Berry Vegan Fruit Tart

If you ask me, vegan fruit tarts are one of the prettiest desserts you can make.

This plant-based dessert brings together a buttery almond crust with smooth vanilla pastry cream. Fresh seasonal fruit sits on top, creating a colorful display that looks fancy but isn’t too hard to pull off.

The crust is made with simple ingredients like flour, coconut oil, and a touch of maple syrup. The filling uses cashews and coconut milk to create that creamy texture without any dairy.

It’s a show-stopping dessert that feels light and fresh, perfect for summer gatherings or when you want to impress guests.

What Kind of Vegan Butter Should I Use?

For this tart crust, you’ll want to use a good quality vegan butter that’s firm at room temperature – brands like Earth Balance or Miyoko’s work really well. Avoid the softer, spreadable vegan butters since they won’t give you the right texture for a crisp tart shell. Make sure your vegan butter is cold when you start mixing it with the flour, just like you would with regular butter in traditional baking. If your kitchen is warm, you can even pop the vegan butter in the fridge for a few minutes before using it to ensure it stays firm while you work with it.

Options for Substitutions

This beautiful fruit tart is pretty adaptable, so here are some swaps you can make:

• Vegan butter: You can use coconut oil (solid, not melted) or any plant-based butter substitute. If using coconut oil, chill the dough for 30 minutes before rolling to make it easier to work with.
• All-purpose flour: Gluten-free flour blends work well here – just use a 1:1 ratio. The crust might be slightly more crumbly, but it’ll still taste great.
• Vegan cream cheese: If you can’t find vegan cream cheese, try blending 1 cup soaked cashews with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and a pinch of salt until smooth and creamy.
• Coconut milk solids: Canned coconut cream works perfectly here, or you can whip aquafaba (chickpea liquid) with a bit of coconut oil for a lighter texture.
• Mixed berries: Use whatever fruit you love! Sliced kiwi, mandarin oranges, or stone fruits like peaches work beautifully. Just pat wet fruits dry before arranging.
• Lemon zest: Orange or lime zest adds a nice twist, or you can skip the citrus altogether if you prefer a more neutral base.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making vegan fruit tart is not chilling your crust dough enough before rolling it out, which can cause the vegan butter to become too soft and make the dough sticky and difficult to work with – aim for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

Another common error is skipping the blind baking step for the crust, which leads to a soggy bottom that can’t support the creamy filling and fresh fruit on top.

When making the cream cheese filling, make sure to use only the thick, solid part of the coconut milk (not the liquid) and whip it well with the cream cheese to avoid a runny consistency that won’t hold its shape.

Finally, don’t add your fresh berries until just before serving, as they can release juice and make the filling watery if they sit too long on the tart.

What to Serve With Vegan Fruit Tart?

This beautiful vegan fruit tart is honestly perfect on its own, but I love serving it with a hot cup of coffee or tea to balance out the sweetness. The creamy coconut filling and fresh berries make it a great ending to a summer dinner party or brunch gathering. If you want to make it extra special, try adding a small scoop of vanilla coconut ice cream on the side, or even a dollop of whipped coconut cream. For a fun presentation, you can dust the plate with a little powdered sugar or drizzle some berry coulis around the slice.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: Your beautiful fruit tart needs to stay chilled to keep that creamy filling from getting too soft. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap or store it in the fridge uncovered for up to 3 days. The berries will stay fresh and the cream cheese filling will hold its shape perfectly.

Make Ahead: This tart is actually perfect for making ahead! You can prepare the crust and cream filling up to 2 days in advance, then just add the fresh berries right before serving. This way the berries won’t release their juices and make the tart soggy.

Serve: Take your tart out of the fridge about 10-15 minutes before serving to let it come to the perfect temperature. The filling will be creamy but not too cold, and the flavors will really shine through. Cut with a sharp knife for clean slices that show off all those pretty berries!

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1850-2050
• Protein: 16-20 g
• Fat: 120-135 g
• Carbohydrates: 200-220 g

Ingredients

For the pastry crust:

• 1/2 cup vegan butter
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Zest of half a lemon

For the creamy filling:

• 8 oz go veggie cream cheese
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk, separated to use solids only
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the fruit topping:

• 2 cups assorted fresh berries

Step 1: Prepare the Equipment and Oven

Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C).

Spray a mini tart pan, or alternatively four 4-inch tart shells, with oil to prevent sticking, and set aside.

