My travels recently brought me to one of the most beautiful and delicious places on earth.

Paris, France.

Stuffing my suitcase with stilettos and wheatgrass powder, I was eager to experience this historic city with my mom and my sister.
My only dilemma?
My Vegan diet was the antithesis of the French cuisine.
Still, I forged ahead all smiles and confidence; I was tackling a challenge that would make some vegans cringe at the mere thought.
My only goal in Paris was to have no regrets.
Of course, my lack of desire to eat meat or dairy led to some interesting discussions with the chef and serving staff…In one restaurant, I heard screams bellowing from the kitchen. That was a hot-tempered chef!
The servers cursed my very being.
However, many of my meals were downright easy to order and delicious, albeit coated in butter because even the most accommodating French chef believes that a meal is not complete without du beurre.
I made a list of foods- vegan or not- that I deemed were a once in a lifetime (but hopefully twice) opportunity to try.
For example, the croissant that melted on my tongue, the café that made 3 hours of sleep and jet lag almost bearable…


and the Tarte aux Fraises that left me longing to bake a Végétalienne (vegan) version in my own kitchen.

I decided to combine the traditional French methods of the Tarte aux Fraises recipe, but to also add a non-traditional Vegan flare.
And like a good little student, I did my research.
I went straight to Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Volume I) Cookbook for inspiration.

[source]
With my suitcase overflowing with postcards, dirty clothes, Michel Cluizel 85% dark chocolate, and barely worn stilettos (have you seen that cobblestone?!), I set off to my kitchen to create.

I have always been a girl with her priorities straight.

Tarte Aux Fraises Végétalienne
Objective: Traditional French Cuisine with a vegan twist.
Pâte sablée (Sugar Crust):
- 1 cup white Kamut flour
- 1/4 cup Earth Balance butter sticks
- 2 tbsp organic cane sugar
- 3-4 tbsp almond milk
- 1/4 tsp vanilla bean, finely grated
- 1/8th tsp Himalayan sea salt
Vegan Custard:
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3 tbsp raw agave nectar
- 1.5 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast (for yellow colour- optional)
Fruit Topping:
- 1.25 cup strawberries, sliced w/ stems removed
- 1/4 cup raw agave nectar OR sugar + water glaze
- 1 Kiwi, peeled and sliced
- 1/2 large Peach, sliced
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F. Gather 4 tart pans approx. 4 inches in diameter. In a stand mixer using the dough hook, mix the flour, sugar, vanilla bean, and salt. Add the Earth Balance and milk and mix until a ball forms. Wrap and chill dough in fridge while you prepare the custard and toppings for about 20-30 minutes.
2. Quickly rinse and dry stand mixer bowl and sift in cornstarch, nutritional yeast, and icing sugar. Quickly stir. Add in almond milk, lemon juice, agave, and vanilla paste. Mix well scraping sides as necessary until all clumps are gone. Pour mixture into a bowl and place in microwave for 30 secs. on high. Remove and stir out all clumps with whisk. Repeat process 2 more times, whisking well to remove all clumps. Mixture will thicken up nicely. Set aside.
3. Prepare fruit and then place in a bowl with agave nectar. Coat all fruit and set aside.
4. Remove chilled dough from fridge and flour your surface. Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Roll out, one at a time, into a circle 1 inch larger than the tart pan. Let dough fall into tart pan. Take a rolling pin and roll the top to cut away excess. Remove with fingers. Repeat for other 3.
5. Bake Pâte sablée for 18-19 minutes at 400F. Cool for about 10 minutes.
6. Now grab your cooled Pâte sablée and fill with 2 tablespoons of custard. Layer on fruit and add more glaze with a pastry brush.
Serve and enjoy!

Crust ingredients:

My secret ingredient- Some finely grated vanilla bean all the way from Tahiti!
It adds tiny flecks of je ne sais quoi. ;)

Get out your dough hook if you have one. You can also knead the dough by hand of course.

When it forms into a ball, all is well in the world.
Wrap it with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge while you prep the vegan custard.

