Fresh Fruit Tarts with Chocolate Shells

These beautiful mini Fruit Tarts are just as delicious as they look with rich chocolate shells, orange pastry cream and loads of fresh fruit. Finished with a glossy passion fruit glaze, they’re an impressive dessert for parties, showers and special occasions. Colorful, elegant and sure to be a hit with friends and family!

Love the thrill of making tarts? Make sure to try my Salted Caramel Chocolate Truffle Tart, Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Tart, Easy Apple Tart and this Summer Fruit Tart!

Fruit Tarts with Chocolate Pastry Shell

Chocolate and orange are a classic combination for a reason, but add silky smooth pastry cream, fresh fruit and a glossy fruit glaze to the mix and things get seriously delicious. These Chocolate Fruit Tarts feature a chocolate pastry filled with a mouthwatering orange pastry cream and topped with an assortment of colorful fresh fruit. These adorable mini fruit tarts look fancy enough for special occasions, but you can make the components ahead of time to keep things relaxed when it’s time to serve.

Each little tartlet delivers a mix of rich chocolate, bright orange, sweet fruit and a hint of tangy passion fruit. The chocolate pastry makes the perfect base for the creamy citrus filling, while the fresh fruit adds a beautiful pop of color and freshness. If you’ve been looking for a chocolate fruit tart recipe that feels impressive without being overly complicated, these individual tartlets are just the thing.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

There is something extra fun about individual desserts, especially when they look this pretty. These mini fruit tarts are perfect for entertaining, but they’re also a wonderful excuse to make an ordinary day feel a little more special.

• Chocolate and orange are the perfect pair: The rich chocolate pastry balances the bright, citrusy orange pastry cream beautifully.
• Fresh and colorful: An assortment of berries and other fresh fruit makes every tartlet look like a tiny work of edible art.
• Make-ahead friendly: The pastry cream and tartlet shells can be prepared the day before, making assembly much easier.
• Perfect for entertaining: Five individual tartlets make a beautiful dessert for dinner parties, showers, brunches, or special celebrations.
• No pie weights required: The chocolate pastry shells are baked without pie weights, keeping the process a little simpler.

How To Make Fruit Tarts

It’s time to make these elegant Chocolate Fruit Tarts! Follow these easy steps to make the creamy orange pastry cream, chocolate tart shells and fresh fruit topping. As always, you’ll find the full printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Orange Pastry Cream

1. Heat milk and orange juice until steaming. Let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in until smooth and slightly thickened.
2. Temper by slowly whisking the warm mixture into the yolk mixture, then return everything to the saucepan.
3. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream gently boils and thickens. Continue cooking for 30 to 60 seconds.
4. Remove from the heat and add vanilla extract and butter, then whisk until completely smooth. Chill the pastry cream with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface.

Chocolate Tart Dough

1. Mix flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, salt and cold butter in a stand mixer until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
2. Add the egg yolk and vanilla, mix until combined.
3. Drizzle in just enough cold water or milk for the dough to come together into a soft, non-sticky dough.
4. Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Chill the rolled dough on a baking sheet for at least 1 hour or overnight.
5. Butter five to six mini tart pans with removable bottoms. Cut circles and press the dough into the pan. Trim the edges and prick the bottoms with a fork.
6. Chill the lined tartlet pans for another 20 to 30 minutes to help prevent shrinking. Bake the tartlet shells on a baking sheet for 12 to 15 minutes at 350°F. Cool completely, then gently remove them.

Assemble the Tartlets

1. Whisk the chilled orange pastry cream lightly to loosen it.
2. Fill each cooled tartlet shell with pastry cream.
3. Arrange the fresh fruit over the pastry cream in a generous, slightly domed layer. Brush the fruit lightly with the cooled passion fruit glaze.
4. Serve the tartlets chilled or at cool room temperature.

Storage Information

These are best on the day of assembly, but leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to one day. The crust will gradually soften from the pastry cream and fruit.

