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This cranberry tart recipe is a showstopper dessert that combines a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread crust with a vibrant, perfectly balanced cranberry curd filling. Itโs beautiful-looking, so delicious, and perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any holiday gathering where you want to impress without the stress!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
A Note from Cheryl
I first discovered cranberry curd tarts through the NYT cranberry curd tart recipe (New York Times), and I’ve been obsessed ever sinceโbut I wanted to make a version that was a bit more approachable for home bakers. This recipe uses an easy press-in shortbread crust (no rolling required!) and a streamlined curd method that skips the fussy tempering stepsโtotally created for busy people like you!
Why This Recipe is So Good
- This tart is absolutely stunning on the tableโfor real. That vibrant cranberry filling practically glows, and when you garnish it with sugared cranberries, fresh rosemary, or orange slices, you’ve got yourself a centerpiece-worthy dessert that photographs like a dream and tastes even better than it looks. While everyone else is bringing pumpkin or apple, you’re showing up with something that’s both familiar and refreshingly different.
- You can make this tart cranberry almost entirely ahead of time, which is absolutely crucial during the holiday chaos. The crust can be blind-baked a day ahead, the curd filling needs to chill for at least 3 hours anyway, and the whole assembled tart sits beautifully in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. This means you’re not scrambling in the kitchen while your guests arrive.
- I love how versatile this is for any celebration, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s! The cranberries give it that quintessential holiday vibe, but this tart works beautifully for winter dinner parties, Christmas dessert tables, or even Valentine’s Day with its gorgeous color. One recipe, multiple occasionsโthat’s what we call a win.
What You Need to Know Before You Start
- Measure your tart pan to confirm it’s actually 10 inchesโpans can vary, and you want to make sure you’re rolling your dough to the right size. If your pan is smaller, you’ll have extra dough; if it’s larger, you might need to stretch things a bit.
- Look, I know it seems like an extra dish to wash, but donโt skip the sieving step because itโs what transforms your filling from “pretty good” to “absolutely stunning.” Sieving removes the cranberry skins and any bits, giving you that smooth, vibrantly colored curd that looks professionally made.
- Let that crust chill both before AND during baking. The 30-minute chill before rolling helps the dough come together perfectly, and using pie weights during the first part of baking keeps the bottom flat and the sides from slumping. If you don’t have pie weights, dried beans work just as wellโjust keep them in a jar and reuse them for all your future blind-baking needs.
- When you’re cooking the cranberry curd on the stovetop, you’re looking for it to coat the back of a spoon, but it might still seem a bit thin. Don’t panic(!) and keep cooking itโthe curd will set up beautifully in the fridge as it chills.
Recipe Variations
Make it Extra Citrusy: Add the zest of one orange to the cranberry mixture before cooking, and use orange juice instead of water. The orange and cranberry combination is classic for a reasonโit’s absolutely delicious.
Swap the Shortbread Crust: If you’re short on time or intimidated by making pastry, you can use a graham cracker crust instead. Mix 2 cups graham cracker crumbs, โ cup melted butter, and 3 tablespoons sugar, press into your tart pan, and bake at 350ยฐF for 10 minutes.
Add Vanilla or Almond Extract: A teaspoon of vanilla extract or ยฝ teaspoon of almond extract stirred into the finished cranberry curd adds another layer of flavor that’s subtle but lovely.
Top it Differently: While sugared cranberries are stunning, you could also top this with sweetened whipped cream, meringue kisses, candied orange peel, or even a dusting of powdered sugar for a simpler presentation.
Make Mini Cranberry Tarts: Divide the crust dough among 12-16 mini tart pans (4-inch size), pressing evenly into bottoms and up sides. Blind bake for 10-12 minutes until golden, then cool completely. Divide cranberry curd among cooled mini tart shells and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until set. These bite-sized beauties are perfect for holiday parties and buffets where guests want to sample multiple desserts.
Frequently Asked Questions
For sure, itโd be wiser to make it ahead, and it tastes better, too! You can bake the crust up to 2 days in advance and store it covered at room temperature, make the curd filling and assemble the tart up to 24 hours before serving, and it will keep beautifully in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Sieving removes the cranberry skins and any pulpy bits, giving you a perfectly smooth, vibrantly colored curd with a silky texture. While you could skip this step, the difference in both appearance and mouthfeel is significantโit’s what makes this tart look TikTok bakery-quality.
