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    Home » Tart

    Published: Sep 23, 2020 · 23 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links

    How To Make Tart Shells (Sweet And Savoury)

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    tart shells on a table

    Who doesn't love tarts, right? And the thing with tarts is, the shells are just as important (if not more) than the filling itself.

    Flaky and buttery is what we're looking for in tart shells. And on top of those, easy to make. So today I'm going to share with you all those. 

    Lets Talk Ingredients

    ingredients for tart shells

    This recipe is my go-to recipe for my tart shells. I've been using it for a while for both my sweet or savoury. It's simple and it works.

    Butter - I use unsalted butter (in all my bakings). Salted butter works fine also. Make sure it's soften (less firmer than room temperature state).

    Sugar - White sugar. Using brown sugar also works but just bear in mind it's going to make the shells' colour darker and turns the texture chewy. More details on sugar below.

    Yolk - Don't skip this. It helps to make the dough pliable and easier to handle.

    Vanilla extract - Because why not. Depending on your filling, add in almond, coconut extract, citrus zest for example. If you want.

    All purpose flour - I've only used all purpose flour with this recipe as it works wonderful with the ratio of the rest of the ingredients. Changing the flour will effect the end result.

    Can I Use It For Sweet Or Savoury?

    That's why I love this recipe because you can use it for both sweet and savoury. Here's how.

    Sweet tarts - Use 2 tablespoon sugar.

    Savoury tarts - Use 1 teaspoon sugar and add in also ½ teaspoon salt.

    The rest of the ingredients stay the same. Easy, right? 

    Tips On Getting It Right

    This is a fairly easy and straightforward recipe. However there are some tiny details that will definitely help you make the shells, stress free.

    Soften butter - As I mentioned above, you'll need the butter to be softened. This will make it easier to blend the sugar in without having to whisk like crazy (which we don't want to do).

    Chill the dough - Don't skip this part because the dough is too soft to handle, without chilling it. Minimum 30 minutes is just perfect.

    Freeze before baking - Pop the tarts in the freezer for a good 10 minutes while you preheat the oven, after you press the dough into the tarts moulds. Don't like freezer? Then chill them for a good 30 minutes in the fridge.

    Bake on lowest rack - This ensures the shells bake beautifully and evenly without browning the top too much.

    overhead view of tart shells

    How To Store?

    Sometimes when I don't have time I make the tart shells a day or two before I fill them. It's totally fine. I store them in an airtight container, at room temperature. 

    If I need them beyond 2 days then I usually freeze them. What I do is remove the shells from the moulds and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, not touching each other. I pop them in the freezer for a good 1-2 hours until they're frozen. Then I place them in a ziploc bag and back in the freezer.

    To use, thaw them at room temperature. I like to pop them in the oven at 350ºF (175ºC) for 3-4 minutes to bring them back to life.

    I rather store them baked because personally for me it's easier. Having a stash of already made tart shells is always easier and handy.

    You can also freeze the dough, tightly wrapped, for up to 6 months.

    How To Use Them?

    Oh.. in so many ways!

    I've used the shells tarts with my mini salted chocolate tarts, Hokkaido cheese tarts and strawberry cheese tarts. Those are recipes where I bake the shells separately and then fill them.

    I've also used this recipe for my Hong Kong style coconut tarts and dulce de leche coconut tarts. I bake the shells together with the filling.

    And I also made goat cheese with caramelised onion, smoked salmon chives and cream cheese tarts using them. Oh yum!

    So as you can see, this recipe is very versatile. Give them a try and let me know your favourite filling!

    Recipe Video

    tart shells on a cooling rack

    How To Make Tart Shells

    Easy and simplest way on how to make tart shells. They're flaky and buttery, suitable for both sweet and savoury tarts. It's my go-to recipe and I've been using it for all my tarts. Do try!
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Servings: 9 shells
    Prep Time: 20 mins
    Cook Time: 20 mins
    Chilling Time: 40 mins

    Ingredients 

    Sweet Tart Shells

    • ⅓ cup unsalted butter (75 g), softened
    • 2 tablespoon sugar
    • 1 egg yolk , room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 cup all purpose flour (130 g)

    Switch Them To Savoury Tart Shells

    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Mini tart moulds

    Instructions

    • Add butter and sugar into a bowl. Using a spatula, mix everything together. Now add in egg yolk and vanilla extract. Continue mixing. Finally add in flour and bring everything together into a dough.
    • Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or until it's manageable.
    • Take a piece of dough and press it evenly into a 2.5 inch (6.5 cm) tart mould. Cut off excess dough with a knife. Using a fork, prick the base so that it doesn't puff up while baking. Repeat the same with the rest of the dough. Place them on a baking tray. Place them in the freezer for 10 minutes.
    • Bake in a preheated oven at 340ºF (170ºC) , using upper and lower heat, on the lowest rack for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely. Once cooled, remove the shells from the moulds by flipping them and tapping a bit on the back of the back of the base to help releasing them. They're ready to be used!

    Switch Them To Savoury Tarts

    • Instead of 2 tablespoon sugar, add 1 teaspoon sugar and ½ teaspoon salt together with butter. Follow the same steps onwards for the rest of the recipe.

