tart recipe, with a simple pastry crust that’s easy to make, and a creamy filling topped with fresh seasonal fruits like berries, peaches, and kiwi.

This fruit tart is always a hit at dinner parties and family gatherings. I love making it in the summer when the fruit is at its best. It looks fancy but is actually pretty simple to put together!

What Kind of Fresh Fruits Should I Use?

The beauty of fruit tarts is that you can use almost any fresh fruit you have on hand or whatever looks good at the market. Berries like strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are classic choices that hold their shape well and add great color to your tart. Stone fruits like peaches, plums, or apricots work wonderfully too, just make sure they’re ripe but still firm so they don’t get mushy during baking. For the best results, choose fruits that are in season since they’ll have the most flavor and won’t release too much juice that could make your tart soggy.

Options for Substitutions

This fruit tart is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here’s what you can do:

• Mascarpone: If you can’t find mascarpone, cream cheese works great as a substitute. Just make sure it’s at room temperature and beat it well to get it smooth. You could also use ricotta cheese mixed with a bit of heavy cream for a lighter option.
• Heavy cream: You can use whipped topping from a container if that’s what you have, but reduce the confectioners sugar since store-bought versions are already sweetened.
• All-purpose flour: For the tart crust, stick with all-purpose flour – it’s really important for getting the right texture. Other flours might make your crust too crumbly or tough.
• Fresh fruits: Use whatever fruits look good at the store! Berries, sliced peaches, kiwi, grapes, or mandarin oranges all work beautifully. Just pat wet fruits dry with paper towels before arranging them on top.
• Unsalted butter: If you only have salted butter, that’s fine – just skip the added salt in the recipe. Make sure your butter is properly softened so it creams well with the sugar.
• Egg yolk: In a pinch, you can use 2 tablespoons of milk instead of the egg yolk, though the crust won’t be quite as rich and golden.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making fruit tarts is overworking the pastry dough, which leads to a tough, chewy crust instead of the tender, buttery base you want – mix just until the dough comes together and handle it as little as possible.

Another common error is skipping the blind baking step or not baking the crust long enough, leaving you with a soggy bottom that can’t support the creamy filling and fresh fruit.

Make sure to prick the bottom of your tart shell with a fork before blind baking and use pie weights or dried beans to prevent puffing, and always let the crust cool completely before adding the mascarpone mixture to prevent it from melting.

When arranging your fresh fruit, pat each piece dry with paper towels first to avoid excess moisture that can make your beautiful tart look watery and cause the filling to break down.

What to Serve With Fruit Tart?

Fruit tart is such a beautiful dessert that it really shines on its own, but I love serving it with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. A hot cup of coffee or tea makes the perfect pairing – the slight bitterness balances out the sweet, creamy filling and fresh fruit beautifully. If you’re hosting a dinner party, this tart works great as the grand finale after a lighter main course, since it’s rich and satisfying without being too heavy. For a fun brunch spread, try serving smaller tart slices alongside some fresh berries and maybe a glass of prosecco or champagne.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: Your fruit tart is best enjoyed fresh, but you can keep it covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. The crust might soften a bit over time, but it’ll still taste great. I like to cover it loosely with plastic wrap or store it in a cake container to protect those beautiful fruits on top.

Make Ahead: You can definitely prep parts of this tart ahead of time! Bake the tart shell up to 2 days in advance and store it covered at room temperature. The mascarpone cream can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge. Just assemble everything with the fresh fruit right before serving for the best results.

Serve: This tart is meant to be served chilled, so pull it straight from the fridge when you’re ready to slice and serve. If you’ve stored individual slices, let them sit at room temperature for just 5 minutes to take the chill off before enjoying.

Preparation Time	20-30 minutes
Cooking Time	10-12 minutes
Total Time	30-45 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2000-2200
• Protein: 20-25 g
• Fat: 150-160 g
• Carbohydrates: 200-220 g

Ingredients

For the tart shell:

• 11 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

For the filling:

• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For serving:

• Assorted fresh fruit

Step 1: Prepare the Tart Dough

• 11 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until well blended using a large wooden spoon.

Add the egg yolk and salt, and continue mixing until fully incorporated.

Step 2: Form and Bake the Tart Crust

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• butter mixture from Step 1

Add the all-purpose flour to the butter mixture and mix until the dough comes together.

You may need to use your hands to finish forming the dough into a mound.

Transfer the dough to a 13 by 4 inch rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom, or divide it evenly among six 4-inch mini tart pans.

Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.

Remove excess dough from the rim and use a fork to poke holes all over to prevent puffing.

Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake on a lower rack for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Allow the crust to cool completely before filling.

I like to let the crust cool in the pan for easier removal and to keep its shape.

Step 3: Whip the Cream

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.

Set it aside; you’ll fold it into the cheese mixture later.

For extra stability, I chill both the bowl and the beaters before whipping the cream.

Step 4: Make the Mascarpone Filling

• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• whipped cream from Step 3

In a separate bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer paddle or a hand mixer until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Gently fold the whipped cream from Step 3 into the mascarpone mixture until fully combined and light.

Step 5: Assemble and Decorate the Tarts

• mascarpone filling from Step 4
• baked and cooled tart crust(s) from Step 2
• assorted fresh fruit

Spread the mascarpone filling evenly into the cooled tart crust(s).

Top the filling with an arrangement of assorted fresh fruit, pressing gently so the fruit sticks.

Serve the tarts chilled for best results.

To make the dish even more delightful, I like to add a sprinkle of lemon zest on top if I have it on hand.