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Easy Mini Tart Shells Recipe, with 3 Fillings

  • Español
Portions: 6 servings

Calories: 205kcal

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.

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.

Mini tart shells recipe

This awesome free recipe contains Amazon affiliate links, I receive a small commission from any purchase you make at no extra cost to you. Thanks!

An easy homemade shortcrust pastry, and a great option for parties. It calls for only 3 ingredients for the shells and you can make these tartlet shells to fancify your party.

Course: Dessert
Inspiration: Fusion
Category: applepie, easy tart, homemade
Author: Clara González

Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time35 mins
Total Time50 mins

Utensils and tools

  • Mixing bowl 
  • Mini muffin tins or mini tart molds
  • Plastic wrap
  • Rolling pin
  • Round cookie cutter 3.5 inches [9 centimeters]
Mini tart shells with sweet and savory filling.
Mini tart shells with sweet and savory filling.

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

Cutting the circles of dough.
Cutting the circles of dough.

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. 

Pastry placed on the upside down muffin tins.
Pastry placed on the upside down muffin tins.

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.

Mini tart shells baked.
Mini tart shells baked.

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.

Mini tart shells filled with cheese and fruit.
Mini tart shells filled with cheese and fruit.

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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FAQs

What are filling for tartlets?

You can fill these tartlets with any number of sweet or savory fillings, like pastry cream, pizza combination, fruit jams, cheese, etc.

How big is a mini tart shell?

These mini tartlets have the size of mini muffin, or about 2 inches [5 centimeters] in diameter.

Should you pre-bake tart shells?

Yes, the tart shells are pre-baked, then filled. Some fillings require baking again, some don't.

Where to buy mini tart shells?

You can buy mini tart shells at your local supermarket.

Print card

This is just a printer-friendly summary, some useful details are found in the recipe above.

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How to Make Mini Tart Shells with 2 Fillings

Ingredients

To make mini tart shells

  • ¼ stick unsalted butter [1 ounce, 28 grams] 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

To make a pizza filling

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

To make a mini fruit tarts

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

To make a pizza ricotta and fruit filling

  • ½ cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup fruit in syrup

Instructions

For the mini tart shells

  • Heat the oven to 150 ºC [300 ºF].
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Bake for 15 minutes or until they turn a very light golden brown color. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.
  • 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

  • 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

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

To make ricotta and fruit mini tarts

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

Notes

If you want to save the shells for longer than a day, keep them in the fridge and reheat shortly before serving since the shells get a bit soft in the fridge.

Originally published on Nov 2, 2012

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Comments

  1. Annie

    January 06, 2013 at 11:43 am

    Hello Tia Clara! I really enjoy your website and the food looks delicious. I was wondering, on your Mini-tart shells filled with ricotta and fruits recipe how thick should I roll the tart shell dough? The pictures look thinner than a normal pie crust. I am 14 so I don't have a plethora of knowledge concerning tart shell thickness. Thanks a bunch, Annie.

    Reply
    • Tia Clara

      January 06, 2013 at 9:30 pm

      You need to roll it out about 1/16", or as thin as you can. The thinner, the crispier.

      Reply
  2. Suzanne Perazzini

    November 04, 2012 at 5:48 am

    5 stars
    This is a great recipe for me since I am doing the small servings thing to control my intake of food.

    Reply
  3. Sandra Paez

    November 02, 2012 at 2:59 pm

    This recipe seems very easy to make. I think I'll give it a try. As always, thanks sharing it 😉

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Tía Clara! I have been a recipe developer, and recipe writer for 20 years, and here I share easy recipes you'll love.

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