21 Recipes for Fun and Fancy Tarts That Are Almost Too Cute to Eat (2024)

Planning a tea party or special brunch? Make sure you include one (or more) of these delicious, fun, and fancy tart recipes on the menu. While fruit tart recipes featuring apples, pears, or citrus might be a go-to, we have a slew of tart ideas made with chocolate, berries, and even savory ingredients to consider. If you want guests to be able to try one of everything, try our mini tart recipes and tassies.

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Key Lime Tart

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21 Recipes for Fun and Fancy Tarts That Are Almost Too Cute to Eat (1)

This tart recipe will perk you right up, whether it's a hot summer day or a cold winter morning. The sweet-tart inspiration comes from lime juice, zest, and sweetened condensed milk. Serve with a spoonful of sweetened whipped cream.

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Bittersweet Chocolate-Caramel Tart

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21 Recipes for Fun and Fancy Tarts That Are Almost Too Cute to Eat (2)

Layers of homemade caramel filling and bittersweet chocolate ganache top a chocolate shortbread crust in this rich tart recipe. Sprinkle a little sea salt on top of the ganache for an irresistible salty-sweet taste sensation.

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Fresh Fruit and Cream Tarts

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21 Recipes for Fun and Fancy Tarts That Are Almost Too Cute to Eat (3)

A rich pastry cream chilled in a pastry shell is topped with colorful fruit (use whatever's in season), creating this refreshing mini dessert. You can assemble the delicate fruit tart recipe and refrigerate up to four hours before serving.

23 Make-Ahead Pies, Cakes, and Tarts Fit for Home Entertainers

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Key Lime Tartlets

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Give these mini tarts (aka tartlets) a try. What sets these zesty tartlets apart is the flaky coconut-macadamia nut pastry crust. The buttery crust provides a perfect nutty contrast to the sweet-tart lime flavor.

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Banana-Pecan Caramel Tart

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21 Recipes for Fun and Fancy Tarts That Are Almost Too Cute to Eat (5)

If you love bananas foster, you'll love this dreamy combination of bananas and pecans. Caramel topping and vanilla ice cream make an easy yet delicious tart decoration, and they make this dessert extra-sweet.

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Lemon Curd Tassies

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Make these elegant miniature fruit tarts by spooning homemade lemon curd into buttery pastry cups. Since the pastry dough needs time to chill, make it a day in advance and let it sit in the fridge overnight or freeze it for up to 1 month.

Cut Your Prep Time in Half With Our Tips for Make-Ahead Pie Crust

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Apple-Toffee Tartlets

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21 Recipes for Fun and Fancy Tarts That Are Almost Too Cute to Eat (7)

Get all the goodness of a caramel apple in one or two bites with this buttery blend of apple chunks, toffee pieces, and brown sugar. Serve the apple tarts with a steamy cup of tea and a scoop of cinnamon ice cream.

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Minty Cookies and Cream Tassies

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21 Recipes for Fun and Fancy Tarts That Are Almost Too Cute to Eat (8)

This tart recipe is an easy dessert that's sure to please your whole party. Our mini chocolate tarts utilize purchased phyllo shells to accomplish your dessert plans in just 20 minutes. A hint of crème de menthe liqueur gives the sandwich cookie-cream cheese filling its signature minty flavor.

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Lavender-Honey Lemon Tart

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21 Recipes for Fun and Fancy Tarts That Are Almost Too Cute to Eat (9)

This gorgeous lemon tart recipe gets some floral flavor from adding lavender buds. Unflavored gelatin goes in the filling to give each slice a clean, polished look. Follow the easy candied lemon recipe for a truly picturesque finish.

Meyer Lemon Ricotta Cookies

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Snickering Tartlets

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This yummy tart recipe is a great use for leftover Halloween candy. Chocolate caramel candy bar chunks provide the flavor punch for these adorable tartlets. A peanut butter-cream cheese filling helps cut through the sweetness from the candy.

Buy It: Hamilton Beach Hand Mixer ($20, Target)

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Apple and Browned Butter Tart

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Browned butter adds a nutty, toasty flavor to this apple tart recipe. The creamy custard filling pairs beautifully with the stunning display of sautéed Honeycrisp apples.

Test Kitchen Tip: If your sweet pastry dough is warm or hard to handle, pop it in the fridge for an hour to let the butter firm up.

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Ganache-Glazed Peanut Butter Tart

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Chocolate lovers will adore this sophisticated combination of silky chocolate and peanut butter nestled in a buttery cookie-crumb crust. Prep this showstopping chocolate tart up to 24 hours in advance.

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Country-Style Gingerbread-Pear Tarts

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21 Recipes for Fun and Fancy Tarts That Are Almost Too Cute to Eat (13)

If you don't have a tart pan handy, try this rustic take on a fruit tart. Instead of shaping the dough into a pan, roll out the dough, add the filling, and fold up the edge. This irresistible pairing of gingerbread and seasonal pears makes an excellent holiday dessert.

