Discover how to make a beautiful Vegan Tarte Aux Fraises with crisp dairy-free pastry, silky vegan crème pâtissière, and fresh strawberries. It's an elegant French dessert perfect for spring and summer! Get the recipe below.
There is something undeniably elegant about a classic French Tarte Aux Fraises. Translating simply as "strawberry tart", this beloved dessert has long been a staple of French pâtisserie. Traditionally found in bakery windows throughout France during late spring and early summer, Tarte Aux Fraises celebrates the arrival of fresh, seasonal strawberries. The tart is thought to have evolved from classic French fruit tarts, combining crisp pastry with silky crème pâtissière to showcase the very best produce of the season.
A traditional Tarte Aux Fraises is typically made with a buttery pâte sucrée pastry shell, filled with rich vanilla pastry cream and generously topped with ripe strawberries. French pastry chefs often take great care when decorating the tart, arranging the strawberries in neat concentric circles, overlapping patterns, or intricate fan shapes to create an elegant centrepiece. The finished tart is usually brushed with a glossy glaze, giving the fruit its characteristic shine and helping to preserve its freshness.
This Vegan Tarte Aux Fraises stays true to the spirit of the French classic while using entirely plant-based ingredients. Featuring a crisp homemade vegan pastry, a luxuriously creamy vegan crème pâtissière, and beautifully arranged fresh strawberries, this dairy-free strawberry tart is perfect for spring gatherings, afternoon tea, celebrations, or simply making the most of strawberry season. Despite its sophisticated appearance, it is surprisingly straightforward to mak! Let me show you how.
Jump to:
Ingredients
Get your shopping list at the ready, you're going to need the following ingredients to make this tart:
- Plain flour
- Vegan butter
- Caster sugar
- Plant milk
- Cornflour
- Vegan cream
- Vanilla paste
- Fresh strawberries
- Apricot jam
Overview of instructions
There are quite a few steps to this recipe but they can be summarised as follows:
To make the pastry
- Rub the fat, flour and sugar together until you have the texture of breadcrumbs
- Bring this together into a ball of dough with a little plant milk
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes
- Roll the dough out and line the tart tin
- Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork, line with baking paper and cover with baking beads
- Blind bake until golden
- Remove the baking beans and finish baking uncoverec
- Leave to cool
To make the filling
- Whisk together the cornflour and caster sugar in a pan.
- Gradually whisk in the plant milk and vegan cream.
- Add the vanilla paste.
- Cook until thickened.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the vegan block butter.
- Transfer to a bowl, cover the surface directly with cling film, and allow to cool completely.
To assemble
- Pipe the cooled crème pâtissière into the cooled tart shell
- Arrange the strawberries over the top.
- Brush with warmed apricot jam and serve!
Hint: Always allow both the tart shell and the crème pâtissière to cool completely before assembling. This prevents the filling from becoming runny and ensures a crisp pastry base.
Substitutions
Baking is a science so I'm afraid there aren't too many substitutions you can make in this recipe. If you need to though, you can make the following swaps in a pinch:
- Gluten free: Use gluten-free plain flour for a gluten-free version.
- Dairy free butter: swap vegan butter for margarine.
- Plant milk: Almond, oat, soy, or coconut milk all work well in this recipe.
- Vanilla: Vanilla extract can be used instead of vanilla paste if needed.
Variations
Want to take things up a notch? Try one of these variations:
- Add a thin layer of dairy-free white chocolate to the pastry base before adding the custard for extra indulgence.
- Decorate with mixed berries such as raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries.
- Add finely grated lemon zest to the crème pâtissière for a citrus twist.
- Top with toasted flaked almonds for additional crunch.
Equipment
There's going to be a fair bit of washing up after you make this recipe, you're going to need:
- 23cm tart tin
- Mixing bowls
- Rolling pin
- Baking paper
- Baking beans for blind baking
- Saucepan
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Pastry brush
Storage
Store the assembled tart in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For the freshest results, assemble the tart on the day of serving.
The pastry tart case can be baked up to 2 days in advance and stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
Top tip
For bakery-style presentation, arrange the strawberries in concentric circles starting from the outer edge and working towards the centre.
Frequently asked questions
Soy milk and oat milk provide the creamiest results, but almond milk also works well.
Freezing is not recommended once assembled, as the strawberries and custard may become watery when defrosted.
Ensure you whisk continuously while cooking and gradually add the liquid to the cornflour mixture to prevent lumps from forming.
The recipe
Vegan Tarte Aux Fraises
Equipment
- 23cm tart tin
- mixing bowls
- Rolling Pin
- baking paper
- Baking beans for blind baking
- saucepan
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Sharp knife
- chopping board
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 200 g plain flour
- 100 g vegan butter block, not spreadable
- 50 g caster sugar
- 4-6 tablespoons plant milk
For the crème pâtissière
- 50 g cornflour
- 350 ml plant milk
- 150 ml vegan cream
- 100 g caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 50 g vegan butter block, not spreadable
For the strawberry topping
- 400-500 g strawberries fresh not frozen
- 2 tablespoon apricot jam
Instructions
To make the pastry case
- Add the plain flour and caster sugar to a mixing bowl.
- Rub in the vegan butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Gradually add the plant milk, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together.
- Shape into a disc, wrap, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/350°F.
- Roll out the chilled pastry and line a 23cm tart tin.
- Prick the base with a fork and chill for a further 15 minutes.
- Line with baking paper and fill with baking beans.
- Blind bake for 15 minutes, remove the beans, then bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden.
- Allow the tart shell to cool completely.
To make the vegan crème pâtissière
- In a saucepan, whisk together the cornflour and caster sugar.
- Gradually whisk in the plant milk and vegan cream until smooth.
- Add the vanilla paste.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until thickened.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the vegan block butter until fully incorporated.
- Transfer to a bowl, cover the surface directly with cling film or reusable wrap, and allow to cool completely.
To assemble the tart
- Spoon the cooled crème pâtissière into the cooled tart shell and smooth the surface.
- Cut the strawberries into slices.
- Arrange the strawberry slices decoratively over the top.
- Brush with warmed apricot jam.
Leave a Reply