Mini Strawberry Custard Tarts

Delicious mini strawberry custard tarts with a crisp pastry shell filled with the silkiest vanilla custard, whipped cream, and sweet, juicy strawberries. No one will believe you made these pretty French tartlets yourself!

Jump to:

• 🍓 Why This Is The Best Recipe
• 📝 Ingredient notes
• 👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe
• 📖 Flavor Variations & Substitutions
• ❄️ Storage & Freezing
• ✨ Expert Tips To Make Mini Strawberry Tarts
• 🥣 Equipment notes
• ❓Recipe FAQs
• ✨ More Tart recipes
• Mini Strawberry Custard Tarts

🍓 Why This Is The Best Recipe

1. It is super delicious – I never compromise on taste! This mini strawberry custard tarts recipe is creamy, fruity, and rich but very well-balanced in sweetness.
2. It is easier than it looks – Making this Tarte aux Fraises recipe is actually rather easy, especially once you have the tart cases baked.
3. It is a detailed tutorial – These strawberry tartlets with crème pâtissière look super professional, but I talk you through every step and give you all my pro tips.

📝 Ingredient notes

For the tart crust

1. Pastry flour - You can use all purpose flour or plain flour if you can't find pastry flour in grocery stores for this French strawberry custard tart recipe. If you want to be a pro when it flour and baking, read my flour guide.
2. Almond flour - I prefer pâte sablée recipes with added almond flour for both taste and texture. Alternatively, replace it with an equal amount of pastry flour (or all-purpose flour).
3. Powdered sugar - This sweet shortcrust pastry is made with a small amount of powdered sugar (icing sugar). Read my sugar guide to learn more.
4. Salt - This balances the sweetness and enhances all the buttery flavors in the pastry.
5. Butter - I recommend using high-quality 82% fat content European-style unsalted butter in all my recipes. The butter needs to be chilled, so cut it into cubes and then place it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before using it.
6. Egg - Always use room temperature eggs in baking for proper emulsification.

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all Ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post

For the pastry cream

1. Milk - Use high-fat milk; it makes a huge difference in the taste of this custard filling.
2. Sugar - Simple, white granulated sugar is perfectly fine.
3. Egg yolks -  I only use egg yolks for the best texture and rich flavor. You can try my pavlova recipe if you want to use up your egg whites!
4. Flour - Flour is one of the thickening agents, but you won't be able to taste it. All-purpose flour or plain flour is fine.
5. Starch - Corn starch is the other thickening agent in the recipe.
6. Vanilla - Vanilla bean paste is best (I use Nielsen Massey, which I love) or why not make your own vanilla extract?
7. Butter - Always use unsalted butter to remain in control of the quality and quantity of the salt. The butter for pastry cream needs to be soft.

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all Ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post

For the chantilly

1. Mascarpone - This rich Italian cream cheese is smooth and slightly sweet. Use a high-quality, full-fat version.
2. Heavy cream - Also known as whipping cream or double cream, this has a fat content of between 36% and 40%. It needs to be very cold.
3. Powdered sugar - You will need a small amount of powdered sugar to whip up the cream.
4. Fresh strawberries and pistachio nuts - garnish your mini tarts with fresh strawberries and chopped pistachios for that classic French patisserie look.

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all Ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post

👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe

Before you make these mini strawberry custard tarts, check out my Ultimate Pâte Sablée Guide, which includes a video and explains everything in greater detail. I also have a detailed baking guide with tons of tips on how to make the perfect pastry cream (Creme Patissiere).

How to make tart crust

1. Sift together the flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl.
2. Add the very cold chunks of butter to the dry ingredients and rub the mixture between your hands until it becomes a sand-like consistency.
3. Add the egg and mix with your hands just until the dough comes together. It might look crumbly, but knead it with the palm of your hand for a minute or two until it becomes smooth.
4. Roll the dough out to 2mm thickness between two Silicone baking mats.
5. Place the rolled-out dough and baking mats into the freezer for 10-15 minutes whilst you prepare your oven rack with the perforated “air” baking mat and perforated tart rings on top.
6. Take the dough from the freezer, remove the top silicone mat, and use one of the perforated tart rings to cut out 8 circles to form the base of your tart crust. Move the dough circles into each tart ring.
7. Cut 8 long strips out of the dough to form the sides of each mini strawberry tart and carefully press them into the side of the rings so that they stick to them.
8. Place the tart rings into the freezer for one hour.
9. Preheat oven to 160C / 320F (no fan).
10. Take the pastry shells out of the freezer and trim the edges with a knife.
11. Bake the tart shells for 20 minutes, then remove the rings. Return to the oven for a further 5-10 minutes until they are an even golden brown.

