Vegan Strawberry Tart (Or Tartlets!)

This adorable vegan strawberry tart makes use of the abundance of fresh strawberries! Made with a buttery shortcrust pastry, fresh vanilla pastry cream, and sliced strawberries, this tart is finished with a shiny glaze. A fresh, juicy, and delicate summer dessert!

Strawberry tartlet topped with basil leaves.

⭐️ Why You Should Try This Recipe

Fresh and fruity, perfect for summer. This delectable vegan strawberry tart combines sweet and juicy strawberries with a velvety smooth vanilla cream and a buttery shortcrust pastry. Packed with plenty of vanilla and strawberry flavor, this tart is a true delight!
Simple to make, yet impressive. While this recipe requires two different preparations, the crust and pastry cream can be made up to 3 days ahead of time! Simply assemble the tartlets the day you plan to serve them.
A true crowd-pleaser. These tartlets may be vegan, but they will surely impress non-vegans too. Plus, they taste just as good as the ones you can get in French bakeries!

🥧 What Is A Strawberry Tart

A strawberry tart is a French-inspired dessert that consists of fresh strawberries arranged in a shortcrust pastry over a layer of vanilla custard. It can be found during summer in almost all bakeries in France.

Ingredients like tartlet shells, fresh strawberries, and pastry cream.

🍓 Ingredient Notes

Here is what you will need:

Tartlet shells – Sweet and buttery shortcrust pastry (also known as “pâte sablée“) makes the base of these tartlets.
Pastry cream – Vegan vanilla pastry cream brings creaminess and a wonderful vanilla flavor that pairs so well with the strawberries and the buttery crust.
Fresh strawberries – Pick the sweetest ripe strawberries you can find. The quality of your strawberries will have a huge impact on the flavor.

🥣 How To Make Vegan Strawberry Tart

Since this recipe relies on two components that already have their dedicated recipes, I will only go briefly over each step.

Make the vegan pastry cream. It starts with the pastry cream that needs to be chilled for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. Combine almond milk, sugar, potato starch, cornstarch, vanilla, and butter in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat, whisking regularly until the cream thickens. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap before chilling in the refrigerator. For more detailed instructions, check out my vanilla pastry cream recipe.
Make the tartlet shells. Cut cold vegan butter into all-purpose flour, almond flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Knead until it forms a dough, flatten it, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Then, press the dough into lightly greased tartlet rings. Chill them for 20 minutes before baking until golden brown. Again, for the full instructions, check out my vegan tartlet shells recipe.
Make the syrup. Optional, to glaze the tarts and give the strawberries a shiny finish, you can make a simple syrup by heating water and sugar for 3-5 minutes over medium heat.
Clean and slice the strawberries. Rinse the strawberries under cold water and pat them dry. You can then cut them into halves or slices, depending on how you want to arrange them on the tart.

Tartlets vs. Larger Tart

You can make this recipe as a larger tart if you plan to serve it to guests, and know that most will be gone on the same day. Otherwise, I would recommend making tartlets and enjoying them on the same day. As this tart contains fresh fruits, it doesn’t keep long.

Piping vanilla pastry cream into a tartlet shell.

Once your pastry cream, tartlet shells, and strawberries are ready, it’s time to assemble:

Fill the tartlet shells with cream. Spread 2-3 tablespoons of vanilla pastry cream into each tartlet shell using a piping bag or a spoon.
Arrange the strawberries. Place the strawberries tightly on top of the pastry cream.
Glaze with the syrup. Finally, brush the strawberries with the homemade syrup using a pastry brush. It will add a glossy finish to the tarts!

You can serve these strawberry tartlets immediately or chill them in the refrigerator for one hour before serving!

Arranging strawberries on top of a shortcrust pastry

📔 Tips

Do not assemble ahead of time. Since these tartlets contain pastry cream and fresh fruits, making them a maximum of 4 hours before serving is preferable. After that, the crust will absorb some moisture and won’t be as crispy.
Do not overfill with cream. I recommend filling the tartlet shells only to the 1/2 so the cream won’t overflow when you top it with the strawberries.
Decorate them! Feel free to garnish your tartlets with shaved chocolate, slivered almonds, or basil leaves!

💬 FAQ

Can I use other fruits?

Yes, you can use raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, or a mix of those!

Can I use frozen strawberries?

I do not recommend using frozen berries as they will release a lot of moisture and won’t taste as good.

How to store strawberry tartlets?

Once assembled, you can keep the strawberry tartlets in a small container in the refrigerator. They will keep for up to 2 days, although they taste best eaten fresh the same day.

Can I freeze the assembled tartlets?

Assembled tartlets do not freeze well. However, you can freeze the empty tartlet shells.

I hope you are going to love these elegant vegan strawberry tartlets! They are not overly sweet, incredibly fresh, and so decadent!

🍫 More Tart Recipes

If you are looking for more sweet tarts, check these out:

Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!

Strawberry tartlets with fresh strawberry and pastry cream.

Recipe