No-Bake Fresh Fruit Tart

A no-bake fruit tart built on an orange-scented cream cheese filling that’s fluffy, tangy, and sweet all at once. Beat softened cream cheese with orange zest, orange juice, and confectioners’ sugar until light and airy. Fill a crumb crust or individual tart shells, chill until firm, and pile fresh fruit on top.

The orange zest in the filling is the ingredient that keeps this from tasting like plain cheesecake. It adds a bright, citrusy fragrance that pairs with almost any fruit you put on top: berries, peaches, kiwi, whatever’s in season.

No oven, no fuss. The chilling time does all the work of setting the filling into a sliceable, scoopable texture.

Kitchen Tips

• Soften the cream cheese fully before beating. Cold cream cheese leaves lumps that won’t smooth out.
• Beat until truly fluffy. The air you incorporate is what gives the filling its light, mousse-like texture.
• Chill for at least 2 hours. The filling needs time to firm up enough to hold the fruit on top without sinking.
• If using peaches or nectarines, toss them in lemon juice to prevent browning.

Variations

• Use a graham cracker crust, chocolate cookie crust, or shortbread crust depending on the fruit.
• Add a layer of fruit preserves between the filling and the crust for extra fruity depth.
• Swap orange zest for lemon or lime zest to match different fruit toppings.