This eye-catching Vegan Fruit Tart features rows of glistening glazed fruit layered over a decadent custard in a homemade sweet tart crust. A fancy dessert for any occasion!
Treat yourself to more elegant vegan desserts, like my Vegan Creme Brulee, Vegan Pain au Chocolat, and Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake.
Would it shock you if I told you this Vegan Fruit Tart recipe is quite simple to make, even for beginner bakers? It’s true! From the buttery crust to the vegan custard to the glazed fruit, this impressive dessert is practically foolproof and an instant hit on any occasion.
A classic French fruit tart has three layers: (1) a buttery shortbread crust (pâte sucrée), (2) a creamy custard filling (crème pâtissière), and (3) rows of fresh fruit. My vegan version features all three but swaps the butter, milk, and eggs for vegan-friendly alternatives (all of which are easy to find in most grocery stores!).
The result? A decadent, elegant, and sweet dessert to enjoy during the summer or year-round.
Why you’ll love this dairy-free fruit tart
- A classic French dessert made vegan – This vegan tart looks and tastes like it was made in a French bakery, but ditches the dairy and eggs for simple plant-based ingredients.
- Simple yet fancy and elegant – What’s not to love about rich pastry cream and fresh fruit layered in a sweet and easy-to-make tart crust? No one will be able to resist a slice.
- Perfect for summer – Rows of fresh berries, kiwi, and mango make this refreshing dessert a perfect choice for your summer celebrations.
How to make a vegan fruit tart
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
To make the crust, cream the butter, sugar, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy. Mix in the applesauce, then the flour. The dough should be clumpy when it’s done.
Knead the dough a few times and form it into a ball. Transfer it to a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a circle using a rolling pin. Lay the dough in a lightly greased 9.5-inch tart pan.
Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes (this will prevent it from shrinking in the oven).
Afterward, bake the crust until it’s lightly golden. Set it aside to cool.
To make the custard, start by whisking the milk and cornstarch in a medium pot until smooth. Add the sugar and heat over medium heat.
Heat to a simmer and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens. Take it off the heat and stir in the vanilla*.
*You can customize the flavor of the custard and vegan tart using any of the flavor variations recommended in my Vegan Custard recipe!
Pour the custard into the cooled tart crust. Cover the custard with a layer of plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for at least 2 to 4 hours or overnight.
To assemble the mixed fruit tart, take the crust out of the tart pan and place it on a serving platter. Arrange the sliced fruit over the custard in your desired pattern and brush the top with the apricot jam glaze.
Chill the tart until you’re ready to serve, then slice and enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
Personally, I love layering a fruit tart with soft and juicy fruits, like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, peaches, nectarines, cherries, mangoes, and/or kiwi. They’re easy to slice into and complement the vanilla custard beautifully!
I don’t recommend using fruits with a high water content, like melon or citrus, because they’ll water down the custard. Also, avoid sliced apples and bananas, as they tend to brown very quickly.
Make the fruit tart as normal, but assemble the crust, custard, and fruits in four 4-inch mini tart pans. Now everyone will have their own tart! For the crust, bake only for 15-20 minutes.
I haven’t tested a gluten-free version of the tart crust, so I’m unsure if gluten-free flour will work or not. Instead, try making it with the gluten-free oat-almond crust from my Baked Cashew Cheesecake recipe.
Yes! The tart can be assembled, covered in a layer of plastic, and kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 day before serving.
You can also make the custard 1 to 2 days in advance and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. The ball of sweet tart dough can be wrapped in a layer of plastic and kept in the fridge for 1 to 2 days as well.
Vegan Fruit Tart
Ingredients
Sweet Tart Crust
- 1/2 cup vegan butter softened to room temperature
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
Custard
- 2 1/2 cups full fat oat milk I use Oatly
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Fruit Topping
- 4 cups fresh cut fruit, such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, mango, peaches, kiwi*
- 1/4 cup apricot jam
Instructions
Make the tart crust
- In a bowl using an electric mixer, or stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and salt together until creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Mix in the applesauce, then add the flour and mix until incorporated. The dough will be rather clumpy. Use your hands to lightly knead the dough and form it into a ball inside the bowl.
- Lightly spray a 9.5 inch tart pan with non-stick spray. Remove the ball of dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out, large enough to fit the pan.
- Transfer the dough to the pan and adjust with your hands to fit snuggly. Trim excess dough.
- Place the tart pan with the unbaked crust in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. After 30 minutes, remove the pan from the freezer and place on a baking sheet (for easy handling). Bake in the center rack of the oven for 23-26 minutes, until lightly golden. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Prepare custard
- Once the crust is mostly cooled to room temperature, make the custard.
- Whisk the oat milk and cornstarch in a medium pot until smooth.
- Turn the heat to medium and add the sugar. Bring to a simmer and whisk, constantly, for about 5 minutes, until thickened.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Pour the custard into the cooled tart crust. Place a layer of plastic wrap directly touching the top of the custard to prevent a film from forming. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 2-4 hours or even overnight.
Assemble
- Remove the tart ring and transfer the tart to a serving platter. Arrange the fruit over the cream in your desired design or pattern.
- Place the apricot jam in a small microwave safe bowl and add 1 tablespoon of water. Microwave for about 30 seconds and stir. If chunky, strain it to remove chunks of apricot. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the fruit with the apricot glaze.
- Chill until ready to serve.
Notes
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Do not use fruits with high water content like melon or citrus. Also avoid apples and bananas as they will turn brown quickly.
-
If you want the fruit to stick better, brush a light layer of the apricot jam/water over the top of the custard, then stick on the fruit. Otherwise it slides off rather easily, especially certain fruits like blueberries.
- For gluten free, you can try substituting a gluten free flour mix, or use the crust from this baked cashew cheesecake, which is gluten free.
- Alternative to cornstarch? Try arrowroot or tapioca starch.
Hi, made your blueberry muffins, which by the way, were great , and have decided to try this tart. So another question – does the applesauce have to be unsweetened, as it always comes with sugar in Poland, or perhaps I could use sth else instead?Thx,
You can use applesauce that has added sugar, I just always bake with the unsweetened kind. It’s still sweet, but it’s just apples. I’m glad you enjoyed the muffins! Feel free to use what you have.
Another great Nora recipe! I made this with kiwi, mango, raspberries, strawberries, apricots, dragon fruit, and passion fruit and added a teaspoon of lemon extract to the custard. I had to add a little extra flour to the dough as it was really wet and hard to roll out, but it was perfect with that addition!
Just made this with a slight modification and it’s sooo good. Do you know how long it will last in the fridge? Thank you!!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! It’s best the first 2 days in the refrigerator. It’s still edible that 3rd and maybe 4th day, but the custard starts to separate and the fruit becomes less fresh.
Because I know how to make regular custard, I felt the slumping of this custard and the color of it from using oat milk was unappealing. The crust was okay; albeit a challenge to roll out. But when there were leftovers that no vegans ate the next day, I would have to say that my search for a tasty, appetizing vegan dessert before the holidays continues. This dessert was a disappointment.
Fantastic recipe, delicious and beautiful! I added pomegranate seeds to mine and they added a wonderful tart crunch that matched the crispy buttery crust. Thank you so much!
What a great idea to add pomegranate! I’m thrilled you loved the recipe! I also love how beautiful and colorful this fruit tart is. Thanks for sharing your review and feedback!