Easy Ina Garten Fruit Tart Recipe: Bright Summer Joy on a Plate

The Ina Garten’s fruit tart stands as a pinnacle of elegant dessert crafting that transforms simple ingredients into a stunning culinary masterpiece.

Sophisticated yet approachable, this tart combines delicate pastry with vibrant seasonal produce in a harmonious symphony of flavors.

Crisp and buttery crust provides the perfect foundation for sweet, luscious fruits arranged with artistic precision.

Its golden, crumbly base promises a delightful textural contrast against smooth, rich fillings that dance across your palate.

Professional bakers and home cooks appreciate this recipe for its balance of technique and creativity.

Layers of carefully selected components unite to create a dessert that feels both indulgent and refined.

You’ll fall in love with how effortlessly this tart elevates any gathering or special occasion:

Delicious Variations on Ina Garten’s Lemon Bars

• Craft a Delicate Pastry Base: The homemade tart crust delivers a buttery, crumbly texture that melts in your mouth, creating a perfect foundation for the luscious fruit and creamy custard.
• Celebrate Fresh Seasonal Fruits: This versatile recipe allows you to showcase the most vibrant and juicy fruits of the season, transforming simple ingredients into an elegant dessert that looks like it came from a professional bakery.
• Master a Foolproof Custard Technique: The carefully whisked custard provides a silky-smooth filling that perfectly complements the crisp crust, offering home bakers a professional-level technique that's surprisingly easy to execute.
• Create a Stunning Dessert Centerpiece: With minimal effort, you'll produce a show-stopping tart that looks incredibly impressive, making it ideal for dinner parties, special occasions, or simply treating yourself to a luxurious homemade dessert.

Ina Garten’s Lemon Bars: A Zesty Slice of Sunshine

• All-Purpose Flour: Classic base for a tender, flaky tart shell with a delicate texture.
• Granulated Sugar: Sweet addition to enhance the crust's flavor and provide a hint of sweetness.
• Salt: Balances and heightens the overall flavor of the tart crust.
• Unsalted Butter: Chilled butter creates a rich, crumbly texture with perfect flakiness.
• Ice Water: Helps bind the dough together without overworking the mixture.

• Egg Yolks: Rich, creamy base that gives the custard its luxurious texture and golden color.
• Sugar: Sweetens the custard and helps create a smooth, silky consistency.
• Cornstarch: Thickening agent that provides structure and prevents the custard from being runny.
• Milk: Provides the liquid base for a smooth, creamy custard filling.

• Fresh Fruits: Colorful and fresh topping that adds natural sweetness and visual appeal.
• Apricot Jelly: Optional glaze that gives fruits a beautiful, shiny finish and adds a subtle fruity flavor.
• Water: Used to thin the apricot jelly for easy brushing over the fruits.

Step-by-Step for Ina’s Bright Fruit Tart

Step 1: Prepare the Crust Base

Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Ensure all dry ingredients are thoroughly combined to create a perfect foundation for your tart crust.

• 1 all-purpose flour
• Granulated sugar
• Salt

Step 2: Work in the Butter

Add chilled, cubed unsalted butter to the dry ingredients. Use your fingertips to gently blend until the mixture resembles coarse, crumbly breadcrumbs. This technique helps create a flaky, tender crust.

• Cold unsalted butter, cubed

Step 3: Create the Dough

Slowly drizzle ice-cold water into the butter-flour mixture. Mix carefully until the dough just comes together, being careful not to overmix. The goal is a cohesive, slightly shaggy dough.

• 3-ice water

Step 4: Chill the Dough

Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30-45 minutes to allow the butter to firm up and the gluten to relax.

Step 5: Prepare for Baking

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Remove dough from refrigerator and let sit for 5 minutes. Roll out to fit a 10-inch tart pan, gently pressing into the pan’s edges.

Step 6: Blind Bake the Crust

Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove weights and parchment. Prick the bottom with a fork and bake for an additional 20 minutes until golden brown.

Step 7: Create Creamy Custard

Whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale and fluffy. Blend in cornstarch, then gradually add warm milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens into a smooth custard.

• 4 egg yolks
• Sugar
• Cornstarch
• Whole milk

Step 8: Final Assembly

Allow crust and custard to cool completely. Spread custard evenly in the tart shell. Artfully arrange fresh fruits on top.

Why Ina Garten’s Fruit Tart is the Ultimate Fresh Dessert

• Crush Almonds for Crunch: Grind a handful of almonds and mix into the flour to create a delightfully textured, nutty base that elevates the entire tart experience.
• Infuse Custard with Warmth: Steep a cinnamon stick or vanilla pod in milk while heating, allowing the flavors to dance and deepen before blending with eggs for a more aromatic custard.
• Select Seasonal Sweetness: Discover local markets bursting with ripe, juicy fruits that sing with natural flavor and bring your tart to life with vibrant colors and tastes.
• Polish Fruit with Brilliance: Melt clear apple jelly with a touch of water to create a crystal-clear glaze that makes fruit slices shine like jewels on your tart surface.
• Precision Matters: Chill your tart shell thoroughly before baking to prevent shrinkage and ensure a perfectly crisp, golden crust that crumbles beautifully with each bite.

