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Berry Tarts look like they came from a fancy bakery but start with a can of crescent dough, with flaky golden pastry, a creamy lemon cheesecake filling, and a pile of fresh summer berries on top, and they are my favorite easy dessert for a spring brunch. If you want a showstopper with almost no effort, these are it, right up there with our strawberry cream cheese danish.
Crescent roll dough does all the work, so these come together in 30 minutes with no pie crust to fuss over.
Berry Tarts Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 4 tarts
- ⚡ Calories: 433kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Buttery, flaky pastry with creamy lemon filling and fresh berries
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our strawberry cream cheese danish
Quick Answer
Cut crescent dough into rectangles, roll the edges into borders, and bake until golden. Whip cream cheese with powdered sugar, lemon, and vanilla into a quick filling. Spread the filling over the cooled tart shells, then top with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Crescent dough is the shortcut. A can of crescent dough bakes into a flaky, golden tart shell in minutes, so there is no pie crust to roll or chill.
- Lemon brightens the filling. Fresh zest and juice cut the richness of the cream cheese so the filling tastes light and bright, not heavy.
- The egg wash gives a bakery finish. Brushing the edges with egg wash and sugar makes the borders puff up golden and sparkly, just like a pastry shop.
- Cooling before filling matters. Letting the shells cool completely keeps the cream cheese filling from melting and sliding off.
- Fresh berries finish it. Piling on uncooked berries at the end keeps them juicy and bright and adds gorgeous color with zero extra effort.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They look impressive but start with a can of crescent dough, so they are practically foolproof.
- The lemon cream cheese filling is the same dreamy base as our strawberry cream cheese danish.
- They come together in 30 minutes and are endlessly customizable with whatever berries you have.
Key Ingredients
Here is what goes into these easy berry tarts.
- Crescent roll dough bakes into a flaky, golden tart shell with almost zero effort.
- Cream cheese whipped with powdered sugar makes the rich, creamy filling.
- Fresh berries like strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries add color and a juicy finish.
- Lemon zest and juice brighten the filling and balance the sweetness.
- Decorator’s sugar gives the edges a sparkly, bakery-style finish, like our white chocolate raspberry tart.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Make them your own with these easy ideas.
- Use any berries you like, or add sliced kiwi, peaches, or mango.
- Swap the crescent dough for puff pastry for an even flakier tart, like our white chocolate raspberry tart.
- Add a drizzle of honey or a brush of warm jam over the berries for extra shine.
- Stir a little almond extract into the filling for a different flavor.
- Turn the berries into a layered dessert with our lemon blueberry trifle.
How to Make Berry Tarts
- Unroll the crescent dough, cut it into 4 rectangles, roll the edges into a half-inch border, place on a tray, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes until golden, then cool the shells on a rack.
- Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then add the powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.
- Whip the mixture until the filling is smooth and creamy.
- Spread the filling over the cooled tart shells, keeping the golden edges exposed.
- Top with fresh berries, dust with powdered sugar, and garnish with mint. Serve right away.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Keep the edges exposed when spreading the filling so the pretty golden border shows.
- Cool the shells completely before filling so the cream cheese does not melt.
- Pat the berries dry so they do not make the filling watery.
- Add the berries just before serving so they stay fresh and the pastry stays crisp.
- Use full-fat cream cheese for the richest, most stable filling.
- Going for a crowd? Make a big batch alongside our strawberry angel food cake.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These berry tarts are perfect for spring and summer, from Mother’s Day brunch to a Fourth of July dessert table. The red, white, and blue berries make them naturally festive.
Serve them with more fruity favorites like our strawberry cream cheese danish and a lemon blueberry trifle.
Round out a dessert spread with our strawberry angel food cake and a white chocolate raspberry tart.
Berry Tarts FAQs
Any fresh berries work beautifully, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are all great. Use a mix for color or pile on a single favorite. Just make sure they are dry so the filling stays creamy.
Yes. Puff pastry makes an even flakier tart. Cut it into rectangles, score a border, dock the centers, and bake until puffed and golden before filling.
Bake the shells and make the filling up to a day ahead and store separately. Assemble with the berries just before serving so the pastry stays crisp and the berries stay fresh.
Store assembled tarts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. The pastry softens over time, so they are best enjoyed the day they are made.
Soggy tarts usually come from assembling too far ahead or using wet berries. Pat the berries dry, cool the shells fully, and add the topping right before serving.
Yes. Leave out the lemon and use a little extra vanilla, or add a different flavor like almond or orange zest. The filling will still be sweet and creamy.
Craving more fruity desserts? Try our strawberry cream cheese danish or a white chocolate raspberry tart next.
Easy Berry Tarts with Crescent Dough
Ingredients
- 1 can crescent roll dough sheet
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- Splash of water
- 1 tablespoon decorators sugar
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tsp lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup small-diced strawberries
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup raspberries
- Powdered sugar and mint sprigs for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 375°F. Lightly grease a sheet tray with cooking spray, set aside.
- Unroll the crescent roll dough on a clean work surface. Cut the dough into 4 even rectangles.1 can crescent roll dough sheet
- Go around the edges of each piece of dough, rolling them toward the center, making a ½ inch border of dough, twirl the ends.
- Place the pieces onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Mix together the beaten egg and water in a small bowl. Brush a small amount of the egg wash on the outer edges of the dough with a pastry brush. Sprinkle the decorator’s sugar on top of the dough where you have egg washed.1 large egg, Splash of water, 1 tablespoon decorators sugar
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden brown. Once the tart dough is done baking, transfer the tart shells to a cooling rack to cool.
- While the dough is cooling, whip the cream cheese in a medium-sized bowl with an electric hand mixer until smooth.4 oz cream cheese
- Add in the powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Mix until combined and smooth.1/2 cup powdered sugar, Zest of 1 lemon, 2 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture over the four tarts making sure to keep the edges of the tart shells exposed.
- Top with fresh berries. Serve immediately with a sprinkling of powdered sugar on top and garnish with mint sprigs, optional.1 cup small-diced strawberries, 1 cup blueberries, 1 cup raspberries, Powdered sugar and mint sprigs for garnish
Notes
- Crescent roll dough sheets are perfect for this as you don’t have to worry about crimping any perforations, you can use regular crescent rolls if you can not find the dough sheets.
- Use any of your favorite berries for this, mix it up, or use all one type of fruit.
- You can use puff pastry, but follow the cooking times for how long they need to bake.
- This is great topped with powdered sugar, but this is completely optional.
- Make sure your crusts are completely cooled before filling them otherwise it will melt.
- The egg wash is necessary to get a nice golden brown on the edges.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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Yum! Looks delicious!
These look delicious! Lemon and berries… two of my favorite things! Pinning! Thanks for linking up with us at Much Ado About Monday this week. 🙂
They look so fancy and tasty. I love the bright colors of all of the fruit. Thank you for linking at the In and Out of the Kitchen Link Party. Hope to see you again next weekend.
Terrific tutorial and SO yummy! Thank you so much for linking up at Wonderful Wed Blog Hop. Carrie, A Mother’s Shadow
I love the way you shaped these tarts.. great use of summer berries. Pinned.
Visiting from the Handmade Hangout link up. This looks SO yummy! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Uh, HEAVENLY! Pinning!
these look amazing!
I love the combination of lemon and berries and can’t wait to make these thank you for sharing Dana 🙂
These look so pretty! and I bet they taste amazing!