Strawberry Basil Tart Recipe
This strawberry basil tart recipe is the perfect summer dessert when fresh strawberries and basil are growing in abundance. You can also supplement with frozen strawberries out of season so, win-WIN.
When planning my dessert trio for my pastry school final, I decided to make a strawberry basil compote to go inside puff pastry. At the end of the assessment, when the chef was walking around talking to us about our dishes, he gave me a firm head nod and said “That strawberry-basil compote? I liked that.”
So I decided to recreate it into a tart, because why not have an abundance of that good good stuff?!
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STRAWBERRY BASIL TART RECIPE
With the balance of sweet and tangy mixed within a delicious pastry crust, this tart hits all the right notes in every bite. Once you blind bake your bottom crust, you’ll fill it with a strawberry basil almost-jam before topping with petals of tart dough.
If you’re looking for a dessert that brings a burst of summer (and beauty) to the table, well my friend… you’ve found her.
What’s the difference between a pie and a tart? While they’re similar, a pie is typically deeper and filled more heavily, whereas a tart has a thinner crust and a more even ratio of crust to filling.
INGREDIENTS
- Unsalted butter: Creates richness, tenderness, and a flaky pastry texture in the crust.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens the crust while keeping it soft and tender.
- Salt: Enhances overall flavor and balances sweetness.
- All-purpose flour: Provides structure and stability to the tart crust.
- Egg yolks: Bind the dough, adding richness and tenderness, plus a golden finish when brushed on top
- Turbinado sugar: Adds crunch and sparkle to the top crust.
- Strawberries: Form the juicy, sweet-tart base of the filling.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the filling and draws out the strawberries’ juices.
- Lemons: Add brightness and acidity to balance sweetness.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the filling so it sets cleanly when sliced.
- Basil leaves: Infuse the filling with fresh, aromatic herbal flavor.
What’s the purpose of pre-cooking tart filling? You’ll need to cook off some of that excess liquid in the strawberry-basil mixture, so it thickens nicely as it bakes, prevents your crust from becoming soggy, and gives you clean slices once cooled.
HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY BASIL TART
To make the pastry dough…
Place the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter and rub it into the mixture until it resembles fine sand, or pulse everything together in a food processor.
Add the beaten egg yolk and cut it through the mixture with a dough scraper, or pulse briefly in the food processor until the dough begins to come together. Dump the mixture onto your work surface and gently compress it into a shaggy mass.
Using a dough scraper or your hand, smear small sections of dough outward and scrape them back together until no dry spots remain. Gently form the dough into a ball and divide it in half.
Place one half between folded parchment and roll into an 11-inch circle, then repeat with the remaining dough. Refrigerate both rounds flat for 30 minutes.
Blind baking your pastry crust…
Lightly loosen the chilled dough and fit one round into your greased tart pan, pressing it evenly into the edges and ensuring consistent thickness throughout. Roll a pin across the rim to trim excess and patch any thick spots as needed.
Dock the bottom with a fork and refrigerate the shell for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 320°F on the convection setting.
Place the tart pan on a cookie sheet, line the crust with crinkled parchment, and fill with baking weights or rice. Blind bake on a rack in the top third of the oven for 11–13 minutes, until the edges just begin to brown.
Carefully remove the weights and parchment, then return the crust to the oven for 4 more minutes. Cool completely in the pan.
Making your strawberry basil filling…
If using fresh strawberries, halve or quarter them and place them in a medium pot. Add the sugar and lemon zest, stir to combine, and cook over medium-high heat.
Once the mixture thickens, add the lemon juice, bring to a boil, and stir in the cornstarch. Continue cooking, stirring regularly, until the mixture reduces by at least one third.
Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped or torn basil leaves. Let the filling cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to evenly steep the basil flavor.
Finishing your strawberry basil tart recipe…
Pour the filling into the cooled crust, leaving about ¼ inch of space below the rim to prevent overflow. Let the tart sit uncovered at room temperature for 15–20 minutes so the surface can set slightly.
Preheat the oven again to 320°F on convection. Cut the remaining pastry into petal shapes and arrange them concentrically over the filling to form a flower design.
Whisk an egg with a splash of water to make an egg wash, brush it over the top crust, and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Chill the assembled tart for 8 minutes.
Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the top crust is golden brown.
3 reasons you’ll love this strawberry basil tart recipe
TIPS & VARIATIONS
- Don’t roll your dough wider than a maximum of 12 inches. Your crust should be around 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick, otherwise it won’t lay evenly in the pan and won’t hold when sliced.
- Make sure to cook down your strawberry-basil filling by at least a third, to properly thicken it before baking. This will help it set once cooled and prevent your crust from being soggy.
