Blueberry Lemon Thyme Tarts

Gorgeous crispy flaky tarts made with fresh seasonal blueberries, plenty of lemon, and earthy thyme.

*THIS POST MAY INCLUDE AFFILIATE LINKS AND SPONSORED CONTENT. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE BRANDS THAT MAKE LION’S BREAD POSSIBLE. 

I’ve made different iterations of these Blueberry Lemon Thyme Tarts for several years. There’s just something magical that happens when buttery flaky pastry meets juicy seasonal fruit. It’s a combination that I never seem to get tired of. 

Want more delicious fruit recipes? Be sure to check out 

Lemon and Blackberry Tart

Simple Custard Cream Tart

Rainbow Apple Galette

Spiced Pear and Cranberry Crisp

One of the best things about this recipe is that it is more of a blueprint than anything. I’m guiding you through making the pastry (pie crust) and from there, you can riff on the flavor combinations however you like. Switch up the fruit, change the citrus, add aromatic herbs. The combinations and possibilities are endless and can carry you through from season to season.

I love blueberries raw or cooked, but the funny thing is, they taste COMPLETELY different when they’re cooked in my opinion. When they’re baked, they become jammy, tart, and extremely delicious. The fresh lemon and thyme really bring their natural flavor to life.

Let me walk you through the process, and this will quickly become a back-pocket recipe that you’ll make again and again!

How to make All Butter Pie Crust Pastry

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the all purpose flour, small cubes of cold butter, fresh thyme leaves, and kosher salt. Use your fingertips to squeeze the cubes of butter into the flour, flattening them out into small sheets of flour-coated butter. Continue squeezing the flour into the butter for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is crumbly.
2. Add the ice water, and use a spatula or wooden spoon to combine. The dough will just start to come together, but will still be very crumbly and shaggy. Line the work surface with a piece of plastic wrap, then pour the shaggy dough onto the plastic wrap. Use the plastic wrap to gather the dough together, and press it into a disc shape. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes.
3. Remove the dough from the fridge. Flour your work surface generously, then sprinkle extra flour on top of the dough. Roll the dough out into a 12×14 inch rectangle. Use a pizza wheel or a sharp chef’s knife to trim the edges of the dough so they are straight clean lines. Slice the dough in half vertically, then into thirds horizontally, giving you 6 equal rectangles.

Ingredients

FOR THE PIE CRUST:

unbleached all purpose flour – I use unbleached all purpose flour from King Arthur Baking Company, for its consistent, professional results. It has a higher protein content than most AP flours, but it really works well here. I wouldn’t use a whole grain flour for the pastry crust.

Kerrygold unsalted butter, very cold, 1 cm cubes – using very cold butter is important here because we want the butter to remain cold when it hits the hot oven. The heat from the oven will create steam in the dough, resulting in puffy air pockets which create a flakey pie crust. I prefer to use unsalted butter here so that I can control the overall level of salt in this recipe

granulated sugar – I love using Domino Golden Sugar in all of my sweet bakes. It’s less processed, and works cup-for-cup like regular granulated sugar. It also lends a slight hint of molasses flavor that I find works really well here.

ice water – the trick to making flakey pie crust is to use as little water as possible. Add the water to the ingredients one tablespoon at a time. This recipe calls for 3-4 tablespoons total.

blueberries – I use fresh (not frozen) blueberries for this recipe. They hold up better when baked, and release their natural juices slowly.

lemon – The lemon in this recipe is really important. We’re using the fresh zest and the juice, which bring the delicious jammy flavor of the blueberries to life. The brightness and acidity of the lemon always pairs really well with berries and the richness of the buttery pastry. 

TOOLS TO MAKE HOMEMADE Lemon Blueberry Thyme tarts:

ALL links are shop-able!

Rubber Spatulas – I love these heat resistant rubber spatulas. I use them every.single.day in my kitchen, for countless baking and cooking tasks!

Rimmed Baking Sheets – I prefer to use a rimmed baking sheet for any fruit tarts because they tend to be juicy, which could spill out onto your oven. The rim keeps all of the juices contained. 

Parchment paper sheets – I prefer to use parchment paper for a nonstick surface when baking, rather than silicone mats or nonstick cooking spray. The parchment keeps the surface non stick without giving the pastry any “slip” which can cause it to spread out too much. Also, I prefer the precut sheets so the paper isn’t rolling up on me while I work.

