If you adore stone fruits like I do, then this buttery nectarine crumb tart is the perfect pick when craving a sweet and juicy homemade dessert!
Nectarine Crumb Tart, a Fresh and Fruity Treat
The delicious stone fruits of the season are my favorite healthy sweet treats to snack on, and I love them all. I keep my fruit bowl full during this time of year as a quick and convenient afternoon pick-me-up!
From fresh plums, to aromatic peaches, to delicate and floral apricots, each and every one is delicious to enjoy and savor.
My favorite is the smooth-skinned, sweet and candy-like nectarine, which is absolutely stunning and perfectly suited for a beloved seasonal dessert of mine.
My nectarine crumb tart is one of those rustic-yet-elegant and indulgent desserts that seems like it may require some skill and effort; but in all actuality, it couldn't be any easier to prepare.
Fresh nectarines are simply sliced and tossed together with a bit of sugar and flour to help sweeten them and thicken their juices. The simple buttery dough is quickly mixed in the stand mixer and used as both the tart bottom and the golden crumble on top.
This nectarine crumb tart recipe is one of my favorites to bake up and serve during the warm and sunny season with just a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top, or with a slightly decadent scoop of vanilla ice cream.
I'm certain you'll enjoy the sweetly-bright flavor of this fresh and fruity homemade dessert as well!
How to Make Nectarine Crumb Tart
The truth is, the most challenging part of this recipe is waiting for the tart to bake and then allowing it to cool before being able to tuck into it!
The rest is a little bit of slicing, gathering up a small handful of dry ingredients, mixing them together until a simple buttery dough forms, and pressing things into the tart pan.
Here's a little overview of what I do:
- I begin by slicing up my nectarines, and tossing them with a bit of lemon juice, some sugar, and some flour. The lemon juice helps to bring out the nectarine's natural tanginess, the sugar adds a bit of sweetness, and the flour helps to thicken up their delicious juices!
- Next, I prepare my buttery dough by first whisking together a few dry ingredients and setting those aside; I then add the butter and sugar to the bowl of stand mixer, and just as with a cookie dough, I mix, or “cream” the two together until well combined.
- I mix in vanilla and almond extracts for extra flavor and aroma, then add my dry ingredients in, along with a tiny touch of water, and mix for just a moment or two longer until a crumbly dough forms.
- I reserve a portion of this dough for my crumb topping, and press the remainder of it into my prepared tart pan (with a removable bottom); I add my sliced nectarines as evenly as possible, top with the remaining crumbled dough and some sliced almonds, and bake for an hour.
The result is a tender, juicy and tangy-sweet tart, one that is rustic enough to prepare and enjoy any day of the week, or to serve for a special occasion!
Tips & Tidbits for Nectarine Crumb Tart:
- Firm-yet-ripe nectarines: Choose nectarines that have a strong, sweet fragrance, and have a little give, but are still firm. You don't want to choose nectarines that are too soft and mushy, as those will be hard to slice and will not hold their shape well.
- The tart pan: I use a 9” tart pan with a removable bottom for easy removal and serving of the tart. You can also use a spring bottom pan that will release the tart for easy removal as another option.
- Use a baking sheet when baking: I like to line a baking sheet with parchment paper and then place my tart on that while baking to catch any juices, and for easier cleanup!
- Stone fruit substitutions: Some other stone fruits that are amazing for this crumb tart (and that I like to use as well) as plums, peaches, and apricots. (I've even used apples for a different flavor profile—delicious for the fall!)
Feast your eyes on these, or just jump to the recipe:
Recipe
Nectarine Crumb Tart
by Ingrid Beer
Yield: Serves 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Filling Ingredients:
• 4 medium nectarines, sliced fairly thin
• Squeeze of lemon
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds (for topping before baking)
• Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
Dough Ingredients:
• 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 tablespoon water
Preparation:
-Preheat the oven to 350°, and lightly mist a 9” tart pan with a removable bottom (or spring form pan, if you prefer) with cooking spray; line a baking sheet with parchment or foil.
-Prepare the filling by adding the sliced nectarines into a bowl and adding a little squeeze of lemon, then sprinkle over the 2 tablespoons of flour and the 3 tablespoons of sugar, and toss to combine; set aside for a moment.
-Prepare your dough by whisking together the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder in a small bowl, and set aside for a moment.
-Add the butter and both the granulated and brown sugars to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, and mix, or “cream” them together until well combined; add in the vanilla and almond extracts, and mix those in to incorporate.
-Then, with the mixer off, add in the dry ingredients (flour, etc), and mix again until crumbles form; add in the tablespoon of water and mix just until large crumbles form, about 30 seconds.
-Reserve about ¾ cup of the crumb dough to use for the topping.
-Gently press the remaining crumb dough into the tart pan until even; then, top with the fruit, spreading it out to make it as even as possible, and sprinkle the reserved crumb dough over top to create the topping, along with the sliced almonds.
