This rustic blueberry tart has a simple olive oil crust and a maple-sweetened filling: no butter, no special tools required! It comes together with pantry staples in 1 hour and looks like it’s from a French bakery.
Every year I get back from blueberry picking in Michigan with the best problem: what blueberry recipe to make? This year I decided to create a baked treat that’s easy, just sweet enough and made with olive oil instead of butter.
This rustic blueberry tart turned out so delicious, everyone in my family is obsessed! The olive oil crust has just the right texture and the jammy filling is flavored with pure maple syrup and lemon zest. It takes only 1 hour to whip up and there’s no special equipment. It’s SO DELICIOUS, you must give it a try!
Why You’ll Love This Blueberry Tart
- No butter, no chilling. The olive oil crust is stirred together in a bowl and rolled out immediately. This heart-healthy oil also makes it Mediterranean diet friendly.
- It’s less sweet. The crust and filling use 10 tablespoons maple syrup across 8 slices. Most fruit tarts this size use ¾ cup sugar or more.
- Free-form tarts are easy, with no special equipment. No tart pan, no crimping, no blind baking required here!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Most everything are pantry staples, except the blueberries and lemon zest. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Fresh blueberries: I like using fresh here, though you could technically substitute frozen. The flavor may be slightly less sweet with frozen berries.
- Maple syrup: Use pure dark maple syrup: the container usually says “Grade A: Dark Color and Robust Taste.” Syrup that is labeled Light or Amber has less of a pure sweetness.
- Lemon zest: This adds just the right brightness to the filling.
- Cornstarch: This thickens and sets the filling: substitute arrowroot starch if desired.
- Cinnamon: Adds just the right hint of complexity.
- All-purpose flour, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, baking powder: Along with maple syrup, these form the olive oil crust.
How To Make This Blueberry Tart
This blueberry tart is a free-form tart, also known as a galette! It’s a traditional French rustic tart where you roll the dough flat, pile the fruit in the middle, and then fold the border up over the edges.
If you’ve never made one, I also have a guide on How to Make a Galette, and I have more traditional Blueberry Galette if you’d rather work with a butter crust. Here are the basic steps (or jump to the recipe below for the full quantities):
- Mix the dough in one bowl. Dry ingredients with a fork, wet ingredients whisked separately, then stir together until a dough forms. Knead a few times with your hands.
- Roll it straight out (no chilling!). Aim for a rough 12-inch circle on a floured counter. Cracks and uneven edges are fine; you can patch tears with your fingers. Use the rolling pin to transfer it to a parchment-lined sheet pan.
- Heat the maple syrup and cornstarch. Whisk the maple syrup, zest, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt over medium heat until it just bubbles, then pull it off and stir in the berries. This helps to thicken the sauce and make the filling set when baked.
- Fold the border. Pour in the blueberries, leaving a 2-inch edge. Then fold over the outside of the crust.
- Brush the crust with maple syrup and bake at 400°F for 28 to 32 minutes, until the crust is golden.
- Cool completely before slicing, about 1 hour.
Maple Syrup Vs Refined Sugar
I’m not against the occasional proper dessert full of butter and sugar. But I love experimenting to make treats built on olive oil and unrefined sweeteners, where the fruit does most of the work.
This is the kind of baking I keep coming back to, and it’s a whole chapter my upcoming cookbook Mediterranean Every Night. In the meantime, you can also try more of my Mediterranean diet dessert ideas.
Ways To Serve This Blueberry Tart
Here are a few toppings I like for this tart:
- A spoonful of vanilla yogurt: My husband Alex had this idea, and it’s a fun way to keep this dessert healthy-ish
- A drizzle of heavy cream: If you do dairy, just a drizzle of cream is very satisfying and pretty low calorie (kind of like strawberries and cream, the British dessert)
- Vanilla ice cream: This is an obvious choice: try my vegan ice cream to keep the whole thing plant-based.
- A summer dessert for a dinner party: It travels well and is simple to slice up and serve!
Storage And Make-Ahead Notes
Store leftovers covered in the fridge up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
I have not tried it, but you can technically make the dough a day ahead. Let it sit out about 20 minutes before rolling.
Variations To Try
- Swap the fruit: Blackberries, raspberries, or thinly sliced peaches all work (see my Peach Galette for the spiral of the peaches).
- Add a spice: A pinch of cardamom or fresh grated ginger is a fun flavor adder.
- Go apple in fall or tomato in summer: You could make my Rustic Apple Galette with this crust, or go savory with my Savory Tomato Galette.
Dietary Notes
This blueberry tart is vegan, dairy-free, and plant-based as written.
Easy Blueberry Tart Recipe
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This rustic blueberry tart has a simple olive oil crust and a maple-sweetened filling: no butter, no chilling required! It comes together with pantry staples in 1 hour and looks like it’s from a French bakery.
- Author: Sonja Overhiser
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Ingredients
For the filling
- 3 cups fresh blueberries
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup (preferably Grade A Dark Robust)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the crust
- 1½ cups [210 g] all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, plus more for brushing (preferably Grade A Dark Robust)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the crust: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon with a fork. In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and water. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until a dough forms. Knead the dough two or three times in the bowl to bring it together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. With firm pressure, roll the dough and press it into a circle about 12 inches across, leaving the edges rough (if needed, move the dough around and add a bit more flour underneath to keep it from sticking). The dough may not look fully smooth on top and that is okay. Cracks and uneven edges are fine; patch any tears with your fingers. Use the rolling pin to pick up the dough and carefully transfer it to the prepared baking sheet.
- Make the filling: In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup, lemon zest, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk over medium heat until the mixture just starts to bubble, then remove from the heat and stir in the blueberries. Scrape the blueberries onto the center of the crust and spread them in an even layer, leaving at least 2 inches of dough around the outside edge.
- Form the tart crust: Fold the outer edges of the dough up and over the filling to form an approximately 2-inch border, overlapping the folds as you go. In a small bowl, mix ½ tablespoon maple syrup with ½ tablespoon water. Brush the crust with the mixture.
- Bake: Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer the parchment to a baking rack. Cool to room temperature (about 1 hour) before slicing and serving. Store leftovers up to 4 days refrigerated; bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
- Swap the fruit: Blackberries, raspberries, or thinly sliced peaches work in place of blueberries.
- Add a spice twist: A pinch of ground cardamom or fresh grated ginger in the filling plays nicely off the blueberries.
- Serving ideas: It’s great with a dollop of vanilla ice cream (try my vegan ice cream), a spoonful of vanilla yogurt, or a drizzle of heavy cream.
from A Couple Cooks https://ift.tt/A4PNROF