While the buttery shortbread crust is traditional and sooo delicious, you could use a graham cracker crust, gingersnap crust, or even a pre-made pie crust if you’re in a pinch. Just make sure whatever crust you use is fully baked and cooled before adding the cranberry curd.
The curd is ready when it coats the back of a spoon, and you can draw a line through it with your finger that holds its shape. Remember, it will thicken more as it chills, so don’t overcook it on the stovetop or it might become grainy.
The unbaked tart shell freezes beautifully for up to 2 monthsโjust wrap it well and bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time. However, I don’t recommend freezing the assembled tart with the curd filling, as the texture can become watery when thawed.
More Holiday Sweet Recipes
- โCranberry Orange Bread
- Sweet Potato Bread
- Vegan Pumpkin Donuts with Salted Caramel Glaze
- Cranberry White Chocolate Cookie Bars
- Cranberry Bliss Bars
- Cranberry Cinnamon Rolls
- No-Bake Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
- Easy Keto Pumpkin Pie
- Paleo Pumpkin Pie
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Keto Pecan Pie
- Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake
- Paleo Carrot Cake with โCream Cheeseโ Frosting (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Easy Cranberry Tart
Equipment
- Food processor
- 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom
- rolling pin
- parchment paper
- Pie weights or dried beans
- medium saucepan
- High-powered blender or immersion blender
- Fine mesh sieve
- baking sheet
- whisk
- Pastry brush
- wire cooling rack
Ingredients
For the Shortbread Crust
- 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter diced
- โ cup powdered sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240 grams
For the Cranberry Curd
- 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ยพ cup water or orange juice
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 whole large egg
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small cubes
For Optional Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
For Garnish (optional):
- Sugared cranberries
- Whipped cream
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
- Orange slices
Instructions
Make the Shortbread Crust
- Place 12 tablespoons cold butter (diced), โ cup powdered sugar, and 2 egg yolks in bowl of food processor fitted with blade. Pulse until combined but still speckled with butter.
- Add 2 cups all-purpose flour and run machine just until dough comes together when pinched between fingers. Turn dough out onto large piece of parchment paper, knead a few times to bring together, and pat into disc shape.
- Wrap well in parchment and chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF with rack in center. Remove dough from fridge and let rest on counter for 15 minutes.
- Sprinkle flour on work surface and over surface of dough. Roll out dough with rolling pin to approximately 12-inch circle.
- Transfer dough carefully to 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom, pressing lightly so it sits snugly against bottom and sides of pan. Prick bottom of shell all over with fork. Place whole pan onto baking sheet.
- Place piece of parchment paper over shell, making sure to cover edges. Spread plenty of dried beans or pie weights over parchment, covering whole bottom of tart shell.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then remove parchment and beans.
- For optional egg wash, beat 1 egg and 1 tablespoon water together with fork in small bowl. Brush shell with egg wash.
- Return shell to oven for additional 15 minutes or until completely golden brown. If edges start to color too much, cover lightly with foil. Remove from oven and cool completely before filling.
Make the Cranberry Curd
- In medium saucepan, combine 12 ounces cranberries, 1 cup granulated sugar, and ยพ cup water or orange juice. Set over medium-high heat. Once mixture begins to boil, turn down to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to high-powered blender and blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes or until completely smooth. Pour mixture through fine-mesh sieve set over bowl, using spatula to press it through.
- Add smooth cranberry mixture back to pot along with 3 large egg yolks and 1 whole egg. Whisk until completely combined. Place pot back on stove over medium heat and continue to heat and whisk constantly for 5 to 10 minutes or until mixture thickens and coats back of spoon.
- Remove from heat and stir in 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (cut into small cubes) until completely melted and incorporated. Pour curd into cooled tart crust, spreading evenly to edges.
- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours until set. Before serving, garnish with sugared cranberries, whipped cream, fresh rosemary sprigs, or orange slices as desired.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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I have not made it yet, but it sounds great.
Thank you!
Cat (Catharine Gunderson)
Be sure to let us know if you try it! ๐