Ingredients for Ina Garten’s Fruit Tart

• Preserve Freshness Container: Use a glass or ceramic storage dish with a tight-fitting lid to maintain the tart's delicate texture. Glass containers prevent moisture absorption and keep pastry crisp while protecting fragile fruit and custard layers.
• Protective Wrap Technique: Gently drape a layer of plastic wrap directly on the tart's surface before sealing the container. This method prevents condensation and protects the delicate fruit from absorbing excess moisture, preserving the tart's visual appeal and flavor integrity.
• Temperature Control Strategy: Position the tart in the refrigerator's middle shelf, away from strong-smelling foods. Keep the temperature consistent around 40°F to prevent bacterial growth and maintain the custard's smooth consistency. Consume within 2-3 days for optimal taste and texture.

How to Make Ina Garten’s Fruit Tart

• Mediterranean Citrus Charm: Replace traditional fruits with segments of oranges, grapefruits, and tangerines, adding a bright zesty flavor profile to the classic tart.
• Berry Berry Good: Top the custard with a vibrant mix of raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries for a rich, colorful summer version that bursts with natural sweetness.
• Tropical Paradise Fusion: Create an exotic tart using sliced mangoes, kiwis, and passion fruit, bringing a Caribbean-inspired twist to the original recipe with luscious tropical fruits.
• Spiced Autumn Elegance: Transform the tart by incorporating poached pears, sprinkled cinnamon, and caramelized apple slices for a warm, comforting seasonal interpretation that celebrates fall flavors.

Pro Tips for Ina Garten’s Fruit Tart

Fruit tarts embody culinary elegance with their delicate balance of buttery crust, silky custard, and fresh seasonal fruits.

Ina Garten’s classic recipe transforms simple ingredients into an artistic masterpiece that delights palates and celebrates seasonal bounty.

Homemade desserts connect us to cherished memories and culinary traditions passed through generations.

Each carefully crafted layer tells a story of patience, technique, and passionate cooking.

Fruit tarts serve as edible canvases where flavors dance and textures harmonize in perfect symphony.

You’ll find this recipe not just a dessert, but an experience that invites connection, joy, and celebration – so share this delightful creation, comment on your baking adventure, and spread the delicious love with friends and family.

Ina Garten Fruit Tart Recipe

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4.7 from 24 reviews

• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x

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Description

Ina Garten’s classic French fruit tart combines a buttery shortbread crust with silky pastry cream and fresh seasonal berries. Elegant simplicity shines through this delightful dessert, inviting you to savor each delicate bite of pure culinary artistry.

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Ingredients

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Main Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cups (156 grams) flour
• 3 extra-large egg yolks, room temperature
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) milk
• 6 tablespoons (75 grams) sugar
• 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter
• Assorted fruits of your choice (strawberries, blueberries, peaches, figs, etc)

Secondary Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons (37.5 grams) sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ tablespoons (12 grams) cornstarch
• 3–4 tablespoons (45–60 milliliters) ice water
• ½ cup (160 grams) apricot jelly (optional)

Finishing Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon cognac, brandy, or vanilla

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Instructions

1. Prepare the dry foundation by combining all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a spacious mixing bowl, creating the fundamental base for your pastry crust.
2. Integrate cold, cubed unsalted butter into the flour mixture, methodically working it with fingertips until the texture resembles fine, delicate breadcrumbs.
3. Gradually introduce ice-cold water to the crumbly mixture, gently stirring until the ingredients cohesively bind into a smooth, pliable dough.
4. Transform the dough into a flattened disc, encase it completely in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes, allowing it to become sufficiently firm for precise rolling.
5. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). After the dough rests momentarily at room temperature, roll it out to perfectly fit a 10-inch (25.4 centimeters) tart pan, trimming any excess edges.
6. Line the tart pan with the rolled dough, cover with aluminum foil, and stabilize with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the weights and foil, puncture the crust with a fork, and continue baking for an additional 20 minutes until achieving a golden-brown hue.
7. Craft the custard by vigorously whisking egg yolks and sugar until the mixture transforms to a pale yellow color. Incorporate cornstarch, then slowly introduce warm milk, cooking over medium heat while continuously stirring until the mixture thickens to a smooth, luxurious consistency.
8. Allow both the crust and custard to cool completely. Spread the custard evenly across the baked crust, artfully arrange fresh fruit on top, and optionally create a glistening finish by warming apricot jelly with a small amount of water, then delicately brushing it over the fruit.

Notes

• Master the art of precision with each delicate step of tart creation.
• Chill dough thoroughly to guarantee a melt-in-your-mouth, flaky crust experience.
• Incorporate ice-cold butter for those irresistible layers that define pastry perfection.
• Use ceramic weights or dried beans to keep the crust’s shape during blind baking.
• Whisk egg yolks until they transform into a luxuriously light, creamy custard base.
• Allow the tart to cool completely, letting flavors harmonize and custard set beautifully.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 8
• Calories: 293 kcal
• Sugar: 8 g
• Sodium: 116 mg
• Fat: 20 g
• Saturated Fat: 10 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 27 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 4 g
• Cholesterol: 94 mg