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Cream Cheese Fruit Tart with Almond Crust Recipe [GF]: A Series on Hospitality

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Cream Cheese Fruit Tart

Cream Cheese Fruit Tart with Almond Crust [GF]


Last week I hosted a brunch, invited a few friends to join me, and made this Cream Cheese Fruit Tart with Almond Crust for the occasion. I am better, life is better, when I’ve had time with good friends around my table—it is pure joy.

It wasn’t always that way. At one point in my life I was more focused on entertaining than being hospitable, making sure everything was … perfect. (I cringe just thinking about what I put myself and my family through.)

Remember the scene in the movie Gladiator when Russell Crowe slayed multiple opponents and yells this to the crowd?


“Are you not entertained!”

“Are you not entertained!”

The sword could just as easily be a dirty pan being flung across the kitchen at midnight, wondering if the 15 hours spent to make that dinner party happen was even worth it …

Been there? I have. When we feel this way, I think it is because we confuse hospitality with entertaining. The heart and motivation behind each is different, though sometimes exists in the same space. The way I see it, hospitality is welcoming and warmly facilitating, entertaining is performing—they are synonyms, but they are not the same. The recipes and practical advice in this series will focus on the life-giving spirit of hospitality and leave behind the pressure to please through performance.

We will cover topics like invitations (who to invite), what to serve (more recipes), making your space work (dealing with limited space), exploring the ‘why bother?’ (no joy), and how to use what you already have. I’ll throw in some ideas on large groups (800 is my top set limit) and intimate evenings (this is certain to gross-out my kids), just to keep it interesting. 😉

Now let’s be real. I’m not claiming to be an expert on the matter, but I have survived both ends of the love-hate spectrum of having people over and settled on the side of loving it. This not only took practical experience, it took an attitude adjustment as well. I hope you find this series tasty, helpful, and encouraging.

I do hope you’ll join the conversation in the comments too—offering words of wisdom or posing questions.

Now back to my brunch of friends and this delightful Cream Cheese Fruit Tart with Almond Crust. Several friends were avoiding wheat or grains, so I was on the hunt for a special treat everyone could enjoy. Oh, boy did we! Luscious cream cheese filling spread over an almond crust, topped with fresh fruit and a tangy citrus glaze. It was the favorite of the brunch—thankfully I made two, so the fam was pretty happy to see some left when they got home. No one was allergic to nuts, so the almond crust was perfect. I have found among gluten-free flours, almond flour is the most tender in baked goods, without the grittiness of rice flours. I was very pleased with how it performed here; the crust is tender, not as dense as pastry or shortbread type crusts.

Of course, you can use a favorite pastry crust or try one of these versions of tart crusts: Easy Tart Crust at Epicurious, Shortbread Tart Crust at Dianas Desserts, or a Gingersnap Cookie Crust by Amy Tobin.

Sweetened only with enough honey to accentuate the fresh fruit, this tart isn’t so sweet you’ll regret eating it before lunch, yet also makes a light, refreshing dessert.  The components can all be made in advance and then assembled when needed—I made mine the night before the brunch so there was less to do that morning. The fruit topping is what makes the tart so beautiful, as well as its glistening glaze. Vibrant berries, mandarin oranges, peaches, plums, pear, mango, pineapple, or nectarines can also be used for the fruit topping; the cream cheese filling is a blank canvas for your creation.

For more examples, I’ve created a Pinterest board labeled ‘Fruit Tarts‘ you can check out for inspiration.

Cream Cheese Fruit Tart which is almost whole, but the camera was late to the meeting.

Cream Cheese Fruit Tart which is almost whole, but the camera was late to the meeting. Do you like how I just poured the glaze on? You can use a more delicate approach, but the glaze was so good I wanted it all on there.

Inspired by Fruit Pizza by Simply Living Healthy.

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Cream Cheese Fruit Tart with Almond Crust Recipe [GF]

Luscious cream cheese filling spread over an almond crust, topped with fresh fruit and a tangy citrus glaze. Sweetened with honey, so there’s no refined sugar — enjoy with brunch or as a refreshing dessert. [Gluten and Grain-Free]

  • Author:
  • Prep Time: 50 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 1 - 8 inch tart
  • Category: Dessert, Brunch

Ingredients

For the Crust:

  • 1 cup almond flour — + 2 tablespoons for High Altitude
  • 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon butter — melted, plus more for greasing the pan
  • 3 tablespoons honey — or coconut palm sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

For the Glaze:

  • 1/2 cup orange juice or grapefruit juice — freshly squeezed, without pulp
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons tapioca starch — or cornstarch

For the Filling:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese — softened, room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice — fresh squeezed
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the Fruit Topping:

  • strawberries — stems removed, halved, quartered, or sliced
  • blueberries — leave whole
  • kiwi fruit — peeled and sliced across to create rounds

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom of 8″ tart pan or line with parchment paper.

