My nectarine crumb tart is a scrumptious dessert fit for the summer season, when nectarines are at peak sweetness. Prepared with fresh, juicy nectarines nestled into a buttery crumble crust that doubles as the topping, plus a little sprinkle of almonds for crunch, this nectarine tart recipe is deliciously sweet, jammy and irresistible!
A buttery tart brimming with fresh nectarines
The delicious stone fruits of the season are my favorite healthy treats to snack on. I keep my fruit bowl full of them during this time of year as a sweet, juicy 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. But my favorites are the smooth-skinned, sweet and candy-like nectarines, which are absolutely stunning and perfectly suited for a beloved seasonal dessert of mine, my nectarine crumb tart.
This sweet nectarine tart-with-a-twist is one of those rustically elegant and indulgent desserts that may seem like it requires some skill and effort, but in all actuality, it's an easy dessert to prep.
It's one of my favorites to bake up and serve during nectarine season, with just a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top, or with a slightly decadent scoop of vanilla ice cream!
My nectarine crumb tart recipe
The lovely thing about this nectarine tart is that it's quite simple and rustic, yet also looks a little like it's from a local bake shop.
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 slice into it!
It's a really fantastic summer dessert to prepare when you have a handful of fresh, ripe nectarines on hand, and you'd like to use them in a creative way.
The crust is deliciously buttery, and doubles as both the base of this tart, and the “crumble” topping, requiring just a handful of pantry ingredients such as flour, butter, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla and almond extracts.
This dough quickly mixes up in a stand mixer, with a portion of it pressed into the tart pan, and a portion reserved for sprinkling over top of the nectarines, as the “crumb” topping.
And the filling makes use of those sweet and floral nectarines, which are simply sliced and tossed together with a bit of sugar and flour to help sweeten them and thicken their juices, keeping those lovely, natural flavors.
Here's a sneak peek at my nectarine crumb tart recipe:
(or just jump to the full recipe...)
- To get started, I toss my sliced nectarines with a bit of lemon juice, some sugar, and some flour, and set those aside.
- Next, I prepare my buttery tart dough in the bowl of a stand mixer, until a crumbly dough forms.
- I reserve a portion of the dough for my crumble topping, and press the remainder of it into my prepared tart pan (with a removable bottom).
- Then, I add in my sliced nectarines in a single layer, top with the remaining crumbled dough and some sliced almonds, and bake.
- I allow the tart to completely cool before slicing and enjoying, perhaps with some whipped cream, or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
Recipe
Nectarine Crumb Tart
by Ingrid Beer
This nectarine crumb tart is sweet and jammy, made with a buttery crust and crumble topping, delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Yield: Serves 8
Nutrition info: 305 calories (per serving)
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Filling Ingredients:
- 5 small nectarines, sliced fairly thin
- Squeeze of lemon
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 to 4 tablespoons sugar (depending on how sweet the nectarines are)
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds (for topping before baking)
Tart Dough Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cups 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
- Begin by gathering and prepping all of your filling ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
- Prepare the filling by adding the sliced nectarines into a bowl, and sprinkle over the 2 tablespoons of flour and the 3 to 4 tablespoons of sugar (depending on how sweet your nectarines are), and toss to combine. Set aside for a moment.
- Next, preheat the oven to 350°, and lightly mist a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom (or springform pan, if you prefer) with cooking spray. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil.
- Then, gather and prep all of your tart dough ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
- Prepare your dough by whisking together the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder in a small bowl, and set aside for a moment.
- Next, add the butter and both the granulated and brown sugars to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, and mix 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.
- Reserve about ¾ cup of the crumb dough to use for the topping.
- Then, gently press the remaining crumb dough into the tart pan until even. Top with the sliced nectarines, spreading the slices out to make them a single layer, 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 the baking sheet about halfway through the baking time, for even baking.
- Allow the nectarine crumb tart to cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes, then carefully loosen the tart using the removable bottom, and remove from the pan. Allow the tart to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Tips & Tidbits for nectarine crumb tart recipe:
- 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 very well.
- The best tart pan: I use a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom for easy removal and serving of the tart. You can also use a springform 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 or foil, and then place my tart on that while baking to catch any juices, and for easier cleanup!
- Stone fruit substitutions: Some other stone fruits which would be amazing for this crumb tart (and which I like to substitute, as well) are plums, peaches, and apricots. All are sweetly aromatic, and just the perfect stone fruits!
Craving more cozy, fruity recipes like this one? Check out my recipe for Peach Crisp, Plum Cake, Cherry Galettes, my Summer Fruit Galette recipe, my recipe for Cherry Muffins, or even my recipe for Strawberry Sundae Cupcakes!
Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2018, and has been updated with even more love!
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!