These French almond fruit tarts are as beautiful as they are tasty. Inside a crisp, melt-in-your-mouth tart crust is a soft almond cake dotted with fruit. On top, a swirl of jam and lots of fresh berries. These are different from your typical fruit tart that’s made with pastry cream. This can be beneficial too… no worries about traveling or it being outside at a picnic!

Keep reading to learn more about how to make these delicious, fruity French tarts that are perfect for a summer picnic (or any occasion!).

Almond Fruit Tart Components

This French almond fruit tart is made from three primary components:

• Tart crust: Called pate sucree, the crust is made with almond flour or meal, all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
• Almond cake filling: sometimes called a frangipane, this almond tart filling is a similar mixture of butter, powdered sugar, almond flour or meal and a bit of all-purpose flour.
• Fresh fruit topping: I like to use berries for these French almond tarts, but you can use whatever fruit you love!

What kind of filling is in a fruit tart?

The filling in this dessert can vary depending on the almond fruit tart recipe you’re using. French almond tarts are often filled with pastry cream or custard. For this tart recipe, I decided to fill the tarts with an almond cake filling, often called frangipane, instead.

What’s the difference between frangipane and tart?

Frangipane is the almond-flavored creamy filling used within the crust, while the tart typically refers to the entire dessert. Put simply, you could make a tart with just about any filling you love (such as my apple tart, apricot tart or even mulled wine chocolate tart), including a frangipane filling like I used for this recipe!

How to Make Almond Tart with Fresh Fruit

This is one of those desserts that looks really fancy but is actually quite simple to make. It can be a bit time-consuming simply because there are a good number of steps. So my top tip is to make the crusts for the almond fruit tarts in advance and then assemble and bake the crust and fillings on the day you plan to serve!

Making the French Tart Crust

Step One: Add the flour, sugar, almond flour, salt and butter to a stand mixer or food processor and mix together on low speed for about 5 minutes until it looks sandy.

Step Two: Beat together the egg, water and vanilla in a small bowl and then add to the mixer. Mix on low-medium speed until the dough starts to come together and form big pieces.

Step Three: Divide the dough in half and wrap both pieces in plastic wrap. Save one half of dough for a future tart. If you want to use all of the dough, then you’ll need to double the recipe for the fillings. 

Step Four: Chill the dough for at least 45 minutes before rolling out on a floured surface, rolling it into a big circle about 1/4 inch (3mm) thick. Cut out pieces of dough that are about 1 inch larger in diameter than your tart molds. I used small, individual tart molds for this recipe, but you could also use the crust to make one large tart.

Step Five: Press the dough into the tart molds and cut off any excess by rolling on top with a rolling pin. Pinch around the sides to make sure they are flat against the side. Chill in the fridge until you’re ready to make and use the filling.

Making the Almond Tart Filling

Making the frangipane filling for this French almond fruit tart is super simple!

Step One: Beat together butter and powdered sugar until soft using a stand mixer or hand mixer.

Step Two: Mix in the almond flour, then the eggs and vanilla. Finally, add the all-purpose flour and mix to combine.

Step Three: Spread the filling into the chilled tart crusts, filling them halfway full. The filling will puff up while baking, so make sure to leave space for that.

Making the Fresh Fruit Topping

This is, by far, the easiest part of making this delightful French dessert. Simply top your tart with your favorite fresh berries, pressing them gently into the almond cake filling. Small berries can be left whole, but larger berries like strawberries should be sliced thinly. You can also add toppings like berry jam or thinly sliced almonds if you like!

Once the tarts are assembled, bake them at 350F/175C for 25 to 30 minutes until they are evenly brown across the top and then cool completely before serving.

Almond Fruit Tarts Recipe Alternatives

This almond crust fruit tart recipe is super versatile. Once you make the crust, you can really make the tart however you like. Here are some ideas you could try:

• Try a different filling. Fill the tart crust with pastry cream or mascarpone. Even a goat cheese frosting could taste delicious inside a baked crust and topped with berries!
• Use a variety of fruits. I love berries in this tart, but you can also use stone fruits like peaches and plums or even tropical fruits like kiwi and mango.
• Top with more than fruit. Sprinkling sliced almonds on top of these tarts is delicious! I also love the idea of using fresh herbs like mint or even thyme along with the fruit.
• Add a glaze. For an extra burst of sweetness, try making a glaze with apple, apricot or berry jelly. Simply melt it down in a saucepan and then use a pastry brush to spread it over the fruit after baking. This can also be helpful if you’re using sliced stone fruits or others that brown after slicing because the glaze will help stop the oxidation process.

How to Store Almond Fruit Tarts

Store the almond fruit tarts in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for about 2-3 days or as long as the berries last!

What Pairs Well With a Fruit Tart?

I love to serve almond fruit tarts for a picnic or backyard dinner party! You can find a collection of my favorite French picnic recipes in my guide to planning a Bastille Day picnic. Some of my favorite dishes in this round-up include:

• Savory French Tomato Tart
• French Zucchini Tart
• French Carrot Salad
• French Cucumber Salad

An almond flour fruit tart would be the perfect light, sweet treat to end this delicious picnic!
Explore the full almond fruit tart recipe below and if you make this dish, be sure to tag me on Instagram and TikTok!