Custard ingredients:



My first attempt seemed promising…

However, appearances can be deceiving…! Hrmph.

Oh boy, I think I will pass on the clumpy vegan custard!
Now, open the window because you suddenly feel like you are getting a hot flash.

Remove your sweater and prepare yourself a refreshing strawberry spinach salad to cool off.

If you are like me, you might realize that you ate too many strawberries and have to rush back to the store to pick up another pint. These things happen to the best of us. ;)
Re-evaluate your chicken scratch recipe and keep the faith…

Say a prayer and dive in.

Vegan Custard Success!!
By this time, your dough has been chilling for so long you wonder if it may be frozen.
Luckily this is Canadian dough and it can survive even the coldest fridge. ;)

Split your dough into 4 parts. Flour your surface and roll out a circle that is 1 inch larger than your tart pan (image left).


Let dough fall into the tart pan and roll your pin over top to cut off excess. Remove with fingers.


Pierce tarts with a fork, so the air can escape while cooking.

Place in oven on the middle rack and bake for 18-19 minutes at 400F.
Now let’s make the fruit topping!

I used Raw Agave Nectar, but you can easily make a glaze using a small amount of boiling water and sugar or red currant jelly.

Kiwis just for fun.

I made a mini tart because I had leftover dough.

Once cool, place 2 tablespoons of the vegan custard into each shell.

Layer on the strawberries coated in glaze.

Spread on more glaze to finish them off…!

Admire your creation…

I prefer to take traditional classic recipes and think outside the box. Throw caution to the wind with toppings!

You can even make a Vegan Chocolate Ganache!

What have you got to lose? Your kitchen isn’t getting any cleaner! ;)
I mixed 1/4 cup of Michel Cluizel 85% dark chocolate (straight from Paris!) with 1/2 tbsp coconut oil. Heat in microwave for about 1 minute and mix. Easy as pie tarts.

When life gives you ganache, make a banana ganache tart of course.

or Kiwi-strawberry.

Even…Peach salsa…

Any size you like.

Your time has come.

Sit back,
relax…

…and with the first bite be transported to beautiful, delicious Paris…

No plane ticket required.

Just don’t ruin the moment by looking over at your kitchen. ;)

