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French Strawberry Tart with Silky Custard and Crisp Pastry

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If you’ve ever walked past a French bakery and admired the tarts in the window, now is your chance to make one at home. This classic French Strawberry Tart (Tarte aux Fraises) combines a buttery, crisp tart shell with silky vanilla pastry cream and plenty of fresh, juicy strawberries.
This dessert is a delightful symphony of textures and flavors — crisp pastry, smooth cream, sweet fruit with a gentle tang.
Perfect for gatherings or for celebrating strawberry season at home.

Tarte Aux Fraises.

The more I bake French desserts, the more I appreciate how accessible these classic recipes are. You don’t need a professional kitchen to achieve that “wow” factor. This strawberry tart — like a French chocolate tart — is approachable for both beginners and experienced bakers.

The only real planning required is time: the shortcrust dough benefits from 1–2 hours of chilling, and the pastry cream needs time to cool and set in the refrigerator before assembling the tart.

Awaken Your Inner Pastry Chef

Baking this tart feels especially rewarding because the work is naturally divided into stages. Below you’ll find a clear, organized workflow with practical tips gathered from repeated testing. I’ve arranged the steps in the order I follow when preparing the tart.

Make the Pastry Cream

I usually make the pastry cream the night before. Chilling it overnight not only gives it time to firm up, it also leaves you time to correct texture issues if needed. If you prefer a thicker filling, use an Italian-style pastry cream variation. For a flavor twist, try a pistachio pastry cream.

Tip: If your pastry cream develops tiny lumps after cooling, briefly smooth it with a hand mixer or an immersion blender.

A sauce pan with milk and a bowl with eggs and cornstarch mix.
Mix the milk and sugar in a saucepan. Whisk eggs and cornstarch together in a separate bowl.
Pouring warm cream into egg yolk mixture.
Tempering: add a small amount of hot milk into the yolks while whisking, then return the mixture to the pan.
Pouring egg mixture into a sauce pan with cream.
Cook the mixture gently over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens.
Thickened pastry cream in a sauce pan with a spatula.
Aim for a smooth, velvety crème pâtissière before cooling.
Pastry cream in a a bowl with plastic wrap tight on the surface.
Transfer to a clean bowl, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin, and chill for several hours (about 4 hours or overnight).

Make the Shortcrust (Pâte Sablée)

This shortcrust uses cold ingredients and a food processor to speed things up. Keep everything chilled and be patient with the refrigeration: the dough needs 1–2 hours to rest. If you skip chilling, the dough will be soft and sticky and will tear when you try to shape it.

A bowl of a food processor with flour and butter.
Pulse cold butter into flour and sugar until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
A bowl of a food processor with flour and beaten egg.
Add the egg and vanilla, then pulse until the mix comes together in damp crumbs.
A bowl of a food processor with crumbly dough.
Gather the dough into a disk using plastic wrap or your hands; avoid overworking it.
Hands pressing dough using a plastic wrap.
Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Pre-Bake the Crust

Roll the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment paper and transfer it to an 8–9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Using the bottom sheet of parchment helps move the dough without stretching it. Dock the base with a fork, line with parchment and pie weights (or dry beans), and bake on the lower rack at 375°F (190°C) for about 30 minutes. Let the shell cool before removing the weights; it will be ready to fill after about 30–45 minutes once it has reached a comfortable temperature.

Roll dough between two pieces of parchment paper.
Roll the chilled dough between parchment sheets for an even, thin crust.
A tart dough lined into a tart pan topped with parchment paper.
Use the bottom paper to transfer and press the dough into the pan; chill briefly before trimming excess dough.
Unbaked tart dough lined in a pan with fork marks.
Prick the dough with a fork to prevent bubbling, then bake with weights.
Pie weights over a piece of parchment paper lined over a pre-baked tart shell.
Remove weights after cooling slightly; the crust should be golden and set.

Assemble the Tart and Finish

Assembly is the most fun and flexible part: arrange strawberries the way you like — halved, quartered, sliced, or whole. I prefer a slightly rustic look, piling berries in the center and letting some of their juices cascade toward the edges.

Cut strawberries in a bowl with sugar.
Toss the sliced strawberries with sugar and let them macerate for about 10 minutes to draw out juices and concentrate flavor.
Filled tart in a serving dish.
Spread the chilled pastry cream into the cooled shell, then arrange the strawberries on top. Chill for 1–2 hours before serving.
slices of Tarte Aux Fraises.

Creamy and Crisp French Strawberry Tart

A classic tart made with a buttery shortcrust (pâte sablée), silky vanilla pastry cream (crème pâtissière) and fresh strawberries. Ideal for special occasions or when strawberries are at their peak.

Prep Time: 35 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Chill/Rest: 2–4+ hours (including pastry cream and dough)
Servings: 8-inch tart (serves 6–8)
Author: Dikla Levy Frances

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe Shortcrust dough (pâte sablée) — chilled
  • 1 recipe Pastry cream (crème pâtissière) — chilled

Fresh Strawberry Topping

  • 2 cups (about 300 g) fresh strawberries, washed and quartered
  • 1/4 cup (about 50 g) sugar

Instructions

To make the crust

  1. Have an 8- or 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom ready.
  2. Roll the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment paper into a circle about 9.5–10.5 inches in diameter (9.5 for a 9-inch pan, 10.5 if recommended for a deeper pan).
  3. Lift the dough using the bottom parchment and drape it into the tart pan. Press gently to fit the sides and base, then refrigerate 20–30 minutes to firm.
  4. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Remove the top parchment, trim excess dough, and prick the base with a fork.
  5. Line the shell with parchment and pie weights (or dry beans) and bake on the lower rack for about 30 minutes. Let cool before removing weights.
  6. If you find small cracks after baking, you can seal them with a thin layer of melted white chocolate and allow it to set before filling.

Assembling

  1. Evenly spread chilled pastry cream into the cooled tart shell.
  2. Place the sliced strawberries in a bowl, sprinkle with sugar and toss. Let them sit for about 10 minutes to macerate.
  3. Use a slotted spoon or fork to remove the berries from excess juice and arrange them on top of the pastry cream.
  4. Refrigerate the assembled tart for at least 1–2 hours to let flavors meld and the filling set.
  5. Store the tart in the refrigerator for up to three days. The pastry cream keeps for about three days when refrigerated.
  6. To unmold the tart for serving, set the pan over a tall cup and carefully lift the removable bottom away, then transfer the tart to a serving plate if desired.

Enjoy this classic French strawberry tart with a light dusting of powdered sugar or a shine of warmed apricot glaze if you’d like an extra glossy finish. Simple, elegant, and full of bright strawberry flavor.