This gluten free fresh fruit tart is one of those desserts that looks like it came from a fancy bakery, but it’s actually pretty simple to make at home.

It has a buttery, crispy crust filled with smooth vanilla pastry cream and topped with fresh fruit. Every bite is light, creamy, and refreshing.

And yes, it’s 100% gluten free. You honestly can’t tell the difference from a regular fruit tart. It tastes just as good, if not better.

The crust uses a blend of gluten free baking flour and almond flour, which gives it a really nice texture and a subtle nutty flavor.

If you’ve been looking for a beautiful dessert to bring to a gathering or just to treat yourself, this is the one. It never fails to impress.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Totally Gluten Free – This tart uses a blend of gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour and almond flour for a crust that tastes just as buttery and crisp as any traditional French tart.

Looks Like It Came From a Bakery – With rows of colorful fresh fruit and that glossy apricot jam glaze on top, this tart is honestly stunning and people will not believe you made it at home.

The Pastry Cream Is Incredible – The silky vanilla pastry cream is made with cornstarch instead of wheat flour, so it’s naturally gluten free and has this rich, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture that makes the whole tart feel fancy.

No Rolling Pin Needed – Unlike most tart crusts that require rolling out, this one is simply pressed into the pan with your fingers, which makes it way less stressful and perfect for beginners.

Ingredients

For the Crust

1 1/4 cups Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
1/4 cup Almond Flour
1/3 cup Powdered Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Cold Unsalted Butter, cubed
1 Large Egg Yolk
1 tbsp Cold Water

For the Pastry Cream

1 1/2 cups Whole Milk
1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
3 Large Egg Yolks
3 tbsp Cornstarch
2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

For the Topping

2 cups Assorted Fresh Fruit (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, kiwi)
3 tbsp Apricot Jam, warmed

How to Make

Step 1

For the crust, pulse the gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour, almond flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add the cold butter and pulse until pea-sized crumbs form. Add the egg yolk and cold water and pulse until the dough just comes together. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Freeze for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Step 2

Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork, line with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the weights and parchment and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes until golden. Let cool completely.

Step 3

For the pastry cream, heat the milk in a medium saucepan until it just begins to simmer. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch until pale. Slowly pour the hot milk into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and starts to bubble, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 4

Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour the pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 2 hours.

Step 5

Spread the chilled pastry cream evenly into the cooled tart shell. Arrange the fresh fruit in a decorative pattern on top. Brush the warmed apricot jam over the fruit for a glossy finish. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Helpful Tips

Keep the Butter Really Cold

Cut your butter into small cubes and put it back in the fridge (or even the freezer for 10 minutes) before you start making the crust. Cold butter is what creates those little pockets that make the crust flaky and tender instead of dense and tough.

When you pulse it in the food processor, you want to see actual pea-sized pieces of butter still visible in the mixture. If the butter gets warm and melts into the flour, you’ll end up with a greasy, flat crust that crumbles the wrong way.

If your kitchen is warm, work fast. The less time the butter spends at room temperature, the better your crust will turn out.

Press the Crust in Evenly

When you press the dough into the tart pan, try to get it as even as possible on the bottom and up the sides. If some spots are thicker than others, the thin parts will overbake and turn dark while the thick parts stay underdone.

Use the bottom of a flat measuring cup or a small glass to press the dough into the bottom of the pan. It gives you a much more even layer than just using your fingers. For the sides, use your fingers to press the dough up and make sure it’s the same thickness all the way around.

Gluten free dough is actually easier to work with here because there’s no gluten to make it shrink. It stays put pretty well, which is a nice bonus.

Don’t Skip the Freezing Step

Freezing the crust for 15 minutes before baking isn’t optional. It firms up the butter again so the crust holds its shape in the oven instead of slumping down the sides of the pan.

It also helps prevent the bottom from puffing up too much while it bakes. Combined with pricking the bottom with a fork, the freezing step keeps everything flat and even so you have a nice shell to fill later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the tart crust without a food processor?

Absolutely. You can use a pastry cutter or even your fingertips to work the cold butter into the dry ingredients until you get those pea-sized crumbs. Just make sure the butter stays as cold as possible so the crust turns out tender and flaky.

Once the crumbs are ready, stir in the egg yolk and cold water with a fork until the dough just holds together. Then press it into your tart pan the same way the recipe describes.