Pomegranate Fruit Tart

Impress your guests when you present this elegant pomegranate fruit tart. The delicious cookie-like crust is the perfect shell to hold homemade pastry cream and fresh pomegranate.

I have a sweet tooth. I make no bones about it. I especially have a weakness for fruit desserts. Fruit on their own are incredible, especially when enjoyed at the peak of their season.

In my opinion, there is no better way to highlight fresh fruits than in a beautiful fruit tart. For the summer, that means berries and peaches. Have you tried my no bake Nutella tart with berries?

And the fall? Hello pomegranate!

Laura says :

Why this recipe works

• Seasonal Touch: You can easily use any of your favorite fresh fruits in season including summer sweet peaches and kiwis, or fall favorites like figs and pomegranates.
• Make ahead: This fruit tart keeps well in the fridge and is ideal for make-ahead parties, picnics or potlucks.
• Texture: The crust alone is like a buttery cookie. It’s not overly sweet and it doesn’t fall apart like graham cracker crusts.
• Easy to Make: Now making a fruit tart from scratch may sound like more than you can handle, but I break down all the steps so it is easy to follow.
• Versatile: You can make one large tart or several individual fruit tarts to celebrate any occasion.

Ingredients you need

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• Butter: Pie shells are sometimes all butter or a mix of butter and shortening. This is a sweet pastry crust and has a different texture and flavor than typical pie crusts. Choose a good quality unsalted butter so its flavor can shine.
• Egg: One large egg is needed in this recipe. You will have enough dough to make two 9-inch tarts or six to eight 4-inch tarts.
• Lemon: The zest of lemon is used in this pastry crust. It adds a wonderful bright flavor. You can also use orange zest or omit altogether.
• Pastry Cream: You will need to make my recipe for classic pastry cream for the filling of this fruit tart. You can also use instant pudding.
• Fresh Fruit: For this post, I used fresh pomegranate arils for the fruit topping. Just understand that if your tart is filled with pomegranate, it will not hold its shape as well once cut into slices. One large pomegranate will yield approximately 1 cup of pomegranate. Learn how to cut and seed a pomegranate here. You can also use other fresh fruits like berries, peaches, plums, kiwi, grapes and mangos.
• Jelly: The jelly is heated and thinned a little with water to make a glaze you brush over the fruit. Think of it as the edible glue that will hold the fruit in place. I used pomegranate jelly, but you can also use strawberry, apricot or orange marmalade.
• Pantry Staples: Sugar, all purpose flour, vanilla extract, salt

Step-by-step directions

1. Cream the butter. Blend soft butter and sugar together. Do not incorporate a lot of air.
2. Add wet ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, vanilla, salt and grated lemon zest. Add this into the creamed butter and mix until evenly combined.
3. Add flour. Add flour and fold it in until just incorporated. Don’t over mix.
4. Form dough. Transfer dough to work surface and press together. It should be soft and moist, not crumbly.
5. Chill dough. Divide into 2 equal pieces and wrap in parchment paper. Chill for 2 hours.

6. Roll dough. Lightly dust work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll dough quickly until about ⅛-inch thick.

As you roll the dough, if it cracks, it is too cold. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes. If the dough is too soft, it needs to refrigerate longer.

7. Transfer to tart pan. Use a bench scraper to help loosen the doug, gently lay it over a tart pan with a removable bottom.
8. Press into pan. Use your fingers to press the dough into the base and along the sides of the tart pan. Remove excess dough.
9. Chill dough. Poke the base of the dough with a fork. then chill for at least 20 minutes.
10. Fill tart pan. Place parchment paper inside tart shell then fill evenly with dried beans or pie weights. If you don’t add parchment paper the pie weights will bake into the crust. Yes, I accidentally did that once!

11. Bake. Bake until the edges just start to turn golden. Remove the beans/pie weights and bake again until the dough is cooked through and is golden brown. Place onto a rack to cool completely.
12. Add pastry cream. Spoon pastry cream into tart shell and spread it out evenly. You will want to fill about ⅔ of the tart shell with the pastry cream.
13. Add fruit. Spread as much or as little pomegranate or other fruit evenly over the pastry cream.
14. Add glaze. Heat the jelly with a little water in a small pot. Whisk until jelly is melted. Brush all of the fruit with the pomegranate glaze.
15. Chill. Refrigerate tart for at least 2 hours for it to set.

Expert Tips and Recipe FAQS

Don’t let all the steps to make a fruit tart overwhelm you. The sweet pastry crust is much more forgiving and easier to make than the traditional pie crust. You can also prepare all of the components of your fruit tart a day or two ahead of when you are serving it.

