• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Midwestern Holidays
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    Mini Tart Crust Recipe

    Published: Oct 31, 2024 by Cara · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    • Facebook
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    mini chocolate mousse tarts on white platter.
    hand holding mini chocolate mousse tart and piping bag filling tart crust with mousse.
    mini chocolate mousse tarts on white platter.
    mini chocolate mousse tarts on white platter.

    This Mini Tart Crust Recipe is made with a 5-ingredient shortbread cookie dough pressed into a mini muffin pan and baked until light golden brown. No chilling, no rolling. Perfect tart crust for fresh fruit, mousse, pie filling, or ice cream.  

    For mini pies and cheesecakes, try this Mini Graham Crakcer Pie Crust recipe! 

    mini chocolate mousse tarts on white platter.
    Jump to:
    • 🧈Ingredients
    • 🥣Instructions
    • ☑️Tips
    • 🎁Storage
    • Filling Ideas for Mini Tarts
    • 🎆More Great Recipe Ideas
    • 💌Let's Stay in Touch
    • 📖 Recipe

    These shortbread mini tart shells are a fun and easy way to make adorable, bite-sized treats for any occasion. They're tender and buttery and slightly crumbly, yet sturdy enough for your favorite tart filling. This easy no-chill tart dough doesn't require a rolling pin, cookie cutter, tart pan, or special tartlet molds -- just a mini muffin tin and maybe some parchment paper liners. 

    This buttery tart crust is the perfect base for mini chocolate tarts. These cute little tartlets are filled with luscious 3-ingredient chocolate mousse -- you have to try it! 

    🧈Ingredients

    See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact amounts.

    mini tart crust recipe ingredients.
    • Unsalted butter. Let the butter come to room temperature. It should be soft enough to indent when pressed -- it shouldn't be squishy. 
    • All-purpose flour. Carefully measure flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling off the top with a knife, as too much flour can cause the cookies to be dry and hard. 
    • Salt. A pinch of salt adds flavor without adding saltiness. If you use salted butter, you can omit the salt. 

    🥣Instructions

    mini tart crust dough in white bowl.

    Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in the vanilla. Add the flour and salt and mix while scraping down the sides of the bowl, just until it comes together into a dough. 

    hand holding measuring spoon pressing indentations into mini tart crusts in mini muffin pan.

    Step 2: Roll the dough into balls and place them into a mini muffin pan coated with nonstick spray or lined with mini muffin liners. Press each piece of dough into and up the sides of the cups. 

    hand holding pestle pressing indentations into baked mini tart crusts in mini muffin pan.

    Step 3: Bake in preheated oven at 300 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the edges just start to turn very light brown. Press the puffed up centers back down with the handle of a wooden spoon, muddler, or pestle.

    hand holding mini chocolate mousse tart and piping bag filling tart crust with mousse.

    Step 4: Cool in pan 5 minutes until firm enough to handle. Gently lift the cups from the pan (see tips) and cool completely on a wire rack. Fill with your favorite no-bake filling like jam, pie filling, mousse, fruit, or little scoops of ice cream. 

    👉Top Tip: Use a nonstick mini muffin tin and grease it well. For the most effortless removal, line the cups with paper liners or strips of parchment paper (slings). 

    ☑️Tips

    • Let the cookie cups cool in the pan until firm enough to handle before removing. If needed, gently twist the cookies in the cups or use a toothpick to loosen the edges. I found it best to remove them when they were still slightly warm. 
    • For fillings that need to be baked in the shells, if the filling recipe doesn't specify, par-bake the crusts for 12-15 minutes before adding filling and baking again. 
    • For a mini tart recipe with baked fillings, I recommend using paper liners or parchment slings for the easiest removal from the pan.

    🎁Storage

    • Store baked unfilled mini tartlet shells in an airtight container at room temperature. 
    • Store filled shells according to the filling recipe. 
    • Refrigerate shortbread dough wrapped in plastic for up to 3 days. 
    • Freeze baked shells or shortbread dough wrapped in plastic wrap and a freezer bag for 3 months. Thaw the dough in the refrigerator. 