    Notes

    • Use spoon and level method when measuring the flour  (for cup measurement)
    • Use portable oven thermometer (like this one) for a more precise temperature reading (I use it too)
    • Refer to my post above for ingredients notes and tips
    Tried this recipe?Mention @elmundoeats and tag #elmundoeats!
    « Eggless Healthy Zucchini Brownies
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    1. Semuti says

      March 31, 2022 at 10:23 am

      Thank you thats the best

      Reply
    2. Ash says

      September 04, 2021 at 5:29 pm

      Can I add almond flour?

      Reply
    3. Frances voon says

      August 18, 2021 at 10:15 am

      Hi I tried the recipe and followed resting/chilling times. It came out super crumbly, almost powdery feel after baking. And the shells were super fragile.Should I add some water to the dough? Tq

      Reply
      • Bea says

        August 18, 2021 at 1:12 pm

        Hi! If they were super crumbly and fragile after baking then it means that they were under baked. No extra water needed. Just bake for a few minutes more, all ovens are different so I can't recommend enough to use a portable oven thermometer to get the accurate temperature (I use it in all my bakings). Hope it helps.

        Reply
    4. Liza says

      August 13, 2021 at 3:19 am

      I’ve attempted this recipe and followed it to a tee but I still get a crumbly dry dough. I attempted to add more butter but that just made the shells so delicate that they fell apart. What do you recommend?

      Reply
      • Bea says

        August 13, 2021 at 8:20 am

        Hi! Sorry to hear you're having problems with this. If the raw dough is crumbly dry it means that you have too much flour in it. See my notes below on how to correctly use cup measurement method. Make sure the butter is softened (not only at room temperature), and nope, no extra butter is needed. Hope it helps!

        Reply
    5. Estefania says

      July 13, 2021 at 10:35 pm

      5 stars
      Awesome results, I made it and it went pretty well! Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
      • Bea says

        July 14, 2021 at 9:07 am

        Awesome, happy to hear that. Thank you Estefania!

        Reply
    6. Indra says

      June 26, 2021 at 10:51 am

      I m veg, so what should I use instead of the egg youlk

      Reply
      • Bea says

        June 26, 2021 at 11:25 am

        Hi Indra! I haven't made it without yolk so I can't say, sorry!

        Reply
    7. Nono says

      May 02, 2021 at 1:17 am

      5 stars
      SUPER easy and SUPER yummy!! it withstood all the (reluctant) adjustments i had to make, which included making 1 humongous tart because i couldn't find small tart moulds, and also adding a liiitle water just so it would come together. it also took wayless time in the oven than specified in the recipe, but it may be due to a too-hot oven on my part. all in all though, this was a DELIGHT!! i'm already looking forward to making it again, and to trying other recipes from you as well!!

      Reply
      • Bea says

        May 04, 2021 at 11:19 am

        Yeaaaaayyyyy, happy to hear that! Yes, oven temperature varies. Each oven is like another world :D! Thank you so much for your feedback and yes, do check around here for more recipes!

        Reply
    8. Julie says

      April 16, 2021 at 12:55 am

      5 stars
      Yeay🤝TQ so much for your kindness sharing my favor tart😁. I will try. Btw can you please share also how to make the filling madam. TQ👍👍🙏

      Reply
      • Bea says

        April 16, 2021 at 12:12 pm

        Glad that you liked them, Julie! You can search in my website for different kinds of fillings. Thank you!

        Reply
    9. Patria says

      March 11, 2021 at 5:21 pm

      5 stars
      LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe!
      So much easier than other recipes I see in internet and it works.
      THANK YOU!

      Reply
      • Bea says

        March 11, 2021 at 5:40 pm

        Yeay 🙌! I'm happy that you loved it, Patria! Do check around here for recipes using these tart shells. Thank you!

        Reply
    10. Guadalupe Barrios says

      March 11, 2021 at 1:20 am

      When making the dough mine came out grumbling and not together like yours. Was just wondering what I did wrong. I bake them they look great but the deal consistency was not the same as yours ,mine was more on the dryer on Grumbly side.

      Reply
      • Bea says

        March 11, 2021 at 5:41 pm

        Hi! Sorry to hear that. Most probably it's because of too much flour. If you're using cup measurements, I suggest using scoop and level method or even better use a kitchen scale as it's more precise. Hope it helps.

        Reply
    11. Elaine Leong says

      December 29, 2020 at 7:39 am

      Hi,
      How much dough do I need to make 24 sweet tart shell of 11cm diameter tart? Hope to get your prompt response .

      Reply
    12. Hassaaan says

      November 28, 2020 at 3:38 pm

      Can we use this recipe for a whole tart shell.like a big tart

      Reply
      • Bea says

        November 30, 2020 at 12:51 pm

        You can check out my dulce de leche coconut tart for a big sized tart of this recipe. Hope it helps.

        Reply
    13. Julie Kuliers says

      September 29, 2020 at 11:58 pm

      5 stars
      These tarts are the best! I used this recipe for your peanut butter tarts like you said.

      Reply
      • Bea says

        September 30, 2020 at 3:28 pm

        Awesome! Thank you Julie!

        Reply

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