American Flag Fruit Tart
American Flag Fruit Tart: For the first time in years, I didn’t think we’d be hosting a neighborhood 4th of July party. So I decided to make a festive, patriotic dessert before the holiday.
A sweet Pâte Sablée crust was topped with a luscious cream cheese filling and garnished with beautiful berries and, voila, a beautiful 4th of July Dessert!!
Note: This post may contain affiliate links; view my Disclosure Policy for details. I earn a small percentage from any purchase you make by clicking on these links at no extra cost to you.
Why You Must Make
- This yummy fruit tart recipe can be topped to look like an American flag or simply garnishwith vibrant, seasonal fruit. It’s not just for Independence Day.
- The combination of a buttery shortbread crust, no-cook cream cheese filling, and juicy fresh fruit is incredibly tasty!
- Your guests will be impressed with your creativity!!
After polling the neighbors in June, it looked like many would be out of town for the 4th. Bill and I decided to try to get everyone together later in the summer. But then I heard that two of the neighborhood husbands were really going to miss the annual grasshopper pie, so the festivities were back on!
Thankfully, Bill invited a couple of work associates over for dessert after a business dinner to help polish off this early bird 4th of July treat. Between their rave reviews and Bill’s, I think I’ve found a second Independence Day tradition!!
How to Make
- Make the crust in a food processor.
- Roll and fit into a tart pan.
- Bake as directed, then cool.
- Make the filling and scrape into the crust.
- Smooth the top, then decorate with fresh berries and whipped cream.
- Chill until ready to serve.
Expert Tips
- The crust can be made and baked a few days ahead of time. It can also be wrapped well and kept in the freezer for a month or even longer if it’s kept airtight.
- If you don’t like strawberries or they don’t look great in the market, red raspberries will also work well for your red stripes.
- If you want a glossy glaze on the fruit, gently heat some red currant jelly with just a touch of water. Whisk until smooth and wait until it cools down a bit before brushing the strawberries with this easy glaze.
Menu Suggestions
Whether you serve this on Memorial Day, the 4th of July, Labor Day, or a random summer day, you’ll want to round out your meal with some great summer fare. I recommend:
- Sour Cream Corn Dip
- Guacamole
- Beef Teriyaki Kabobs
- Best Marinated Chicken
- Italian Pesto Burgers
- California Burgers
- Summer Fruit Salad
- Tomato and Burrata Panzanella
- More Holiday Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
Blind baking or bake blind is a term that refers to a pastry shell that is baked before it is filled. It’s either pricked all over with a fork or lined with foil and filled with pie weights like dried beans so that the bottom of the crust stays snug against the pan as it bakes.
This technique is used when the filling does not need to be cooked or is cooked before adding to the crust.
There are four types of pastry crusts: Flaky, Brisée, Sucrée, Sablée.
Flaky is the typical flaky American pie crust where the fat is cut into the crust ingredients.
Brisée is a short, rich and flaky pie crust used for sweet and savory dishes like pies and quiche. It is usually made with very minimal or no sugar.
Sucrée is also a French term and is a rich, sweet short pastry used for pies, tarts, and filled cookies.
Sablée is a French term for sand and refers to a crumbly, shortbread-type crust.
You May Also Like:
- Fruit Tarts from Crazy for Crust
- French Silk Tart
- Chocolate Mousse Tart
- Creamy Lemon Tart
- Strawberry Lemon Tart
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Tart
American Flag Fruit Tart
A sweet pastry crust with a luscious cream cheese filling topped with berries and cream to resemble an American flag! Crust adapted from Dorie Greenspan.
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick plus 1 tablespoon (9 tablespoons) very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 large egg yolk
Filling:
- 2 packages (16 ounces) cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Topping:
- ½ pint blueberries
- 16 ounces fresh strawberries
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- To make the crust, put the flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine.½¼
- Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles cornmeal with some pea-sized chunks.
- Whisk the egg yolk, and add it a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. Continue pulsing with long 10-second pulses until the mixture comes together.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead until any extra flour is incorporated.
- Press the dough into an 11-inch greased tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Top with a piece of non-stick foil or buttered foil and press it onto the surface.
- Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
- When the crust is cooled, make the filling by placing all the filling ingredients in a bowl and beat until the mixture is smooth.
- Scrape into the tart shell and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
- To decorate, select the biggest blueberries and cut strawberries in half, removing the stems and hulls. Set aside.
- Whip cream with powdered sugar and pipe some rows of cream across the surface leaving enough space between the cream for rows of strawberries. Leave one corner free of whipped cream for the blueberries.
