This Blackberry Custard Tart recipe features a vanilla-infused custard filling, flaky crust and blackberry jam. Topped with fresh blackberries. It’s a gorgeous dessert that’s perfect for blackberry season!
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It’s no secret that Oregon blackberries are a favorite of mine. July marks the beginning of fresh Oregon blackberry season, but you can find a few pounds of Oregon blackberries in my freezer year-round. These delicious berries make a perfect companion to dessert, adding deep colors and sweet flavors to lemon blondies, muffins, creme brulee, ricotta toast, and more.
That’s why I’m calling this Custard Tart with Blackberries the most elegant summer dessert. Just like a classic French fruit tart, it’s made with a tender and crisp tart crust and filled with vanilla custard.
To emphasize blackberries as the star of the show, I’ve added a sweet layer of blackberry jam beneath the custard and replaced the traditional fruit medley on top with fresh blackberries. Yum!
You’ll be surprised at how easily both the shortbread tart crust and pastry cream come together. Plus, they can both be made days in advance! It’s a time-saving dessert you can always rely on for summer parties and celebrations.
Tarts vs. pie
Tarts and pies are pretty similar but differ majorly in one area: the crust. Classic tart dough tastes, looks, and feels like a shortbread cookie. It’s tender and crisp rather than flaky.
The tart crust also only makes an appearance on the bottom and up the sides of a tart, whereas pie can be fully covered with the crust (bottom, sides, and covering the top).
What is custard tart made of?
There are three distinct layers in this blackberry custard tart:
- Shortbread tart crust (or pâte sucrée)
- Blackberry jam
- And a vanilla custard filling (or crême pâtissière)
Top it off with some fresh blackberries and you have the perfect dessert for late summer.
How to make it
Start by making the tart crust. Pulse the dry ingredients together in a food processor, then add the butter until a dough starts to form. Add the remaining flour and pulse until the dough is crumbly.
Transfer the dough to a bowl and add a little ice water until the dough stays together when you pinch it. Roll it into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge. After 30 minutes, roll out the chilled dough and press it into your tart tin. If you’re having trouble rolling out the dough, lay the disc in your tin and press it flat using a measuring cup.
Place the tart tin with the dough in the freezer before you start baking. This time in the freezer is important as it prevents the crust from shrinking in the oven.
Now you can bake the crust. First, prick the bottom of the dough with a fork to allow for streaming. Lay a piece of parchment paper over the dough and weigh it down with pie weights (use dried beans or rice if you don’t have pie weights). Bake until golden brown.
Custard filling time! Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a saucepan before slowly adding the milk. Add the cream, egg yolks, and vanilla, and whisk constantly until it thickens. Take it off the heat and stir in the butter.
Ready to assemble? Once the crust and custard have cooled, spread the blackberry jam over the pastry. Spread the custard on top and leave it to set in the fridge. Garnish with fresh blackberries when it’s ready, then slice and enjoy!
Can I make this with another type of fruit?
This custard tart recipe can be made with any kind of fresh fruit or berry you love! The fruit you use should depend on the season. Celebrate summer with colorful stone fruits and berries or infuse warmth with citrus, apples, or kiwi during winter.
If you would prefer to make the tart without blackberries, replace the blackberry jam with another jam, jelly, compote, curd, or fruit puree. You can even omit the jam entirely and leave the fruit element entirely up to the decorations.
To decorate, match the fruit on top of the tart with the jam you used or a mixed berry or fruit medley.
Can I make mini custard tarts instead?
Individual tartlets, like these Easy Lemon Tarts, are so fun and just as easy to make as one large fruit tart. Continue the recipe instructions as normal, but divide the dough, jam, and custard between mini tart pans instead. Serve your guests their individual tartlets and enjoy!
Make ahead tips
- Raw tart dough: Form the dough into a disc and wrap it in plastic. Store it in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Make sure to thaw it completely before rolling it out and baking.
- Baked tart crust: Save time by baking the tart crust 1 or 2 days ahead of assembling the tart. Just keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
- Pastry cream: Make the pastry cream as normal and transfer it to a bowl. Press a layer of plastic on top to prevent a skin from forming. Store the pastry cream in the fridge for up to 2 days.
More summer desserts
More blackberry recipes
- Blackberry Cornbread Muffins with Whipped Honey Butter
Did you try this blackberry tart recipe?
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Full Recipe
Blackberry Custard Tart
Equipment
- Tart pan
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (divided)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup very cold unsalted butter (cut into 1/2-inch cubes (1 stick))
- 2-4 Tablespoons ice water
Custard Filling:
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 4 Tablespoons cornstarch
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 vanilla bean (seeds scraped, or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter (cubed)
- 3 Tablespoons blackberry jam
- Fresh blackberries (to garnish)
Instructions
- Add ¾ cup flour, sugar and salt to a food processor. Pulse 2 to 3 times until combined.
- Add butter and process until a dough begins to form, about 15 seconds.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour. Pulse 4 to 5 times until flour is evenly distributed. (Dough will be crumbly)
- Transfer to a medium bowl then sprinkle with 2 TBSP ice water. Using a rubber spatula, press the dough into itself. The crumbs should begin to form together. If you pinch some of the dough and it holds together, it’s ready. If the dough falls apart, add 1-2 more tablespoons of water and continue to press until dough comes together.
- Roll the dough into a ball and place on a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten the ball into a disc, wrap with the plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm.
- Once the pie dough is ready, roll it out to about ⅛ inch thick, roughly the same shape as the tart pan.
- Press the dough into the tart pan. Pass a rolling pin over the top to trim the extra dough.
- Transfer the dough to the tart pan and press gently to form to the pan. Trim the edges.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the tart in the freezer for 15 minutes while your oven preheats.
- Gently pierce the bottom of the crust several times with the tines of a fork. Add a piece of parchment on top of the dough and weigh down with dried beans or pie weights.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the crust is golden.
- Let cool while you prepare the custard filling.
Custard filling:
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt.
- Slowly whisk in about a cup of milk until smooth, then whisk in the rest of the milk, cream, egg yolks and vanilla.
- Cook the custard over medium heat while whisking constantly, until it starts to thicken; about 8-10 minutes.
- Remove the custard from the heat and stir in the butter.
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes.
- Once the base and custard have cooled, spread the jam over the pastry.
- Spread the custard on top of the jam and refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until the filling is well chilled and set.
- Remove the sides of the tart pan, and garnish with fresh blackberries.
Notes
Nutrition
I teamed up with Oregon Berries to bring you this post. As always, all opinions are my own.
This recipe was originally published in 2022. It was updated in 2023 to add new information. The blackberry custard pie recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
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