These Strawberry Custard Tartlets (Tartes aux Fraises) are a quintessential summer pastry. Buttery almond shortcrust shells are filled with a silky vanilla pastry cream (crème pâtissière) and topped with fresh strawberry slices. They make an elegant dessert for a special occasion, potluck or afternoon tea.
Light, fresh and indulgent, strawberry tartlets are a crowd-pleasing summer treat. These mini tarts use a tender almond pate sucrée (sweet shortcrust), a creamy vanilla pastry cream, and ripe strawberries for a perfect balance of buttery, creamy and fruity flavors.
Ingredients
There are three main components:
- Sweet shortcrust pastry (Almond Pâte Sucrée)
- Vanilla crème pâtissière (pastry cream)
- Fresh strawberries
Tartlet Pastry
The crust is an almond pate sucrée — a sweet shortcrust with ground almonds. For the pastry you will need:
- Almond meal (blanched ground almonds)
- Plain / all-purpose flour
- Powdered (icing) sugar
- Salt
- Unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 egg, room temperature
Crème Pâtissière
The filling is a classic vanilla pastry cream made with:
- Milk (or a milk and cream mix)
- Caster (superfine) sugar
- Egg yolks
- Cornstarch (or plain flour)
- Vanilla (bean, paste or extract)
- Optional butter for extra richness
How to make Mini Strawberry Tarts
Make the tart pastry first, chill and blind-bake the shells. While they cool, prepare the pastry cream and chill until room temperature. Fill the cooled shells with cream and top with fresh strawberries.
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
Making pastry at home is straightforward with a little practice. The key is to handle the dough lightly and to chill it whenever you work it.
Basic method:
- Combine dry ingredients. Add room-temperature butter cut into small cubes and mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Beat the egg separately, add and mix just until the dough comes together.
- Place the dough between sheets of lightly floured baking paper and roll to 2–3 mm thickness. Chill for 30–60 minutes.
- Line tartlet rings or pans, prick the bottoms and chill again. Freezing the filled rings briefly before baking helps the pastry keep its shape.
- Blind bake at 160°C / 325°F for about 15–30 minutes, until golden and fully cooked. Cool completely before filling.
Vanilla Crème Pâtissière (Custard Filling)
Pastry cream is quick to make and far superior to most ready-made mixes. If you prefer convenience, a store-bought mix can be used.
To make the pastry cream:
- Heat milk with vanilla over low heat until it begins to simmer.
- Whisk sugar and egg yolks together, then add cornstarch and whisk smooth.
- Temper the yolk mixture by gradually whisking in the hot milk, then return everything to the pot and cook on low while whisking until thickened and glossy. Once it reaches a boil, cook briefly more (about 15–30 seconds depending on volume), then remove from heat.
- Stir in butter off the heat if using, cover the surface with plastic wrap and chill until room temperature or cold.
Tip: For small quantities (250 ml milk) cook an additional ~15 seconds after the cream returns to a boil to ensure the cornstarch is fully activated.
Assembling the Strawberry Cream Tarts
Ensure the pastry cream is cool but still pourable. If it has set, loosen it with a whisk or briefly warm it and whisk until smooth.
- Fill each tartlet shell with pastry cream and smooth the surface with an offset spatula.
- Wash and hull the strawberries, slice them thinly and arrange them into the cream to almost cover it.
- Dust lightly with icing sugar if desired and refrigerate until serving.
Recipe FAQs
Store components separately for best results. Pastry shells keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days or can be frozen. Pastry cream must be refrigerated — cover with plastic wrap touching the surface to prevent a skin and keep up to 3 days. Once assembled, eat within 24–48 hours for the best texture; 24 hours is ideal to keep the crust crisp.
Yes. Bake and store tartlet shells up to 2 days ahead at room temperature. Pastry cream can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Rewhisk or gently warm the cream if needed before filling. Assemble shortly before serving for the best texture.
Avoid freezing fully assembled tartlets; the fruit and cream do not freeze well. You can freeze unbaked or prebaked pastry shells: shape them in rings or tins on a tray, freeze solid, then transfer to a freezer container. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the bake time if needed.
More French Tarts Recipes
- Easy French Apple Tart
- Lemon Curd Tartlets
- Mini Chocolate Tarts
- Plum Vanilla Custard Tart
- Puff Pastry Apple Tartlets
- Orange Cream Tart
- Mini Lemon Meringue Tarts
- Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart
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Recipe
Fresh Strawberry Tartlets with Vanilla Custard
Ingredients
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (Almond Pâte Sucrée)
- 120 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, soft
- 15 g (2 tbsp) powdered (icing) sugar
- 40 g (1/3 cup + 2 tbsp) almond meal
- 1 egg
- Pinch of salt
- 200 g (1 1/3 cup) plain / all-purpose flour
Vanilla Pastry Cream
- 250 ml (1 cup) full cream milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
- 2 egg yolks
- 15 g (1 tbsp) caster sugar
- 15 g (2 tbsp) cornstarch
Strawberry Topping
- 250 g (9 oz) fresh strawberries
- Icing sugar to finish, optional
Instructions
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
- Cream butter and powdered sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the egg, almond meal and salt; mix to combine.
- Add the flour on low speed and mix only until the dough just comes together. Avoid overworking.
- Transfer between two sheets of lightly floured baking paper and roll to 2–3 mm thickness. Chill 30–60 minutes.
- Line tartlet rings or pans, prick the bottoms and chill again for 30–60 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 160°C / 325°F. Freeze the lined rings briefly on a baking tray, then blind bake for 20–30 minutes until cooked through. Cool completely.
Pastry Cream
- Heat milk with vanilla on low until simmering. Whisk sugar and yolks, then whisk in cornstarch until smooth.
- Temper the yolks with some hot milk while whisking, return to the pot and cook on low, whisking constantly until thick. When it boils, whisk for an additional 15–30 seconds then remove from heat.
- Transfer to a shallow pan, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and chill until room temperature or cold.
Assembling the Tartlets
- Fill each cooled tartlet shell with pastry cream and smooth the top with an offset spatula or piping bag.
- Slice strawberries and arrange them into the cream to nearly cover the surface.
- Refrigerate and serve within 24–48 hours; dust with icing sugar if desired before serving.
Notes
Disclaimer: Metric measurements (grams/ml) yield the most consistent results.
If you want extra reassurance that the pastry won’t shrink, line shells with parchment and baking beads for the first part of baking, then remove halfway to fully bake the bottoms. Work with low heat when cooking pastry cream to avoid lumps or burning. There are many ways to arrange your fruit — tidy or rustic both look lovely.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 300 kcal | Carbohydrates: 30 g | Protein: 6 g | Fat: 18 g | Saturated Fat: 9 g | Cholesterol: 105 mg | Sodium: 136 mg | Potassium: 128 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 7 g | Vitamin A: 520 IU | Vitamin C: 18 mg | Calcium: 67 mg | Iron: 2 mg