Is there anything better than a creamy custard fruit tart?! I think these cute mini-sized Creamy Vanilla Custard Fruit Tarts are possibly the best! No messy cutting required for these single serving mini desserts. They also allow for more creativity and more variety of fruit to be used. Plus they are wonderfully easy to make and look cute on small dessert plates!
An easy filling of vanilla custard made gluten free
I do love fruit tarts. Everything about them makes me happy: the ease of making them, shortbread crust with the taste of the ripened fruit, and the creamy filling all add up to a pretty perfect dessert in my opinion.
What makes a tart perfect? The vanilla, lemon, or chocolate flavors, the natural and fresh fruit, the crisp gluten free shortbread crust. Also, they’re so pretty with only fresh fruit being the main source of decoration. With that being said, you might also include fresh edible flowers to compliment the fruit and add additional color to the decoration.
You can literally use whatever fruit you like
The fresh fruit on these Creamy Vanilla Custard Fruit Tarts can be varied. Some of the fruit you might use could be fresh raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, nectarine or peach slices, kiwi slices, grape halves, or mango slices.
Always be sure to rinse your fruit and dry it well. It needs to be completely free of any moisture. You can rinse your fruit. After you dry the fruit with paper towels or clean towels, set it out to dry further. Then proceed to make the tart crusts and fillings.
Brush with a jam glaze to give a nice shine and protect the fruit
If you are going to prepare the Creamy Vanilla Custard Fruit Tarts early in the day and plan to serve later or in the evening, consider brushing with a jam glaze. This glaze will keep the fruit from turning brown or losing it’s luster. I like to use light colored jam, such as apricot so the color of the fruit still shine through.
You can melt one tablespoon of apricot jam with 1 teaspoon of water for an alcohol free glaze, or substitute one teaspoon of brandy or cognac for the water if you don’t need it to be alcohol free. Brush the glaze over the fruit after putting the tarts together. Glazing will give a nice shine to the fruit. It furthermore acts to protect the fruit and keep it looking perfect.
The tart above uses one of my favorite fillings for a fruit tart. Made of cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, cream, and whipped heavy cream, this classic has to be one of the easiest tarts. While you won’t spend much time making the crust or the filling, you can still have all the fun decorating and designing the fruit pattern. Check out Easy Gluten Free Fruit Tart for the recipe.
Can you make it in the fall or winter?
Although I usually think of fruit tarts being a summery dessert, you can certainly make them in the fall, too! Decorate with fall fruits or fall colored fruits. Fruits that would work well on a fall fruit tart are Fuyu persimmon, canned or fresh mandarin segments, fig slices or wedges, papaya, mango, red grapes, and blueberries or blackberries.
During the winter months, I’d choose red berries or even sugared cranberries, green grapes or kiwi slices would work too. You could even make a gingersnap crust which would be super delicious.
The gingersnap crust would certainly be delicious! Add a cinnamon stick or a few cloves to the cream as it’s simmering maybe. With so many options for tarts, you have only to be creative! I hope I gave you a few ideas for using your creativitity and having fun with either of these fruit tarts. Making the Creamy Vanilla Custard Fruit Tarts into one 8″ tart is an excellent option too.
Happy tart making!
Laura
Creamy Vanilla Custard Fruit Tarts (Gluten Free)
Equipment
- 1 medium saucepan
- 7 mini springform tart pans with removeable bottoms
Ingredients
Tart Shells
- ¾ cup Bob's 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour or other gf 1 to 1 baking flour
- ½ cup almond flour, gf
- 4 tbsp sugar or oranic cane sugar
- pinch of salt
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter cut up
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla paste or extract, gf
Vanilla Custard Filling
- 2 tbsp Argo cornstarch, gf or other gf cornstarch
- ½ cup sugar or organic cane sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1½ cups Half and Half or ¾ cup whole milk plus ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 large egg yolks
- ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla paste or extract, gf
- 1½ tbsp unsalted butter
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, gf
Creamy Vanilla Custard Fruit Tarts
- 1 recipe Tart Crusts
- 1 recipe Vanilla Custard Filling
- fresh berries, nectarine slices, kiwi slices, mango or other fruit
- jam glaze of 1 tbsp apricot jam plus 1 teaspoon of water, cognac or brandy
- 1 recipe Whipped Cream
- fresh edible flowers or dehydrated or dried berries, crumbled, or nuts
Instructions
Tart Shells
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Line the bottoms of seven springform mini tart pans or other mini tart pans.
- Combine the gluten free flour, almond flour, and salt in a stand mixer. Add the butter pieces and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until the butter resembles coarse crumbs. Press into mini tart pans on the bottom and up to the top edge. Bake at 350℉ for 12-15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Vanilla Custard
- In a medium saucepan, stir together the cornstarch, sugar, and salt until combined. Add the half and half and stir completely. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly until it begins to thicken.
- Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl or 2 cup measure. Pour about 2/3'rds of the hot mixture in, whisking as you do. Then pour back into the saucepan. Continue to cook for a few more minutes until it just begins to boil.
- Remove from the heat and add the butter and vanilla, stirring until mixed in. Pour through a sieve into a clean bowl. Cover with a piece of cellophane touching the cream. Once cool, move to the refrigerator to chill.
Whipped Cream
- In a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream on medium low until it's beginning to thicken. Add the sugar and continue beating until lines begin to appear. Add the vanilla and continue beating until pillowy and fluffy.
Creamy Vanilla Custard Fruit Tarts
- While the tart cream is cooling, rinse the fruit and dry thoroughly. Set aside. Slice any fruit just before putting the tart together.
- Fill a pastry bag with the cool custard. Pipe into the tart shells. Add fruit to the tops in the design of your choice. Brush the fruit with jam glaze. Add the whipped cream to a piping bag and pipe decorative piping on the tarts. Add fresh edible flowers or dehydrated or dried berries, crumbled, or nuts if desired. Refigerate until ready to serve. Remove tarts from springform molds just prior to serving.
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