Buy It: Beech Wood Rolling Pin ($9, Target)

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Tiny Raspberry Cheesecake Tarts

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This easy dessert tart recipe also takes advantage of prebaked phyllo dough shells. The only thing you have to do is add a layer of melted chocolate to each shell and add the zippy cream cheese filling.

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Apple Tart with Cheddar Cheese Crust

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In case you didn't know, many old-fashioned apple pie recipes include cheddar cheese as a topper. We promise it's delicious! Here we've added shredded cheddar cheese to the crust and made a crumbly topping instead.

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Raisin-Pumpkin Tart

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If you're craving pumpkin pie but want to wait until Thanksgiving, this tart recipe will hold you over.

Bonus: No one will ever guess you made this elegant layered dessert a little healthier by using fat-free cream cheese and milk.

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Pecan Cranberry Tart

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This pretty tart combines the sticky goodness of pecan pie with the sweet-tart zing of fresh cranberries. Serve it with ice cream or vanilla frozen yogurt. The recipe makes two rectangular tarts, so it's a great dessert option for a larger holiday meal with the family.

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Marzipan Tart with Fruit Tumble

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21 Recipes for Fun and Fancy Tarts That Are Almost Too Cute to Eat (18)

If you've never heard of marzipan, it's a sweet confection made of sugar or honey and almond. Here we use almond paste (look for it in the baking ingredient section of your grocery store) to make this fruit tart recipe a bit easier. Top the creamy custard tart with glistening berries and summer fruits tossed with honey and orange juice.

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Tropical Dream Tassies

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One bite of this lime-infused dessert and you'll be transported to a tropical paradise. Enjoy this tassie recipe with whipped cream and toasted coconut for a truly magical treat.

20 Sweet-Tart Citrus and Lemon Desserts to Brighten Up Winter

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Garden Vegetable Tart

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Savory tarts are also super delicious! When you've gorgeous summer garden veggies, save some of the fresh produce for this tart recipe. We use fresh corn, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes here, but you can top with whatever you've got on hand.

24 Healthy Farmers Market Recipes That Highlight Seasonal Produce

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Beef, Mushroom, and Onion Tart

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This top-rated savory tart recipe starts with purchased dough so you'll have dinner on the table in 30 minutes flat. Lean ground beef is sautéed with mushrooms and onions for an umami-rich filling. Blue cheese (if it's not your favorite, try feta or goat cheese!) gives every bite a funky, tangy flavor.

21 Recipes for Fun and Fancy Tarts That Are Almost Too Cute to Eat (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between a tart and a pie? ›

PiesTarts – If you've ever thought a tart was pie, you're forgiven because they're incredibly similar. The main difference is that tarts only have a bottom crust, and the crust is much thicker than a pie crust.

What makes a food tart? ›

A tart is a baked dish consisting of a filling over a pastry base with an open top not covered with pastry. The pastry is usually shortcrust pastry; the filling may be sweet or savoury, though modern tarts are usually fruit-based, sometimes with custard.

What is a tart derogatory term? ›

Tart is an offensive word for a woman who dresses or behaves in a way that suggests she wants to have sex with a lot of different people.

Why is a loose woman called a tart? ›

In the 19th century, tart was British slang for "pretty woman." Some believe it is a shortening of "sweetheart." But by the end of that century, tart described a prostitute, something many language scholars trace back to the tart that you get at the bakery.

What are the two types of tarts? ›

Today, tarts are enjoyed around the world, and there are many different variations. Common fillings for sweet tarts include fruit, custard, and cream, while savory tarts are typically filled with meats, cheeses, or vegetables.

Is pizza a tart? ›

It's not made from pastry, it's not a filling encased by a top and bottom layer, it's not a tart as they have a pastry bottom layer. A pizza is bread topped with stuff. It's a flat bread.

How many types of tart are there? ›

There are four main types of tarts: fruit tarts, custard tarts, chocolate tarts, and savory tarts.

Is a tart considered a pie? ›

A tart is a type of a pie...but it's also entirely its own thing. Unlike a pie, which is made with a pie crust, tarts are usually made with a buttery short crust (think: shortbread).

What makes a dessert a tart? ›

A tart is a sweet or savory dish with shallow sides and only a bottom crust. Tart crusts are usually made from pastry dough: traditionally flour, unsalted butter, cold water, and sometimes sugar. The goal is a firm, crumbly crust.

Is a tart pan the same as a pie pan? ›

In French cooking we make a difference between a tart pan (for quiches or fruit tarts with no filling) and a pie pan (for American style pies and cakes such as the NY cheesecake). You will find both sizes here: the tart pan is wider and shallow. The pie dish is smaller but deeper.

Is cheesecake a pie or a tart? ›

Cheesecake is Technically a Tart

So, what we have is a dessert consisting of a pastry shell, a thick custard-like filling that can be sweetened with vanilla extract, limes, strawberries, chocolate, blueberries, or even pumpkin.

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