This Fresh Fruit Tart is simply mouthwatering and bursting with flavor. A crisp, lemon-flavored, almond shortbread-like crust holds a sweet, creamy, lemon cream cheese filling that is topped with colorful, fresh berries of the season. Welcome spring and summer with this refreshing, easy-to-make dessert that is sure to impress.
Nothing says the warm weather has arrived better than this fresh fruit tart with lemon cream cheese filling. Plenty of fresh berries and seasonal fruits are available that make this tart not only taste amazing but look fantastic too!
With Mother's Day around the corner and outdoor barbecues for Memorial Day and Fourth of July on the horizon, this fruit tart makes the most refreshing dessert to share with family and friends. And it's super simple to make! Bonus, it's gluten-free too!
Table of contents
The almond crust
This deliciously crispy crust is made with both almond and oat flour for a nutty but delicious texture. You can make the oat flour by processing rolled oats in a food processor or chopper until it resembles a medium-fine powder.
This almond crust is similar to a shortbread crust with plenty of buttery, rich taste and enhanced with lemon and vanilla extracts for a little extra flavor boost.
You can make the crust a day or two ahead of time and fill a few hours prior to serving. This will help keep the crust crispy until serving.
The lemon tart filling
Lemon is one of my favorite warm-weather flavors. I love to use it for everything from cookies to cocktails to doughnuts. Just check out my Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies, Frosted Lemonade Cooler, and Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts and see if you don't agree.
Of course, this easy-to-make lemon cream cheese filling has got to rise to the top of the list. It's creamy, rich, and delicious and can be used in so many ways. You can eat it as is or use as the base for parfaits, as a filling for layer cakes, crepes, sandwich cookies, and French Toast or try it in cobblers, cupcakes, or, of course, this fresh fruit tart. Whatever way you use it, it's incredible!
The fruit topping
Any fruit can be used for the topping. I like to use the fresh berries of the season, such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, and usually include a sliced kiwi, if available, for the color contrast. See variations below for other fruits to use.
The fruit tart glaze
If you've ever seen the fresh fruit tarts in bakeries you might have noticed their beautiful shiny appearance. This easy-to-make glaze is not only there for its showstopping, professional look but to help keep the fruit hydrated and fresh.
It's easily made by heating up a little of your favorite jarred jam and a little water in the microwave. In my case, I used raspberry jam then pressed it through a strainer to remove the seeds. However, you can use almost any jam or jelly that is your favorite such as apple, strawberry or peach.
FAQs
The crust will puff up from the steam released as it bakes. Since a nice flat crust is wanted, pricking the crust will help prevent most of the air bubbles and pockets from forming. You will still see some but they will disappear once the crust cools.
If the tart is eaten within a few hours, or early the next day, the crust will hold up fairly well. If you know it will be sitting for longer, brush a little of the fruit glaze over the crust before filling, let cool, then fill with lemon cream.
Alternately, get the tart shell ready ahead of time and chill. Then assemble it a couple of hours prior to serving.
I've kept mine in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The crust has softened somewhat but all the flavor is still there and thoroughly enjoyed.
Most definitely! I've done it with lime in place of the lemon as well as orange and it tastes fantastic!
No, but it is delicious! The fruit topping definitely lends a little healthy to the mix but there is sugar in both the crust and the filling which piles on the calories.
Variations
- Change it up with a lime or orange cream cheese filling, a dark chocolate cream filling, or a custard. You can even use this shell for more savory versions such as creamed spinach or a cheese filling topped with asparagus.
- Fill with other fruits such as stone fruits like peaches, cherries, nectarines, or plums. Try tropical flavors like pineapple, kiwi, and mango, or go all-out citrusy with blood oranges and grapefruit.
How to make
Fresh Fruit Tart ingredients
Easy to find ingredients and seasonal fruit makes this one of the easiest fresh fruit desserts to make.
The crust
- Cream butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy.
- Add in vanilla and lemon extracts and continue beating.
- Turn mixer to low and add a mixture of almond flour, oat flour and salt.
- Beat until a dough forms and it is well mixed.
- Press dough into a tart pan, either rectangular or round, that has been lightly sprayed with a nonstick spray.
- This is a super important step! Prick crust all over with the tines of a fork. Remember to get the sides as well. This will prevent the crust from creating air bubbles and puffing up while baking. Bake and let cool. I like to place mine in the refrigerator after it has cooled to make it easier to work with.
The filling
- Beat the cream cheese and sugar for 2-3 minutes.
- It should be fluffy and lighter in color.
- Add the vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon zest from one large lemon.
- Just look at that luscious filling!
- Pour into chilled tart crust.
The topping and glaze
The final step is decorating this fresh fruit tart with, you guessed it, all your fresh fruit. You can slice the larger fruit and leave the smaller berries whole. Use enough to cover the entire top of the lemon cream. Make it into a pretty pattern or just scatter it around, whatever you like.
Top it with a simple glaze made by stirring your favorite jelly or jam with a little water and heating in the microwave to a liquid state. Brush all over the fruit then chill the tart until ready to serve.
This is one family-favorite dessert that is perfect for everyday barbecues and delicious enough for Mother's Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and other special occasions. Enjoy!
More fresh fruit desserts
Summer Berries and Cream Trifle starts with layering fresh berries with liqueur-soaked cake and mascarpone cream for a cool, refreshing summer dessert.
Fruit Cocktail Dessert is the perfect adults-only dessert. Fresh fruit is soaked in light rum and a little sugar then flavored with a hint of lime zest. Definitely one for the heat of summer.
British Summer Pudding from What A Girl Eats is a delicious combination of fresh fruit, sweetened with sugar, and poured into a bread-lined mold, chilled, then covered with whipped cream.
Berry Upside Down Cake is as fun to make as it is delicious to eat. Decorate a cake pan with a design made with berries then top with cake batter and bake. Turn it upside down and, voila, a beautiful cake ready to impress!
Fresh Fruit Tart with Lemon Cream Cheese Filling
Ingredients
Almond Crust
- ½ cup butter
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1-½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup oat flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Lemon Cream Cheese Filling
- 16 oz cream cheese
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large lemon, zested & juiced
Fruit topping
- Strawberries, sliced
- Kiwi, sliced (optional)
- Blackberries, raspberries, blueberries
Glaze
- ½ cup strawberry, seedless raspberry, apricot or apple jelly
- 1 Tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a rectangular or round tart pan with removable bottom.
Almond Crust
- Cream butter and sugar. Add extracts and continue beating.
- Combine almond flour, oat flour & salt. I like to make my oat flour from rolled oats by processing in food processor until it resembles powder.
- Using the low speed on the mixer, add flour to creamed mixture until dough forms.
- Using your fingers, press dough into prepared tart pan and prick all over with fork to keep it from puffing up.
- Bake 20 minutes and remove to wire rack to cool completely. After cooled, place in refrigerator to chill.
Lemon Cream Cheese Filling
- Beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. This usually takes about 2-3 minutes.
- Beat in vanilla extract and both the juice & zest from the large lemon.
- Pour into chilled crust and spread evenly. I like to chill mine at this point before setting the fruit on top.
Fruit topping
- Use a variety of fruit to cover the lemon cream.
- You can slice the strawberries and kiwi, if using, and use the remainder of berries whole.
- Make a pattern with the fruit and place on top of lemon cream.
Glaze
- To make glaze, place jelly and water in a microwave-safe dish. Heat in 30-second increments until jelly turns into a liquid.
- Brush on top of fruit. Chill for 2 hours prior to serving.
- When ready to serve, remove the outer part of the tart pan then gently slip the tart off the bottom of the pan.
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