Strawberry Tart
A perfectly summery strawberry tart made with a buttery crust, smooth cream cheese-based filling, and fresh summer berries! Each bite is filled with creamy, juicy flavor that you won’t be able to get enough of!
Tarts are my favorite way to showcase fresh fruit. You just really can’t go wrong with the combination of a buttery crust, creamy filling, and juicy fruit! You’ll have to add apple, lemon, and berry tart recipes to your summer dessert lineup!
Easy Strawberry Tart Recipe
Strawberries are the fruit of the summer! Take advantage of them being in season with this amazing strawberry tart recipe! It’s just as tasty as it is beautiful, so let’s dig right in to how to make your own. The first thing we’ll start with is our buttery shortbread-esque tart crust. I make this tart using a food processor and recommend that you do the same because it’s the easiest way to make a tart crust. The food processor does all of the hard work of cutting in the butter without allowing it to soften from over-working! In other words, golden and flaky without any hassle.
The delicious, buttery crust is then topped with a super easy cream cheese-based filling and covered with sliced strawberries! It’s smooth, sweet, and complements the flavor of fresh strawberries perfectly! Not only is this strawberry tart absolutely delicious, but it will look gorgeous on your dinner table too! Your guests are going to love it!
Ingredients Needed to Make It
The great thing about this strawberry tart is that it uses so many simple ingredients, you won’t need to make a grocery trip! You can find measurements for each of these ingredients listed below in the recipe card.
Tart Crust
- All-Purpose Flour: I use all-purpose flour for the majority of my baking. It has a low protein content and helps to make the structure of baked goods light and airy.
- Sugar: I add white sugar to the crust to sweeten it up.
- Salt: A pinch of salt is all you need to keep your crust from tasting bland.
- Butter: You’ll want to use cold butter for the crust! The lower temperatures help to make it crust nice and flaky.
Cream Cheese Filling
- Cream Cheese: This is the foundation of the filling, the cream cheese adds the best creaminess and tangy flavor!
- Powdered Sugar: Adds a smooth sweetness to the tart filling.
- Vanilla Extract: Helps to deepen the flavor. Use pure vanilla extract if you can!
- Salt: Enhances the overall flavor.
- Heavy Cream: Makes your filling thick and fluffy!
- Strawberries: You’ll want these hulled and sliced.
How to Make a Homemade Strawberry Tart
Making a fruit tart from scratch is actually really easy! One thing to keep in mind, though, is that your tart needs plenty of time to chill and set. So allow yourself a few hours before you need to serve it!
Preparing Your Crust
- Combine Ingredients: Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to blend.
- Add Butter: Scatter butter pieces over top the flour mixture and pulse until mixture is just beginning to cling together.
- Chill: Remove from food processor and form into a disk. Cover in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- Shape: Once dough is finished chilling, remove from refrigerator and roll into about a 10-11″ circle. Form into a 9″ tart pan and use a fork to poke holes into the side and bottom of the dough.
- Freeze: Transfer pan to freezer and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 350F, and once oven is preheated and dough has chilled, bake on 350F for 25 minutes or until just beginning to turn golden brown. Allow tart crust to cool before filling.
Filling and Topping
- Combine Ingredients: Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until smooth and well-combined. Set aside.
- Add in Heavy Cream: In a separate, clean, bowl, use an electric mixer to beat 1 cup heavy cream to stiff peaks.
- Fold: Fold the whipped cream into your cream cheese mixture until well-combined — the resulting mixture should be thick and fluffy.
- Add to Crust: Spread evenly into cooled tart crust.
- Top With Strawberries: Arrange sliced strawberries on top.
Tips for Making a Successful Fruit Tart
To get your strawberry tart to taste like it came from your favorite bakery, here are a few simple tips to keep in mind!
- Don’t Overwork Dough: You only want to combine your dough ingredients until incorporated. Butter pieces should still be visible. If you overwork your dough, gluten may develop and leave you with a dense, rubbery crust.
- Let Your Crust Chill: For the best crust, let your dough rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before you use it. This way, the gluten will relax and it will be able to be shaped easily.
- Use Cold Butter: The secret to a flaky crust? Cold butter! Chilled butter won’t incorporate into the crust completely. Once the crust is in the oven, the hot temperatures will cook those pieces of butter leaving you with light, flaky goodness.
Storing Leftovers / Making Ahead
I don’t recommend making this strawberry tart ahead of time since we’re working with fresh fruit. If you have leftovers, you can keep them in the fridge for up to 2 days covered in plastic wrap.
More Strawberry Desserts
Salads
Strawberry Cheesecake Salad
Desserts
Perfect Strawberry Shortcake
Desserts
Strawberry Icebox Cake
Desserts
Strawberry Brownies
Strawberry Tart
Ingredients
Tart Crust
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 10 Tablespoons cold butter cut into pieces
Filling
- 6 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 lbs strawberries hulled and sliced
Instructions
Tart Crust
-
Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to blend.
-
Scatter butter pieces overtop the flour mixture and pulse until mixture is just beginning to cling together.
-
Remove from food processor and form into a disk. Cover in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
-
Once dough is finished chilling, remove from refrigerator and roll into about a 10-11″ circle. Form into a 9″ tart pan and use a fork to poke holes into the side and bottom of the dough.
-
Transfer pan to freezer and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
-
Preheat oven to 350F, and once oven is preheated and dough has chilled, bake on 350F for 25 minutes or until just beginning to turn golden brown. Allow tart crust to cool before filling.
Filling
-
combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until smooth and well-combined. Set aside.
-
In a separate, clean, bowl, use an electric mixer to beat 1 cup heavy cream to stiff peaks
-
Fold the whipped cream into your cream cheese mixture until well-combined — the resulting mixture should be thick and fluffy.
-
Spread evenly into cooled tart crust.
-
Arrange sliced strawberries on top.