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Mini tarts filled with creamy custard and topped with fresh strawberries are arranged on a cooling rack. In the background, a wooden bowl holds additional strawberries.
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Fruit Tartlets

These adorable Fruit Tartlets with vanilla pastry cream are easier to make than you think. They’re pretty to look at and delicious to eat. Serve at your next gathering!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 15 minutes
Total Time2 hours 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 12
Calories: 378kcal
Author: Maggie Unzueta

Ingredients

For the Tartlet Shells

Vanilla Pastry Cream

Also need:

  • strawberries (for decoration)

Instructions

How To Make The Tartlet Shells:

  • In the bowl, blender, or mixer, combine flour, cubed cold butter, egg, pinch of salt, and milk.
  • Mix until the dough starts to come together. If necessary, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time.
  • Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead into a soft dough.
  • Form the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Roll out the dough to about ⅛ inch thick.
  • Cut circles using a round cookie cutter (about 3 inches in diameter). Place the circles in a mini muffin tin.
  • Prick the bottom of each shell with a fork and crimp the edges of the shell with a fork.
  • Place paper cupcake liners on top and fill with rice or lentils, whichever you have on hand.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Let them cool completely.

How To Make Vanilla Pastry Cream:

  • Slice the vanilla bean in half and remove all the seeds with the knife. Place inside a saucepan with milk. Whisk to combine.
  • Heat the milk over medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until smooth.
  • Slowly pour about half of the warm milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling.
  • Return the tempered egg mixture to the saucepan.
  • Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens and comes to a gentle boil.
  • Let it cook for another minute or so, then remove from heat. Let it cool completely.

Assembling the Tartlets:

  • Once the pastry cream is cooled, spoon or pipe it into the tartlet shells.
  • Decorate with fresh fruit, berries, a dusting of powdered sugar, or a sprinkle of chocolate shavings.
  • Let it rest for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Be sure to use really cold butter. This will ensure a flakey crust. I will sometimes even freeze the butter. It helps keep the dough cold when kneading. 
How do you keep fruit tarts from getting soggy? To prevent the tart shells from becoming soggy, bake as instructed. Then 2 minutes before they are ready, take them out and brush egg white on the inside. This will help seal the crust.
Storage Instructions
Place any leftovers in the fridge and in an airtight container. Consume within 3 days. Take them out of the fridge when ready to serve. 

Nutrition

Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 173mg | Sodium: 30mg | Potassium: 121mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 716IU | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2mg