I’ve always loved fresh fruit custard tarts. A pate sucree crust that’s sweet, flakey and buttery, with soft sweet custard cream and glazed fresh fruit adorning the top. Yup, I’ll take two, please.
They are by far my ultimate comfort food.
When I lived in Vancouver there was a tiny little amazing bakery near my office. On stressful days I would make the pilgrimage to the bakery to grab one of these bad boys and a hot cup of coffee. I’d dig in and for five short minutes, I wouldn’t be stressed anymore.
The only problem was my job was super stupid stressful and I made that walk all the time.
So- much- sugar.
My days are not nearly as stressful now, but I did see one of these in a coffee shop on my last trip into the city and I must admit I was a bit tempted. I decided when I got home I was going to make that tart over low carb and gluten free. A decent size serving is only five net carbs and honestly, it’s a pretty filling breakfast. Also, it has fruit, so that counts right? Exactly!
The best sweeteners to use to make perfect french fruit tarts
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Use your favorite 1:1 sugar substitute.
Powered is preferred over granular, as it blends better and has a nicer texture. Erythritol and xylitol also tend to get grainy when cold, but I found the powdered versions to do it much less.
If you don’t have powdered erythritol or xylitol and only have granular, go ahead and give it a blast with a high-speed blender, or food processor. My favorite powdered sweetener by far is So Nourished Monk Fruit Blend, I find it has almost no aftertaste at all.
Swerve and stevia will work perfectly fine here as well as does any powdered erythritol or xylitol brand.
Just remember, xylitol is poisonous to dogs and cats, so if that’s your choice and you have little furry friends running around, be aware that it can be deadly for them.
I also used Sukrin Fibre Syrup for the glaze. Fibre syrup doesn’t at all impact my blood sugar, but people have reported that the syrup can increase their blood glucose levels. If you cannot use the Sukrin Fibre Syrup, you can use (or make) a simple low carb jam for the glaze.
A bit about the coconut crust
So the crust is the hardest part I think to get right. Pate sucree has this crunchiness about it, bordering on cookie-like. I cannot replicate it! I’ve tried numerous variations of crust recipes and I never seem to get that similar crust.
However the crust here is sweet, it does hold the custard very well without going soggy, and it has a very nice texture and flavour. The crust is actually one of the nicest aspects of this tart. So although it is not a perfect replica for pate sucree it is a pretty decent replacement.
A bit about the custard filling
This custard is pretty gosh darn good all on its own. It would make a great topping for fresh summer berries, or even a few spoonfuls of low carb granola.
Xanthan gum is pretty much required for this custard recipe. In order for the custard to firm up, you need a thickener and although the egg yolks to add a bit of thickening, it’s not enough.
Also important to note that this custard cream is soft. It’s not thick like a curd. As it cools it gets thicker, but the cream does pool a little even when cold.
A bit about the fresh fruit and glossy topping
You can use any fruit you want for these fruit custard tarts. I used fresh blueberries and raspberries because that’s what I had, but strawberries, even blackberries, or any low carb fruit would work.
Frozen fruit won’t work here unfortunately, the best part of this tart is the fresh pop of summer fruits against the soft vanilla custard. Frozen fruits would be too mushy and would introduce too much moisture into the custard.
For the glaze, I used a bit of Sukrin fibre syrup, but you can use a bit of warmed low carb jam, or even a bit of berry puree cooked until glossy.
Alternately you can leave the top without the glossy finish and just have the fresh fruit.
Serving and storing your fruit custard tarts
Make these the day you want to serve them. The crust doesn’t get soggy, but after a day in the fridge, you sort of lose that freshness.
These tarts are all about freshness. The fresh summer berries, the fresh creamy custard – leaving them out for more than a day really does reduce the texture and experience of these tarts.
Can you store them in the fridge overnight? Yes, you can do whatever your little heart wants, they just won’t be as good the next day.
A good time-saving solution is to pre-bake the tart shells and freeze them until you need them. You can also make the custard filling up to a day in advance and store it covered
in the fridge.
Got a thing for pies and tarts?
If you like pies and tarts but don’t like carbs and sugar you might enjoy these posts:
How about a pretty lemon tart perfect for a Sunday brunch.
This no-bake lime cream pie is pretty dreamy, it’s cheesecake-like filling is tart, sweet and refreshing!
Or this show-stopping no-bake strawberry pie, perfect for a summer picnic.
Fresh Fruit Custard Tarts Made Without Sugar (Low Carb & Gluten-Free)
A fresh fruit custard tart with a creamy vanilla filling. These french fruit tarts are low carb, sugar free, keto friendly and gluten free.
Ingredients
Coconut Crust
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 3/4 cup butter
- 3 Tbsp powdered erythritol (I use a monk fruit erythritol blend)
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream
Vanilla Custard
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2/3 cup powdered erythritol (I use a monk fruit erythritol blend)
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 pinch of salt
Fruit and Glaze Topping
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 4 Tbsp Surkin Fiber Syrup (or warmed and melted low carb jam)
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
Instructions
Coconut Crust
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Grate the butter and add it to a large mixing bowl.
- Blend eggs, vanilla, and cream in a small bowl and whisk until well blended and pour into bowl with the grated butter.
- Add salt, coconut flour and powdered erythritol and mix until everything is well blended and comes together into a ball. It will hold together, but still be a bit crumbly.
- Press the mixture into tart pans (or pan, you can also use a 9 inch tart pan for this recipe), and prick all over with a fork.
- Bake in a 350F oven for 8-10 minutes until sides are golden brown. Do not over bake. Coconut flour burns easy so keep an eye out on your tart shells so they do not burn.
Custard Cream
- Add whipping cream, almond milk, powdered erythritol, egg yolks, xanthan gum, salt, and vanilla to a heavy bottomed sauce pan.
- Cook over medium heat until mixture coats the back of a spoon, approximately 10-15 minutes. Stir continuously to avoid burning.
- Pour cooked custard into a heat proof bowl and cover with a piece of plastic wrap touching the top of the custard.
- Allow to cool.
- Pour into tart shells and cool in the fridge for an hour.
Fruit Topping
- Decorate your tarts with the fruit of your choice.
- Microwave 1/4 cup of Surkin Fibre Syrup for 10 seconds until syrup is fluid enough to brush on to the fruit. You may need to give the syrup another 10 second blast in the microwave, but don't over heat. You just need to liquify it so you can add it to the top of your tarts.
- Place tarts back in the fridge for an hour, until cool and set.
Notes
The custard can be made a day ahead of time and kept cool in the fridge. You can also make the tarts and store them in the freezer until they are needed.
Assemble the tarts an hour before serving.
Nutritional information will changed based on fruit used on the top. The nutritional data below was calculated using blueberries and raspberries as per the recipe above.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 347Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 178mgSodium: 106mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 6gSugar: 2gProtein: 5g
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs (and sugar alcohols) are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fibre.
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