Our fruit tart is a delicious and egg-free Italian dessert with a crunchy pie crust, creamy custard filling, and seasonal fruit topping.
If you like Italian dessert recipes, try our vegan apple cake, cannoli, ricotta pie, and crostata.
A Classic Italian Fruit Tart with a Twist
Fruit tart—or “crostata di frutta,” as we call it in Italy—has always been one of my favorite desserts. Growing up, I remember asking for it at every birthday party. I loved the shiny fruit on top, the rich custard underneath, and the satisfying crunch of the crust.
If you visit any Italian pastry shop, you’ll spot fruit tarts in all shapes and sizes—some tiny and delicate, others big and bold, all topped with colorful, glossy fruit. They’re beautiful, refreshing, and timeless.
In this recipe, we’ll show you how to make a homemade fruit tart with simple ingredients, in about 1 hour. It’s everything I loved as a kid—only this one it’s egg-free and dairy-free.
You’ll adore the crisp crust, smooth vanilla custard, and the vibrant sweetness of seasonal fruit.
Ingredients
Find complete ingredient list, quantities, and substitutions in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
Tart Crust
- Flour – all-purpose, whole wheat, or gluten-free mix
- Sugar – white sugar, or any other granulated sugar
- Salt – just a pinch
- Vegetable oil – olive oil, avocado oil, canola oil, or sunflower oil
- Cold water – tap water, just make sure it’s cold
- Baking powder
- Lemon zest – freshly grated; orange zest can work too
Custard
- Plant milk – soy milk or almond milk; oat, rice, or any non-dairy milk also work
- Sugar – white sugar or any other sweetener
- Cornstarch – potato starch is a possible substitute, though the texture may vary
- Vanilla – vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or scraped vanilla bean
- Turmeric – optional; just a pinch for color (avoid adding too much)
- Lemon peel – optional; large strips of peel for aroma, orange peel also works
Fruit Topping
- Seasonal fruit – strawberries, kiwi, banana, blueberries, apricots, or other firm fruit
- Apricot jam – to glaze the fruit; peach or apple jam also work
- Water – to dilute the jam for brushing
How to make the best fruit tart
1. Prepare the Tart Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly oil the bottom and sides of a tart pan (ideally with a removable bottom), and line the base with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, add sugar, oil, water, and lemon zest. Stir to combine.
- Sift in the flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until a rough dough forms.
- Use your hands to gently bring the dough together into a ball. Do not knead – just compact it.
- Press the dough into the tart pan, covering the base and sides evenly. Trim the excess and prick the base with a fork.
- Bake for 18 minutes, or until lightly golden. Let the crust cool completely on a wire rack.
2. Make the Vegan Custard
- In a saucepan (off the heat), whisk together the plant milk, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, turmeric, and lemon peel.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly until the custard thickens – about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir for another minute to cool slightly. To speed this up, place the saucepan in a sink with cold water while stirring.
3. Assemble the Fruit Tart
- Pour the slightly cooled custard into the tart shell and spread evenly with the back of a spoon.
- Slice your fruit and arrange in circular patterns or rows, alternating colors for a vibrant look.
- In a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, heat the apricot jam with water until smooth.
- Brush over the fruit to add shine and prevent browning.
Tips
- Pick firm, seasonal fruit – Choose ripe but sturdy fruit that won’t release too much moisture. Avoid watermelon, melon, or overripe berries that can make the tart soggy.
- Cut fruit for beauty and balance – Slice fruit so it layers well and looks visually appealing:
- Kiwi, banana: peeled and sliced into discs.
- Peach, nectarine, apricot: halved, pitted, and sliced into wedges
- Orange, mandarin: peeled and segmented
- Strawberries, grapes, cherries: sliced in half
- Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries: left whole
- Don’t knead the dough – Bring the dough together with your hands until it forms a ball, but avoid kneading. Overworking the dough will make the crust dense and chewy.
- Pre-bake the crust – Always bake the tart shell before adding custard or fruit. This ensures a crisp, golden base that won’t get soggy from the filling.
- Use apricot jam as a glaze – Melt apricot jam with a little water and brush it over the fruit. It adds shine, keeps fruit fresh, and replaces gelatin in a plant-based way.
- Cool everything before assembling – Let both the crust and the custard cool down before putting the tart together. This keeps the custard firm and the crust crisp.
- Layer just before serving – For the freshest look and texture, add the fruit topping close to serving time, especially if using delicate fruits like bananas or kiwis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can! Bake the crust and prepare the custard a day in advance. Assemble with fruit and glaze a few hours before serving to keep it fresh and vibrant.
Always pre-bake (blind bake) the crust, let it cool completely, and don’t add the custard until it’s at room temperature. Glazing the fruit helps too!
Use firm, seasonal fruits like strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, grapes, or stone fruits. Avoid watery fruits like melon or pineapple that release a lot of juice.
Brush the fruit with melted apricot jam mixed with a bit of water. This keeps the colors bright and prevents browning, especially for bananas and apples.
