This no bake strawberry tart recipe has a creamy almond mascarpone filling and is topped with seasonal fruit, sliced almonds, and fresh mint. An easy dessert for summer gatherings!

No Bake Strawberry Tart

With fresh strawberries hitting the farmers markets, this delightful Strawberry Mascarpone Tart is a perfect choice for Mother’s Day or any upcoming summer gathering. It’s super simple to make, requires just a few basic ingredients, and doesn’t require you to preheat the oven.

The no-bake crust is a huge time-saver, and you can customize the fruit topping with whatever’s in season (so you get the freshest, tastiest results).

To prepare this tart, just follow a few simple steps and then let it chill in the refrigerator for about an hour. It’s that easy.

No Bake Strawberry Mascarpone Tart
No Bake Strawberry Tart

Strawberry Mascarpone Tart Components:

  • The tart crust is a simple mixture of graham cracker crumbs, almond meal (or almond flour – they’re interchangeable in this recipe!), melted butter, and almond butter. It comes together quickly in a food processor and gives the tart great texture and flavor.
  • The filling is made from mascarpone cheese and powdered sugar. It has a distinct almond flavor, due to the addition of pure almond extract. The mascarpone mixture is thick and creamy, yet isn’t overly sweet, which I love. I like to add pure vanilla bean paste (or substitute 1:1 with pure vanilla extract) as well. Once the filling is added to the crust, it sets in the fridge for a minimum of one hour. This ensures clean slices during serving.
  • To decorate, the tart is topped with fresh strawberries, drizzled with honey for sweetness, and garnished with toasted almond slices and fresh mint.
Mascarpone Filling
Strawberry Tart
How to Make a Strawberry Mascarpone Tart

This tart recipe comes from my friend Jessica Merchant’s cookbook, The Pretty Dish. To quote Jessica: 

“This strawberry tart looks super fancy but is pretty easy. It doesn’t require a ton of ingredients. And it tastes fantastic. The filling is almond-flavored mascarpone and oh-so-creamy. A bit like cheesecake, but creamier and not as rich. Plus, it comes together in minutes.”

In the original recipe, Jessica suggests leaving the strawberries whole and slicing them into roses. Since strawberries tend to come in all shapes and sizes these days, I chose to forgo the strawberry roses in lieu of layered slices.

No Bake Strawberry Tart

Flavor Variation Ideas:

  • Add Citrus: Skip the almond extract and fold several spoonfuls of lemon curd to the mascarpone filling for some tartness.
  • Use Other Fruits: Replace strawberries with a combination of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries for a mixed-berry tart. Or top with sliced stone fruit (such as peaches or nectarines) when in season!
How to Make a No Bake Strawberry Tart

Make-Ahead Tip:

The tart crust and mascarpone filling components can be prepared one or two days ahead. Be sure to leave off the strawberry slices until just before serving to maintain the crust’s texture and prevent any weeping.

No Bake Strawberry Mascarpone Tart

4.6 stars (32 ratings)
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Yield: 6 Servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
This Strawberry Mascarpone Tart recipe, from The Pretty Dish by Jessica Merchant, is perfect for spring or summer, requires only a handful of ingredients, and comes together quickly thanks to it's no-bake crust! This recipe can be adapted with other summer berries or stone fruit. 
Make Ahead Tip: The tart crust and mascarpone filling can be prepped one or two days ahead if needed – be sure to leave off the fruit until the day of serving to ensure the best crust texture and prevent the fruit from weeping.

Equipment

Ingredients

Crust:

  • ¾ cup (90g) graham cracker crumbs
  • ¾ cup (90g) almond meal or almond flour
  • 5 tablespoons (75g) unsalted butter melted
  • 3 tablespoons (50g) almond butter melted

Filling:

  • 12 ounces (340g) mascarpone cheese room temperature
  • ¼ cup (30g) powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract)
  • 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 16 ounces (2 pints) fresh strawberries stemmed and thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon (20g) pure honey
  • 3 tablespoons sliced almonds toasted
  • fresh mint leaves for garnishing (optional)

Instructions 

  • Prepare the crust: In a bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, almond meal (or flour), butter, and almond butter until combined and all the crumb are moistened. Press the crust into an 8-inch round tart pan (*the original recipe in the book was prepared in a 14-inch x 4-inch tart pan; both sizes work well for this recipe). If desired, use the bottom of a small measuring cup to tamp the crust down evenly. Set aside.
  • Prepare the filling: In a bowl, stir together the room temperature mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste (or extract), and almond extract until creamy and well combined. Spread evenly over the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour – this will ensure it slices cleanly during serving.
  • The day of serving, slice the strawberries. Trim off the stems and slice vertically into thin slices. Remove the tart from the fridge and distribute the strawberry slices onto the mascarpone filling – feel free to arrange or decorate as desired.
    To achieve a similar look as the photos above: starting from the outside of the tart and working your way in, layer the strawberry slices next to each other, in a circular pattern with the pointed ends facing out. Repeat, layering the strawberry slices slightly with each circle and so forth.
  • Drizzle the tart with honey. Garnish with sliced almonds and mint, if using. Serve immediately or keep in the fridge, covered loosely with plastic wrap if needed, until serving.

Tips for Success:

  • To make graham cracker crumbs, place broken graham cracker cookies (this recipe requires roughly 6 full pieces!) in a food processor. Pulse repeatedly until finely crumbed.
  • To toast almond slices, heat almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until golden in color. Transfer to a separate bowl and cool completely.
Reprinted (with a few minor changes) with permission from The Pretty Dish by Jessica Merchant.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 694kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 59g, Saturated Fat: 23g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 31g, Cholesterol: 103mg, Sodium: 299mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 17g
Author: Laura / A Beautiful Plate
Course: Recipes
Cuisine: American