French Fruit Tart Recipe
This classic French Fruit Tart recipe features a sweet, buttery pâte sucrée crust, luscious vanilla pastry cream filling, and fresh fruit glazed with apricot jam for a stunning finish. This is an impressive spring and summer dessert that’s very easy as the components can be made in advance!
I remember wandering past pâtisserie windows on almost every block in Paris when I visited many years ago, and there were rows of beautiful French Fruit Tarts in each one. The tart crusts were perfectly golden and the colorful fruits glistened in the sunlight.
Of course I had to try one (ok more than one). I’m happy to call eating those tarts research for this recipe, because I’ve never forgotten how soft the crust was and the silky texture of the pastry cream. All that aside, I learned first hand how to make them in cooking school several years later as well.
This recipe is my way of bringing the pâtisseries in Paris home. It starts with a sweet, soft and buttery pâte sucrée, or soft tart dough, that’s basically an easy press-in shortbread crust.
The crust is filled with luscious and silky vanilla pastry cream, and it’s topped with an array of colorful fruits that are glazed with apricot jelly, which preserves the fruit and makes the entire tart glisten.
This classic French tart is surprisingly simple, stunning, and perfect for spring and summer entertaining. 🙂
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This fruit tart with pastry cream has an easy press-in shortbread crust, and it’s topped with colorful fresh fruit that’s glazed with apricot jelly.
- It’s a show stopping spring and summer dessert that is easier to make than you think!
- The crust and pastry cream can be made in advance to make tart assembly a breeze.
- It can be customized with your favorite in-season fruit and you can create your own fruit tart design based on the fruits you choose.
Recipe ingredients
This fresh fruit tart recipe includes mostly pantry staples. The ingredients for the pastry cream and pâte sucrée are not pictured below as they are included in separate posts.
- Crust. The fruit tart crust is a classic French pâte sucrée recipe. It’s soft, sweet and buttery and there’s no rolling pin or pie weights needed — just press it into the pan and bake. It may be prepared up to a few days in advance and even frozen. Ingredients include all purpose flour, butter, powdered sugar, an egg yolk and vanilla extract.
- Pastry cream. My homemade pastry cream is luscious and silky with delicious vanilla flavor. It can be made up to a few days ahead to make tart prep much easier. Ingredients include milk, sugar, eggs, cornstarch, butter and vanilla.
- Fruits. I’ve used a wide variety of berries, kiwi and mango to top my tart, which added plenty of texture and color. You can certainly customize your tart with your favorite fruits and create a fruit tart design based on which ones you use.
- Apricot jelly. This is warmed and combined with water to thin it out, then it’s brushed over the top of fruit. The jelly acts as a barrier to keep the fruit fresh, and also provides a beautiful sheen.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to make this fresh fruit tart
You’ll be surprised how easy this fruit tart is to make when you try it. Both the pastry cream and pâte sucrée recipes come together quickly, and they can be made ahead.
For best results, assemble the tart the day you’re planning to serve it so that it’s at its freshest.
Pro tip: Prepare the pastry cream and pate sucree in advance and assemble the tart the day you plan to serve it.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! The glory of this French fruit tart is that it can be broken into components that can be made in advance.
Prepare both the tart dough and pastry cream up to a few days in advance, then assemble the tart quickly and easily the day that you plan to serve it.
Use firm, fresh fruits that hold their shape well such as berries, kiwi, mandarin orange slices, and stone fruit such as apricots, peaches, and cherries.
Avoid using overly juicy or overripe fruits as their juices will bleed into the pastry cream and make the tart soggy.
A mixture of warm apricot jelly and water are brushed over the top of the fruit, which not only adds sheen, but it preserves the fruit as well. For best results, don’t slice the fruit until just before decorating the tart to keep it fresh.
Store the tart uncovered in the refrigerator the day that you plan to serve it as the glaze will keep it looking fresh and vibrant.
If you have leftovers, store tart slices in an air tight container for up to 2 days.
Seasonal fruit swaps
You can customize your fruit tart with in-season fruits as outlined below:
- Spring. Apricot, blueberries, cherries, kiwi, mango, mandarin oranges and strawberries.
- Summer. Apricot, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, mango, nectarines, peaches, raspberries and strawberries.
- Fall. Figs, grapes, persimmon and pomegranate.
- Winter. Citrus segments (blood orange, mandarin, navel orange, ruby red grapefruit), kiwi, persimmon, pomegranate.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: Prepare the pastry cream and pâte sucrée in advance and assemble the tart the day you plan to serve it.
- You may not need all of the fruit listed in the recipe card. Feel free to customize the fruit for this tart based on your favorites, and create your own fruit design.
- Nutrition information does not include the pastry cream or tart dough as that has been calculated in a separate post.
- Store leftover slices of fruit tart in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to 2 days.
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
French Fruit Tart
Ingredients
- pastry cream
- pâte sucrée (sweet tart dough)
- 1 pint blackberries halved lengthwise
- 1 pint strawberries halved lengthwise
- 1 cup blueberries
- 3 kiwis peeled and sliced thinly
- 1/2 mango peeled and sliced thinly lengthwise
- 1/4 cup raspberries
- 1/4 cup apricot jelly use jelly for the smoothest texture
Instructions
- Prepare the pastry cream. Follow the instructions as directed for my pastry cream recipe and place in the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 3 hours. When you're ready to use it, remove from the refrigerator and whisk it until smooth as necessary.pastry cream
- Prepare the tart dough. Follow the instructions for pâte sucrée as outlined in the recipe card. Cool the crust completely on a wire rack before assembling the fruit tart.pâte sucrée (sweet tart dough)
- Assemble the tart. For best results, do not assemble the tart until the day you plan to serve it. Pour the pastry cream into the cooled crust and spread evenly. Arrange the fruit decoratively over the top, starting with the blackberries around the outer edges. Next top the tart with the strawberries, followed by the blueberries and the kiwi fruit. For the mango, arrange thin strips from top to bottom, which resemble a flower. Finish the tart with raspberries in the middle. The fruit listed is optional — feel free to customize this tart with your favorite fruit using the fruit tart design of your choice.1 pint blackberries, 1 pint strawberries, 1 cup blueberries, 3 kiwis, 1/2 mango, 1/4 cup raspberries
- Place the apricot jelly in a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds or until warm. Stir in 1 tablespoon of water (or more to reach the desired consistency), then brush the jam over the fruit. Store the tart uncovered in the refrigerator until serving time later the same day. Serve and enjoy!1/4 cup apricot jelly
Notes
- Pro tip: Prepare the pastry cream and pate sucree in advance and assemble the tart the day you plan to serve it.
- You may not need all of the fruit listed in the recipe card. Feel free to customize the fruit for this tart based on your favorites, and create your own fruit tart design.
- Nutrition information does not include the pastry cream or tart dough as that has been calculated in a separate post.
- Store leftover slices of fruit tart in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
2 Comments on “French Fruit Tart Recipe”
The nutrition content is not correct…73 kcal per serving?????
The nutrition content is the fruit and jam only as the pastry cream and crust have been calculated in separate posts.