Tarte aux Fraises (French Strawberry Tart)

Quick Summary: Tarte aux fraises (French strawberry tart) is a classic French dessert of fresh strawberries arranged over vanilla pastry cream and almond cream on a crisp puff pastry base. It comes together with three make-ahead layers, then a quick assembly, and serves 8.

What is tarte aux fraises?

Tarte aux fraises is a traditional French dessert made with a buttery tart crust, pastry cream, and fresh strawberries. Tarte aux fraises translates as strawberry tart in English, where "tarte" means tart and "fraises" means strawberries.

In France, tarte aux fraises appears in almost every bakery and boulangerie once strawberry season starts in early May. Traditionally, the sweet pastry crust is made with a sandy shortcrust, or pâte sablée, though French pastry chefs also widely use puff pastry for the tart base, as in this recipe.

A vanilla pastry cream known as crème pâtissière is another key component of a French strawberry tart. This custard is the base for many French desserts, especially fresh fruit tarts, or tarte aux fruits. Many versions, including this one, also add a layer of almond cream (crème d'amande) baked into the pastry shell.

Finally, the seasonal strawberries, glazed with apricot jam or a clear glaze, are the stars of the dessert.

Why you'll love this recipe

• This classic tart is a traditional French dessert. If you love French cuisine, this tart is a must-make.
• The French strawberry tart recipe is easy to make and has a make-ahead option that helps manage your time on the day of serving.
• It is a perfect summer dessert with a refreshing taste that highlights the strawberry season.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Puff pastry: Use frozen ready-rolled puff pastry or roll it between two parchment paper sheets.

• Butter: The recipe calls for salted, softened butter (not cold butter) for the almond cream and unsalted butter for the pastry cream. Opt for European-style butter with 82% fat content.

• Sugar: Use golden brown sugar to make the almond cream and granulated white or caster sugar for the rest of the dessert.

• Ground almonds: Grind slivered almonds yourself or use almond flour.

• Eggs: Use an egg separator to separate egg yolks from the whites. Then bring egg yolks and required whole large eggs to room temperature.

• Milk: The recipe calls for whole milk for the best results.

• Cornstarch is used to make crème pâtissière. Replace it with all-purpose flour if desired.

• Vanilla bean: Use the most flavorful Madagascar vanilla beans. You can replace the vanilla bean (gousse de vanille) with 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste.

• Strawberries: Choose seasonal, ripe strawberries sold at local farmers' markets or picked at farms. Hull the berries, but leave some of them with green tops. Sort strawberries by size to make the tart decoration easier.

• Icing sugar and pistachios are optional: sprinkle the dessert with icing (powdered) sugar and chopped pistachios.

Equipment

To make this French strawberry tart, you will need the following kitchen tools:

• fluted tart pan
• rolling pin
• parchment paper
• mixing bowl
• hand whisk
• rubber spatula
• egg separator

How to make French strawberry tart

Step 1. To make almond cream, mix softened butter, ground almonds, and sugar in a large bowl with a rubber spatula.

Step 2. Add the egg and gently mix to combine (photo 1). Cover with plastic wrap in contact and refrigerate.

Step 3. To make puff pastry crust, preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Thaw the frozen puff pastry. Using a rolling pin, roll it out on a lightly floured surface or between two parchment paper sheets to ⅕ inches (5 mm) thick.

Step 4. Line a 9-inch (23 cm) fluted tart pan with a removable bottom with the pastry, pressing it into the bottom and sides of the dish. Trim the edges of the pastry case with a sharp knife and prick the bottom with a fork (photo 2).

Step 5. Blind bake the crust for 25 minutes (no need to use ceramic pie weights or dried beans).

Step 6. Take the pastry out of the oven and lightly press the pastry base to flatten, using a paper towel.

Step 7. Decrease the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C). With a spoon or a small bent spatula, spread the almond cream (photo 3).

Step 8. Bake for a further 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven, and let it cool completely in the pan (photo 4). Then transfer the pastry base to a serving platter. 

Step 9. To make pastry cream, split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and scrape the seeds with the tip of a knife. In a mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch with a hand whisk (photo 5).

Step 10. Pour milk into a medium saucepan, add scraped vanilla seeds, and the pot split in half, and bring to a boil. Remove the vanilla pod, and add hot milk while constantly stirring the egg yolk mixture.