Preparing your equipment first makes assembling the recipe much smoother.

Step 2: Make the Lemon Shortbread Crust

• 1/2 cup vegan butter
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• zest of half a lemon

In a mixing bowl, beat the vegan butter using a hand mixer or stand mixer until it is light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.

Scrape down the sides if necessary.

Add 1/4 cup powdered sugar and beat again for another 2-3 minutes until the mixture is well blended.

Scrape the sides and add the all-purpose flour and lemon zest.

Mix on low speed, just until everything comes together—do not over-mix to keep the crust tender.

Step 3: Shape and Chill the Tart Shells

• prepared dough from Step 2

Divide about 2 tablespoons of the prepared dough (from Step 2) into each tart mold.

Press evenly into the sides and bottom, aiming for a thickness between 1/8 to 1/4 inch.

If using 4-inch tart shells, roll out the dough on a floured surface to the same thickness and cut circles just larger than your molds.

Gently fit the dough inside each greased tart pan, pressing lightly to fill.

Prick the bottoms with a fork and place the molds in the freezer for at least 15 minutes while making your filling.

Chilling prevents the crust from shrinking while baking.

Step 4: Make the Vegan Cream Cheese Filling

• 8 oz GO VEGGIE cream cheese
• solids from 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Scoop out just the solid portion from the top of the chilled can of coconut milk into a medium mixing bowl.

Add the vegan cream cheese, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.

Blend everything together with a hand mixer until the mixture is completely smooth.

Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to fill the tart shells.

I like to chill the filling to help it thicken up and set nicely in the tarts.

Step 5: Bake and Cool the Tart Shells

• chilled tart shells from Step 3

Remove the tart molds with the chilled dough (from Step 3) from the freezer and bake them in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn golden.

Take the shells out and let them cool in the pan for 3-5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 6: Fill and Serve the Berry Cream Tarts

• cooled tart shells from Step 5
• chilled cream cheese filling from Step 4
• 2 cups assorted fresh berries

Once the tart shells are completely cool, scoop or pipe the chilled cream cheese filling (from Step 4) into the shells until they are about 2/3 full, spreading evenly.

Finish each tart by topping with a generous handful of assorted fresh berries.

Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready.

For extra flavor, I sometimes add a touch more lemon zest over the top just before serving.

Berry Vegan Fruit Tart

Delicious Berry Vegan Fruit Tart recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 18 minutes mins

Cook Time 37 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 1950 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the pastry crust:

• 1/2 cup vegan butter
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• zest of half a lemon

For the creamy filling:

• 8 oz GO VEGGIE cream cheese
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk, separated to use solids only
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the fruit topping:

• 2 cups assorted fresh berries

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Spray a mini tart pan, or alternatively four 4-inch tart shells, with oil to prevent sticking, and set aside. Preparing your equipment first makes assembling the recipe much smoother.
• In a mixing bowl, beat the vegan butter using a hand mixer or stand mixer until it is light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides if necessary. Add 1/4 cup powdered sugar and beat again for another 2-3 minutes until the mixture is well blended. Scrape the sides and add the all-purpose flour and lemon zest. Mix on low speed, just until everything comes together—do not over-mix to keep the crust tender.
• Divide about 2 tablespoons of the prepared dough (from Step 2) into each tart mold. Press evenly into the sides and bottom, aiming for a thickness between 1/8 to 1/4 inch. If using 4-inch tart shells, roll out the dough on a floured surface to the same thickness and cut circles just larger than your molds. Gently fit the dough inside each greased tart pan, pressing lightly to fill. Prick the bottoms with a fork and place the molds in the freezer for at least 15 minutes while making your filling. Chilling prevents the crust from shrinking while baking.
• Scoop out just the solid portion from the top of the chilled can of coconut milk into a medium mixing bowl. Add the vegan cream cheese, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Blend everything together with a hand mixer until the mixture is completely smooth. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to fill the tart shells. I like to chill the filling to help it thicken up and set nicely in the tarts.
• Remove the tart molds with the chilled dough (from Step 3) from the freezer and bake them in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn golden. Take the shells out and let them cool in the pan for 3-5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Once the tart shells are completely cool, scoop or pipe the chilled cream cheese filling (from Step 4) into the shells until they are about 2/3 full, spreading evenly. Finish each tart by topping with a generous handful of assorted fresh berries. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready. For extra flavor, I sometimes add a touch more lemon zest over the top just before serving.