Easy Mini Tart Shells Recipe, with 3 Fillings

These mini tart shells are a perfect treat for summer. They can be made ahead of time and filled with luscious fruit or savory fillings. Pies and tarts can be a delicious way to celebrate the glorious summer fruits. Here's how to make mini tart shells with an easy pastry dough for an array of fruit desserts.

Why I ❤️ it • Recipe • Ingredients • Preparation

Mini tart shells.

Why I ❤️ it

A great option for parties, you can make these mini tart shells which only need 3 ingredients, and fill them with a sweet or savory filling of your choice. With their crispy, cookie-like texture, and no need for complicated pastry making, they are a versatile option for get-togethers as you can fill them with sweet or savory fillings.

Now that the party season approaches use this for those "bring your own" parties. You can make the parts beforehand and assemble them in place. Since this is not just a sweet dish, you can use the filling of your choice, sweet or savory.

Utensils and tools

• Mixing bowl 
• Mini muffin tins or mini tart molds
• Plastic wrap
• Rolling pin
• Round cookie cutter 3.5 inches [9 centimeters]

Ingredients

For the mini tart shells

• ¼ stick [1 ounce, 28 grams] of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup all-purpose flour [120 grams, 4.2 oz] plus extra to dust the counter
• 6 tablespoons milk (whole or skim)

Pizza tarts

• 1 cup of shredded mozzarella
• ½ cup of tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
• A pinch of crushed black pepper
• A pinch of oregano
• A pinch of sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 12 slices of pepperoni

Mini fruit tarts

• Jelly or fruit jam of your preferred fruit (blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, apples, etc.)
• Slices of fresh fruit to decorate (optional)
• Whipped cream

Ricotta and fruit tarts

• ½ cup of ricotta cheese
• 1 cup of fruit in syrup

Preparation

Before starting, please make sure you have all the ingredients and utensils ready.

For the mini tart shells

Step 1

Heat the oven to 150 ºC [300 ºF].

Step 2

Mix butter with flour and milk crumbling with your fingers. It should have a granulated texture. Press as needed to form a ball.

Wrap the dough in plastic film and chill it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Step 3

Cut the ball into 8 equal wedges. Press one on a flour-dusted work surface. Roll out each dough with a rolling pin, and cut in circles 3.5" in diameter. 

Place the circle on an upside-down mini muffin tin or tartlet molds. Return the cut excess to the fridge to keep chilled.

Step 4

Repeat until you have used all 8 wedges. Form a ball with the cuts you placed in the fridge and roll out until you've used all the dough. You should obtain around 12 shells in total

Place a greased baking tray on top of the mold, to keep the bottom of the tarts flat.

Step 5

Bake for 15 minutes or until they turn a very light  golden brown color. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.

Step 6

Place in a zippy bag for an airtight container and keep on the counter overnight, or refrigerated for up to 4 days.

To make pizza tartlets

Step 1

Mix the tomato sauce with Italian seasoning, pepper, oregano, sugar, and salt. Fill the tartlets with equal amount of mozzarella, top with equal amounts of tomato sauce mixture, and cover with a pepperoni slice

Bake or air fry at 150 ºC [300 ºF] until the cheese melt. Serve.

To make fruit tartlets

Step 1

Fill the tart crusts with fruit jam, top with a dollop or swirl of whipped cream and decorate with a bit of fruit. Serve right away.

To make Ricotta and fruit mini tarts

Step 1

Fill the shells with ricotta, drizzle with the syrup, and top with a piece of the fruit.

Variations

Other great fillings for these tartlets are vanilla and chocolate pudding, pastry cream, dulce de leche caramel, guava paste, mousses, chocolate ganache, and lemon curd. 

You can also make them into mini quiches by filling them with whisked eggs and minced vegetables, or a mixture of cream cheese and whisked eggs, bake then topped with crispy bacon chips, or top with some smoked salmon after baking.

Top tips

If you want to save the shells for longer than a day, keep them in the fridge and reheat them shortly before serving since the shells get a bit soft in the fridge. I would not suggest keeping them in the freezer though.

Serving suggestions

This is the perfect finger food to have at any get-together, from the fanciest, to the tea or coffee afternoon with your friends. This tart recipe can be very simple or Instagram-worthy. You choose.

Nutritional information

This nutrition infomation is based on the ricotta and fruit mini tarts.

Serving: 2g - Calories: 205kcal - Carbohydrates: 30g - Protein: 8g - Fat: 6g - Saturated Fat: 4g - Cholesterol: 23mg - Sodium: 44mg - Potassium: 145mg - Fiber: 2g - Sugar: 12g - Vitamin A: 285IU - Vitamin C: 1.3mg - Calcium: 124mg - Iron: 1.4mg

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