If you’re looking for an easy yet impressive dessert that’s ready in only around 30 minutes, this Raspberry Tart is for you!

With juicy fresh raspberries lined up on a creamy lemon-cream cheese layer spread over flaky golden puff pastry, this fresh raspberry lemon tart is the stuff of dessert dreams – both because it’s shockingly easy and because it’s DELISH.

A slice of fresh raspberry lemon tart on a white plate with a fresh mint sprig as garnish.

Table of Contents

The Story Behind the Recipe

I live in Seattle and I love it, but in the gray wintertime, if it’s a good year, I fly down the coast to California. The golden light fills me up and helps power me through the dreary Pacific Northwest months.

The last few years, thanks to perpetual busyness and our immersion into the world of parenthood, we’ve seen a lot less of California in the winter.

So I thought I’d enjoy a little California at home in the form of California raspberries in a fresh tart that’s filled with a sweet, lemon-scented whipped cream cheese, lined with ruby raspberries, and drizzled with golden honey.

A rectangular puff pastry tart filled with lemony cream cheese filling and topped with fresh raspberries on a wooden tray.

The Pacific Northwest is known for its berries, but that’s more a spring and summer thing. I love to go raspberry picking and show off those just-picked PNW berries in this impressive raspberry tart.

I originally created this recipe in the wintertime, though, in partnership with California berry producer Driscoll’s and Whole Foods.

A slice of fresh raspberry lemon tart on a white plate with a fresh mint sprig as garnish.

Why You’ll Love This Raspberry Tart

Made with frozen puff pastry and with relatively few other ingredients, this tart is SUCH a cinch to put together.

It’s the perfect dessert for summer potlucks or big family dinners, showing off summertime produce.

But it also works in the winter months. Add a sprig of peppermint and maybe even a scattering of chopped pistachios for a bit of green and you’ve got the perfect light Christmas dessert!

Fresh raspberries inside a vintage wooden berry box.

Raspberry Tart Ingredients

  • Puff pastry – You’ll need one 10×10-inch frozen sheet, thawed.
  • Heavy whipping cream – Make sure it’s chilled so that it whips up nice and fluffy.
  • Cream cheese – You’ll want it to have hung out at room temp for a bit so that it’s easy to mix.
  • Honey – Both to sweeten the cream cheese filling and to drizzle on top of those glorious fresh raspberries.
  • Lemon – You’ll need a bit of the juice and all of the zest.
  • Vanilla – Adds a note of sweetness and helps round out the flavors of the filling.
  • Fresh raspberries

Adaptations/Variations

  • Vegan Raspberry Tart: Sub in coconut cream for the whipping cream (here’s a great tutorial for how to make coconut whipping cream) and use vegan cream cheese for a dairy-free/vegan version. You’ll also want to make sure your puff pastry is vegan, but most are. Use pure maple syrup in place of the honey.
  • Blueberry (or other berry) Tart: Swap in fresh blueberries instead of the raspberries. Other berries that work well are blackberries, smaller strawberries, or marionberries.
  • Pistachio Raspberry Tart: Sprinkle with chopped pistachios for a bit of green color and crunch.

How to Make This Easy Raspberry Tart

First, you’ll want to bake your puff pastry. Roll it out to around 11×14 inches (doesn’t have to be exact), then score in a border with a butter knife and fold in the edges. Bake until golden, remove from the oven, and let it cool.

Next, mix up the filling – whip up the whipped cream, then mix in the cream cheese, half of the honey, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla. Do NOT grab a spoon, because it will be hard to stop “taste testing” this stuff.

Then, just spread the cream cheese layer onto the cooled puff pastry and line it with your raspberries. I like to place them stem-side down; I think they look extra pretty that way.

Honey is drizzled on a fresh raspberry cream cheese puff pastry tart on a wooden board.

Then, just drizzle the top with the rest of the berries, cut it into squares, and serve!

A slice of fresh raspberry lemon tart on a white plate with a fresh mint sprig as garnish.

Tips for Success

  • Make sure your cream cheese has been out of the fridge for a bit so that it’s easy to whip.
  • Use a Microplane zester for the easiest lemon zest.
  • Make sure your whipped cream is super cold for the fluffiest filling.

Make-Ahead Tips

Make the components ahead of time – bake the puff pastry, whip up the cream filling – then assemble right before it’s time to eat. You’ll want to keep the cream cheese filling in an airtight container in the fridge until about 20 minutes before it’s time to assemble (be sure to give it that bit of time to soften at room temp so it’s easy to spread).

If you really want to assemble it a few hours ahead of time, it actually keeps rather well for even up to 4-5 hours, fully assembled, carefully covered, and refrigerated.

More Easy Dessert Recipes

A slice of fresh raspberry lemon tart on a white plate with a fresh mint sprig as garnish.
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Easy Raspberry Tart

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Author: Kare
Yield: 8
Lush raspberries atop a fluffy lemon-vanilla cream cheese filling and a buttery golden puff pastry crust. This easy tart is sure to impress everyone!
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Ingredients

  • 1 frozen puff pastry sheet (10×10 inch, thawed)
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream (chilled)
  • 8 ounces cream cheese (1 box, softened [room temperature])
  • 6 tablespoons honey (divided)
  • 1 lemon (juiced and zested [need 2 teaspoons juice])
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 cups fresh raspberries (approx. 18 ounces)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, or to the temperature recommended on your package of puff pastry. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle a little flour on your pastry surface and, with a rolling pin, roll pastry sheet to approx 11-inches by 14-inches in size. Transfer pastry to baking sheet. With a butter knife, lightly score a 1/2-inch border around the edges, then fold the edge up and toward the center, pressing lightly, to create a neat border. Score the center lightly with a knife, taking care to not cut all of the way through (but if you accidentally do, it’ll be okay). Bake until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes, or the time indicated on the package of puff pastry. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
  • Affix a stand mixer or hand mixer with the whisk attachment. In the bowl of the mixer or in a large bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Scoop whipped cream into a medium bowl. To the bowl of the mixer or the large bowl, add the cream cheese, 3 tablespoons honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Whip until smooth and a little fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  • Fold cream cheese mixture into whipping cream, gently stirring and folding just until blended. Pile the filling into the center of the cooled puff pastry tart shell and, with a butter knife. spread the filling gently toward the edges. Line the top with raspberries, bottoms up. Drizzle with remaining 3 tablespoons honey. Cut into squares and serve.

Notes

Make-ahead notes: Make the components ahead of time – bake the puff pastry, whip up the cream filling – then assemble right before it’s time to eat. You’ll want to keep the cream cheese filling in an airtight container in the fridge until about 20 minutes before it’s time to assemble (be sure to give it that bit of time to soften at room temp so it’s easy to spread).
If you really want to assemble it a few hours ahead of time, it actually keeps rather well for even up to 4-5 hours, fully assembled, carefully covered, and refrigerated.

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