For the Crust:

  1. Mix almond flour and salt in a mixing bowl to incorporate salt (if using coconut palm sugar, add that into the dry ingredients here). In another bowl, blend egg, butter, honey, and almond extract. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until well blended. Pour into tart pan and smooth with spatula to form an even crust.
  2. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack before adding filling.

For the Glaze:

  1. Mix orange juice, honey, and tapioca starch in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring to combine. When mixture begins to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring constantly, until glaze thickens–2-3 minutes. Transfer glaze to a bowl and allow to cool completely before glazing the tart.

For the Filling:

  1. Using a mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add honey, lemon juice, zest, and vanilla to the cream cheese and mix until well blended. Set filling aside until crust and glaze are completely cooled. These steps can all be done in advance and reserved until tart is ready to assemble and serve.

For the Fruit Topping:

  1. Prepare fruit in the manner you prefer. In this application, strawberries were quartered, kiwi was sliced, blueberries remained whole.

Assembling the Tart:

  1. Once the crust is completely cooled, spread cream cheese filling evenly over crust — an icing spatula works wonderfully here to create a smooth finish. Arrange prepared fruit over the filling in any design you choose. Whether you overlap the fruit, completely cover the filling, or allow it to peek through is up to you.
  2. Once all the fruit is in place, use a pastry brush to gently apply the glaze to the fruit, or use a spoon to drizzle glaze over the tart, just be sure to cover the fruit. Don’t be shy, the glaze is not just for looks, it also adds a pleasing citrus accent to the tart.
  3. Chill until ready to serve. Serve within 24-48 hours.

Notes

If using coconut palm sugar for the crust, the mixture will be thicker, but can still be spread with a pastry knife to form a smooth crust.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: Serves 8-10
Cream Cheese Fruit Tart with Almond Crust -- Ready to take a bite!

Cream Cheese Fruit Tart with Almond Crust — Ready to take a bite!

Shared on the following Blog Hops:
Real Food Whole Health Fresh Bites Friday
The Nourishing Gourmet Pennywise Platter Thursday
Real Food Forager Fat Tuesday

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Comments

  4. What a beautiful tart, Judy! You really made your friends feel special when you set this on the table before them. Now *that’s* being hospitable!

    Reply

  6. What a delicious looking tart! So colorful and yummy!!! Love the crust! Yes, I do know what you mean about hospitality vs. entertaining. We gave a dinner party last night and I had to keep reminding my husband, the perfectionist – “it’s o.k. if it’s not perfect. Let’s just have fun!” 🙂 Hope you’re having a great weekend!

    Reply

    • Hi MJ, I do hope you had a wonderful time with your dinner party, it is far more enjoyable when we let go of perfectionism–I know how hard that is too–and our guests are more at ease as well. The tart is delicious and beautiful on any table; good thing it’s easier to make than it looks (love food like that!). 🙂

      Reply

    • Thanks Julia, I appreciate your kind comment! You are right, having too many, too often, can get overwhelming rather quickly–I learned to set healthy boundaries after crashing a couple of times. Knowing when to say ‘Yes’ is key. Good to see you in the comments again — have a great Sunday!

      Reply

  9. Great looking tart! I love fruit tarts, both because of their eye appeal and their flavor is so awesome. And I absolutely am with you on the different between entertaining and hospitality. We used to do the former, and now practice only the latter. Great idea for a series.

    Reply

    • Thanks so much John, the idea that the eyes take the first bite is so true–the beautiful fruit makes is especially appealing. Glad to know you can relate with the upcoming series, it is dear to my heart.

      Reply

    • Hi Pauline, thanks for stopping by and your kind comment, I appreciate that. It was great to discover your blog yesterday and your post about the conference you attended — really good stuff. Have a great week. 🙂

      Reply

  12. This would be perfect at my Easter Brunch. Judy, you really hit the nail on the head for me. As I have gotten a little older, I realize that it’s much better to be relaxed and create a menu that is pleasant but not overly ambitious. Hospitality is really a much friendlier way to think of “having people over” than entertaining. What a great post!

    Reply

  14. I was so excited when I came across this recipe. I made it for my family last night and we all loved it. The crust was a little tricky to spread as it was very sticky, but well worth it. I will be making this again this weekend for Father’s Day. Thanks so much for a great recipe.

    Reply

    • Aw, thanks Karen for taking time to comment and let me know you liked it — that feedback is so helpful as well as encouraging. 🙂 Hope your family has a great Father’s Day weekend.

      Reply

    • Thanks, Mandy, it is and easy one that everyone loves. I always think of my blogging friends on the other side of the world as our seasons change … it is getting colder here, so I know you are ready to feel the warm sun on your face there. 🙂

      Reply

    • Jean, I would start at 4-5 minutes, and then check it every minute or so. Even if the crust gets a little more than lightly browned it won’t hurt it. Think of it like toasting almonds, which is what the crust is primarily. The darker the crust, the more toasted almond flavor. 🙂

      Reply

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