My strawberry tart combines bright, juicy berries, a creamy cheesecake-esque filling, and a buttery, shortbread crust. It’s incredibly simple (less than 10 ingredients!) and spends just 20 minutes in the oven. Perfect for spring and summer!
Sweet Strawberry Tart
With a crisp crust, creamy filling, and sweet-tart berries, this strawberry tart makes for a truly mouth-watering dessert! The shell is the same pâte sucrée used for my lemon tart, and the filling is a creamy filling inspired by my no-bake cheesecake. It’s especially wonderful in the summertime with ripe summer berries 🍓
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s simple. This recipe uses less than 10 ingredients total!
- Shortbread-esque crust that’s sweet and tender–not to be confused with a traditional pie crust. It’s a breeze to make in a food processor, and it bakes up sturdy and so buttery.
- No-bake filling means there’s minimal time spent in the kitchen and NO time spent standing over the stove.
- Bright and juicy berries add the perfect contrast to the creamy filling and crisp crust. I like strawberries, but technically you really could use any berry. Arrange them any way you’d like, but just remember it’s best to wait until shortly before serving before adding them as they can become weepy once sliced.
I developed this simple strawberry tart recipe for a friend a few years ago but never posted it here, so I thought it was about time I gave it its own space here.
Ingredients
While impressive, this strawberry tart is actually quite simple with less than 10 ingredients total. Here are the most important ones we’ll be using today.
- Egg. Unlike many of my recipes that call for room temperature eggs, we actually want a cold egg here. This will help keep our crust nice and cold, which will ultimately help it hold its shape.
- Butter. Like the egg, we want our butter cold for this recipe. You can even pop yours in the freezer for a few minutes beforehand to ensure it’s cold enough (just like I do with my homemade biscuits and scones!).
- Heavy cream. Whipping cream would also work. We’ll beat this to stiff peaks to make a homemade whipped cream and then fold it into softened cream cheese to make a smooth and creamy filling. If you’ve struggled to whip cream to stiff peaks in the past, try using a metal bowl and placing it (and your beaters) in the fridge/freezer to chill for a few minutes before adding your cream.
- Cream cheese. Brick-style, full-fat cream cheese is critical for the properly textured filling. Tub-style or low-fat cream cheese will make your filling too runny.
- Strawberries. Stick with fresh strawberries. Like my strawberry cobbler, this strawberry tart is superb with fresh picked, sun-ripened summer berries!
SAM’S TIP: For an extra pop of flavor and insurance against a soggy strawberry tart, you can brush your cooled crust with ¼ cup of melted chocolate chips (any flavor would work!). Pop your crust in the fridge to let the chocolate harden, then add your filling and berries.
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make a Strawberry Tart
Make the Crust
- Pulse the flour, sugar, and salt together in a food processor, then add the butter and pulse again until you see coarse crumbs.
- Add the egg (cold is best!) and pulse again until your dough starts to cling together. I like to test to see if it’s ready by pinching it between my thumb and forefinger.
- Form the dough into a disc and wrap with plastic. Place in the fridge to chill.
- Roll the dough and form it into your tart pan. Prick with a fork and place in the freezer while your oven preheats.
- Add parchment paper and pie weights and bake until light golden brown.
Make the Filling & Assemble
- Make the filling: beat the heavy cream, half of the sugar, and the vanilla to stiff peaks. Stir the softened cream cheese until smooth in a separate bowl, then add in the remaining sugar and salt. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until combined.
- Assemble: smooth the filling into your cooled crust, then add your strawberries. Serve immediately and enjoy!
SAM’S TIP: For a bakery-style look, melt two tablespoons of jelly (apple, strawberry, and red currant are all good options!) with one teaspoon water and brush this mixture over your berries. This will add a glossy finish to your strawberry tart–so pretty!
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Just follow the filling recipe for my fruit tart–it makes the perfect amount for this crust and pairs just as well as the cheesecake filling I included here.
Yes! Any other kind of berry or fruit that pairs nicely with cheesecake would work fine. Just keep in mind that any particularly juicy fruits (like sliced peaches!) should be added right before serving, just like the strawberries.
You can make this recipe with mini tart pans, though the number of tarts you will get will vary with the size of your pans. Keep in mind that your bake time will likely be different with smaller pans, so definitely keep an eye on them while they bake.
If you like fresh strawberry desserts, try my strawberry shortcake or Eton mess next!
Enjoy!
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Strawberry Tart
Ingredients
Tart Crust
- 1 ½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (66 g) powdered confectioner’s sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter cold and cut into cubes
- 1 large egg cold preferred, beaten
Filling
- ⅔ cup (157 g) heavy cream
- 6 oz (170 g) cream cheese softened
- ½ cup (66 g) powdered sugar divided
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ lbs (680 g) strawberries hulled and sliced
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
Tart Crust
- In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt and pulse to mix.1 ½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup (66 g) powdered, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Scatter butter over the surface and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter
- Add the egg and pulse until dough begins to cling together. Remove from food processor and form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 1 hour.1 large egg
- After chilling, transfer dough to a clean, lightly floured surface and roll into a 10-11” (25cm) circle. Transfer to a 9” tart pan and press gently into the sides of the pan. Prick all over with a fork and transfer to the freezer to chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375F (190C).
- Once dough has chilled and oven is preheated, line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights (or dry beans). Bake in center rack of preheated oven for 20 minutes and the edges have begun to turn light golden brown. Allow tart crust to cool completely before filling.
Tart filling
- In a large mixing bowl, combine heavy cream, about half of the powdered sugar (¼ cup/33g) and the vanilla extract. Use an electric mixer to beat on high speed until thick and fluffy and stiff peaks stage.⅔ cup (157 g) heavy cream, ½ cup (66 g) powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate mixing bowl, stir cream cheese until smooth and creamy.6 oz (170 g) cream cheese
- Add remaining powdered sugar and salt and stir until completely combined.⅛ teaspoon salt
- Add whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and use a spatula to gently fold together until completely combined.
- Spread over cooled tart crust and top with strawberries just before serving (note that if you add them too far in advance they may weep on the filling).1 ½ lbs (680 g) strawberries
Notes
Storing
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Tart may also be frozen, well-wrapped, for several weeks.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Rebecca Maeshall
So much fun to make!
Jeanette
Strawberry picking season + Sam’s Strawberry Tart = 😍. Mine’s not quite as artistic as the picture, but the taste…😙🤌. It’s all too delicious and the filling so easy that I’m probably making another.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you liked it, Jeanette! Thanks for the review 🥰
Diana
I don’t have a food processor, can you give me your best way to make everything without.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Diana! You can just use a pastry cutter or box grater to grate the butter into the dough. Enjoy 😊
Denise
This looks amazing, and I know it is if it compares to your other recipes! I do not have a tart pan and want to buy one. I don’t see what size pan you used. What size do you recommend for I’m seeing anywhere from 8.5 to 11-inch options available. Thank you!
Sam
Hi Denise! I actually link to the exact tart pan I use in the “recommended equipment” sections right below the ingredients. 🙂
Denise
Thank you, Sam! You are so great at making references to products and providing tips that I expected to see something regarding the pan. When I scanned the post, I apparently scanned too fast and totally missed it. Thank you, again!
Sam
You’re welcome! I hope you love it! 🙂