Cream Cheese Fruit Tart
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Make this Cream Cheese Fruit Tart for a colorful and tasty dessert. Start with a graham cracker crust and then top it with a cream cheese filling followed by an arrangement of fresh fruit. Fresh, beautiful, and delicious!
Make my French Silk Pie with Graham Cracker Crust next!
Graham Cracker Fruit Tart
Summertime spells fresh fruit, including fruit tarts, yogurt with granola bowls, peach smoothie bowls, and blueberry ice cream. All the fresh flavors of summer can be used in so many delicious recipes!
Use this fruit tart as a base to make a dessert for any occasion. Use red, white, and blue for patriotic desserts, pink and blue for baby showers, and the colors of the rainbow for pride celebrations or just because they’re beautiful.
Why This Recipe Works:
- SIMPLE – Unlike traditional pastry crusts, which require rolling and cutting of dough, a graham cracker crust is made by simply crushing graham crackers, mixing them with melted butter and sugar, and pressing the mixture into a tart pan.
- ADAPTABLE – A fruit tart can be filled with a variety of fruits, ranging from berries to tropical fruits, depending on the season and personal preference. A fruit tart can be served as a dessert for a formal dinner party, a casual picnic, or even as a special treat for brunch or breakfast.
- COLORFUL – The colorful display of fresh summer berries on top of creamy filling creates an attractive and visually appealing dessert. This can make a fruit tart a great option for special occasions when a perfect showstopper dessert is required!
- DELICIOUS – The smooth, creamy filling is complemented by the crunchy and crumbly crust, creating a delightful textural experience along with the sweetness from the fruit on top. This easy fruit tart is the perfect summer dessert!
Some folks make this no-bake and skip baking the graham cracker crust. I find that it holds together much nicer if you bake it though.
What you’ll need to make a Fresh Fruit Tart:
The following simple ingredients will make the most delicious summer dessert!
- Graham Crackers – Use regular graham crackers, not cinnamon or low-fat.
- Unsalted Butter plus Granulated Sugar
- Heavy Whipping Cream – You’ll need to whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
- Cream Cheese – Use regular cream cheese, not low-fat. Let it soften before using it in the filling.
- Vanilla Extract
- Powdered Sugar – Powdered sugar is a necessary sweetener for the filling.
- Lemon – You’ll use the zest and juice from one large lemon.
- Fruit – For this fruit tart, I used fresh berries. You could arrange any fresh fruit in any pattern you like.
- Preserves – A couple of tablespoons of apricot preserves add a gorgeous glaze to this easy dessert.
I used an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom (linked below).
How to make a Rainbow Fruit Tart:
Prep 1
Prep graham crackers. In a large food processor, add the graham crackers and pulse until they resemble coarse crumbs.
Step 2
Make the homemade graham cracker crust. In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Stir until well combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of a tart pan pressing it up the sides as well. Bake the crust in a preheated 350-degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Step 3
Prepare the filling. In another mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to beat whipped cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form. (You can also use a standing mixer with the whisk attachment.) Set aside.
In another bowl, combine the room-temperature cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Use the hand mixer to mix again until smooth. Then fold in the whipped cream with a spatula, taking care to avoid over-mixing it.
Step 4
Add the fruit. Top the tart with fresh fruit in any design you prefer. I used fresh blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries for this tart, but I’ve also included pineapple, kiwi, peaches, strawberries, and mango.
Step 5
Brush with preserves. Combine the preserves with a little bit of water. Warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds to loosen it and make it easier to spread. Brush the preserves on top of the fruit.
Step 6
Chill. Chill tart for at least one hour to improve the appearance of the dessert, making it easier to slice and serve cleanly.
Step 7
Store fruit tart. Store the leftover fruit tart in an airtight container for a couple of days at most. This delicious dessert is best on the first day!
Recipe FAQs:
A fruit tart with a graham cracker crust is a variation of the classic fruit tart. Instead of using a traditional shortbread or pastry crust, this version uses a crust made of crushed graham crackers mixed with melted butter and sugar, which is then pressed into a tart pan and baked until crisp.
1) Use a thick layer of filling. A thick layer of cream cheese filling will act as a barrier between the crust and the fruit, preventing the fruit juices from seeping into the crust.
2) Pre-bake the crust. Before adding the filling, pre-bake the crust to help maintain its structure and keep it from getting too moist when the filling is added.
3) Serve the same day. Serve the tart the same day that you assemble it.
Yes, you can use low-fat graham crackers, lite cream cheese, and less sugar to reduce fat and calories.
You can use canned fruit instead of fresh if you drain the fruit and pat it dry. You want to avoid too much liquid on the fruit to prevent sogginess.
We love this fruit tart with some cold brew coffee or a Caramel Latte!
Other springtime desserts:
We love these tasty treats, especially during spring and summer holidays!
- Lemon Shortbread Bars
- Moist Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
- KitchenAid Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe
- No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bites
Kitchen Tools Used: (Affiliate Links)
xoxo ~Sue
Rainbow Fruit Tart
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¾ cup unsalted butter – melted
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
For the filling:
- 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 10 oz. cream cheese – softened
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 lemon – zested and squeezed
For the topping:
- fresh assorted berries – blackberries, blueberries, raspberries
- 2 Tablespoons apricot preserves
Instructions
- Make the crust. In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Stir until well combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of a tart pan pressing it up the sides as well. Bake the crust in a preheated 350-degree oven for 10 minutes.
- Prepare the filling. In another mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to beat whipped cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form. (You can also use a standing mixer with the whisk attachment.) Set aside.
- In another bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Use the hand mixer to mix again until smooth. Then fold in the whipped cream with a spatula, taking care to avoid over-mixing it.
- Assemble the tart. Spread the filling into the graham cracker crust smoothing it to all sides of the tart pan. Add the fresh fruit on top of the filling in any pattern you desire.
- Brush with preserves. Combine the preserves with a little bit of water. Warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds to loosen it and make it easier to spread. Brush the preserves on top of the fruit.
- Chill tart for an hour before slicing and serving.
So tasty and fun! I love this recipe!
Thanks!