Mixing Bowls – these stainless steel mixing bowls are a kitchen essential. I like using stainless steel because they’re unbreakable, and heatproof so I can use them for anything and everything!

How to make the Blueberry Lemon Thyme Filling

This process is so simple, we’re just mixing this up in a bowl. To a large mixing bowl, add the blueberries, granulated sugar, fresh lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, cornstarch, kosher salt, and thyme leaves. Stir to combine so all of the blueberries are coated in the lemon juice and sugar. 

As the filling sits for a few minutes, it will start to macerate and the natural sweet juices of the fruit will come out. The cornstarch will help thicken those juices while the tarts bake.

Feel free to swap out the blueberries for any berry you love!

Substitutions

Take these Blueberry Lemon Thyme Tarts in any direction you like! Some of my favorite variations include strawberries, raspberries, peaches and blackberries, apples and cinnamon, pear and cardamom. 

As far as the pastry goes, I wouldn’t make any changes to the recipe as it is written. You can leave out the thyme if you like, but the ratios I’ve given you of butter, flour, and water will create the most delicious result.

You simply can’t go wrong with this classic, and once you master the method, you can absolutely make it your own. 

I seriously can’t wait for you to try these Blueberry Lemon Thyme Tarts!

If you make these Homemade Blueberry Tarts, or any of the recipes from the blog, share it and tag me @lions.bread so I can see it! I love seeing how busy you all are in the kitchen, and hearing your feedback.

Don’t forget to save this recipe to your favorite board on Pinterest! Click on any of the images on this page to see the “Pin it!” icon. 

happy baking – LeAnne

Did you make this recipe? Rate and Comment below. Your feedback is everything, and I try to get to all of your messages!

Print

Blueberry Lemon Thyme Tarts

Gorgeous, buttery flaky made with fresh seasonal berries, plenty of lemon, and a hint of earthy thyme

Course Dessert

Cuisine European

Keyword blueberries, lemon, pie, tarts

Prep Time 2 hours

Cook Time 35 minutes

Servings 6 tarts

Author LeAnne

Ingredients

For the Pastry

• 1 ¼ cups unbleached all purpose flour 160 g
• 8 tablespoons Kerrygold Salted butter - very cold 1 cm cubes, 106 g
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 24 g
• 1 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves roughly chopped
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3-4 tablespoons ice water 25-30 g

For the Filling:

• 3 cups fresh blueberries 550 g
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 36 g
• 1 heaping tablespoon fresh lemon zest zest from 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch 10 g
• 1 small pinch kosher salt
• 1 rounded tablespoon fresh thyme leaves roughly chopped
• 1 egg beaten for egg wash
• 2 tablespoons Turbinado sugar for garnish, 24 g

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the all purpose flour, small cubes of cold butter, fresh thyme leaves, and kosher salt. Use your fingertips to squeeze the cubes of butter into the flour, flattening them out into small sheets of flour-coated butter. Continue squeezing the flour into the butter for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is crumbly.
2. Add the ice water, and use a spatula or wooden spoon to combine. The dough will just start to come together, but will still be very crumbly and shaggy. Line the work surface with a piece of plastic wrap, then pour the shaggy dough onto the plastic wrap. Use the plastic wrap to gather the dough together, and press it into a disc shape. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes.
3. Remove the dough from the fridge. Flour your work surface generously, then sprinkle extra flour on top of the dough. Roll the dough out into a 12x14 inch rectangle. Use a pizza wheel or a sharp chef’s knife to trim the edges of the dough so they are straight clean lines. Slice the dough in half vertically, then into thirds horizontally, giving you 6 equal rectangles.
4. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and gently transfer the rectangles to the baking sheet. Set the whole baking sheet in the fridge to keep the dough cool.
5. Meanwhile, make the filling. In a large mixing bowl. Add the blueberries, granulated sugar, fresh lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, cornstarch, kosher salt, and thyme leaves. Stir to combine so all of the blueberries are coated in the lemon juice and sugar.
6. Remove the baking sheet from the fridge, and spoon about 3 tablespoons of filling into the center of each rectangle. Next, fold all four sides of the dough up and crimp the corners. Move and shift the blueberries around so they are evenly distributed over the dough.
7. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the entire baking sheet in the fridge once more to firm up the dough for 20 minutes while the oven preheats. Then, brush the folded edges of the dough with beaten egg, and sprinkle turbinado sugar on the edges. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla bean ice cream.

The post Blueberry Lemon Thyme Tarts first appeared on Lion’s Bread Blog