• Make-Ahead: For the best results, make the orange pastry cream and chocolate tart shells up to one day ahead. Keep the pastry cream refrigerated and store the cooled shells in an airtight container at room temperature.
• Refrigerator: Assemble the tarts on the day you plan to serve them. Once assembled, they can be refrigerated for up to 1 day, although the chocolate pastry will gradually soften as it sits with the pastry cream and fruit.
• Freezer: The baked tartlet shells can also be frozen for up to 1 month. Cool them completely, place them in an airtight freezer-safe container, and thaw at room temperature before filling. The assembled tartlets and orange pastry cream should not be frozen.

Variations To Try

• Change up the fruit: Use strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, kiwi, sliced stone fruit, or well-drained mandarin segments.
• Try an apricot glaze: If passion fruit jam isn’t available, apricot jam makes an excellent substitute.
• Use vanilla bean: Replace the vanilla extract in the pastry cream with vanilla bean for tiny vanilla specks and an extra-special presentation.
• Make one large tart: You can use a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom instead of making individual tartlets. For a larger tart, blind baking is recommended.

Frequently Asked Questions

Trish’s Tips

• Make the pastry cream first. It needs the most chilling time, so getting it out of the way first makes the rest of the recipe easier.
• Roll the dough before chilling it. Chilling the dough after rolling makes it much easier to work with than trying to roll it once it has become very firm.
• Keep that butter cold. Cold butter helps create a tender, crisp chocolate pastry.
• Don’t skip the second chill. Giving the lined tartlet pans another 20 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator helps reduce shrinking during baking.
• Prick the pastry well. A generous scattering of fork holes helps prevent the bottoms from puffing up too much.
• Don’t worry about pie weights. These tart shells have been tested without them. If the bottoms puff during baking, simply press them down gently with the back of a spoon.
• Dry your fruit well. Excess moisture is not a friend of crisp pastry. Drain canned or jarred fruit thoroughly and gently pat fresh fruit dry before arranging it on the tartlets.
• Assemble close to serving time. The tarts are at their best when the chocolate pastry is still crisp and the fruit is fresh and vibrant.

More Fruit Desserts To Try

1. Lemon Blueberry Bread
2. Strawberry Shortcake Cake
3. Lemon Cream Puffs
4. Blueberry Coffee Cake
5. Banana Split Dessert

Fruit Tarts with Chocolate Shell

These beautiful mini Fruit Tarts are just as delicious as they look with rich chocolate shells, orange pastry cream and loads of fresh fruit. Finished with a glossy passion fruit glaze, they’re an impressive dessert for parties, showers and special occasions. Colorful, elegant and sure to be a hit with friends and family!

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr 31 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Chill Time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 43 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 5

Calories 593 kcal

Ingredients

 

Orange pastry cream

• 1 cup whole milk 240 ml
• ½ cup orange juice fresh, preferably strained and pulp-free (120 ml)
• 3 medium egg yolks
• ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 g
• 5 tablespoons cornstarch 35 g
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter room temperature (15 g)

Chocolate tartlet shells

• 1 ¼ cups all‑purpose flour sifted (150 g)
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 25 g
• ½ cup powdered sugar 60 g
• ⅛ teaspoon fine salt a pinch, about 1 g
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cold , cut into small cubes (90 g)
• 1 medium egg yolk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract optional
• 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water or milk, just enough to bring the dough together, 15–25 g

Passion Fruit Glaze

• 2 tablespoons passion fruit jam
• 1 tablespoon water

Fruit Topping – An Assortment of Fresh Fruit

• 2 pounds fruit such as halved strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, red currants, small clementine or mandarin segments (from a jar, well drained), kiwi slices
• fresh mint leaves for garnish (optional)

Instructions

 

Make The Pastry Cream

• Start with the pastry cream; it needs to chill the longest (at least 2 hours, preferably 3 hours or overnight).
• In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and orange juice. Gently heat over medium heat until steaming, then remove from the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes.
  1 cup whole milk, ½ cup orange juice
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch until smooth and slightly thickened.
  3 medium egg yolks, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 5 tablespoons cornstarch
• Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan.
• Cook over medium heat, whisking vigorously and continuously (including the sides of the pan), until the cream comes to a gentle boil and thickens. Let it bubble for 30–60 seconds to cook out the starch, whisking the whole time.
• Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract and butter until completely smooth.
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Pour the pastry cream into a shallow dish. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.
• When you are ready to fill the tartlets, lightly whisk the cold pastry cream to loosen it up.

