These mini fruit tartlets have rich, buttery homemade shells filled with your choice of classic pastry cream or an easy no-bake cream cheese filling. Top them with fresh fruit for a beautiful dessert that can be made with all-purpose or gluten-free flour.

They’re perfect for Easter, Mother’s Day, baby showers and summer parties. The individual size makes them easy to serve, and the shells and filling can be prepared ahead of time.

I couldn’t decide which filling to use because I love both equally. My family preferred the cream cheese filling, while my photographer’s family preferred the pastry cream. The pastry cream version feels a little more special, but the cream cheese filling is quicker and doesn’t require any cooking.

So I included both! You only need to prepare one filling, and either option makes enough for all 18 tartlets.

close-up of a fruit tartlet on white table with others in the background

What’s To Love

Two filling options – choose between classic pastry cream and an easy no-bake cream cheese filling.
Regular or gluten-free – the tart shells work with all-purpose flour or the tested gluten-free flour option.
Perfect for parties – the small size makes them easy to serve without slicing or plating.
Easy to prepare ahead – make the dough, shells and filling on different days if needed.

Ingredient notes

Please scroll down for the full recipe. These are just notes on select ingredients.

Flour – use all-purpose flour or King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour. I haven’t tested other gluten-free flour blends in this recipe.
Butter – butter is essential for the flavor and texture of the tart shells, so I don’t recommend substituting it.
Milk – whole milk gives the pastry cream the creamiest texture. I also tested unsweetened cashew milk, but it gave the filling a slightly grayish color.
Cream cheese (if making the cream cheese filling option) – use full-fat cream cheese for the cream cheese filling. If you live outside North America and only have spreadable cream cheese, see the recipe notes for draining instructions.
Fruit – use fresh rather than frozen fruit, and dry it thoroughly before adding it to the tartlets.

The image below shows everything you need for the dough.

ingredients laid out to make the crust for fruit tartlets

Which filling should I use?

The pastry cream is the more traditional option. It’s smooth and custardy, with vanilla and a little almond extract. It requires cooking and needs to cool completely before you assemble the tartlets.

The cream cheese filling is thicker, slightly tangy and similar to a light no-bake cheesecake filling. It’s the faster option because it doesn’t require any cooking.

Choose the pastry cream for a classic bakery-style fruit tartlet or the cream cheese filling when you want something quicker. Both can be prepared up to 3 days ahead.

fruit tartlet topped with fruit on a white plate on a white table

How to make fruit tartlets

There are several steps, but you don’t have to make everything on the same day. The shells and filling can be prepared separately and assembled on the day of serving.

Make the tartlet dough

Whisk together the flour, sugar and salt, then cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

mixing together dry ingredients for tart dough

Whisk together the egg yolk, vanilla and milk, then stir the mixture into the dry ingredients. Work the dough just until it comes together. Add a little more milk if needed, but only enough to keep the dough from being crumbly.

Shape the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 1 hour.

adding wet ingredients to tart dough and forming it into a ball

Shape and bake the shells

Grease the tartlet pans and roll the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment paper until it’s about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Cut circles about 1/4 inch (6 mm) wider than the top of the pans. Test one circle before cutting the rest because the exact size will depend on your pans.

Press the circles into the pans, trim away any excess and prick the bottoms with a fork. If the dough becomes too soft to handle, place it in the freezer for a few minutes.

Freeze the shaped shells for 20 to 30 minutes. Bake them on a preheated baking sheet at 375 °F (190 °C) for 14 to 17 minutes, or until the sides are golden brown and the bottoms look fully baked.

Cool the shells in the pans for 15 to 20 minutes, then remove them while they’re still slightly warm. Let them cool completely before adding the filling.

rolling out tart dough, cutting out dough for each tartlet mold, and baking the crusts

Make the pastry cream

This pastry cream is rich and smooth, and it’s hard not to eat it straight from the bowl.

mixing together ingredients needed to make pastry cream

Warm the milk and salt in a saucepan. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and smooth, then whisk in the cornstarch until the mixture is lump-free.

cooking the pastry cream until thickened and adding in butter and vanilla

Slowly stream the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Pour everything back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until the pastry cream is thick and boiling. Cook for 1 more minute, then remove it from the heat.

Stir in the vanilla extract, almond extract and butter until fully incorporated.

the finished pastry cream in a small saucepan

Transfer the pastry cream to a heatproof bowl and press plastic wrap directly against the surface, or stir it frequently as it cools. Let it cool completely before using.

Make the cream cheese filling

Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth. Slowly add the cold heavy cream, then beat on high for 2 to 3 minutes or until the filling holds stiff peaks.

Assemble the tartlets

filling the baked tartlet shells with pastry cream and topping them with fruit

Fill the cooled shells with pastry cream or cream cheese filling, then top them with fresh fruit and mint, if desired. Small berries can be left whole, while strawberries, kiwi and other larger fruit should be cut into pieces that fit comfortably on the tartlets.

Make sure the fruit is thoroughly dry before adding it. Excess moisture can make the filling watery and soften the shells more quickly.

Tips for Success

Tart pan sizes

I first tested these in Wilton Perfect Results 4.75″ (12 cm) Tart Pans. The dough makes four tartlets in that size, but they’re quite rich and are better shared between two people.

For the individual tartlets shown here, I used fluted pans with an upper diameter of 2.55″ (6.5 cm) and a bottom diameter of 1.77″ (4.5 cm). My photographer used these 2.6″ (6.5 cm) tartlet pans, also called egg tart molds. They have a bottom diameter of 1.65″ (4.2 cm).

She used the same pans for my Chocolate Tartlets.

Shaping and baking tips

Roll rather than press – you can press the dough directly into the pans, as I did for my Peach Tartlets and Blueberry Tartlets. That works well with larger pans, but rolling and cutting the dough is much faster with tiny fluted pans. The crust is adapted from this King Arthur Flour recipe.
Keep the dough cold – return it to the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes if it becomes soft or sticky. Don’t stretch the dough to fit the pans because it may shrink while baking.
Skip the pie weights – freezing the shaped shells and pricking the bottoms is enough for these small pans. You’ll need pie weights if you use the dough for one large 9″ (23 cm) tart.

fruit tartlet topped with fruit on an upside down white ramekin

Make ahead and storage

These fruit tartlets are especially convenient for parties because almost every component can be prepared in advance.

The dough

Prepare the tart dough up to 3 days ahead or freeze it for up to 3 months. Wrap the disc in plastic wrap and place it in a Ziploc bag. Thaw frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator.

Unbaked tartlet shells

Shape the dough in the pans and refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. This Strawberry Galette is another spring dessert that can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Baked tartlet shells

Store completely cooled shells in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, refrigerate them for up to 5 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.

The fillings

Prepare either filling up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it. The pastry cream shouldn’t be frozen, but the cream cheese filling freezes well. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and briefly stir or beat it again if needed.

Assembled tartlets

Store assembled tartlets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. For the best crust texture, fill and top them on the day you plan to serve them.