Gluten-Free Fruit Tart

This gluten-free fruit tart is as stunning as it is delicious! It's made with a buttery crust, silky vanilla pastry cream, and topped with your favorite fresh fruits for a light and refreshing flavor. It's a showstopping dessert that's perfect for any occasion, and surprisingly easy to make!

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What I love about this recipe is that you can enjoy it all year round with fruits that are in season. My favorite is a springtime assortment of strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries, which brings a burst of flavor to every bite.

If you're a fan of fruity desserts like this one, you won't want to miss my fruit pizza, it's loaded with fresh berries and guaranteed to be a hit!

🧾Ingredient Notes

Gluten-Free Tart Dough:

If you don't have a large tart pan, you can use mini tart pans to make 6-8 mini tarts instead, depending on the size of the tart rings.

• Gluten-free 1:1 Flour- This recipe should work with any type of 1:1 all-purpose flour. I've tested my homemade gluten-free 1:1 flour blend and Bob's Red Mill 1:1 flour and they both work great.
• Almond Flour- Make sure to use fine almond flour instead of coarse almond meal.
• Unsalted Butter- If you're using salted butter, skip adding additional kosher salt. Use cold butter.
• Powdered Sugar- NOT granulated sugar. 
• Egg- To make things easy I have adjusted the weights of the dry ingredients to be compatible with one large egg. 

Vanilla Pastry Cream:

I used my homemade pastry cream recipe, which produces a luscious, silky-smooth filling. You can swap it out for lemon curd.

• Whole Milk- Whole milk makes a thick and creamy pastry cream, but you can also use 2% milk or any plant-based milk.
• Granulated Sugar- To sweeten the custard.
• Cornstarch- For thickening. I used about 4 tablespoons, but you can use any amount from 3-6 tablespoons to adjust the consistency of your pastry cream.
• Unsalted Butter- Let the butter soften at room temperature.
• Egg Yolks- We just need the yolks for a rich custard.
• Vanilla Bean- Substitute with vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. 

Fruit Topping:

• Assorted Fruits- Use your favorite fruits and berries. I personally like adding fresh raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and kiwi. In the fall I prefer to make my gluten-free apple tart rather than use apples in this recipe.
• Apricot Jam- Adds a subtle sweetness and glossy finish over the fruits.

💭 Dairy-Free Variation

To make a dairy-free fruit tart, you can substitute whole milk with any plant-based milk and swap the butter with vegan butter.

⏲️How to Make Gluten-Free Tarts

Make the Gluten-Free Tart Crust

1. The mixture should look like sand. Then, add the egg and mix only until the dough comes together.

2. You can add parchment paper on top of the dough to prevent it from sticking when rolling.  Roll the dough until it's ¼ inches thick. Bake the tart shells for 20-30 minutes.

Make the Vanilla Pastry Cream

3. Let the vanilla beans steep in the milk for 10 to 15 minutes to get all the vanilla flavor. When adding the warm milk to the egg mixture, make sure to add it slowly while continuously whisking to avoid curdling. 

4. Add the butter and whisk until you reach a thick and smooth texture. Covering the surface of the pastry cream with plastic wrap helps prevent any skin from forming. Then, chill for a few hours before using.

Assemble the Fruit Tarts

5. Allow the tart shell to cool completely before filling it with the chilled pastry cream. Fill the shell to about ⅔ full to leave room for the fruit. 

6. Slice and arrange your choice of seasonal fruits on top of the pastry cream. 

7. For a beautiful, glossy finish, gently brush the fruit with a warm apricot glaze using a pastry brush.

More Gluten-Free Desserts

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📖 Recipe Card

Gluten-Free Fruit Tart

This classic fruit tart is a rich and decadent dessert filled with vanilla custard and fresh seasonal fruits. Make a large, single tart or mini tarts, either way, you'll surely impress the crowd at your next party or gathering. This easy recipe is gluten-free and has dairy-free options!

