Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email below & we’ll send it to your inbox. Plus get great new recipes from us every week!

Try a delightful Sugar Cookie Fruit Tart, where the classic fruit tart gets a charming twist. This recipe simplifies the traditional fruit tart with a sugar cookie base, combining the buttery, sweet foundation with the fresh zing of berries. Perfect for those who love fruit tarts but crave an easier and equally delicious alternative.

I love fruit tarts, but I wanted to simplify the process without sacrificing flavor. That’s where the idea for a sugar cookie base comes in. These tarts are a fusion of my love for fruit’s natural sweetness and the comforting, homey feel of sugar cookies. Their simplicity and flavor are prefect for any baker who wants to impress with minimal fuss.

Sugar cookie fruit tarts with sliced berries

The Chemistry of a Sugar Cookie Fruit Tart

The sugar cookie base of these showcases the beauty of baking chemistry. The creaming of butter, shortening and sugar creates a light and airy base, essential for a tender crust. Eggs act as binders, while the combination of baking powder and cornstarch ensures a perfect rise, yielding a base that’s firm yet delicate. Topped with creamy frosting and fresh berries, these tarts are a delightful play on textures and flavors, where each component complements the others perfectly.

Heart-shaped cookies with white frosting are beautifully set up on a plate with fresh raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries—like a colorful fruit tart! Nearby are more frosted cookies chilling next to a piping bag and bowl.

What makes a sugar cookie tart base different from traditional pastry?

A sugar cookie base is simpler to make and has a sweeter, more buttery flavor compared to traditional tart pastry, offering a unique twist to the classic dessert.

Can you use different fruits for the topping?

Absolutely! Feel free to top your tarts with a variety of fruits, from mixed berries to slices of kiwi or peaches, depending on your preferences and seasonality.

Sugar cookie fruit tarts with sliced berries

Best way to store sugar cookie fruit tarts?

Store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container and enjoy within 2-3 days for optimal freshness.

Can the sugar cookie dough be made ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare the dough in advance and refrigerate it. Simply roll it out and bake when you’re ready to assemble tarts.

The kitchen counters a mess, but in a good way! Theres flour in the mixing bowl, sugar chillin in a cup, two butter sticks ready for action, and little bowls of vanilla extract and baking powder. Youve got an egg yolk hanging out in a glass dish and a whole egg waiting to join the party. Time to whip up that tasty fruit tart!.

What is in a sugar cookie fruit tart?

Unsalted Butter

It is always important to use unsalted butter when baking. If you use salted butter, you have no way of knowing how much salt you are adding to your dough or batter and it will result in an overly salted treat.

Butter adds fats to your dough or batter which helps with moistness, flavor and texture. Butter melts at body temperature, which creates a ‘melt in your mouth’ sensation.

When baking with butter, the temperature is important. If the butter is too warm, your treat will melt too fast and overspread in the oven, leaving you with a greasy, flat mess. If your butter is too cold, it will have the opposite problem and not melt down enough, leaving your treat too thick.

Shortening

Being 100% fat, it provides a flakier texture and prevents spreading because it does not melt down in the oven.

Granulated Sugar

Adds sweetness, provides a caramelized flavor and crisp texture. Sugar assists with rising when creamed with butter. It helps add moisture to your treat and helps it evenly spread as it melts into a liquid in the heat of the oven. Sugar also helps with naturally preserving your baked treat.

Almond Extract

Adds a unique sweet and nutty flavor to your dough.

Vanilla Extract

When using pure vanilla extract, as opposed to imitation flavoring, it will add the deep rich flavor that everybody wants in a treat.

Eggs

Adds both a protein (egg whites) and fat (egg yolks). The egg whites help with rising because, when foamed, little air pockets get trapped inside the egg white mixture. The water content in egg whites encourages steam while baking, which helps with gluten formation, resulting in nice and thick treats. Egg yolks have emulsifying properties that bring batters and doughs together and help them from collapsing. Unless otherwise specified, always use large eggs.

Egg Yolks

Adding extra egg yolks to your batter will add extra richness and chewiness to your cookie or brownie.

All-purpose Flour

Builds structure as it absorbs liquids and expands. All-purpose flour falls in the middle of bread flour (high in gluten) and cake flour (low in gluten). It’s exactly what it is named, all-purpose, the most universal flour that can be used in most baked goods.

Baking Powder

Puffs up your batter or dough instead of spreading it out. Baking powder contains a little bit of baking soda, an acid & cornstarch. Because of this, it only needs a liquid to react. It also consists of two different acids, so it’s double reacting. It reacts as soon as it’s mixed with a moisture and then again when it’s heated up.

Cornstarch

Helps create a crumbly tender texture to toppings. Softens cookies, brownies and cakes. And it can also thicken sauces and fillings.

Cream cheese

Provides a unique, tangy flavor. When baked it adds moisture to your treat.

Unsalted butter

Often the main ingredient of frosting, it adds structure to your buttercream. It also adds a smooth and velvety texture. Butter melts at body temperature, so it will make your frosting have a melt-in-your-mouth sensation.

Powdered Sugar

Is just finely ground granulated sugar. It will absorb moisture in your batter or dough. It dissolves easily, ensuring a smooth texture without grittiness. Because it is so fine, it can melt quickly in the oven and spread cookies out more. Powdered sugar also stabilizes and thickens the frosting, thanks to the small amount of cornstarch it contains.

Berries

Add a fresh, vibrant contrast to the sweet base and frosting.

Heart-shaped cookies with white frosting and a mix of berries look like mini fruit tarts on a white plate. Nearby, youll find a piping bag ready for action, plus a bowl full of strawberries and blueberries adding some color to the light purple marble surface.

Storage Tips

Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days. You can freeze the unfrosted bases for up to a month and thaw before assembling.

Making Ahead

The sugar cookie dough can be made a day or two in advance, making the tart assembly quick and easy. This is especially helpful for busy schedules or preparing for a special event.

Recommended Products

Black KitchenAid stand mixer with stainless steel bowl; sleek design, multi-speed control knob.
Four silicone spatulas in orange, blue, green, and red arranged vertically on a white background, each with a hanging hole.
Three metal spatulas, different sizes, brown wooden handles, lined up. Shiny, flat blades for spreading or smoothing in cooking.
Heart-shaped tart pans have removable bottoms. One pan displays a baked dish with cheese and vegetables. Others are stacked, empty, highlighting their dark, non-stick coating.
Previous
Next
Heart-shaped cookies decked with cream frosting and topped with blueberries and strawberries are chilling on a white plate, looking like cute mini fruit tarts. Next to them, there’s a bowl of extra berries and a piping bag hanging out on the marble countertop.

Why make sugar cookie fruit tarts?

Sugar cookie fruit tarts are perfect for spring and summer gatherings, special occasions like Mother’s Day or birthdays, or whenever you desire a delightful, fruity dessert that’s easy to prepare yet visually impressive.

Recipes You May Love

Heart-shaped fruit tarts loaded with whipped cream, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries look amazing on a plate. Theres a piping bag ready to go and a bowl of extra fruit hanging out in the back. Text overlay says Soft Sugar Cookie Fruit Tart Recipe.

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email below & we’ll send it to your inbox. Plus get great new recipes from us every week!

Heart-shaped cookies with white frosting and a mix of berries look like mini fruit tarts on a white plate. Nearby, youll find a piping bag ready for action, plus a bowl full of strawberries and blueberries adding some color to the light purple marble surface.

Soft Sugar Cookie Fruit Tart

5 from 2 votes
Author: Madison Reid
Total Time: 24 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Servings: 20
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Making fruit tarts a bit easier and maybe even yummier with a sugar cookie base.

Ingredients 

Tarts

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup shortening
  • 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Toppings

  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 5 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Berries

Instructions

Bars

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
  • In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, 3/4 cup cream your butter, 3/4 cup shortening and 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar together until lighter in color and fluffy in texture. This takes about 2 full minutes of whipping on high, scraping down the bowl every 30 seconds.
  • Add the extracts (1 tsp almond, 1/2 tsp vanilla) and stir until combined
  • Add the 2 eggs and 2egg yolks, stir until just combined
  • In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients: 3 1/2 flour, 2 tsp cornstarch, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 salt
  • Turn the standing mixer on low, slowly pour the dry ingredients in. As soon as the cookie dough comes together, stop the mixer.
  • Press the dough into small tart pans or 1 large tart pan
  • Flatten the dough into the pan with a small roller or your hands
  • Bake for 9 minutes. Remove and allow to cool before filling.

Toppings

  • In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, add the 8-ounce cream cheese and 1 cup unsalted butter. Mix on low until the two are combined and slightly softened.
  • Add the 5 cups powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract, mix on low until the frosting is combined.
  • Slowly increase the speed until your mixer is on high. Whip the frosting on high for 1-2 minutes until lighter in color and texture.
  • Scoop the frosting out on top of the tarts and spread until its in an even layer.
  • Place berries on top, enjoy immediately or refrigerate until serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 519kcal Carbohydrates: 63g Protein: 4g Fat: 29g Saturated Fat: 15g Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g Monounsaturated Fat: 9g Trans Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 90mg Sodium: 107mg Potassium: 53mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 45g Vitamin A: 698IU Calcium: 42mg Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert

Have you tried this recipe?

I’d love to see it! Follow @_mrs.madi_ on Instagram and tag your photos with #mrsmadi.