From-Scratch Mini Tart Shells (No Mold Needed!)
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This is my #1 recipe for making the best mini tart shells from-scratch. And, you don’t even need a tart mold – just a cupcake pan or muffin tin! The crust is uber buttery, flaky, and easy to make with just 6 basic ingredients. Fill them with custard, ganache, lemon curd, or any of your favorite fillings!
Today we’re going back to basics and by basics, I mean the butteriest, flakiest tart dough. It’s a simple thing really, but totally worth the extra 30 minutes of hands-on work.
When I was in pastry school, minis were all the rage, so I made tons of mini tarts. It involved many individual molds and tedious shaping for those perfectly straight edges. They were gorgeous but like, who has the time? I’m all about a hack these days.
These crusts are light and flaky, rich and buttery, and great for any of your favorite tart recipes. But they’re also super easy and here’s why.
- We’re using a cupcake pan or muffin tin instead of molds.
- Everything comes together in the food processor. (But you can also make the dough by hand!)
- The recipe makes around 32 crusts so you don’t have to worry about making one big tart.
- You can also freeze the dough for a make-ahead option!
Cupcake or muffin pan
Like I said, you don’t need molds for this recipe which makes things so much easier. Instead, I like to use a cupcake pan which is super easy to fill and par-bake. For a cupcake pan, you’ll need a 3-3 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter.
You can also use a muffin pan, but you will end up with larger shells. Just use a 4-4 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter instead!
6 ingredients you’ll need
This recipe has super basic ingredients that you probably already have laying around. You will need all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, Morton’s Kosher salt, unsalted butter, a large egg, and vanilla extract. Feel free to skip the vanilla extract if you want to keep things even simpler!
Make the dough
To speed up the chilling process, feel free to freeze the dough for 30 minutes instead!
Shape the shells & bake
You’ll only want to gather and re-roll the dough once (or twice at the very most). After two rolls, the dough will start to pull in on itself which will cause the shells to shrink.
How to par-bake
If you’re making a recipe with baked filling (like pumpkin or apple), you will want to par-bake the crusts. This will help them firm up a bit so they don’t get soggy.
- Line the crusts with paper cupcake liners & fill with pie weights, dried beans, or dried rice.
- Bake at 350°F (177°C) until the crusts are set and golden on the edges, about 15-18 minutes.
- Carefully remove the paper liners. Fill & bake according to the recipe directions.
How to blind bake
Blind baking is essentially when you fully cook a crust for no-bake fillings like Meyer lemon curd or no-bake cheesecake filling. But you’ll still want to par-bake the crusts because the weights keep them from shrinking! After you remove the paper liners, bake the crusts for another 8-10 minutes, until they’re crisp and deep golden-brown.
Storing & freezing
To store leftover crusts, pop them in a zipper bag and keep them at room temperature for 4-5 days. You can also freeze the crusts in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
If you want to freeze the dough, wrap it well and place the dough in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months & defrost in the fridge overnight before rolling & baking.
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Easy Mini Tart Shells (No Shrinking!)
Ingredients
- 180 grams all-purpose flour (1 1/2 cups)
- 40 grams powdered sugar (1/3 cup)
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 114 grams very cold unsalted butter, cubed (1/2 cup)
- 1 large egg, cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Equipment
- Food processor or pastry cutter
- 3-3 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter
- Standard cupcake pan or muffin pan
- Paper cupcake liners or parchment paper
- Pie weights, dried beans, or dried rice
Instructions
- Add the flour, powdered sugar, and Kosher salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine.
- Then, toss the butter cubes in the flour mixture. Pulse until the mixture is sandy. You should have butter chunks that are pea-sized and smaller.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract. Turn on the food processor and blitz just until the dough comes together in big clumps. It should be the texture of Play-Doh.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly-floured surface and knead it a few times with your hands until it's nice and smooth. Divide the dough half and pat each portion into a 1/2-inch thick disc. Wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Lightly dust a surface with flour. Working one round of dough at a time, roll the dough until it's about 1/8-inch thick. Use a 3-3 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter to cut out as many dough circles as you can. Gather & re-roll the scraps of dough and cut out as many circles as you can. Repeat with the other disc of dough. You should have about 32 dough circles in total.
- With an offset spatula or butter knife, transfer the dough circles to the cups of the cupcake pan. Evenly press the dough circles into the cups, using a pastry tamper or spoon to gently press the dough into the edges & bottoms of the cups. Then, use the tines of a fork to dock the bottoms of the crusts. Refrigerate for 1 hour, until the crusts are very cold. (This will help prevent shrinking.)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Place a paper cupcake liner in the center of each crust. Fill the cupcake liners with pie weights, dried beans, or dried rice.
- Par-bake (for baked fillings) – Bake the crusts for 15-18 minutes, until they are set and golden-brown on the edges. Carefully remove the paper liners from the crusts. (They should not stick. If they are sticking, bake the crusts for another 2-3 minutes, until the paper liners easily release.) Fill and bake according to the recipe directions.
- Blind-bake (for no-bake fillings) – Bake the crusts for 15-18 minutes, until the crusts are set and golden-brown on the edges. Carefully remove the paper liners from the crusts. (They should not stick. If they are sticking, bake the crusts for another 2-3 minutes, until the paper liners easily release.) Bake uncovered for another 7-10 minutes, until the crusts are crisp and deep golden-brown. They will shrink a tad, but should still be deep enough to fill. Let the crusts cool for 10-15 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.