Servings: 8

Prep: 30 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Chill Time 2 hours hrs

Total: 3 hours hrs

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Ingredients

  

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• ▢ large or 6 small fully cooked tart shells
• ▢ pastry cream
• ▢ 1 ½ cup assorted fruits
• ▢ ¼ cup apricot jam

Gluten-Free Tart Crust (Pâte Sablée)

• ▢ 270 grams gluten free flour blend about 2 cups less 2 tablespoons
• ▢ 30 cup powdered sugar ⅔ cup
• ▢ 30 cup fine almond flour ⅓ cup
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 126 grams unsalted butter 9 tablespoons
• ▢ 1 large egg

Vanilla Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière)

• ▢ 1 vanilla pod 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 cups whole milk 480 ml
• ▢ 6 egg yolks
• ▢ ⅔ cup granulated sugar 133 grams
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons cornstarch 30 grams
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

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Instructions

 

Gluten-Free Tart Crust (Pâte Sablée)

• Add flour, powdered sugar, almond flour, and salt to a food processor (you can also this in a stand mixer or by hand but it takes longer). Pulse a few times to mix. Add the cold butter cubes. Process until until the mixture looks sandy. Add the egg and process until the dough comes together.
  270 grams gluten free flour blend, 30 cup powdered sugar, 30 cup fine almond flour, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt, 126 grams unsalted butter, 1 large egg
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap. Press it into a flat shape (once in the wrap). Chill it in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
• Dust flour on your working surface, place the dough disc down and cover with a piece of parchment. If the dough isn't soft enough to roll rest at room temperature for 5 minutes.
• Roll from the middle up and then the middle down. Turn it at 90 degrees and repeat the rolling process until is ¼ inch thick. Cut the dough as needed into pieces to fit over your tart pan. Roll the dough onto a rolling pin and place it on top of the pan. Gently press it in and trim the excess dough.
• Dock the bottom with a fork. Chill for 30 minutes.
• Line the chilled shell with parchment paper and add pie weights (or dried beans). Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes depending on the size of your tarts. The tart shell is done with it is golden brown. Cool completely before filling the shells.

Vanilla Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière)

• Slice the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the seeds using the back of a knife. Add to a medium saucepan with the milk. Heat the milk over medium heat to a simmer and is just about to boil (small bubbles should start forming around the edges). Remove from heat and allow the vanilla to steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Then remove the vanilla pod from the milk and discard it.
  1 vanilla pod, 2 cups whole milk 480 ml
• While the milk is heating, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened. You can do this by hand or with an electric mixer. Sprinkle or sift the cornstarch over the egg yolk mixture. Whisk until it is fully incorporated and smooth.
  6 egg yolks, ⅔ cup granulated sugar, 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
• Temper the eggs by gradually streaming in about ½ cup of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly (this prevents the eggs from curdling). Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan.
  2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble. This should take about 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Whisk in the butter.
• Transfer the pastry cream to a clean bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Allow the pastry cream to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it until it is fully chilled and set (minimum of 2 hours).

Assemble the Tart

• Fill the fully baked and cooled tart shell(s) ⅔ the way full with the chilled pastry cream. Smooth out.
  large or 6 small fully cooked tart shells, pastry cream
• Arrange your selected fruit on top.
  1 ½ cup assorted fruits
• Heat the apricot jam until melted (15 second increments in the microwave). Brush on the fruit with a pastry brush for a glassy finish.
  ¼ cup apricot jam

Notes

Make Ahead and Storage

• You can make the tart shells and pastry cream 1-2 days ahead of time and add the fruits before serving. Store the tart shells in an airtight container at room temperature and keep the pastry cream chilled in the fridge while covered with a plastic wrap.
• You can store leftover tart in the refrigerator, cover it with a plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container.
• Keep in mind that fresh fruit tart is best served within 2-3 days.

Equipment

• tart pan with a removable bottom
• Blender or food processor
• Saucepan
• Whisk

Nutrition

Calories: 451kcal | Carbs: 52g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 25g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 27g

Author: Jen Wooster

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, French

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