- When adding to the tart shell, leave about 1/4-inch of space between the top of your filling and the top edge of your tart crust. Repurpose any leftover filling by sassing up your water, spreading onto a scone, or even reduce it and add it to buttercream!
- Don’t pull your tart from the oven too soon. It should have a nice golden color on top once baked, which will allow it to set and hold once sliced. And, again, no soggy bottom!
MAKING AHEAD & STORING
The strawberry basil filling can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days before baking in your tart shell. The dough can also be made the day before and stored in the fridge until ready to bake.
Once baked, the tart should be stored wrapped in the fridge. It will last for up to 3 days.
MORE RECIPES WITH HERBS
- Earl Grey Lavender Shortbread Cookies
- Soft Rosemary Challah Rolls
- Easy Peach-Basil Puff Pastry Tarts
- Lemon Basil Scones
- Simple Mushroom & Rosemary Galette
EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED
- Large Bowl
- Dough Scraper
- Fork
- Parchment Paper
- Rolling Pin
- 9-inch Tart Pan
- Pie weights or baking beans/rice*
- Pot
- Spoon
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Pastry Brush
Equipment
- Large Bowl
- Dough Scraper
- Fork
- Parchment Paper
- Rolling Pin
- Tart Pans two 4.5-inch pans or one 9-inch pan
- Pie weights or baking beans/rice*
- Pot
- Spoon
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Pastry Brush
Ingredients
- 16 tbsp unsalted butter cubed
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 ⅕ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 large egg yolks beaten
- 1 egg beaten for brushing crust, optional
- turbinado sugar optional for top crust sprinkling
- 3 cups Strawberries
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 2.5 Lemons zested and juiced
- 5 tsp cornstarch
- 1 ¼ cup basil leaves
Instructions
CRUST
- Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and give them a quick stir to combine.
- Add butter, gently stir to coat, and rub the butter through the dry ingredients to combine until a fine, sand-like consistency. You can also do this in a food processor by adding the dry ingredients and the butter, pulsing until fine.
- Add beaten egg yolk and cut through the mixture with a dough scraper or pulse in your food processor.
- Gently compress the dough with a dough scraper to begin to bring it together into a ball, then dump the dough and any “dust” onto your work surface. If using a food processor, dump the mixture onto the counter and compress.
- Gently smear out a few sections with a dough scraper or your hand – pushing a section out – and then scraping it back together, towards the dough ball. Keep an eye on your dough, once there are no more dry spots stop mixing.
- Gently form your dough into a ball of sorts and cut it in half. One half will be for the bottom of your tart, the other for the top. Place one half between a folded piece of parchment paper (roughly 12-13 inches wide when folded) and roll into an 11-inch* circle. Repeat with the other half.
- Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes, making sure to keep it flat.
- Lightly loosen the edges of the dough so it fits into your greased tart pan. Use a bit of excess dough with a little bit of flour to gently press dough into the edges, making sure the dough is a consistent thickness throughout.
- Use a rolling pin to roll off any excess dough from the rim. Press in any thick spots remaining.
- Fork dough at the bottom of the tin and place back in the fridge for another 10 minutes.
- Preheat to 320°F on the convection setting
- Place the tart onto a cookie sheet. Crinkle a bit of parchment paper and lay it into the pie, on top of the tart dough, then fill with rice/baking beans and gently even out.
- Place the cookie sheet with tart into the oven on a rack placed in the top third and blind bake for 11-13 minutes, until edges just begin to brown.
- Gently to avoid tearing, remove weights/beans/rice and return to oven another 4 minutes.
- Cool completely, keeping the crust in the tart pan
FILLING
- If using fresh strawberries, halve and quarter them before adding them to a medium pot.
- Add sugar and zest to berries, and stir. Place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Once the mixture thickens, add the lemon juice, boil, and stir in your cornstarch.
- Allow mixture to reduce down by at least a third – stirring regularly.
- Remove from heat and stir in your chopped or torn basil leaves. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to ensure the basil flavor is evenly steeped.
- Pour strawberry filling into lightly cooled crust. Don’t overfill! Depending on how juicy your strawberries are, the mixture likely will make a little extra so leave a lip of crust about ¼” between the top of your filling and the top of the crust. See tip section for how to use any leftovers!
- Leave the filled tart on the counter uncovered, so the filling can “dry” – aka the top should appear less wet – for 15-20 minutes
- Preheat oven to 320°F on the convection setting
- Using a cookie cutter, cut the second half of your rolled raw pastry crust into petals. Place concentrically from rim to center to form a flower, with the top tip of the flower pointing to the edge of the pan.
- Make an egg wash by cracking an egg into a bowl and adding a splash of water if needed to loosen. Beat with a fork until combined, then brush the top crust with the egg mixture, and sprinkle with coarse sugar
- Place in fridge for 8 minutes
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until top crust is golden
- Enjoy!