I’d avoid it. Fresh fruit is best for appearance and texture. If using frozen, thaw and drain very well to remove excess moisture. Canned fruit should be patted dry.
Absolutely! Use a gluten-free flour blend for the crust. The custard and fruit are naturally gluten-free.
Try peach, apple, or any light-colored fruit preserve. Just make sure to dilute it slightly with water so it brushes on easily.
If it’s lumpy, it likely wasn’t whisked enough before heating. If runny, it may not have cooked long enough. It should thicken after 1–2 minutes of simmering while stirring.
Store the fruit tart in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 2–3 days to keep the crust crisp and the fruit fresh. Freezing is not recommended. The custard and fresh fruit don’t thaw well, and the crust can become soggy.
More Easy Italian-Inspired Desserts
- Fruit pizza
- Kiwi tart
- Blueberry tart
- Italian crostata
- Blueberry galette
- Vegan lemon tart
- Blueberry tart
- Vegan apple cake
If you tried this Fruit Tart recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Fruit Tart (No Eggs)
Equipment
- 1 Tart pan 9 to 10 inches (24 to 26cm) easiest if with removable bottom.
Ingredients
For the Tart Crust
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil avocado oil, olive oil, canola oil, or another
- ¼ cup water cold
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Custard
- 1 cup almond milk or any other milk
- 1 cup coconut milk or more of the other milk
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ lemon peel cut off with a knife, not grated
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric for color
Fruit Topping
- mixed seasonal fruit we used 3 kiwis, 12 strawberries, 24 blueberries, 1 banana, 2 apricots
- 3 tablespoons apricot jam stirred with 3 tablespoons water for the glaze, optional
Instructions
Prepare Tart Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly oil the bottom and sides of a tart pan (ideally with a removable bottom), and line the base with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, add ⅓ cup sugar, ¼ cup vegetable oil, ¼ cup water, and 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Stir to combine.
- Sift in the 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until a rough dough forms.
- Use your hands to gently bring the dough together into a ball. Do not knead – just compact it.
- Press the dough into the tart pan, covering the base and sides evenly. Trim the excess and prick the base with a fork.
- Bake for 18 minutes, or until lightly golden. Let the crust cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the Custard
- In a saucepan (off the heat), whisk together 1 cup almond milk, 1 cup coconut milk, ½ cup sugar, ⅓ cup cornstarch, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ lemon peel, and ⅛ teaspoon turmeric.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly until the custard thickens – about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir for another minute to cool slightly. To speed this up, place the saucepan in a sink with cold water while stirring.
Assemble the Fruit Tart
- Pour the slightly cooled custard into the tart shell and spread evenly with the back of a spoon.
- Slice your fruit and arrange in circular patterns or rows, alternating colors for a vibrant look.
- In a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, heat the apricot jam with water until smooth. Brush over the fruit to add shine and prevent browning.
Notes
- Flour – all-purpose, whole wheat, or gluten-free mix
- Sugar – white sugar, or any other granulated sugar
- Salt – just a pinch
- Vegetable oil – olive oil, avocado oil, canola oil, or sunflower oil
- Cold water – tap water, just make sure it’s cold
- Baking powder
- Lemon zest – freshly grated; orange zest can work too
- Plant milk – soy milk or almond milk; oat, rice, or any non-dairy milk also work
- Cornstarch – potato starch is a possible substitute, though the texture may vary
- Vanilla – vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or scraped vanilla bean
- Turmeric – optional; just a pinch for color (avoid adding too much)
- Use firm, seasonal fruit – Avoid watery or overripe fruit.
- Slice smart – Discs: banana, kiwi. Wedges: stone fruit, citrus. Halves: berries, grapes.
- Don’t knead – Just press the dough into a ball; no overmixing.
- Pre-bake crust – Keeps the base crisp after filling.
- Glaze with apricot jam – Adds shine and prevents browning.
- Cool before assembling – Custard and crust should be fully cooled.
- Assemble last minute – Add fruit just before serving for best texture.
Nutrition
Hi! We are Nico & Louise
We’re here to share delicious, easy, and healthy plant-based recipes (vegetarian & vegan) 🌿✨.
Welcome to our blog, we are glad you are here.
Could a pie dish be used instead of a tart pan?
Hi Sophia,
The short answer is yes, you can use a pie dish for the fruit tart. The (important) disclaimer, though, is that the presentation might suffer. It will likely to be more difficult slicing and serving the fruit tart, and get “pretty slices”
So, the question is: are you serving the tart at a party, or for friends and family? Then, I would recommend using the tart pan (the key is the removable bottom). For the sake of presentation, this is the best choice 🙂
I hope this helps a bit. Let me know! Kindest, Louise
Do I have to let the custard cool off before putting the fruits? Thank you.
Hi Alain,
Yes, give the custard five minutes to cool off (stirring it will cool it down faster) before adding the fruit.
I hope this helps 🙂 Kindest,
Louise