Gluten-Free Fruit Tart with Lemon Curd

This gluten-free fruit tart is the dessert I make when I need something showstopping without a ton of effort. A buttery shortbread crust with lemon zest, a layer of tangy lemon curd, a whipped cream cheese filling with apricot jam, and fresh fruit piled high on top. The combination of bright lemon curd against the creamy filling is what makes this one stand out.

The crust is press-in (no rolling), and the filling comes together with store-bought lemon curd and whipped topping, so it’s way less fussy than it looks. I make it for everything from Easter brunch to summer cookouts. If you want something smaller for individual servings, my gluten-free mini blueberry tarts use a similar shortbread base.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Make-ahead friendly . The crust can be pressed into the pan and frozen until you’re ready, or baked and stored at room temperature for up to two days before assembling. Great for spreading the work out before a party.
• Only the crust gets baked . The lemon curd and cream cheese layers are no-bake, so once your shell is cooled, assembly takes about 10 minutes.
• Tested eight times before I shared it . I played with the dough ratios, the amount of lemon curd, and the cream cheese filling until everything was exactly right. We happily ate every single test tart.

Ingredient Notes

• Gluten-Free Flour Blend – I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (in the blue bag) for the shortbread crust. It gives you a sturdy, buttery base that doesn’t crumble when you slice. I can’t verify other gluten-free flour blends will work since I haven’t tested them.
• Powdered Sugar – Used in both the crust and the cream cheese filling. It dissolves easily and keeps everything smooth.
• Lemon Curd – Store-bought is totally fine here and saves a ton of time. I grab mine from the jam aisle. Bonne Maman is the brand I usually use. If you want to make your own, that works too.
• Cream Cheese – Full-fat block-style, not the whipped tub kind. It needs to hold its structure in the filling.
• Apricot Jam – This gets mixed into the cream cheese layer and adds a subtle sweetness that pairs really well with the lemon. Any apricot preserves will work.
• Whipped Topping – I use Cool Whip, but if you’d rather use homemade whipped cream, fold it in gently and assemble closer to serving since it deflates faster.
• Fresh Fruit – Go for a mix of colors and textures. I like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, kiwi, and mandarin oranges. Pat everything dry before placing on top so the filling doesn’t get watery.

Don’t Skip This Step

Freeze your crust in the pan for at least 30 minutes before baking. Cold butter means a flakier crust, and it keeps the sides from sliding down the pan in the oven. Don’t skip this step.

Expert Tips

• Place the tart pan on a baking sheet before it goes in the oven. Butter leaks through tart pans easily and will smoke up your oven. Learn from my mistakes on this one.
• Use a mix of fruit colors for the wow factor. I go for a rainbow look with reds, blues, oranges, and greens. Strawberries and blueberries alone are fine, but adding kiwi and mandarin oranges takes it from “nice” to “everyone’s taking photos.”
• Pat your fruit dry before placing it on top. Any extra moisture will make the cream cheese layer watery and slide-y. A quick pat with a paper towel is all it takes.
• Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water to slice. The layers are soft, so a clean warm blade gives you the neatest slices. Wipe between cuts.

Storage Instructions

Room temp: The baked crust (unfilled) can be wrapped tightly and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Fridge: Once assembled, cover the tart and refrigerate for up to 2 days. The filling holds up best with store-bought whipped topping. If you used homemade whipped cream, it’s best served the same day.

Freezer: The unbaked crust can be pressed into the tart pan, wrapped well, and frozen for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen, just add a couple extra minutes. I don’t recommend freezing the assembled tart since the fresh fruit and cream cheese filling don’t thaw well.

Serving Suggestions

I make this fruit tart most often for brunch and summer parties, so it usually lands on a table next to savory food. For Easter or Mother’s Day, I’ll pair it with my gluten-free quiche Lorraine and a pitcher of basil lemonade . For a bigger brunch spread, my spinach feta egg muffins are easy to make ahead the same morning. If it’s a summer cookout and the tart is the dessert, I like keeping a batch of cucumber lemonade cold in the fridge for people to help themselves.