Raspberry Tart
Raspberry Tart: A Sweet and Stunning Summer Dessert
This Raspberry Tart is everything I want in a dessert when summer berries are at their peak—vibrant, tangy-sweet, and beautifully fresh. It starts with a crisp, golden crust filled with a creamy, subtly sweet filling, all topped with a mound of glistening raspberries. It’s a total showstopper with surprisingly minimal effort.
The History and Inspiration Behind This Recipe
Fruit tarts have a long-standing place in European patisserie, with French-style tarts often setting the gold standard. Traditionally, they feature a buttery pâte sucrée crust, a custard or cream filling, and meticulously arranged fresh fruit. This recipe takes inspiration from that classic formula but simplifies it for a more approachable, plant-based kitchen. I’ve swapped the dairy and eggs for creamy vegan alternatives, making it accessible without sacrificing elegance or flavor.
Raspberries have always been my berry. Growing up, I spent countless summer days picking them by the bucketful with my grandparents. We’d come home with stained fingers and lips, bellies full from “sampling” as we picked—so full, in fact, that we often skipped dinner entirely. Those sun-soaked afternoons, surrounded by the hum of bees and bursting raspberry bushes, are some of my sweetest memories.
This tart is a love letter to those days. It captures the tangy brightness of fresh raspberries, the kind that taste like sunshine and childhood. It’s my way of honoring a fruit that shaped so many joyful moments and turning it into something a little fancier—but just as delicious.
Why You’ll Love This Raspberry Tart
This tart brings together texture, color, and flavor in one irresistible bite. The buttery crust gives you a firm base without crumbling apart. The filling is silky smooth and lightly sweet, a perfect match for the juicy tang of fresh raspberries. It’s as visually striking as it is satisfying to eat—whether you’re serving it at a dinner party, picnic, or weekend brunch.
Fun Flavor Variations For Your Raspberry Tart
Why settle for plain when you can get creative with different flavor combinations:
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Chocolate Raspberry: Add a thin layer of melted dark chocolate to the crust before filling for a rich contrast.
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Lemon Cream Base: Use a vegan lemon curd or lemon-flavored cashew cream as the filling for a brighter, tangier flavor.
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Mixed Berry Topping: Combine raspberries with blueberries, blackberries, or sliced strawberries for a more colorful and dynamic topping.
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Rosewater Glaze: Add a hint of rosewater to your glaze or filling for a floral, elegant note.
Serving Ideas For Your Raspberry Tart
This Raspberry Tart is incredibly versatile and can be used in various ways:
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Afternoon Tea Treat: Serve slices with hot tea or iced herbal infusions for a sweet and classy snack.
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Dinner Party Dessert: Plate it with a dollop of coconut whipped cream or a drizzle of berry coulis for a gourmet finish.
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Weekend Brunch Star: Add this tart to your brunch spread next to savory dishes—it’s the perfect sweet balance.
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Picnic-Ready Treat: Pre-slice and pack for outdoor dining—it holds up beautifully!
Tips For The Best Raspberry Tart
For the best results, follow these simple tips to perfect your Raspberry Tart every time:
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Chill the crust before baking: This helps prevent shrinking and gives you a more uniform texture. Use my shortcrust recipe!
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Use fresh, firm raspberries: Overripe berries may weep and make the tart soggy.
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Make ahead: You can prepare the shortcrust and filling, the vegan pastry cream, the day before—just assemble right before serving for best texture.
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Glaze the berries: A quick brush of warm jam, thinned with a little water, keeps the fruit shiny and helps keep the raspberries in place.
The Final Bite
This Raspberry Tart is a celebration of summer in every slice—bursting with color, bursting with flavor, and just fancy enough to feel special. It’s the kind of dessert that makes you pause, savor, and maybe go back for seconds. Leave a comment below to share your experience and any tips you may have for making this Raspberry Tart even more delicious!
Raspberry Tart
Equipment
- 9.5 Inch Tart Pan
- Small Sauce Pot Optional
- Piping Tip and Bag Optional
- Offset Spalula Optional
- Pastry Brush
Ingredients
- 1 batch Shortcurst Pastry*
- 1 batch Vegan Pastry Cream**
- 3⅓ cup Fresh Rasberries
- ⅓ cup Raspberry Preserve or Jam or Fruit Spread***
- 2 to 3 tbsp Water
Instructions
- Make the vegan pastry cream at least an hour or up to 2 days in advance.
- Make a batch of this vegan shortcrust pastry and blind-bake it as per the recipe instructions. Allow the pastry to cool to room temperature before the next step.
- Wash the raspberries under running water and place them top down on a clean kitchen towel to dry.
- Heat the raspberry jam and water, starting with 2 tbsp, in a small sauce pot over low heat or in the microwave until it becomes runny and glossy. If the mixture is still very thick, continue to add 1 tbsp of water at a time to achieve a thin consistency. Then use a pastry brush to evenly coat the pastry shell.
- Using a piping bag or spoon, fill the cooled pastry shell with the pastry cream. You can use an offset spatula, if you do not have this, you can use the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula, to smooth it out so that you have an even surface.
- Arrange the raspberries on top of the pastry cream, carefully pressing them slightly down into the custard to secure them. Once you are happy with your arrangement of raspberries, gently brush the berries with the remaining melted raspberry jam to glaze the raspberries and make them nice and shiny.
- Place the tart back into the fridge for at least 2 to 4 hours or longer so that the pastry cream firms up. You can also leave it overnight and serve the following day.
- This tart will keep covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. I do recommend serving it on the same day it's made for the best results.