- Add strawberry halves, cut side down, in rows, then fill the open area with rows of blueberries.
- Keep chilled until you serve.
Notes
The crust can be made 2-3 days ahead of time. If not making for a holiday, use any berries you like.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 354Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 139mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 2gSugar: 39gProtein: 6g
41 Comments on “American Flag Fruit Tart”
Creative beautiful and looks delicious. Hope you had a good 4th !
American flag fruit tart is perfect treat I enjoyed yesterday with family.
That looks beautiful! Perfect for the celebration.
I’m replicating this dessert today. I’m only making 1/2 the recipe and making two small tarts (4 3/4 x3/4 inch in size). Do you have any suggestions modifications for the crust cooking times?
Hi, Olga,
Sorry I missed your question yesterday! I’d bake at 350 degrees and start peeking in at 20 minutes. If they’re lightly browned, pull them out. If not, bake 5+ more minutes. Hope you enjoy!
Made this for Memorial Day and everyone loved it and thought it was so festive.
I have a 4th of July birthday and THIS is what I want for my birthday!
This is such a fun addition to our 4th of July menu!! Thank you for the recipe!
This tart is almost too pretty to eat! But it’s fun, patriotic and a hit at my 4th of July party!
Liz it must have stuck in my mind. I just saw that I did post a reply from 2017. Wow I guess it left a HUGE impression on me.
OMG could I have had this design in my head from a year ago. I don’t recall ever seeing it but my tart looks just like this. I know it’s not the same but still. Well I think it’s beautiful and I’m sure yours tastes divine too! Hope you had a great 4th! Gee I’m sorry if I duplicated your design – if I did, it definitely wasn’t intentional.
This is the most beautiful dessert for 4th of July!
This tart is so darn cute! You are an artist. I love the simplicity of the recipe too. Wishing you a super week Liz!
I just love the way your decorated the tart, very creative.
It’s a beauty! Definitely tradition-worthy. I hope you had a great day on the Fourth!
Everything’s so pretty, dear! Love the presentation! xoxo
This is such a beautiful and festive fruit tart! Hope you had a wonderful 4th of July!
This is nice and we can try any country on it 🙂
Beautiful tart Liz! Thanks for the tips on baking the shell!
Love this, Liz! So pretty and sounds so yummy. July 4th is one of my favorite holidays!
This is so pretty, Liz! I so wanted to make a fruit tart but I just didn’t have the time to make all the components.
Wow this is so completely gorgeous! I LOVE your beautiful tart and hope to give it a try soon. Have a wonderful 4th of July Liz!
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous, Liz! I love how you piped the cream on in stars too. This is prize-winning pretty!
This sounds yummy. It would be a great dessert for the 4th of July. Hope you have a nice holiday!
This tart is great. (Thanks for doing your part to make a great country even greater with this American Flag Fruit Tart.) Glad the 4th of July party is back on and that the Doc’s got some sugar after business. If I had a meeting, I would want to have it at your house. Loved your Switzerland photos.
What a gorgeous cake! Hope you have a wonderful July 4th holiday!
Just gorgeous.
Now this is one patriotic tart! Looks so good.
I love this Liz. Your flag tart would definitely be a hit at my house. How fun and festive!
This is one gorgeous tart! Wishing we were neofhrnos so I could come share! 😉
That is absolutely stunning! Yummy!
I love this so much. I think we’d fight over the blueberry slices! Our holiday celebrations have gotten more low key the past few years.. hopefully we can get them picked back up next year. Have a wonderful celebration!
Woo-hoo a no bake filling! This also comes together in no time which is also a big plus and it’s pretty. I didn’t think you had posted because I wasn’t getting the usual email notification. Happy that I popped in and now I’ll play catch up!
This tart looks absolutely perfect! I love that whipped cream piping.
That is beautiful Liz! – food art.
What a beautiful tart! It would be a gorgeous and delicious way to celebrate Independence Day!
As always your desserts are stunning! If I made this it would look like a 2 year old made it. LOL Looks perfect for a 4th celebration.
that is absolute Food Art at its finest Happy 4th and stay safe I already know you will be eating well!
What a beautiful and festive tart! Love the cream cheese filling! Have a wonderful 4th!
Your crust…well, your whole tart looks terrific, Liz. I hope to find my tart pan so I can make my own 4th of July tart =) P.s. Since you’re not obligated to give a party this year; why not catch a flight to California?
What a beautiful cream cheese fruit tart! Love that simple cream cheese filling! Have a safe holiday, Liz.