The mess was worth it, trust me on this one.
Let's get social! Follow Angela on Instagram @ohsheglows, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest
{ 151 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m truly impressed..those tarts look amazing! I think you’ve outdone yourself with this one!
Angela these look AMAZING !
So impressive Angela! That must have been so much work to come up with a veganized version, I’m super impressed and I most definitely believe this will land you in the next round. Will these make an appearance at a Farmer’s Market? Hehe :)
Absolute works of art!
Oh my goodness. Your kitchen!! Haha I hope that it looks worse than it is.Your tarts turned out beautifully!
it actually was worse than it looked! LOL
(the mess that is!)
Oh my gosh… Angela these are GORGEOUS. Another amazing post for project food blog – incredible!
C’est Magnifique! Custard is one thing I dearly miss as a vegan, however this recipe looks to be life changing!
This tart needs to make those tarts!
Good luck in the comp :)
Oh my gosh, VEGAN tarts with VEGAN custard??? I can’t wait to try this recipe!!! And your entry looks amazing!!!
Those tarts are gorgeous! What a beautifully written post, Angela!
Wow! I can’t believe you did that so quickly! You just arrived home. Oh She Glows never ceases to amaze. :-)
Such gorgeous tarts…love all the different toppings! And your writing in this post was even more outstanding than its usual brilliance!
Oh my gosh Angela you are so talented, it’s astounding. I think this may be my favourite post of all time from your blog.
I even dragged my mother over to the laptop to show her and she thought they look DELICIOUS!!! I am so going to try this asap!!
I would give an arm and a leg to have the chance to cook with you or be taught by you. You are a Vegan Food GOD!
Those tarts look better then the non-vegan ones. Your hard work was so worth it I am sure.
oh my god. those look too pretty to eat!
WOW… these look amazing!! SO BEAUTIFUL!!
Are you going to sell these at the Market?
That is absolutely AMAZING! I can’t believe you did that. WOW.
What a beautiful post!! I love your account of the trip to Paris plus the vegan version of the tarts…they look divine!!
Those look so amazing! I am trying those this week!
I’m speechless. I need to email this to…. everyone I know.
Angela. My jaw is still on the floor. These are unbelievable.
Your tarts came out beautifully, and I’m sure they taste every bit as good as they look! I’m impressed that you only had one “fail” before you created your masterpiece! I’m glad to see some French inspiration in your dishes!
thanks everyone!
Um….
YUM.
You’ve got my vote.
Oh my word….deliciousness a la internet! Those tarts all look incredible, but the banana/chocolate one has me drooling. Yum.
Wow! Genius!
Oh Ange,
This is beautiful. I am making something French too, but not quite as elaborate. Of COURSE you have my vote.
Now that is a perfect post.
Welcome home. I’m glad you’re back on Canadian soil, baking up treats in your kitchen and snuggling with your loved ones. However, I loved every moment of your trip. Thanks for taking us all along for the tour of Paris. It was wonderful.
I absolutely adore your blog … & Paris as well!
This was definitely my favorite post of yours yet!
Ahhh – these look amazing. Sooo beautiful!!
I love the step-by-step photos (including the custard fail). I can’t wait to see more Parisian recipes!
OK, as if I wasn’t convinced before, but I am now officially more-than-ever convinced. You need to write a cookbook. End of story. :)
OH my goodness – these look so good. I was wondering what the kitchen failure was all about earlier with the tweets!!
oh, it looks like you succeeded! :)
Oh my gosh… these look incredible!
Bravo, Ange! This recipe (and beautifully written post, photographs and composition) deserves a standing ovation. You are a rock star!!!
I’m glad your back! I loved seeing your pictures from France, but I really missed seeing what kind of oats combo you would come up with next! :) I hope the jetlag isn’t too bad!
This is quite possibly the most epic post ever!! Stunning!
Welcome back from Paris—love that you put aside your food restrictions and indulged on the Paris greats!
The comment about du beurre reminded me of this delicious dish I was eating a couple of months ago at a restaurant. I was so proud of myself for ordering the vegetarian dish – it was quinoa with various summer veggies and feta cheese and I was chowing it down. It felt so rich though and I thought why does this taste so good/rich? And I recognized the taste of butter! Must have been a whole stick in that poor little quinoa bowl. I hate how restaurants use butter in everything…
But I guess I would make an exception if I was in Paris – you only live once!
Wow…speechless. So beautiful.
I just love love love this post! You should do more step-by-steps. :D
Stunning!!
