Vegan Fruit Tarts

Beautiful vegan tarts topped with fresh fruit. This recipe will show you how to make your own shortcrust pastry, vegan creme patissiere and assemble these gorgeous French tarts!

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 55

Servings: mini tarts

Ingredients

Pastry

3 oz (85 g) vegan butter or margarine
6 oz (170 g) flour
1½ tbsp (1 ½ tbsp) sugar
2 - 3 tbsp ice water

Creme patissiere

1 tbsp (1 tbsp) soy milk
2 tbsp (2 tbsp) cornstarch
¼ cup (50 g) sugar
1 cup (240 ml) soy milk
1 tsp (1 tsp) vanilla extract
1 tbsp (1 tbsp) vegan butter

Topping

2 cups (300 g) soft fruits of your choice
2 tsp jam
2 tsp boiling water

Instructions

For the pastry bases

Dice the vegan butter and add it to a mixing bowl with the flour. Using your fingertips, rub in the fat into the flour until you have a lump free mixture resembling breadcrumbs.
Stir in the sugar.
Next add just enough water to bring it into a firm, but not sticky, ball of dough. Avoid overworking the dough for light and flaky pastry.
Cover and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. You can make the creme patisserie whilst the dough chills.
Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F)
Dust a board and rolling pin with flour and roll out the ball of pastry to a thickness of 4mm / ⅛ inch
Using a 7.5cm / 3 inch cutter, cut out 12 circles of pastry to line a tart tray (or muffin tin). Reroll the pastry as needed.
Prick the pastry bases several times with a fork, so that they don't rise up during baking.
Bake blind for 12-15 minutes until light golden brown.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool down.

For the creme patissiere

Mix 1 tablespoon of soy milk with the cornstarch and sugar, until very smooth.
In a saucepan, gently heat the remaining soy milk with the vanilla extract until almost boiling.
When the soy milk is hot, remove from heat and pour in the cornstarch mixture, whisking vigorously.
Return to heat, and continue to cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. The mixture will gently bubble and start to thicken.
Next, whisk in the vegan butter until it melts.
Then set aside to cool, and whisk occasionally. As it cools it will thicken and start to hold its shape.

Assembling the tarts

Wash, dry and slice your chosen fruit as necessary.
Fill the pastry cases with the creme patissiere and then top with fruit.
To make the glaze, combine the jam with boiling water and use a silicone brush to cover the fruit with the glaze.

Notes

See the post above for helpful tips, fruit ideas and step by step pictures!

If you want to make in advance for an event, you can prepare the filled pastry cases with the creme patissiere the day before. And then top with fruit and glaze shortly before serving for easier transportation and optimum freshness.

Store in the fridge in an airtight container and use up within 1-2 days.

Nutrition

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Visit the blogpost for step by step photos, substitutions, storage tips and to leave a review!