💡 Top Tip: Wait for 1-2 minutes after taking the pastry from the oven for it to contract within the ring; it will be easier to remove. If it seems stuck to the ring, you need to bake it for a few more minutes before trying to remove it.

How to make pastry cream

1. Use a Hand whisk to mix together the sugar and egg yolks for about 1-2 minutes until fluffy.
2. Mix in the cornstarch, flour, and vanilla to form a smooth paste.
3. Warm the milk in a saucepan over medium heat to a simmering point, do not let it boil.
4. Slowly pour the warm milk over the egg yolk mixture whilst whisking vigorously with a Hand whisk.
5. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook on medium heat for a few minutes until it thickens.
6. If needed, strain the pastry cream through a sieve, then add the soft butter in 3 stages, mixing with a rubber spatula until incorporated.
7. Place the vanilla pastry cream into a shallow container and cover the entire surface with plastic wrap to avoid skin forming on top.
8. Chill the pastry cream in the fridge for 2-3 hours to allow it to set properly.

💡 Top Tip: The pastry cream might seem lumpy at first, but just keep whisking, and eventually, it will turn smooth and glossy.

How to assemble the mini strawberry tarts

1. Make the chantilly cream by whipping the mascarpone, heavy cream, and powdered sugar together until it reaches a creamy, fluffy consistency.
2. Place the pastry cream and chantilly creams into two piping bags, ready to finish the mini strawberry tarts with custard filling.
3. Pipe the tart cases full of vanilla custard cream and smooth off the surface with an offset spatula.
4. Pipe mounds of whipped chantilly cream on top of the pastry cream filling, then press down with a spoon.
5. Cut fresh strawberries into small pieces and arrange them on top of the whipped cream.
6. Garnish the mini strawberry custard tarts with chopped pistachios, and serve immediately.

💡 Top Tip: I don't use my stand mixer to whip the chantilly frosting, since it is really easy to overwhip it. Instead, use an electric hand whisk

📖 Flavor Variations & Substitutions

Once you have mastered this easy strawberry custard tarts recipe, you can adapt it to suit you. Try dusting with some cinnamon or swapping the strawberries for raspberries or blueberries. You can even try this chocolate pastry shell instead!

If you are baking around a dietary restriction or have run out of ingredients, check out my substitution guides.

❄️ Storage & Freezing

I recommend serving the mini strawberry custard tarts after assembling. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.

You can easily freeze the tart cases before or after baking; however, do not freeze the fully assembled mini strawberry tarts.

✨ Expert Tips To Make Mini Strawberry Tarts

1. It is important to keep the dough at the right temperature. If it ever gets too warm, place it in the freezer for 5 minutes before continuing. But if it is too cold, it can break.
2. If the pastry cream mixture is too thick a paste after adding the cornstarch and flour; mix in a very small amount of milk to slacken it. 
3. Don't overwhip the chantilly ingredients, or it can split and go runny. I don't use a stand mixer for this reason, as it is easier to overbeat.
4. Use paper kitchen towels to soak some juice out of the strawberries before garnishing the tarts to prevent the cream underneath from getting wet or soggy.

🥣 Equipment notes

Always weigh your ingredients by the gram using a digital scale for precision.

I recommend rolling out the pastry between 2 Silicone baking mats using a rolling pin. This eliminates the need for dusting flour. You can also use baking parchment paper.

The Perforated “air” baking mat is perfect for making tarts, éclairs, or even cookies. I use Perforated tart rings in the 8cm/3.14-inch size.

❓Recipe FAQs

✨ More Tart recipes

Make sure to also check out my Spring Desserts recipe collection!