Grapefruit and Thyme Mascarpone Tart

A beautiful, naturally sweetened grapefruit and thyme mascarpone tart made with a gluten-free almond crust, a sweet mascarpone cheese filling, and topped with tart pink grapefruit segments.

Happy belated Valentine’s Day, friends! I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful evening with your loved ones and indulged in lots of delicious treats. Today I’m sharing with you this gorgeous gluten-free Grapefruit and Thyme Mascarpone Tart. Some of you may remember this tart from my Cinnamon Scrolls days – it was by far one of my more popular recipes. It went gangbusters on Pinterest and was even shared by Nigella Lawson on Instagram! I am not worthy.

Since it was so popular, I figured it would be a crime not to repost it on Naturally Sweet Kitchen. I’ve made a couple of tweaks to the recipe this time around, but I assure you it tastes and looks just as incredible as it did three years ago.

For the gluten-free tart crust, I originally sweetened it with raw cane sugar. I’m trying to step away from using cane sugar as much as possible, so instead I swapped it for coconut sugar. It gives the crust a very subtle hint of caramel and a bit of a darker colour, which I definitely do not hate. Everyone loves a little brown sugar flavour, right?

I also tested adding a tablespoon of freshly chopped thyme into the crust as well. If you’re a massive thyme fan, I suggest going ahead with this – personally, I found the woody taste just a tad overpowering and decided to stick with a plain almond crust and florets of thyme on top. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

Finally, I made a minor adjustment to the filling by swapping in whipped double cream for the cream cheese. The cream helps the mascarpone to shine a little bit more by removing the overwhelming flavour of cream cheese. And since this is a mascarpone tart, I feel this is a necessary swap.

How to make this Grapefruit and Thyme Mascarpone Tart

This tart may look intimidating, but that’s the beauty behind it – it’s basically no-bake and couldn’t be easier to make. You’ll need about 45 minutes, a rectangular (or circular!) tart pan, a couple bowls, and a whisk.

1. The gluten-free tart crust is made from almond flour, egg, coconut sugar, melted butter, and a pinch of salt. All of these ingredients are tipped into a bowl and combined with either your hands or a fork. Once it forms a dough, you simply press it into the tart tin and bake. Easy.
2. The mascarpone tart filling comes together even faster. The cream is whipped and set aside. Then the mascarpone cheese is whisked with the honey and vanilla extract and folded gently together with the whipped cream. Seriously, this part takes about 7 minutes total.
3. Once the crust is cooled, the filling is poured into the tart and topped with fresh, juicy grapefruit and a sprinkle of thyme leaves and toasted almonds.

I can’t imagine a lovelier centrepiece for a special occasion. If you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day this weekend, I think this gluten-free Grapefruit and Thyme Mascarpone Tart would be the perfect end to your meal. It has all the important flavour notes – tartness from the fresh grapefruit, bitterness from the thyme and almonds, and sweetness from the mascarpone filling. Plus, grapefruit is in season right now, so they’re extra sweet and juicy. I can’t resist!

Looking for more easy fruit dessert ideas?

• Apple Slice
• Chocolate Cherry Galette
• Watermelon Rosé Sorbet
• Blackberry Cheesecake Bars

If you make this grapefruit and thyme mascarpone tart, don’t forget to take a photo and tag me on Instagram and use the hashtag #naturallysweetkitchen, so I can share your pictures! It makes my day to see these bakes come to life in your kitchen.

5 from 1 vote

Print

Grapefruit and Thyme Mascarpone Tart

A beautiful, naturally sweetened grapefruit and thyme mascarpone tart made with a gluten-free almond crust, a sweet mascarpone cheese filling, and topped with tart pink grapefruit.

Category Pies, Crisps & Tarts

Keyword Mascarpone Tart

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Author Amanda | Naturally Sweet Kitchen

Ingredients

Crust

• 190 g almond flour
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar
• 30 g unsalted butter melted and cooled
• 1 large egg beaten

Filling

• 150 ml double cream
• 250 g mascarpone cheese
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 60 ml unpasteurised honey or agave nectar
• 15 pink grapefruit segments
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp flaked almonds toasted

Method

Crust

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F) and lightly grease a 36 x 12 cm (14 x 5 in) removable bottom tart tin with butter.
2. Whisk together the almond flour, sea salt, and coconut sugar in a large bowl.
3. Add the butter and beaten egg and mix together with a fork until the mixture forms a loose ball. Bring the dough together with your hands and then drop it into the prepared tart tin. Press the dough into the tin evenly, making sure to get up the sides. Trim any excess dough from the top of the tin and prick the base and sides with the tines of a fork.
4. Lay a piece of parchment paper gently on the crust and fill with baking beans or rice. Bake the crust for 15-18 minutes, removing the weight at the 12-minute mark. The crust should be a golden brown. If the edges start to brown too quickly, cover loosely with a layer of foil.
5. Allow the crust to cool completely before filling.

Filling

1. Using an electric hand whisk, whip the double cream to soft peaks. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the mascarpone cheese, vanilla, and honey until smooth. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone cheese mixture.

Assembly

1. Once the crust has cooled, remove the tart from the tin. Pour the filling into the tart crust and spread evenly.
2. Top the filling with the grapefruit segments in a single line down the centre. Start from the rear of the tart and overlap the segments just slightly to create a lovely line. Sprinkle the entire tart with the fresh thyme leaves and toasted almonds.
3. Serve immediately.

Notes

• This tart is best served the day it is made.
• The crust can be made up to 1 day in advance. If you’re making the crust ahead of time, keep it in the tin covered with a layer of aluminum foil until you are ready to assemble the tart.