Strawberry Tart Recipe

5 from 12 votes

Strawberry tart with graham cracker crust filled with homemade custard, fresh strawberries, and topped with a strawberry glaze.

Prep Time30

Cook Time40

Chill Time3

Total Time1 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 478kcal

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350.
Spread the chopped pecans evenly on a baking sheet. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes, until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, pecans, and brown sugar. Drizzle in the butter a little at a time, mixing with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
Pour the crumb mixture over the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan and spread it out evenly. Using a flat-bottomed measuring cup, firmly press the crust into the bottom of the pan, working some of the crumbs up the sides of the pan. Put the crust in the freezer for about 15 minutes to set.
Bake the crust for 6 to 8 minutes, until lightly golden. Let cool completely before filling.

In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until thick and pale in color.
In a medium saucepan, heat the milk to a gentle boil. Gradually add about 1 cup of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture to temper the yolks, whisking constantly so they don't curdle, then whisk in the remainder of the milk in a steady stream.
Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water) and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla. Let the custard sit for 2 to 3 minutes to cool slightly, then gently whisk in the butter until it is melted and the custard is smooth and silky.
Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the custard so that a skin does not form and let cool for 30 minutes, or until it reaches room temperature.
Spoon the cooled filling into the prepared piecrust. Cover with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
To finish the tart, in a small saucepan, heat the preserves over low heat, stirring, until liquified and smooth. Set aside to cool.
Pile the strawberries on top of the custard filling. Brush the preserves all over the berries. Refrigerate until ready to serve, or for up to 3 days. Serve with whipped cream.

Plan ahead, boos. This ain’t the kind of dessert you can throw together last minute. The pecan graham cracker crust needs time to cool and set, and the custard has to chill, too.
Go for ripe, fragrant strawberries. You want berries that are deep red, sweet-smelling, and firm with no mushy spots.
Stick with a standard 9-inch pie dish. A deep dish will leave you short on filling, and a tart pan won’t hold enough of that silky custard.
Let it sit overnight if you can. Four hours in the fridge is the bare minimum for this strawberry custard tart!

How to Store this Strawberry Tart

Fridge: Keep your tart covered loosely with plastic wrap or foil and stash it in the fridge. It’ll stay fresh for about 2-3 days. Don't even think about freezing it, boos. Custard and berries don't bounce back from that kind of chill.