4 Ingredient Mini Tart Shells

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When you have a spare few moments, making these 4 ingredient mini tart shells is super duper easy.

Rich, buttery and flaky, these simple tartlet shells are so versatile, they can be used for sweet or savory mini tarts, and once you give them a try, you won’t go back to store-bought tart shells again! 

I love making foods from scratch, but I also like ‘simple and easy’. After my recent success with making my homemade self-rising flour and 2 ingredient buns, 3 ingredient bagels and Greek yogurt bread, I really wanted to keep going in the whole ‘baking realm’. 

Enter this easy tartlet recipe. 

Easy Mini Tart Shells Recipe With Four Ingredients

Ingredients And Substitutions (For sweet tartlette shells)

Most likely, you’ll have these basic ingredients in the pantry already. **If you’re planning on using these tart shells for a savory filling, you can skip adding the sugar. 

• Flour: Plain, simple all purpose flour is perfect for this recipe. 
• Sugar: I used powdered sugar to add that sweetness to the tart shells. In a pinch, you can use granulated sugar but the texture of the shells may change and the color of the bake on the shells may be a bit blotchy.
• Eggs: Eggs help add a lot of richness and flavor to the tarts. Use cold eggs for best results. 
• Butter: Cut into cubes. It has to be very cold and hard. You can choose to use either salted or unsalted butter.

***EAZYTIP: Ingredients like salt, pepper, seasonings and oil don’t count towards the ingredient list because most people have these basic items in the pantry.

How to Make 4 Ingredient Mini Tart Shells

STEP 1: Cut in butter. – Add cold butter and flour to a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles a sandy texture.

STEP 2: Add wet ingredients. – Add in the egg and mix again for one minute or until a rough dough ball is formed. If the mixture is too dry, add ice water by the tablespoon to reach a dough consistency that barely comes together. The testing sign that it’s ready is when a small amount is squeezed in your hand and it holds together, you’re ready to go.

STEP 3: Roll and cut. – Roll the dough to about 1/8″ thick. Cut out circles using a cookie cutter. Any extra dough scraps can be reformed and rolled out again, but handle the dough minimally. Place the dough circles into silicone cupcake liners or a greased cupcake tin.

STEP 4: Chill. – Cover the cupcake can with plastic wrap and chill the unbaked tartlets for an hour up to 24 hours.

STEP 4: Fork the bottoms. – While the oven is preheating, remove the plastic wrap and with a fork, pierce the bottoms of each tartlet 3-4 times so that during the baking process, the pastry doesn’t expand too much. **Optional step: Add a paper muffin liner on top of each tartlet and add rice, dry beans, or pie weights to help keep the tartlet expanding.

STEP 5: Bake and cool. – Bake the tartlets in a preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the liners and weights if you used them, and bake another 5-8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven, transfer to a chilling rack, and let them cool completely.

Tips & Variations for this Tartlette Shells Recipe 

• To bring a flavor twist to the tart shells, you can also add some cocoa powder or a pinch of cinnamon powder to the tart mixture. 
• If I want to make a savory tart (filling), I’ll remove the sugar from the recipe and add a pinch of salt. Adding extra herbs or seasonings is a wonderful addition to savory tart shells.
• When mixing the wet into the dry ingredients, do your best to combine everything until JUST mixed. The longer the mixture is mixed and worked, the tougher the shells will be.
• Make sure the thickness of the tarts is about 1/8″ thick. Leaving them too thick will cause them to stay undercooked in the middle, and making them too thin will cause them to break easily. 
• Allow the tart shells to refrigerate in the cupcake molds for at least 1 hour or longer (or even overnight) if not longer. This will help make them nice and flaky. 

How to Serve the Mini Tart Shells

These mini tart shells are super versatile- you can use them in lots of different ways. 

I personally love filling them with some lemon curd, whipped cream, a nice berry compote or even some chocolate pudding. 

And of course, you could try some savory options too. Caramelized onions, smoked salmon, cheese and chives are all great filling options for these little tarts. 

I also think some 3 ingredient pumpkin fluff can be an awesome addition to these tarts, making them a great snack or dessert for fall. 

Storage and Freezing

You can store these baked 4 ingredient mini tart shells up to 2 days in advance and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. When removing them from the fridge to bring to room temperature, remove the lid to let any moisture escape. 

If you’re planning to make them in advance, you may want to freeze them in a freezer-safe container. They should stay fresh for up to a month, if not longer. 

Did you try this mini tartlette recipe? If so, please leave a ***** star rating in the recipe card below and if you have any questions, leave a comment and I’ll get back to you asap. Thanks for stopping by, and I’ll see you next time!