Oh my, thanks for dirtying up your kitchen to experiment and make those beautiful tartes for us to see! : )
gorgeous, angela!
Very impressive! They look they belong in Paris.
those look fabulous and so professional!!! YUM!
Angela, this is a TWO PART SUCCESS!!! not only is your recipe amazing but your written account is equally as beautiful! tres bien fait, le tout!
I am totally speechless.
And that is saying something.
Wow, these look awesome! I want to know where you get the inspiration and creativity to make these alternatives!! C’est magnifique!!
This was awesome! I loved the tarts in Paris and these I could actually make. The writing makes it so much fun too. My kitchen will definitely look like that when I’m finished making these next weekend :-)
You are so talented, those tarts look amazing and straight from Paris.
Wow, those tarts are beautiful! I am so impressed! I can practically taste them just looking at the screen. Fruit tarts are my favorite dessert, hands down.
Great job!!!
Vous êtes extraordinairement douée dans la cuisine! Seriously, those are awe-inspiring tartes!
Angela, you are amazing! I love all things France (I’ve been twice in my life, and cannot wait to go back) and I so enjoyed seeing Paris from your perspective. It truly is the most heavenly city every, n’est pas?
I love that you are so inspired by the french cuisine, and I hope you continue to feature your own take on things! :)
I’m practically drooling over my keyboard! Very well-written post as well!
Incredible. That is a lot of hard work, but I agree that the result looks well worth it!
Those look amazing!
I am completely blown away by this post. Amazing. You are amazing. xo
You are a genius! Wait I mean…Vous êtes un génie! Umm…did Google translate just have me call you a genie? Je ne sais pas….
~Stacie
Those look amazing! I don’t think I would ever take the time to make them, but hopefully I can find a good vegan tart somewhere soon!
Yupp- just want to echo all of the sentiments previously expressed. Those tarts look FANTASTIC! I love the passion for food you radiate, that was obviously magnified by your time in Paris. Thanks for bringing us along for the journey! :)
Angela I’m so glad you made the strawberry tart! I thought the pic from Paris looked AMAZING and yours looks even better. I love the mini one with the kiwi and strawberry. So adorable.
You have my vote :)
Angela, you are a magician!! Look at those tarts! They look delicious and just like non-vegan tarts!! Wow. Just wow!
Experimenting in the kitchen is so much fun mess or no mess! Your tarts look absolutely beautiful! I especially like the ‘peach salsa’ one, so pretty.
Those tarts look truly amazing! And a messy kitchen means there’s a real chef working.
oh my gosh. these look heavenly! you’ve got my vote. for sure! :)
your photos just make me so happy. i am sometimes anxious about how much i love food because i think its another form of obsession, but then sometimes i just want to revel in how much pleasure it brings me. i want to just embrace how good it feels to look at pictures of beautiful food! thank you for giving me lovely things to look at :)
What a wonderful post! I get very upset when something I cook doesn’t turn out right (or down right terrible). I feel like I’ve wasted the ingredients and am a failure. You seem to be able to do a lot of trial and error recipes without losing your cool. How do you do it??
I often feel like Im having a hot flash when I have disasters. Lots of cold water helps…lol. ;)
you’re my hero :)!
Those tarts look absolutely awesome! But then again, everything you make is stellar in my books.
You have such a special gift for coming up with amazing recipes. I’m in awe :) I really hope you go far in project food blog cuz you so deserve it :)
these really look amazing. i admire how you can make such a good recipe, i wish i could do the same. practice makes perfect, right? :)
AMAZING. You’ll definitely have my vote.
Oh wow, they look heavenly. Seriously good.
They look amazing Angela! Especially the chocolate and banana one. :)
thanks guys! Wish I could give you all one :)
The length of this post and the amount of pictures…dang girl. Just that alone is impressive. I am not exactly succinct in my posts (although I am trying to get better on that one) but I know how long lengthy posts can take…not to mention, all the trial and error to get this recipe just right. Amazing efforts, fabulous results!!
Ive said it before and Ill say it again, I think it’s great that you abandoned vegan purism and experienced your trip and the food you wanted to. I commend you for blogging about this.
I posted recently about a shot called a buttery nipple that’s butterscotch schnapps and bailey’s irish cream and the vegan police flipped out on me about the bailey’s. The shot is soo good, I highly recommend it. And taking your kid to the zoo….oh the vegans freak out about that too. So if I go to the zoo, I can’t post about it unless I want to hear about it. It’s what makes me sad to be a 99% vegan b/c the 100% vegans flip out. Anyway sorry to ramble but I am so happy that a high profile blogger like you is not scared to post about trace non-vegan food you ate. Bravo!!!
