Simple Summer Fruit Crostata With Lemon Cream Cheese Filling

Hey there friends! I am super excited to share a new recipe with you today! Its that time of year! I have been wanting to make something yummy with all the fresh summer fruit we are getting. The peaches on our tree are just starting to ripen, the mangos at the grocery store looked amazing and all the other fresh fruit was calling name! I wanted to make something refreshing and light and I came up with this amazing summer fruit crostata with lemon cream cheese filling.

This dessert is sweet, with a touch of tart creaminess from the lemon cream cheese mixture. The crispy and flaky phyllo dough I use as the crust is such a fun texture to add to the crostata.

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What is a crostata?

Basically a crostata is a rustic form of an open face tart. It considered an italian dessert, similar to a tart or American pies, but with a slight difference. Crostatas are more rustic and generally aren’t baked in a tin or pan. Its an Italian pie 🙂

What is the difference between a tart and a crostata?

A tart and a crostata are basically the same thing, while one is french and the other is italian. One other difference is that a tart is baked in a tart pan. Crostatas are more free form and rustic in nature with the edges folded up around the filling.

What kind of summer fruit can you use one this crostata?

Ooh I am not sure you can really go wrong with this. I think this dessert is the perfect summer treat because you can make it with whatever fruit you have in hand! For this crostata today, I am using peaches, mango, blueberries and strawberries. You could also simply use one fruit such as peaches or cherries.

Should this fruit crostata be refrigerated?

Since this summer fruit crostata has cream cheese filling under the fruit I would recommend putting any leftover in the fridge to preserve it. You can leave the baked dough out at room temperature without an issues. Just make sure to cover it with a towel, aluminum foil or plastic wrap.

Do I have to use Phyllo dough to make a crostata?

No! I love using phyllo dough and I find it to be a nice light dough to use. You could use a regular pie dough, pastry dough, shortcrust pastry or even premade crescent dough! I have seen similar desserts made with this.

How do you make this fresh fruit crostata?

Watch this video to see how I made this fresh summer fruit crostata!

This is actually much easier than you might think. I know Phyllo dough can seem daunting, and hard to work with, and it can be! But, the beauty of this dessert is the rustic nature of it, so its okay if it looks more rustin than refined.

• The first thing you want to do is to make the crostata base. I like to use one package of phyllo dough. You need it ot be at room temperature for it to cooperate fully. Warning…it can be dry and flaky, so if you find that to be the case, lay a damp towel over the top of the unrolled phyllo dough. This will help to hydrate the sheets of phyllo.
• You will need a large baking sheet, melted butter and a pastry brush. To begin you want to lay one thin sheet of dough on the baking sheet. ( I like to put a silicone baking mat down on the pan before doing this, it prevents the dough from sticking to the pan. You can also use parchment paper).
• Once you lay your first sheet down you need to brush it with some melted butter. Next, you will lay another sheet of dough down. This time rotate it about 20-30 degrees so that as you continue to add them, it will create a circle of sorts. Brush on some melted butter and add another layer of dough, making sure to rotate it once again. Keep doing this until you have used all your dough. Brush the last piece of dough with butter and grab a 8-9 inch round cake pan or pie pan and set it directly in the middle of the dough. Now, scrunch the edge of the dough up against the pan and up the sides of the pan to create the crust for the dessert.
• Now you can remove the pan and put the dough in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. You want to make sure to check it and as soon as the top and edges are golden brown, you can pull it out of the oven. The outside edges should be nice and brown as well. The phyllo dough will be crisp and flaky. Make sure the center of the dough is completely baked.
• Let the base completely cool and while you are doing that you can prepare the fruit and the filling. You can use a wire rack to cool the dough.
• For the filling, I took 8 ounces of cream cheese, some vanilla extract, the lemon zest of 1 lemon and 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar. You can use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to whip this up. Set it in the fridge while you prep your fruit.
• For this crostata, I used peaches, mango, blueberries and strawberries. Wash the fruit, peel and cut them to be similar sizes and set them aside in a separate bowl.
• Once the crostata base it cooled completely, remove it from your cookie sheet with a spatula and place it on a serving plate or tray.
• Now, you can spoon on the lemon cream cheese filling. Next top the filling with all your amazing summer fruits! I like to lastly dust some powdered sugar to the top of the crostata. Now, it’s time to serve it and enjoy!

The combination of the lemon cream cheese filling and the fresh fruit is so refreshing for summer. If you are not a fan of cream cheese, you could add whipped cream, cool whip or any pastry cream that you love. You could even use a boxed pudding mix. The options are endless!

OTHER CROSTATA FLAVOR OPTIONS:

This summer fruit crostata is a simple recipe with so many options to make this just the way you like it! This is the perfect dessert for the summer! 

• Spiced Apples, with a Caramel Drizzle and Whipped Cream
• Whipped Ricotta with Strawberries and Balsamic Reduction
• Whipped Cream with Fresh Peaches
• Chocolate Ganache with Fresh Berries
• Tart Apricots with a simple syrup glaze

 

You could also use orange zest in the cream cheese filling if you prefer that, but we love any citrus zest. How about adding a fruit filling, oor a homemade fruit jam! There are oodles of options!

My kids loved this summer fruit crostata and they especially loved the lemon and cream cheese filling. The younger ones said the “bread” on the bottom was so good! The buttery crust flakes away and is so yummy with the creamy filling and fresh fruit. While this isn’t an authentic italian crostata recipe, its a fun take on them. I love making treats like this in the summer. They are so easy to make and you can use leftover dough, your favorite crust recipe, or store bought dough to whip this up really quick.

So, maybe check out those farmers markets and snatch up some amazing fruit and get to making this delicious dessert! Enjoy this fresh fruit and berry crostata recipe! Next time I make it, i think I might add some whipped cream and tons of fresh peaches!!

 

Make sure to check out these other amazing summer fruit recipes below!

Easy and Tasty Summer Peach Tart // Robyn’s French Nest

Wild Maine Blueberry Pie // Finding Lovely

Bluberry Crumble Kit for Overnight/Weekend Stays // Most Lovely Things

Simple Summer Fruit Crostata With Lemon Cream Cheese Filling // Twelve On Main

Summer Peach Salad // Paint Me Pink

Peach Crisp with Fresh Peaches // Happy Happy Nester

Raspberry Strawberry Shortbread Cookies // My 100 Year Old Home

Fresh Strawberrry Cream Cheese Cake // Tatertots & Jello

Mini Tri Berry Trifle // Thistlewood Farms

Easy & Delicious Red Wine Sangria // Maison de Cinq

grilled stone fruit and cheese pairings // My Sweet Savannah

Easy Skillet Peach Crumble // Inspiration For Moms