Gluten-Free Jam Tarts Recipe – Flaky Homemade Fruit Tarts

Making Gluten Free Jam Tarts is a delightful baking project — great for using leftover gluten free pastry or baking with children. This recipe is quick, simple and completely coeliac-safe.

Jam tarts often bring back childhood memories. We used to make them from offcuts left over when rolling pastry for pies and quiches.

My gluten free shortcrust pastry is buttery, easy to handle and really tasty, so it makes sense to turn any scraps into jam tarts rather than waste them.

Simply scrunch the offcuts together, re-roll and cut out circles to make these easy gluten free jam tarts.

You can use any jam you like — strawberry, apricot, raspberry, blueberry or a mix. For a fun twist try a citrus curd to add bright flavour.

Ingredients

This recipe uses only a few basic ingredients. There’s a printable recipe card below, but for the jam tarts you will need:

• Gluten Free Pastry — I recommend using a reliable gluten free shortcrust pastry made with gluten free flour, xanthan gum, butter, egg and a little water. It’s straightforward to make and works perfectly for tarts.
• Jam — Any jam will do. I used raspberry and apricot, but choose your favourite flavour or a combination.
• Extra Gluten Free Flour — For dusting the work surface when rolling the pastry.

How to make gluten free pastry

Making gluten free shortcrust pastry at home is quick and more economical than buying ready-made pastry. For a basic pastry you will need:

• Gluten free plain flour
• Unsalted butter
• Xanthan gum
• Caster sugar (optional if you prefer a sweeter pastry)
• Egg
• Water

Combine the flour and xanthan gum with cold butter, rubbing in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg and a little water to bring the dough together. You can also use a food processor if you prefer.

Once the dough is formed, chill it in the fridge for at least an hour before rolling. Chilling helps produce a flakier, better-textured pastry.

How to make gluten free jam tarts

With chilled pastry ready, making the jam tarts is straightforward:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C / Gas mark 6).
2. Lightly dust your work surface with gluten free flour and roll the pastry to about 3–4 mm thick. If the pastry is sticky or fragile, roll it between two sheets of baking paper.
3. Use a round cutter slightly larger than the holes in a 12-hole muffin tin to cut circles. Gently press each pastry circle into a well of the tin.
4. Gather the offcuts, scrunch and re-roll until all the pastry is used. If the pastry becomes dry, wet your hands slightly and work it briefly to soften it.
5. Prick the base of each pastry case with a fork and add 1–2 teaspoons of jam. Avoid overfilling — the jam expands as it heats.
6. Bake for 15–20 minutes until the jam is bubbling and the pastry is golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool so the jam can set. The filling will be very hot straight from the oven, so let them cool before eating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to common questions about these jam tarts:

This jam tart method is perfect for using a full batch of shortcrust pastry or just the offcuts left from other gluten free bakes.

If you enjoy this recipe, try other gluten free pastry bakes such as pop tarts or mince pies for more ideas.

Yield: 12-18

Gluten Free Jam Tarts

Prep Time:
15 minutes

Cook Time:
20 minutes

Total Time:
35 minutes

These gluten free jam tarts are an easy way to use shortcrust offcuts and make a simple, delicious treat — ideal for baking with kids or for a quick dessert.

Ingredients

• Half a batch of gluten free shortcrust pastry
• 1 jar of jam
• Extra gluten free flour for dusting

Instructions

1. Make the pastry and chill for at least an hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C / Gas Mark 6). Dust the work surface with gluten free flour and knead the pastry until pliable.
3. Roll the pastry to 3–4 mm thick and cut circles using a round cutter slightly larger than the muffin tin holes.
4. Press the discs into the tin wells, gather offcuts, re-roll and repeat until all pastry is used.
5. Prick each case with a fork and add 1–2 tsp of jam. Don’t overfill.
6. Bake for 15–20 minutes until the jam is bubbling and the pastry is golden. Cool before serving.

Notes

Store in a sealed container for up to 5 days, or freeze on a tray then transfer to a container with baking paper between layers.