Bravo! What a creation!
This looks epic. You are a genius!
Angela! Ces tartes aux fraises végétaliennes ont l’air tout simplement *incroyables*!!
They should just stop the contest right now, the next Foodbuzz star is HERE!! :)
I think it’s already been said, but these look amazing! I love that you made variations with different fruits.
hahaha! what beautiful tarts! glad you kept at it, i feel the same way about my kitchen after a tornado of cooking.
Try agar instead of cornstarch!
Angela you are a GENIUS!!!!!!!!
U seriously should win this contest, I love everyone who is entered in it, and everyone is unique and has amazing skills, but you just are so amazing! AMAZING second entry!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Your tartes all look amazing. This post couldn’t have come at a better time. Last night my husband and I went to see a film called Kings of Pastry, a documentary about a competition that occurs every 4 years in France during which French pastry chefs compete to earn the title of “Master Craftsmen” of pastry. Their creations were amazing and I left the movie hungry for some French pastries until my husband reminded me that nothing in the film was vegan. With your recipe I can now make my own cruelty free tartes. Thank you!
seriously stunning!
You are a genius! :D
Oh my gosh, those look SO good!!!
I concur, you are a genius! :-)
WOW, amazing!
I think Angela Liddon is the new Julia Childs!
You have my vote!!!!!!!! Wow, I admire your creativity and thoroughness! Bravo ma chere!
These look AMAZING!! Better than the original!
Yummy!
WOW!! Amazing…they ALL look FANTASTIC. you have my vote.
Girl.. you’ve done it again :)
Your own French pastries are just beautiful! You are too good! :)
Those tarts look SO amazing. I am sure they taste even better than they look :) Your ability to create traditional recipes and make them vegan is a wonderful talent. You make me believe that I could be a vegan myself!
Wow Angela, tu m’impressionnes à tous les jours avec tes incroyables recettes végétaliennes! Je dois t’avouer que c’est grandement grâce à toi si je suis végétalienne aujourd’hui. Je traduis fréquemment tes recettes sur mon blogue pour les rendre accessible à mes lecteurs francophone, j’espère que tu n’y vois pas d’inconvénients!! Si tu as besoin des services d’une traductrice, fais-moi signe. ;)
***Wow Angela, you never cease to amaze me with your incredible vegan recipes. You made me see that a vegan diet can be tasty and healthy so I left eggs and butter behind 4 months ago and never looked back! Your are an inspiration to me. I’ve been translating a few of your recipes on my blog to share them with my French readers, I hope you don’t mind! If you need a translator, don’t be shy to ask! Your French seems really good though so you probably don’t need one. :)
Those tarts look too good to eat! Yum!!!
WOW, Angela! You never cease to A-maze us. This entry deserves 100 vote. I love how being vegan causes you to be soooo creative.
Ohhh my goodness, Angela- these are to die for!!
Have you ever taken in IQ test, because I occurs to me that you may just be a genius ;P
Your recipes are brilliant every single time I visit your blog :D
I really like the pictures of the tarts. SO beautiful!! Loved this post.
This look lovely! Your recipes always sound so delicious.
Those look marvelous!!!!
I wish I could taste this! You have created some amazing things on this blog, but you have truly outdone yourself today!
Holy yum! I have GOT to get to it and make some of this! Your kitchen mess is a relief to see.
What a great post! I love that you took a traditional French dessert that is totally not vegan and transported it to jive with your current healthy ideals. Bravo! Those tarts looks so lovely, like little jewels!
They all look delicious! The peach salsa tart looks yummy!
Amazing, just amazing. I’m in awww!!!
Wow, this was wonderfully done. The writing, the photography–I was seriously ready to lick my screen. This is what food blogging is all about!!!
“Stuffing my suitcase with stilettos and wheatgrass powder.”
This is my favorite quote all week…love it :)
Oh.My.Gosh. You are amazing! The photo are so good I can almost taste the tarts in my mouth!! Awesome job Ange!
Almost too pretty to eat! Almost : )
That looks soooo good! I am now wiping my screen from the drool! : )
Angela, you no doubtedly are developing your talent for blogging. Congratulations. I am voting for you on Foodbuzz and want you to know I listed you as my role model for blogging:) Your story is identical to mine and thank you for your daily inspiration. God is using you….
Heather McClees
www.thesoulfulspoon.com
www.heather-mcclees.com
Those look amazing! And the pictures are incredible!