Step 11. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook the cream over low to medium heat, stirring constantly.

Step 12. Stop cooking when the cream thickens. Remove the pot from the heat, add butter to the thickened mixture, and mix (photo 6).

Pro tip: Learn how to make perfect French pastry cream.

Step 13. Immediately transfer the pastry cream to a shallow dish, and cover it with cling film (aka plastic film) in contact. It should touch the whole surface of the cream. Let it cool at room temperature.

Step 14. To assemble the tart, whisk the vanilla pastry cream filling with a hand whisk and spread it on the baked almond cream.

Step 15. Wash, drain, and hull strawberries. Leave a few of them with green tops for decoration. Cut strawberries in half lengthwise and arrange them on the layer of pastry cream (photo 7). Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Step 16. To serve, sprinkle the edge of the tart with icing (powdered) sugar. To highlight strawberry halves, take some, sprinkle them with a little icing sugar, and place them back on the tart. Sprinkle the dessert with chopped pistachios (photo 8). Bon appétit!

Expert Tips

1. Do not overmix the almond cream; otherwise, it will swell during baking and overflow the tart. Use only a rubber spatula for this step.
2. Watch the color of the almond cream while baking: it has to be lightly brown.
3. Cut fresh strawberries in two or four, depending on the size. Leave some of them with green tops.
4. Arrange strawberries on top of the tart however you like.

Recipe variations

Instead of making a large strawberry tart, you can make individual tarts (tartelettes individuelles) or French strawberry tartlets using small tart tins. Decorate them with halves, quarters, or thin slices of fresh strawberries, or use wild strawberries if available.

Here are a few ways to decorate tarte aux fraises:

• Arrange fresh strawberries cut in half to place them spontaneously in different directions. It is the same technique used by French chefs Cyril Lignac and Benoît Couvrand to decorate their Tarte aux fraises.

• Arrange berries cut side up or side down, leaning strawberries up a little as you work along the edge or towards the center. Start from the outside of the tart, slightly overlapping strawberries.

• Slice strawberries into the thickness and decorate your tarte au fraise in a circular pattern, resembling a strawberry "rose" on top of the dessert. Or place strawberry slices about ⅓ inch (1 cm) thick harmoniously on top of the tart to cover the pastry cream.

If you desire, cover berries with a fruit tart glaze or brush them with warm apricot jam. Sprinkle the top of the dessert with chopped pistachios, toasted flaked almonds, and decorate with fresh mint or verbena leaves.

Storing & freezing

Keep the finished strawberry tart with pastry cream refrigerated for up to 24 hours. It is not recommended to freeze the assembled strawberry tart.

Recipe FAQ

Can you make tarte aux fraises in advance?
You can bake a puff pastry tart shell with almond cream one day ahead and keep it at room temperature, covered with a tea towel. You can also make the pastry cream in advance and refrigerate it for up to 2 days, covered with plastic in contact. On the day of serving, decorate the tart with strawberries.

Do you need to use pie weights to bake the puff pastry crust?
No. You do not need to line this type of tart pastry with parchment or aluminum foil, and you do not need pie weights or dried chickpeas. The puff pastry layers need to rise and puff up as they bake.

Can I use pâte sablée instead of puff pastry?
Yes. Traditionally, French bakeries make tarte aux fraises with a sweet shortcrust pastry (pâte sablée or pâte sucrée). This recipe uses puff pastry for a lighter, flakier base, but you can swap in a blind-baked sweet crust if you prefer.

What are the best strawberries for a French strawberry tart?
Choose small to medium, ripe, deep-red strawberries that are firm and fragrant. Halve or slice larger berries, and arrange them cut-side down so the tart holds its shape when sliced.

How long does tarte aux fraises last?
It is best eaten the same day, while the pastry is crisp. Once assembled, keep it in the refrigerator and enjoy within 1 to 2 days. The crust softens over time as it sits on the cream.

How many calories are in French strawberry tart?
One slice of this tarte aux fraises has about 398 calories, based on the recipe serving 8.

Love French fruit tarts? Try these next!

• Cherry Puff Pastry Tart
• Peach and Blueberry Galette
• French Fig Tart
• French Lemon Cream Tart
• Browse all the Tart Recipes

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Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was originally published on April 07, 2021. It has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.