-Place the tart onto the parchment or foil-lined baking sheet, and bake for 1 hour, turning half way; allow to cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes, then carefully loosen the tart and remove from pan; allow tart to cool completely before serving. (You can sprinkle with a bit of powdered sugar for a sweet and decorative touch!)
Looking for more sweet seasonal treats? Check out this Lemon Bundt Cake, or these Blueberry Scones!
Kelly
I love this recipe, thank you so much for sharing! Made it for my family a few times and they always love it 🙂
Ingrid Beer
Kelly, I'm so happy to read that! It's also one of my personal favorites. What's fun about this recipe is that you can switch out fruit, if you'd like. You can use peaches, or add blueberries, or use plums.
Hope you and your loved ones enjoy this tasty sweet treat for a long time to come! Happy baking to you.
Christine
Can you use frozen nectarines? I have a bunch of ripe nectarines right now, but no time to bake anything! 🙂
The Cozy Apron
Hi Christine, while I haven't tried this out with frozen nectarines, I don't see why it wouldn't work. I'd go ahead and slice them according to recipe instructions, then freeze. When ready to bake, allow them to thaw (at least to the point where they're softening) so that you can add the other filling ingredients to them. Then, proceed with baking.
Hope this helps...and hope you enjoy this tasty tart if/when you get the chance!
Jessica
I tried this recipe yesterday and it's a keeper! My husband says not to lose this recipe! 🙂
I didn't have any sliced almonds on hand, so I just chopped up some pecans that I needed to use up and mixed it with the fruit mixture.
The Cozy Apron
Jessica, that's fantastic! And the chopped pecans sound like a terrific swap.
Hope you and your hubby enjoy this summer-y treat for a long time to come!
Amber
Delicious!! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
I used homegrown nectarines, that I had frozen a few months ago. They worked perfectly. My husband doesn't love fruit, and even he said he would eat it again.
We had no almonds, but I will definitely add them next time to make it even better.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Amber, so glad to read that! I LOVE that you used you own frozen, homegrown nectarines (how amazing must those taste, especially fresh in the summer!), and that they worked so well for the recipe.
May you enjoy this sweet little recipe for many nectarine seasons to come, and with some of those almonds next time! 😉 Happy baking to you!
Esther
hello! do you think the entire tart can be made ahead of time and frozen before baking? or maybe baked and then frozen?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Esther, thanks for your question!
As I have not tested out this recipe by freezing it, I'm a little hesitant to advise. I often times freeze any uneaten portions of tarts/desserts and, typically, they're just fine; but, of course, during the thawing the item can become a bit moist, which changes the texture a little.
Perhaps try and freeze before baking, and then when ready to enjoy, bake it off from its frozen state, kind of like a store-bought pie, etc. that one would purchase frozen and then bake at home.
Might work better, and taste fresher. This little tart truly is best when enjoyed freshly prepared, but whichever way you decide to prepare it, I hope you do enjoy it!
Esther
Just wanted to come up with an update! I froze the unbaked tart and it was defrosted in the fridge. It turned out amazing! Had rave reviews from everyone at the table and will definitely be making it again. It is not too sweet and the shell was perfect. Can't wait to try the fresh version!
The Cozy Apron
Esther, that's fantastic! Thanks for sharing your method for freezing the tart, I think folks will appreciate having this option. 😉
So happy to read that it was enjoyed by all at your table, and may you and your loved ones continue to enjoy this fruity dessert during this upcoming season when fresh nectarines are sweet and ripe.
Happy baking to you Esther!
Marina
Dear Ingrid, I am so happy I found this recipe online, thank you so much for sharing it! The tart came out so delicious, the dough was very easy to work with, and the recipe produced the perfect amount of dough for a 9” tart pan, leaving enough for crumple. 4 good-sized nectarines made the perfect amount of filling. In short, this recipe is spot-on! Thank you again so much!!!
The Cozy Apron
Marina, I am so happy you found the recipe as well! Thrilled to read that this yummy little crumb tart turned out so well for you, and that it was enjoyed. Perfect for this summer season, and I hope you do enjoy it for a long time to come!
Happy baking to you, Marina! 🙂
Vanessa
I’m going to try your recipe on Saturday! It sounds delicious! I always blind bake my tart crusts before filling them. Just confirming the crust won’t be soggy without pre-baking it? I’malso going to add crumbled Amaretto cookies in the topping!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Vanessa, so excited you're trying this tasty, summer-y dessert out this weekend!
I totally understand your concern about the crust...typically, a tart crust is blind-baked, but this one does not need it because everything bakes together for about an hour, including the nectarine filling. It will be just fine, so please follow the recipe with full confidence! 🙂
Your crushed amaretto cookies added to the topping sound lovely, as well. Happy baking to you!