Customize your fruit tart for every season:

• Summer Fruits: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches,
• Fall/Winter Fruits: figs, pomegranate, grapes
• Spring Fruits: apricot, cherry, kiwi, kumquat, pineapple

If you like pomegranate jelly, which try some pomegranate jello?! I love all things pomegranate so do check out all of my pomegranate recipes, savory AND sweet!

Pomegranate Fruit Tart

Laura Bashar | Family Spice

Impress your guests when you present this elegant pomegranate fruit tart. The delicious cookie-like crust is the perfect shell to hold homemade pastry cream and fresh pomegranate.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 hours hrs

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Additional Time 5 hours hrs

Total Time 7 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Course Pies, Tarts and Other Desserts

Cuisine French

Servings 16

Calories 353 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Sweet Pastry Crust (makes 2 tarts)

• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• 8 oz unsalted butter softened
• 1 large egg
• 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• Grated zest from 1 lemon
• 2 ½ cups all purpose flour

Fruit Tart Filling (for 2 tarts)

• Approximately 2 ½-3 cups pastry cream
• 3-4 cups pomegranate arils
• 2 cups pomegranate jelly

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

 

• In a mixing bowl, use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula and blend soft butter and sugar together. Do not incorporate a lot of air.
• In a small bowl, whisk together egg, vanilla, salt and grated lemon zest.
• Add vanilla mixture into the sugar and butter and mix until evenly combined.
• Add all of the flour and fold in until just incorporated. Don’t over mix.
• Scrape out dough from the bowl and onto the countertop.
• Press dough together without overworking it. Make sure butter is incorporated and dough comes together. Divide into 2 equal pieces and shape into flat discs. Wrap each piece tightly with parchment paper and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• When dough is chilled, it is time to roll it out. Lightly dust work surface and rolling pin with flour. As you roll the dough, if it cracks, it is too cold. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes. If the dough is too sticky, it needs to refrigerate longer.
• Roll dough quickly so it doesn’t get too warm. Roll it out to about ⅛-inch thick.
• I prefer to roll my pie/tart dough on parchment paper which makes transferring the dough to tart pan much easier. Gently lay the dough over the tart pan and press gently into the pan.
• Any leftover dough can just be pressed back together and used for another time. Chill in the refrigerator or freezer. See below for more details.
• If any tearing occurs, just press dough together. Use your fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup to press the dough into the base and along the sides of the tart pan. Press dough down along the edge of the pan and remove excess dough.
• Poke the base of the dough a few times with a fork. Place tart in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375ºF.
• Place parchment paper inside tart shell then fill evenly with dried beans or pie weights.
• Bake for about 15 minutes or until the edges just start to turn golden.
• Remove the beans/pie weights from the tart shell and bake again for another 5-10 minutes, or until the dough is cooked through and is golden brown.
• If the edges seem to be getting too dark, place a piece of parchment over top while it bakes.
• Place onto a rack to cool completely.
• When tart shell and pastry cream is cool and ready to assemble, make the glaze. Heat jelly and 2 tablespoon water in a small pot. Whisk until jelly is melted. Remove any bits of fruit.
• Spoon pastry cream into tart shell and spread out evenly. You will want to fill about ⅔ of the tart shell with the pastry cream.
• Spread as much or as little pomegranate or fruit evenly over the pastry cream.
• If jelly has thickened, heat it up to soften. Brush fruit evenly with a thin layer of jelly glaze.
• Refrigerate tart for at least 2 hours to give the pastry cream time to set. Fruit tarts are best assembled and served on the same day.

Notes

Yield: This tart dough recipe makes two 9-inch tarts or six to eight 4.5-inch tarts.

Cooking suggestions: If you do not want to make homemade pastry cream, you can whip up some vanilla or chocolate instant pudding and use that as your filling instead.

Any type of fruits can be used in this tart. Try to avoid super juicy fruits like oranges. Berries, kiwi, pomegranate, figs, cherries, plums, peaches and apricots are some great fruit choices to use in your fruit tart.

Strawberry jelly can be used instead of pomegranate jelly. if using light colored fruits, use apricot jelly or orange marmalade.

TO STORE: It is best to enjoy a fruit tart the same day it was assembled. Leftovers can be enjoyed 1-2 days afterwards, but will start to lose its initial shape and texture.

TO FREEZE: Once fully assembled with pastry cream and fresh fruit, the tart will NOT freeze will. You can freeze the sweet pastry dough raw and will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month. You can also place the dough in the tart pan and freeze it. You can also bake the crust and freeze it. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap before freezing

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 353kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 3gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 93mgPotassium: 134mgFiber: 2gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 369IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg

Keyword fruit tart, pomegranate fruit tart, pomegranate tart

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Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

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