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No Bake Fruit Tart

No bake fruit tart with a buttery graham cracker crust and a smooth vanilla cream cheese filling, topped with fresh fruit and a quick apricot glaze. Chilled until set for a clean slice and bakery-style shine—no oven required.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
chilling + freezing 2 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Crust
  • 2 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 0.25 tsp salt pinch
Cream Cheese Filling
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
Fruit Topping
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
  • 0.5 cup fresh blueberries
  • 0.5 cup fresh raspberries
  • 0.5 cup fresh kiwi, peeled and sliced
  • 0.25 cup mandarin orange segments optional
  • 2 tbsp apricot jam
  • 1 tsp warm water for glaze

Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make the crust
  1. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, granulated sugar, and salt. Mix until the texture resembles wet sand and holds together when pressed (visual cue: it clumps when you squeeze it).
  2. Press the crumb mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Use the back of a spoon or flat-bottomed glass to compact it well (visual cue: an even, tightly packed crust).
  3. Place the crust in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up while you prepare the filling (visual cue: it feels set and less crumbly).
Make the vanilla cream filling
  1. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with a hand mixer until completely smooth and lump-free, about 2 minutes (visual cue: no visible cream cheese lumps).
  2. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, then beat on medium speed until fully incorporated and fluffy (visual cue: the mixture looks lighter and smoother).
  3. In a separate chilled bowl, whip the cold heavy cream to stiff peaks using a hand mixer or stand mixer on high speed (visual cue: peaks stand straight when you lift the beaters).
  4. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in two additions, using a rubber spatula. Fold until just combined and no streaks remain—keep it light and airy (visual cue: uniform filling with no white streaks).
Assemble, chill, and glaze
  1. Spoon the cream filling into the chilled crust and spread it evenly with an offset spatula, smoothing the top (visual cue: level surface with sharp edges at the crust line).
  2. Refrigerate the filled tart for at least 2 hours (or up to overnight) until the filling is firm and set (visual cue: it jiggles minimally when the pan is gently tapped).
  3. Just before serving, arrange the fresh fruit decoratively over the top, starting from the outer edge and working inward or in concentric circles (visual cue: neat, overlapping fruit pattern).
  4. Warm the apricot jam with 1 tsp warm water in a small bowl and brush gently over the fruit for a glossy, bakery-style glaze (visual cue: fruit looks shiny without dripping).
  5. Remove the tart from the pan, slice with a sharp knife, and serve immediately or keep refrigerated until ready to serve (visual cue: clean slices hold their shape).

Notes

For the cleanest slices, chill the filled tart until fully set (at least 2 hours) and add fruit only right before serving so it stays vibrant. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; freezing is not recommended because the fruit texture can change. For a dairy-light option, use a cream cheese and whipped topping that are labeled for whipping, and follow package directions to keep the filling stable.