This beautiful strawberry tart features a pistachio and graham cracker crust with a light vanilla-bean Greek yogurt custard and a fresh strawberry topping. It’s bright, elegant, and unexpectedly simple to prepare—perfect for summer gatherings or anytime you want a lighter fruit-forward dessert.
Favorite Strawberry Dessert Recipe!
Welcome to a strawberry tart that looks like it belongs on a bakery shelf but is made with fresh, straightforward ingredients at home. This lighter dessert focuses on real flavors: a nutty pistachio graham crust, a silky yet slightly lighter custard made with Greek yogurt, and a topping of ripe strawberries.
The contrast of a crunchy crust, a creamy filling, and juicy strawberries makes each bite memorable. It’s a refined dessert that’s still approachable to make.
How it’s Lightened Up
We made a few small changes to keep the tart feeling fresh and a little lighter without sacrificing flavor:
- Fresh topping: fresh, thinly sliced strawberries are used instead of a jammy or syrupy glaze.
- Moderate sweetness: a touch of brown sugar and honey supports the fruit’s natural sweetness rather than overpowering it.
- Greek yogurt in the filling: combining some Greek yogurt with cream softens the richness while keeping a creamy custard texture.
Featured Ingredients
The Crust
- Pistachios: their sweet, nutty flavor complements the graham crackers and adds texture. Use shelled pistachios for convenience.
- Brown sugar: provides a warm sweetness that balances the nuts and crackers.
- Graham crackers: the classic base for a crisp, buttery tart crust.
- Butter: binds the crumbs and helps the crust bake up golden and sturdy.
The Filling
- Heavy cream: gives the filling a rich mouthfeel.
- Honey: a natural sweetener that blends smoothly into the custard.
- Lemon zest: brightens the filling and pairs beautifully with strawberries.
- Vanilla bean: offers warm, aromatic depth; vanilla extract may be substituted if needed.
- Greek yogurt: lightens the custard slightly while keeping it smooth and creamy.
Our Custard Method
This custard is made a little differently than a traditional egg-based custard. Heavy cream is brought to a brief boil with honey, then cooled slightly and combined with vanilla and lemon zest. Greek yogurt is whisked in last, and the mixture is chilled in the tart shell until it sets into a custard-like texture. The technique yields a silky filling without tempering eggs.
Topping
- Fresh strawberries: sliced thin and arranged on top for visual impact and juicy flavor.
- Mint: optional for color contrast and a fresh note.
Top Tips
Bring the cream to a full boil: for this method the cream and honey must boil for about five minutes to achieve the right texture. Use a tall saucepan to prevent boil-over and stir occasionally.
Pre-bake the crust: baking the crust 10–13 minutes helps it become crunchy and golden so it holds up under the filling.
Adjust the filling thickness: if you prefer a thicker filling, double the cream, honey, lemon zest, vanilla, and Greek yogurt to increase the custard volume.
Variations
Switch the berries: raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries work beautifully in place of strawberries.
Chocolate filling: fold in a tablespoon or two of cocoa powder and a touch more honey to create a chocolate-struck custard that pairs with strawberries.
Alternate citrus: substitute orange zest for lemon zest for a sweeter citrus profile.
Storage
Store the tart covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. The crust may soften slightly over time, but the flavors will remain delicious.
More of our Favorite…
Strawberry Dessert Recipes
- Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
- Strawberry Ricotta Cake
- Strawberry Nice Cream
- Strawberry Daiquiri
Strawberry Tart
Ingredients
Crust
- ½ cup shelled roasted and salted pistachios (we used Wonderful brand)
- 9 graham cracker sheets
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
Filling
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2½ teaspoons lemon zest, divided
- ½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped
- ¼ cup 2% plain Greek yogurt
Topping
- 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
- 4–6 small fresh mint leaves
- Additional lemon zest, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9-inch tart pan with nonstick spray or a light coating of butter.
- Place the pistachios in a food processor and pulse on low just to break them into small pieces.
- Add the graham cracker sheets and pulse together with the pistachios until you have a fine crumb.
- Add the brown sugar and melted butter, then process for 1–2 minutes until the mixture holds together when pressed.
- Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared tart pan. Press it firmly across the bottom and up the sides—using the bottom of a measuring cup helps form an even crust.
- Bake the crust for 10–13 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the filling.
- In a tall saucepan, whisk together the heavy cream and honey. Heat over medium-high until the mixture comes to a boil, then reduce to medium and allow it to boil gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use a tall pan to avoid boil-over.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the cream cool for about 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla bean seeds and 1½ teaspoons of the lemon zest.
- Gradually whisk in the Greek yogurt until the mixture is smooth and combined.
- Pour the custard into the cooled crust and gently shake the pan to level the filling. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until the custard is set. If it still feels loose, chill an additional 30–60 minutes.
- When the custard is set, arrange the thin strawberry slices in concentric circles from the outer edge toward the center to form a rose or dahlia pattern, or simply overlap them evenly across the tart.
- Tuck a few mint leaves among the strawberries and finish with a light sprinkling of the remaining lemon zest.
- Return the tart to the refrigerator for another 30 minutes to firm up, then serve chilled.
Tips & Notes
- Allow the cream and honey to boil for the full five minutes to achieve the right custard-like set. Because the cream will bubble up, use a tall saucepan and watch it carefully.
- If you prefer a thicker, more generous filling, double the amounts for the heavy cream, honey, lemon zest, vanilla bean, and Greek yogurt.
Watch It
Video demonstration available for this recipe (video source not included here).
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 23 g,
Protein: 3 g,
Fat: 18 g,
Fiber: 2 g,
Sugar: 13 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used only as an estimate.
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Photography: Photos in this post were taken by Ashley McGlaughlin of The Edible Perspective.