    Filling Ideas for Mini Tarts

    This tart pastry recipe makes the perfect tartlet shells for your favorite fillings. 

    • Mini Fruit Tarts -- fill with pastry cream or vanilla pudding and your favorite fruit
    • Lemon Curd Tartlet -- spoon lemon curd or lemon pie filling into baked shells
    • Chocolate Mousse Mini Tarts -- pipe milk or dark chocolate mousse into shells and top with crushed cookies and shaved chocolate
    • Chocolate Ganache Tarts -- whip chocolate ganache and spoon or pipe it into the shells

    🎆More Great Recipe Ideas

    • 3 ingredient chocolate mousse in a white bowl topped with Oreos, chocolate chips, and chocolate shavings.
      3 Ingredient Chocolate Mousse
    • baked graham cracker crusts in a muffin tin.
      Mini Graham Cracker Pie Crust Recipe
    • biscoff truffles on a white plate with one on top with a bite taken out.
      Pumpkin Biscoff Truffles
    • mini coconut cream pies on a white platter.
      Mini Coconut Cream Pies (Easy!)

    💌Let's Stay in Touch

    Follow Midwestern Holidays on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, and subscribe via email to receive all of the latest recipes!

    📖 Recipe

    mini chocolate mousse tarts on white platter.

    Mini Tart Crust Recipe

    Cara Lanz
    This Mini Tart Crust recipe makes buttery, shortbread cookie cups that are perfect for your favorite sweet fillings like jam, mousse, or pie filling. Ideal for holiday gatherings and parties. 
    No ratings yet
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 23 minutes mins
    Total Time 33 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 24
    Calories 116 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
    • ½ cup powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 cups flour
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 300. Spray a nonstick mini muffin pan with cooking spray, or line the cups with mini muffin liners.
    • Beat the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Mix in the vanilla extract. Add the flour and salt and mix just until it comes together into a soft dough.
    • Roll 1 tablespoon portions into balls and place them in the cups of a mini muffin pan. Press the shortbread cookie dough into and up the sides of the cups with a spoon handle, muddler, pestle, or a rounded measuring spoon (spray with oil or dip in water to keep it from sticking to the dough).
    • Bake for 20-25 minutes (23 is the perfect time in my oven) until the cookies just barely start to turn golden brown. They will have puffed up, press the centers back down while they are still warm.
      Cool in the pan 5 minutes until firm enough to handle. Gently lift the cups from the pan and place on wire rack to cool completely.
    • When cooled, fill with pie filling, mousse, fruit, or ice cream.

    Notes

    • Use a nonstick mini muffin tin and grease it well. For the most effortless removal, line the cups with paper liners or strips of parchment paper (slings). 
    • Let the cookie cups cool in the pan until firm enough to handle before removing. If needed, gently twist the cookies in the cups or use a toothpick to loosen the edges. I found it best to remove them when they were still slightly warm. 
    • For fillings that need to be baked in the shells, if the filling recipe doesn't specify, reduce the baking time and par-bake the crusts for 12-15 minutes before adding filling. 
    • For a mini tart recipe with baked fillings, I recommend using paper liners or parchment slings for the easiest removal from the pan.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 116kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 110mgPotassium: 14mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 236IUCalcium: 4mgIron: 0.5mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    • Facebook

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Cara Lanz midwestern holidays

    Hi, I'm Cara! Here at Midwestern Holidays, every day is the most wonderful time of the year. Let's celebrate with fast and easy recipes for all the holidays and special moments in life.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • pie server holding up a piece of strawberry blueberry pie.
      3-Ingredient Shortbread Cookie Crust (Baked or No-Bake)
    • blueberry angel food cake topped with lemon whipped cream.
      Lemon Whipped Cream
    • strawberry blueberry pie with whipped cream and a fresh blackberry on a white plate.
      Strawberry Blueberry Pie (No-Bake)
    • a piece of blueberry angel food cake with lemon whipped cream and fresh blueberries.
      2-Ingredient Blueberry Angel Food Cake

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign up for emails and updates!

    Contact

    • Contact
    • About

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
    Copyright © 2025 MIDWESTERNHOLIDAYS

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required