Make The Chocolate Tartlet Dough

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar and salt.
  1 ¼ cups all‑purpose flour, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ cup powdered sugar, ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
• Add the cold butter cubes to the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
  6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix to combine. Drizzle in just enough cold water or milk for the dough to come together into a soft but not sticky dough.
  1 medium egg yolk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water
• Place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface and lightly flour it. Place the dough on top and cover with a second sheet of parchment. Roll the dough out to about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. You will have about two flat rectangles of dough.
• Leave the dough sandwiched between the parchment sheets, lay it flat on a baking sheet, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Line And Bake The Tartlet Shells

• Lightly butter the mini tart pans.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and peel off the top sheet of parchment. Cut out circles slightly larger than your tartlet pans. Gently press the dough circles into the pans, making sure the dough is evenly pressed across the bottom and up the sides. Trim the edges and check that the thickness is even.
• Prick the bases with a fork. Chill the lined pans for another 20–30 minutes to help prevent shrinking.
• Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).
• Place the tartlet shells on a baking sheet and bake for 12–15 minutes total. There’s no need to blind‑bake with weights. After about 6–7 minutes, check the shells; if the bottoms have puffed up, carefully press them back down with the back of a spoon and return to the oven for the remaining bake time.
• Let the tartlet shells cool completely in the pans, then gently remove them.

Make the passion fruit glaze

• In a small microwave‑safe bowl, combine the passion fruit jam and water.
  2 tablespoons passion fruit jam, 1 tablespoon water
• Microwave for about 30 seconds, or until melted and liquid. Stir until smooth, then let cool to room temperature before using.

Assemble the tartlets

• Fill each cooled tartlet shell with orange pastry cream, smoothing the top with a spoon or offset spatula.
• Arrange the fresh fruit on top in any design you like, building a generous, slightly domed layer.
  2 pounds fruit
• Using a pastry brush or small spoon, lightly coat the fruit with the cooled passion fruit glaze.
• Garnish with a few small mint leaves, if desired.
  fresh mint leaves

Chill and serve

• Serve the tartlets chilled or at cool room temperature. They are best on the day of assembly but keep well in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.

Notes

Storage Information

These are best on the day of assembly, but leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to one day. The crust will gradually soften from the pastry cream and fruit.

• Make-Ahead: For the best results, make the orange pastry cream and chocolate tart shells up to one day ahead. Keep the pastry cream refrigerated and store the cooled shells in an airtight container at room temperature.
• Refrigerator: Assemble the tarts on the day you plan to serve them. Once assembled, they can be refrigerated for up to 1 day, although the chocolate pastry will gradually soften as it sits with the pastry cream and fruit.
• Freezer: The baked tartlet shells can also be frozen for up to 1 month. Cool them completely, place them in an airtight freezer-safe container, and thaw at room temperature before filling. The assembled tartlets and orange pastry cream should not be frozen.

---

Notes

• Try an apricot glaze: If passion fruit jam isn’t available, apricot jam makes an excellent substitute.
• Make one large tart: You can use a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom instead of making individual tartlets. For a larger tart, blind baking is recommended.
• For the chocolate tartlets, the dough is rolled out between parchment sheets before chilling. If you chill the dough first and roll it out afterward, it becomes quite firm and much harder work to roll to ⅛ inch (3 mm) thickness.

---

Equipment Needed (affiliate links): Mini Tart Pans | Rolling Pin | Glass Mixing Bowls |Electric Mixer (Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer)| Kitchen Scale |  Whisk | Pastry Brush | Baking Sheet 

---

Please see post above for more information, step-by-step photos, recipe tips and frequently asked questions.

Nutrition

Calories: 593kcalCarbohydrates: 93gProtein: 9gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 204mgSodium: 101mgPotassium: 412mgFiber: 5gSugar: 50gVitamin A: 1390IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 108mgIron: 3mg

Keyword chocolate fruti tarts, fruit tart, fruit tart recipe, fruit tarts, mini fruit tarts

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!