Gluten-Free Fruit Tart With Vanilla Pastry Cream

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This gluten-free fruit tart is made with sweet shortcrust pastry, rich and creamy vanilla custard, and a vibrant mix of fresh berries. It’s a simple yet elegant treat for any occasion.

Gluten-Free Fruit Tart on a white plate. The fruit tart is made up blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries.

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Why You Will Love This Gluten-Free Fruit Tart
Gluten-Free Fruit Tart Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Gluten-Free Fruit Tart Instructions
Tips For Success
Storage & Make Ahead Instructions
FAQ
More Dessert Recipes You'll Love
Recipe
Reviews

Why You Will Love This Gluten-Free Fruit Tart

This gluten-free fruit tart is a gluten-free version of the classic French dessert tarte aux fruits frais. It is made with a sweet shortbread shell filled with the most luscious vanilla pastry cream and topped with a variety of fresh berries. If you enjoy this recipe, you'll want to also check out my gluten-free lemon tart. Here are some more reasons why you will love this gluten-free fruit tart recipe:

Impressive yet easy to make. This classic fruit tart is easy to prepare and gorgeous enough to be stored in the window of a French patisserie.
Fresh and light with simple ingredients. Fruit tarts may seem like a heavy dessert but they are surprisingly light and refreshing.
The perfect dessert that is versatile for any special occasion. You can use fresh seasonal fruit and enjoy this tart year-round.

Gluten-Free Fruit Tart Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

Whole Milk & Heavy Cream: A mixture of both is the perfect combination for a rich and luscious custard. Use full-fat coconut milk for a dairy-free option.
Egg Yolks: You only need egg yolks in this recipe, so save the egg whites to make amaretti cookies or limoncello cookies.
Sugar: The main sweetener for the pastry cream.
Cornstarch: Helps set and thicken the pastry cream without adding a floury flavor.
Vanilla Extract: Choose a high-quality vanilla extract for the best flavor. Alternatively, you can steep ½ a vanilla bean in the warm milk. Infuse for 15 minutes then discard.
Salt: Just a pinch helps elevate the flavors.
Butter: Cold butter adds richness, flavor, and shine. For a dairy-free option, you can use dairy-free butter.
Fresh Seasonal Berries: We use a mix of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries but you can use any variety of fruits.
Apricot Preserves: Adding a bit of apricot jam mixed with warm water gives the fruit a shiny finish and keeps the fruit stay fresh while it chills.
Tart Crust: Here we use my gluten-free shortcrust pastry recipe.

Find the printable recipe card with full instructions and measurements below.

Gluten-Free Fruit Tart Instructions

Make The Vanilla Pastry Cream

Steps making pastry cream. Steam the milk, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch, combine the ingredients, bring to a boil.

Heat the milk and cream. Add the heavy cream and milk to a medium-sized saucepan and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk occasionally until it just starts to steam with bubbles along the edges, then remove from the saucepan from heat.
Whisk together the eggs, sugar, and cornstarch. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, on high speed, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch for 2-3 minutes. The texture should be light and fluffy with a pale lemony color.
Temper the eggs. Turn the mixer to low speed, and slowly pour the steamed milk into the bowl of the egg mixture. You want to add this very slowly to ensure the egg yolks don’t scramble.
Add everything to the saucepan. Once all the milk is added, return the mixture to the saucepan and place on the stove over medium-high heat.

Chill The Cream & Assemble The Tart

Creating a gluten-free fruit tart. Add the butter to the pastry cream, chill the cream, add the pastry cream to the tart shell, brush on apricot glaze to the tart.

Thicken the pastry cream. Whisk constantly for 2-3 minutes until the pastry cream has thickened and is slowly boiling. Stir in the vanilla extract, salt, and cold butter. Cook for another 30 seconds, whisking constantly, then turn off the burner.
Chill the custard. Pour the custard into a glass bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the top surface to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate for 3 hours (or up to 24 hours before serving).
Add the cream to the tart shell. Whisk the chilled pastry cream until smooth, then spread it evenly into the tart shell using an offset spatula.
Assemble the fruit tart. Arrange a generous amount of fruit over the pastry cream in your desired design. Use a pastry brush to gently dab the fruit with a thin layer of apricot glaze. This will help preserve the fruit and give it a beautiful glossy shine. Serve the fruit tart right away or chill until ready to serve.

Tips For Success

Assemble the tart the day you plan to serve. A fresh fruit tart is best served the same day it is assembled. This prevents the crust from getting soggy and ensures the fruit is still fresh.
Use seasonal fresh fruits and distribute them evenly. Look for your favorite fruits that are fresh and in season. When assembling the fruit tart, try to distribute the fruit evenly so that each slice will have an assortment.
Make the gluten-free crust in advance. The tart dough can be made and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Blind bake the tart crust the night before serving and store it covered at room temperature.
Make the crème pâtissière in advance. The pastry filling can be made 24 hours in advance. This custard is thicker than your average custard. Because it's in a tart that will be sliced, it works better to have it a little more firm so that it doesn't ooze out as soon as it's cut. Give it a quick stir and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly in the tart crust shell.

Storage & Make Ahead Instructions

Storage: This gluten-free fruit tart is best served the day it's assembled, as the longer it sits, the moisture from the pastry cream filling will begin to soften the crust. I assemble my fruit tart about 2-4 hours before an event and store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Make in advance: I still recommend serving the fruit tart the same day it is assembled, but if you need to make it 24 hours in advance, there's a trick to use to help keep the crust crisp. Add a thin layer of melted white chocolate to the base of the crust, chill for 10 minutes, and once the chocolate hardens add the pastry cream and fruit. The chocolate will provide a thin barrier to the cream to help prevent a soggy bottom crust.

FAQ

What fruit should I use for a fruit tart?

In this recipe, I used an assortment of berries but you can experiment with many different fruit options including kiwi, mandarin oranges, cherries, peaches, plums, or nectarines. It is best to avoid melon and other fruits that have a high moisture content, like citrus or pineapple. These will seep moisture into the pastry cream and make it separate. It is also a good idea to avoid fruit like apples, pears, and bananas, as they will turn brown.

How long can the gluten-free fruit tart sit out at room temperature?

A fruit tart can sit out at room temperature for a few hours before needing to be refrigerated. It’s best to cover your tart with a cloche or keep it in the refrigerator before serving.

How far in advance can I make this gluten-free fruit tart?

Fruit tarts are best served the same day they are assembled as the cream filling will eventually start to soften to the crust. You can make the pastry cream and fully bake the tart shell the night before serving. Store the tart shell at room temperature, and the pastry cream in the refrigerator. Fill and assemble several hours before serving.

What size tart pan do I need for this recipe?

The shortcrust pastry is made in a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.

How do you keep the bottom of a tart from getting soggy?

This tart crust is blind-baked before any filling is poured to keep it crispy and sturdy. I recommend filling the tart crust with the pastry cream a few hours before serving.

More Dessert Recipes You'll Love

I hope you love this gluten-free fruit tart recipe as much as I do! If you make it, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below. Your review will help other readers in the community.

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5 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)