This French fruit tart features a thick, buttery shortbread tart crust that's filled with a rich, luxuriously smooth pastry cream and then topped with an assortment of fresh glazed fruit. It's a stunning dessert that is perfect for spring or summer!

This fruit tart is the ultimate summer dessert! You will love the contrast of flavors and textures from the buttery, crisp shortbread crust, the thick, smooth vanilla pastry cream, and the fresh, vibrant fruit topping.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE FRUIT TART

TART CRUST:

All-purpose flour: White, unbleached or bleached all-purpose flour is best.
Powdered sugar
Salt
Egg: Cold and straight from the fridge. Using a whole egg provides enough moisture to bind the dough without needing to add extra liquid.
Unsalted butter: Cold and cut into small pieces. Unsalted is always best, but if all you have is salted butter then reduce the added salt to ¼ teaspoon.
Fresh-squeezed lemon juice: Adds subtle flavor and makes the dough less likely to shrink in the pan when baked.

VANILLA PASTRY CREAM (Crème Pâtissière):

Whole milk
Heavy cream
Vanilla: 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or seeds from 1 vanilla bean.
Egg yolks
Sugar
Cornstarch
Salt

FRUIT TOPPING:

Choose soft, colorful fruits for topping such as fresh berries, sliced kiwis, mangoes, bananas, and mandarin orange slices.

Tip: If you're not sure how you want to place the fruit, you can play around with the design on a plate before actually arranging it on top of the pastry cream!

FRUIT GLAZE:

Fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Granulated sugar

HOW TO MAKE FRENCH FRUIT TART

MAKE THE CRUST:

Cut the butter into even-sized pieces and then keep the pieces in the fridge so they're cold when you add them in.
Add the flour, powdered sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the whole egg and cold butter pieces and pulse until evenly coated. Then, add the fresh-squeezed lemon juice and pulse just until the dough comes together.
Gather up the dough and form it into a flat, round disc. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days before rolling out.
Take the dough out of the fridge and, on a clean surface, roll it out into a 10" circle. Lightly dust the surface, both sides of the dough, and your rolling pin with flour often or as needed to prevent sticking.
Spray a 9" tart pan with non-stick cooking spray, then drape the rolled out tart dough over the pan and use your fingers to press it firmly into the bottom and sides of the pan. Use a fork to poke several holes in the bottom of the dough. Trim the overhang, cover the dough with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 more hour.

BAKE:

Take the pan out of the fridge, remove the plastic wrap, and cover the dough with parchment paper and aluminum foil. Fill the foil with pie weights or dried beans and place the pan in the freezer while you preheat your oven.
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Place the tart pan on a large-rimmed baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Take the pan out of the oven and lower the oven temperature to 350°F.
Remove the weights, foil, and parchment paper, and continue to bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is light golden brown.

MAKE THE PASTRY CREAM:

Add the milk, cream, and vanilla to a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir occasionally and don't let it boil or the milk can burn.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until smooth and pale yellow in color.
Temper the egg yolks: Slowly drizzle the warm milk into the bowl of the egg yolks, whisking the yolks constantly so they don't curdle. Once all of the hot liquid is added, whisk until smooth, then pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thick.
Strain the pastry cream through a sieve and into a bowl. Use a spoon to press it through the sieve and use a different spoon to scrape the strained cream from the opposite side and into the bowl. Allow to cool slightly, then cover with plastic wrap and press the plastic wrap onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a film from forming on top. Allow to cool completely for at least 2 hours before adding to the tart crust.

ASSEMBLE:

Use a rubber spatula to spread the pastry cream evenly inside the cooled, baked tart crust. Arrange the fresh fruit on top and keep the tart in the fridge while you make the glaze.
Make the glaze: Whisk the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved and the glaze thickens slightly, about 1-2 minutes. Take the tart out of the fridge and use a pastry brush to lightly paint the tops of the fruit with the glaze.
Keep the fruit tart in the fridge until ready to slice and serve.

MAKE-AHEAD:

The tart crust and the pastry cream can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept separately in the fridge. Once assembled, it's best to serve within 4-5 hours.

MORE SUMMER DESSERTS:

📖 RECIPE

Fruit Tart

This fruit tart features a thick, buttery shortbread tart crust that's filled with a rich, luxurious pastry cream and then topped with an assortment of fresh glazed fruit.

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 2 30

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 2 55

Servings: people

Equipment

9" tart pan

Ingredients

Tart Crust:

1 and ¼ cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg, cold
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), cold and cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Pastry Cream:

1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract, or 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
6 large egg yolks
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt

Fruit Topping and Glaze:

assorted fresh fruit*, for topping the pastry cream
2 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Instructions

Make the Tart Dough:

Cut the butter into even-sized pieces and then keep it in the fridge so it stays cold.
Add the flour, powdered sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cold butter pieces and pulse until evenly coated. Then, add the egg and fresh-squeezed lemon juice and pulse just until the dough comes together.
Gather up the dough and form it into a flat, round disc. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 3 days.
Take the dough out of the fridge and, on a clean surface, roll it out into a 10″ circle. Lightly dust the surface, both sides of the dough, and your rolling pin with flour as needed to prevent sticking.
Spray a 9″ tart pan with non-stick cooking spray, then drape the rolled out tart dough over the pan, and use your fingers to press it firmly into the bottom and sides of the pan. Use a fork to poke several holes in the bottom of the dough. Trim the overhang, cover the dough with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 more hour.
Take the pan out of the fridge, remove the plastic wrap, and cover with parchment paper and aluminum foil. Fill the foil with pie weights or dried beans and place the pan in the freezer while you preheat your oven.

Bake the Tart Crust:

Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Once the oven is preheated, take the tart pan with the dough out of the freezer and place the pan on a large-rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.
Take the pan out of the oven and lower the oven temperature to 350°F.
Remove the weights, foil, and parchment paper, and continue to bake the crust for 12-15 minutes, or until it's light golden brown. Take the tart out of the oven and allow it to cool completely before filling with the pastry cream.

Make the Pastry Cream:

In a large, clean bowl, vigorously whisk the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until smooth and pale yellow in color. Set aside.
To a medium saucepan, add the whole milk, cream, and vanilla extract (or split vanilla bean). Place over medium heat and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.
Temper the eggs: Slowly drizzle the warm milk mixture into the bowl with the egg yolks mixture, whisk the yolks as you do so they don’t curdle. Once all of the liquid is added to the bowl, whisk until smooth, then pour everything back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thick.
Strain the pastry cream through a sieve and into a bowl. Use a spoon to press it through the sieve and use a different spoon to scrape the strained cream from the opposite side and into the bowl. Allow to cool slightly, then cover with plastic wrap. Press the plastic wrap onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a film from forming on top. Allow to cool completely for at least 2 hours before adding the pastry cream to the tart crust.

Assemble:

Use a rubber spatula to spread the pastry cream evenly inside the cooled, baked tart crust. Arrange assorted fresh fruit on top of the pastry cream and keep the tart in the fridge while you make the glaze.
Make the glaze: Whisk the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved and the glaze thickens slightly, about 1-2 minutes. Take the tart out of the fridge and use a pastry brush to lightly paint the top of the fruit with the warm glaze.
Keep the fruit tart in the fridge until ready to slice and serve. Serve the fruit tart on the same day once it's assembled.

Notes

*Use soft fruit for topping such as fresh berries, sliced kiwi, mango, banana, and mandarin orange slices.

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