For an ideal fruit-to-custard-to-crust balance, these easy mini fruit tartlets fit the bill. They feature a buttery tart shell, vanilla-specked pastry cream, a colorful assortment of fresh fruit, and a light apricot glaze. They’re beautiful to serve for spring gatherings, barbecues, birthdays, or any celebration.
Outside the window it might still feel like winter, but the produce aisle is already full of berries and bright citrus. I love leaning into lighter fruit-forward desserts as the seasons shift. These tartlets are a personal favorite—pretty, portable, and always a crowd-pleaser. I learned this classic recipe in pastry school and prefer bite-size versions so there’s more crust per bite. No fork required.
These tartlets are versatile: use whatever fruit is in season for the best flavor and texture. I usually combine three to five types of fruit for color and contrast, but you can adjust the mix to suit your tastes. Too many varieties might crowd the small shells, so keep that in mind.
Use seasonal fruit
Choose ripe, flavorful fruit since it’s the star of these tartlets. Some great options include:
- Berries – strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries
- Citrus – tangerines, mandarins, clementines, kumquats
- Stone fruit – peaches, cherries, nectarines, plums
- Tropical – pineapple, mango, kiwi, passionfruit, flaked coconut
Other things you need
Aside from fruit, you’ll need mini tart shells—homemade if you have time, or store-bought to save effort. The filling is a classic pastry cream (crème pâtissière). Despite its reputation for being fussy, this pastry cream is straightforward to make: granulated sugar, cornstarch, kosher salt, egg yolks, whole milk, cold unsalted butter, and vanilla bean paste or extract.
Pastry cream
I make pastry cream a little differently than the traditional tempering method: I combine the dry ingredients and egg yolks first, then whisk in the milk and cook everything together in one pot. This approach reduces the chance of scrambling the eggs and is how my pastry teacher taught me. The result is the same smooth, flavorful cream.
Cook the pastry cream over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil. Let it boil for 1–2 minutes until thick like pudding. Avoid overcooking, which can produce an eggy flavor.
Make the mini fruit tarts
Making the recipe in advance
You can fill the tart shells with pastry cream the night before, but wait to add the fruit until 2–3 hours before serving. Fruit left too long can release juices and make the crusts soggy.
Recipe yield
This version yields about 32 tartlets, depending on shell size. It’s easy to halve or double the recipe as needed—if doubling, stir the pastry cream frequently while cooking to prevent scorching.
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Fruit Tartlets with Custard (No Tart Pan Needed!)
Ingredients
Pastry Cream
- 100 grams granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
- 24 grams cornstarch (3 Tablespoons)
- Pinch of Kosher salt
- 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 480 milliliters whole milk (2 cups)
- 42 grams cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes (3 Tablespoons)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Fruit Tartlets
- 8 strawberries
- 2 kiwis
- 4 clementines
- 32 fresh raspberries
- 32 fresh blueberries
- 32 mini tart shells homemade or store-bought
- 80 grams apricot preserves (1/4 cup)
Equipment
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Large saucepan
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Whisk
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Fine mesh sieve
Instructions
Pastry Cream
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Combine the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of kosher salt in a large saucepan. Add the egg yolks and whisk until the mixture lightens and thickens slightly, about 2–3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the whole milk until smooth.
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Place the pot over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1–2 minutes until the pastry cream thickens to a pudding-like consistency.
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Immediately strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps. Add the cold butter cubes and vanilla, stirring until the butter is melted and the cream is smooth.
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Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin. Let cool at room temperature about 1 hour, then refrigerate until completely chilled.
Fruit Tartlets
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Prep the fruit: hull and slice strawberries into quarters, peel and slice kiwis into quarters, separate clementine segments, and wash and dry the berries. Dry fruit well to avoid soggy crusts.
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When the pastry cream is chilled, divide it evenly among the tart shells using a spoon or pastry bag. Arrange fruit on top—one strawberry slice, a kiwi piece, a clementine segment, one raspberry, and one blueberry per tart if following the original layout.
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Warm the apricot preserves in a small bowl until spreadable, about 20–30 seconds in the microwave. Brush the fruit lightly with the warmed preserves for shine. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 3 hours before serving.