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Mini Fruit Tartlets with Vanilla Pastry Cream

Try this fruit tartlets recipe featuring buttery tart shells, smooth vanilla pastry cream, and fresh berries for a vibrant dessert.

Fruit tartlets are individual pastry desserts composed of a crisp, buttery shortcrust shell filled with smooth vanilla pastry cream and topped with an assortment of fresh, seasonal fruit. The dough is typically prepared from flour, butter, sugar, and egg yolk, baked until golden, then cooled before receiving the custard layer made with milk, egg yolks, sugar, and a hint of vanilla. Common toppings include sliced strawberries, kiwi, blueberries, raspberries, and citrus segments, often finished with a light apricot or neutral glaze to enhance shine and preserve freshness. Served chilled, these bite-sized tarts are popular for brunch spreads, afternoon teas, celebratory buffets, and summer gatherings, offering a balanced contrast of flaky pastry, creamy filling, and vibrant fruit.

Dish Image

Mini Fruit Tartlets with Vanilla Pastry Cream

Bake the shells and whisk the pastry cream a day or two ahead, then store them separately so everything stays crisp and fresh. When it’s time to serve, just fill, garnish, and let guests mix and match fruits for a dessert that’s both low-stress for the cook and endlessly customizable at the table.

Prep Time
50 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
220 minutes
Servings: 12 Course: desserts

Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour 1 ⅔ cups (about 210 g)

  • Powdered (confectioners’) sugar ⅓ cup (40 g)
  • Fine sea salt ⅛ tsp
  • Unsalted butter, cold and diced ½ cup (113 g)
  • Large egg yolk 1
  • Ice-cold water 1–2 tbsp
  • Whole milk 2 cups (480 ml)
  • Granulated sugar ½ cup (100 g)
  • Large egg yolks 3
  • Cornstarch 3 tbsp (24 g)
  • Pure vanilla extract 1 ½ tsp
  • Unsalted butter, softened 2 tbsp (28 g)
  • Fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced 6 oz (170 g)
  • Fresh blueberries ½ cup (75 g)
  • Fresh raspberries ½ cup (60 g)
  • Kiwi fruit, peeled and thinly sliced 2
  • Apricot jam (for glaze) ¼ cup (80 g)
  • Water, to loosen jam 1–2 tsp
  • Fresh mint leaves, small 8 (optional garnish)
  • Confectioners’ sugar, for light dusting 1 tbsp (optional)
  • Finely grated lemon zest ½ tsp (optional, brightens pastry cream)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C)

  2. Whisk flour sugar and salt in a large bowl
  3. Dice cold butter into small cubes
  4. Scatter the butter over the flour mixture
  5. Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal
  6. Add a beaten egg yolk to the bowl
  7. Drizzle ice water over the mixture a tablespoon at a time
  8. Stir just until the dough begins to clump
  9. Turn the dough onto a work surface
  10. Press the dough together into a rough ball
  11. Flatten the ball into a disk
  12. Wrap the disk tightly in plastic wrap
  13. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes
  14. Dust the work surface lightly with flour
  15. Place the chilled dough on the floured surface
  16. Roll the dough to about 1/8-inch thickness
  17. Cut rounds slightly larger than mini tartlet molds
  18. Lightly grease the mini tartlet molds
  19. Fit one dough round into each mold
  20. Press the dough gently against the sides and base
  21. Trim excess dough from the rims
  22. Prick the bases with a fork
  23. Chill the lined molds for 10 minutes
  24. Arrange the molds on a baking sheet
  25. Bake the shells for 12–15 minutes until golden
  26. Transfer the baked shells to a rack
  27. Let the shells cool completely
  28. Pour milk and half of the sugar into a saucepan
  29. Set the saucepan over medium heat until the milk steams
  30. Whisk egg yolks with the remaining sugar in a bowl
  31. Add cornstarch and a pinch of salt to the yolk mixture
  32. Whisk until the yolk mixture is smooth and pale
  33. Ladle a little hot milk into the yolk mixture while whisking
  34. Return the tempered yolk mixture to the saucepan
  35. Cook the mixture over medium heat while whisking constantly
  36. Continue cooking until the pastry cream thickens and bubbles
  37. Remove the pan from the heat
  38. Stir butter into the hot pastry cream until melted
  39. Add vanilla extract and mix well
  40. Scrape the pastry cream into a shallow dish
  41. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the cream
  42. Chill the pastry cream until completely cold
  43. Rinse assorted fresh fruit under cool water
  44. Pat the fruit dry with paper towels
  45. Slice larger fruits into bite-size pieces
  46. Spoon chilled pastry cream into the cooled tartlet shells
  47. Smooth the surface of the cream with a small spatula
  48. Arrange the prepared fruit decoratively on top of each tartlet
  49. Warm apricot jam with a splash of water in a small pan
  50. Brush the warm glaze over the fruit to add shine
  51. Refrigerate the tartlets for 30 minutes to set the glaze
  52. Serve the mini fruit tartlets chilled

Nutrition (whole recipe)

Calories
3390 kcal Protein
53 g Fat
152 g Carbs
460 g Fiber
20 g Sugar
242 g

Notes

Chef’s Note: To keep the tartlet shells impeccably crisp for hours, brush the cooled pastry with a very thin layer of melted white chocolate and let it set before adding the pastry cream. The chocolate forms an invisible moisture barrier and adds a subtle hint of sweetness that pairs beautifully with both tangy fruits and vanilla custard.

why this recipe

Every bite of this fruit tartlets recipe feels like a celebration of fresh, vibrant flavors wrapped in buttery, melt-in-your-mouth pastry, making it the kind of dessert that instantly elevates any occasion. Juicy seasonal fruit glisten atop a silky pastry cream that strikes the perfect balance between rich and light, while the crisp shell offers a satisfying contrast that keeps you coming back for more. The components come together with surprising ease, yet the finished tartlets look and taste as though they were crafted by a patisserie, giving you an effortless showstopper that delights both eyes and palate.

FAQs

FAQ acf

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I prevent the tartlet crust from turning soggy after I add the pastry cream and fruit?
Once the baked shells have cooled, brush their interiors with a very thin layer of melted white (or dark) chocolate and let it harden; the chocolate forms an invisible moisture barrier that keeps the crust crisp for hours. Fill the tartlets only shortly before serving and be sure the pastry cream is fully chilled and the fruit is well-patted dry so excess moisture can’t seep into the shell.
Can I prepare the tartlet shells and pastry cream in advance, and how should I store them?
Yes—bake the tartlet shells up to 2 days ahead, let them cool completely, then keep them in an airtight container at room temperature (or freeze for longer storage and re-crisp briefly in a low oven). Prepare the pastry cream the same day, press plastic wrap directly onto its surface to prevent a skin, and refrigerate it for up to 48 hours. Fill and garnish the tartlets just before serving so the shells stay perfectly crisp.
Can I make these fruit tartlets gluten-free or dairy-free, and what substitutions work best?
Absolutely. For a gluten-free version, swap the wheat flour with an equal weight of a cup-for-cup gluten-free baking blend that already contains xanthan or guar gum, then blind-bake 1–2 minutes longer for a crisp shell. To go dairy-free, use plant butter or refined coconut oil in both the crust and pastry cream, and replace the milk with an unsweetened almond, soy, or oat milk; all other quantities and steps remain the same, including the simple apricot-jam glaze. Chill the dough and pastry cream thoroughly before assembly, as gluten-free flours and dairy-free fats soften more quickly at room temperature.

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