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

Key Lime Tart

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.

Bittersweet Chocolate-Caramel Tart

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.

Fresh Fruit and Cream Tarts

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.

Key Lime Tartlets

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.

Banana-Pecan Caramel Tart

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.

Lemon Curd Tassies

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.

Apple-Toffee Tartlets

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.

Minty Cookies and Cream Tassies

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.

Lavender-Honey Lemon Tart

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.

Snickering Tartlets

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)

Apple and Browned Butter Tart

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.

Ganache-Glazed Peanut Butter Tart

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.

Country-Style Gingerbread-Pear Tarts

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)

Tiny Raspberry Cheesecake Tarts

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.

Apple Tart with Cheddar Cheese Crust

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.

Raisin-Pumpkin Tart

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.

Pecan Cranberry Tart

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.

Marzipan Tart with Fruit Tumble

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.

Tropical Dream Tassies

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.

Garden Vegetable Tart

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.

Beef, Mushroom, and Onion Tart

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.