Your blog has been a favorite for months now but this last post – WOW. I am amazed and astonished at your amazing pictures, ideas and content! Fantastic, amazing post. :)
Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum! I love those fruit tarts. I’ve been a fan for a long time, but have never attempted my own. Might have to now!
this looks unbelievable – can’t wait to try!
Wow! Your tarts are more beautiful than the ones in Paris!
of course, Paris is my favorite city….these look just as good as if I got them myself in a patissiere!
good luck! you definitely have my vote!
very proud of you!!! these look AMAZING
Absolutely devine is all I have to say! Yummy!
it’s tough make French vegan! well done. Voted.
(see my entry here: http://www.foodbuzz.com/project_food_blog/challenges/2/view/869)
Oh these look awesome. Love the post and the pictures. Nice work.
All I can say is WOW AMAZING DELICIOUS
I am very impressed with your creation. It is stunning! You will definitely move on to the next round!
Your tarts are absolutely beautiful! :)
I have one silly question – but could you taste the nutritional yeast in the custard filling? Somehow I just can’t imagine it in a sweet treat; but then again, maybe the other flavors hide the taste completely? :)
Nope but make sure not to use more than 1/2 tbsp! :)
Many thanks for the quick reply! I’ll give this a try when I can get my hands on fresh summer berries again (the other variations sound good, too – but the strawberry tart looks just adorable). :)
U would probably love the banana + ganache too!
I can’t wait to make these tarts. Traditionally; apricot jelly is used as the “glaze” for the fruit topping so I’ll be using that instead of agave; this recipe sounds great!!!
lol. Angela, I love the view of your messy kitchen! That’s how my kitchen looks whenever I cook, which is pretty much everyday! haha! Glad to know I’m not alone. Onto another question… I want to make these, but don’t have tart pans. What could I use in place of them? Large muffin pan? P.S. You TOTALLY have my vote! ;)
Those tarts all look so amazing! especially the chocolate ganache one! Anything with chocolate is my weak spot. I wish I had your culinary talents!
Those tarts look stunning – I will have one of everything please! Best of luck in the competition…
Angela, I am so impressed! These look delicious! I can’t wait to try it out!
So many different combinations!!! Beautiful! And they’d be a nice pick-me-up to start the morning. Got my vote!
Lick My Spoon
Congrats Angela! I’d loved reading about Paris and seeing this tart rendition:)
YAY! Way to go, reader’s choice! Can’t wait to see what you whip up for the next challenge, congrats!!!!!
Congrats on Readers Choice! Well-deserved. What’s for luxury dinner?
LL
I am utterly in awe – you are incredible :)
Oh wow, your photos are gorgeous and these look incredible. I buy them here in Thailand (Thais are big on pastries) but I doubt they’re as delicious as yours look :)
Wow I thought I was making great tarts till I saw this fabulous post, amazing and mouth watering love the chocolate and banana combo that one is making me salivate!
I love making tarts (and any French dessert in general) and I’m so impressed you made it vegan! It still looks beautiful; and I’m sure you kept the maginifcent taste of these tarts too
Wow ! I tried your recipe and it was amazing ! :)
But I used only kiwi for garniture.
Thanks for sharing your recipies with us !
I’m looking at your “tartes aux fraises”… you use kamut flour – I don’t have kamut flour – can I use w/w; or spelt or cocnut or rice or bean or barley? I’m not sure of the properties of kamut… why did you choose that grain? (it’s one I don’t have! LOL)
Kamut bakes similar to all purpose flour so you want to stay along those lines with something that has gluten. You might be able to get away with whole wheat pastry flour since it too is delicate.
Okay, I realize this is an old post but I’m new to vegan cooking and your blog (Love them both!) and just saw this delightful recipe. Random question~ I am fascinated with the photo of your notes and can’t figure out what “nooch” means! What does it mean? And thanks for all the amazing inspiration! I am making your power hemp seed salad tomorrow and very excited to try it =)
Thank you so much for your beautiful recipe! My sister and I used your custard recipe but omitted the icing sugar to make refined sugar free and replaced nutritional yeast with turmeric for the color. We made our own Paleo, GF pastry crust and topped it off with glazed strawberries and blackberries. It was a complete hit and all my non-glutenfree, non-vegan friends were begging for more.
Here is our beautiful French Patisserie Fruit Tarts inspired from yours: https://sprinkleofvanillasugar.wordpress.com/2017/04/14/easy-vegan-french-patisserie-fruit-tarts-paleo-gf-df/
We love your blog!
Those look lovely!! Thanks so much for sharing.