Fruit glaze

A thin, shiny coating of warmed, strained jam or jelly brushed over fruit tarts and pastries to add gloss and keep the fruit from drying out.

Fruit glaze: A small saucepan of clear glossy apricot fruit glaze with a pastry brush resting on it, a glazed apricot tart with neatly fanned thin apricot slices beside it
  • Fillings, creams, frostings and sauces

Also called: apricot glaze

The classic fruit glaze is apricot jam heated with a splash of water, strained and brushed on while warm. Its golden color suits most fruit. For red berries, bakers often use red currant jelly. Professional kitchens also use a neutral glaze called nappage.

Glaze is brushed on in a thin layer with a soft pastry brush, from the center of the tart outward. Besides shine, it seals cut fruit so it stays fresh-looking for longer. A thin layer brushed on a baked tart shell before filling also helps keep the crust crisp.

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Related entries

Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.

  1. All About California Apricots, Institute of Culinary Education
  2. How To Make Fruit Pectin, Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts