These mini chocolate tarts are incredibly gorgeous and they’re just so delicious. With just 2 components – perfect mini chocolate tart shells and a chocolate ganache filling – these dark chocolate tarts are so easy to make.
- Rich in dark chocolate flavour and you can sweeten to taste.
- Easy to make, completely from scratch.
- The crispy chocolate shortcrust shell is buttery and delish.
- Individual chocolate tarts are perfect for a party.
After creating my perfect tartlet shells recipe, I wanted to work on a chocolate version and here it is. Crisp chocolate pastry gives way to a silky-smooth chocolate truffle centre and you can decorate them however you like. I love just a drizzle of chocolate with some freeze dried raspberries but fresh raspberries work a treat too.
This post was first published February 14th, 2019. It’s been updated with recipe tweaks and new images and information.
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Ingredients you’ll need
With only 9 ingredients these dark chocolate tarts are easy to make any time.
Jump to the recipe card for full ingredients and instructions.
- The chocolate shortcrust pastry
- Flour: Plain flour / all purpose flour.Icing sugar: Powdered sugar / confectioners sugar.Unsweetened cocoa powder: Dutch cocoa powder will work too.Unsalted butter is best.
- Egg: I always use large eggs.
- The chocolate ganache:
- Cream: Just like a chocolate truffle the chocolate filling is ganache and made up mainly of cream and chocolate. It may be called thickened cream or heavy cream where you areDark chocolate: I like a chocolate with 70% cocoa solids for it’s rich, smooth chocolate flavour.Butter for richness.Pure vanilla extract: not essence.
- Brown sugar: to taste.
How to make mini chocolate tarts (step-by-step)
These really are very easy to make. There is a little time required for chilling so plan ahead (you can start them 2-3 days ahead).
Jump to the recipe card for full ingredients and instructions.
The chocolate tartlet shells
- Make the dough: In a food processor, blend together the dry ingredients to combine then add the butter (photo 1) and blend until the pieces are about the size of lentils. Add the egg (photo 2) and blend until it starts forming large clumps (photo 3).
- Roll and shape: Roll the dough out on a cocoa dusted surface (photo 5) to about 3mm (⅛ inch thick) then cut rounds 9cm/3 ½ inch (photo 6). Press the rounds gently into the holes of a non-stick muffin tin – just a regular 12 hole sized tin (photo 7).
- Chill: Chill the unbaked tart shells for a minimum of two hours (so important) or up to 3 days!
- Bake: When they’ve chilled prick the bottoms of the tart shells with a fork all over. Place a paper cupcake liner inside and fill it with rice (photo 8) (or dry lentils). Press the rice down gently so that the cupcake liner sits neatly in the tart shell. Now bake them for around 20 minutes removing the rice part way through.
The chocolate ganache filling
- Chop the chocolate up finely and place it into a medium bowl.
- In a small saucepan, heat the cream, sugar and butter just until the first bubble breaks the surface (photo 9). Add the vanilla.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate (photo 10) and let it sit for a minute to soften before gently stirring it into a smooth ganache (photo 11) (edible by the spoonful 😋).
- Pour it into the baked tartlet shells (photo 12) and chill a minimum of 2-3 hours until set.
Rolling out the chocolate pastry can get messy so prepare well first. Have a large clear work surface and don’t plan on doing anything else until the pastry is in the muffin tin. Get out your bench scraper if you have one – it makes clean up a breeze.
Tips and tricks
- Use cocoa when rolling: Rolling the dough out on a surface dusted with cocoa powder keeps the chocolate colour of the tart shells. If you were to use flour, the outside of the tarts would be paler and look dusty once they’ve been baked.
- Chilling: When making tarts or tartlets you must not skip the chilling time for the dough. This time allows the dough to relax and it’s shape to set so they don’t shrink when they’re baked. The longer you chill, the better.
- Serve at room temperature: While these chocolate tartlets are completely edible straight from the fridge, I find these tartlets are best served at room temperature. The ganache softens just enough. They’ll take forever to set at room temperature though, so chill them to get them set first. 30-45 minutes out of the refrigerator is perfect and they’ll actually sit quite happily at room temperature thereafter.
Variations
You can fill your mini chocolate tarts with more than just ganache. A layer of salted caramel or raspberry compote (or jam) underneath the chocolate ganache, is divine.
You could also try the peppermint fondant from this recipe or this baileys buttercream frosting or even peanut butter. Of course, you could always just fill the chocolate tartlet shells with chocolate mousse!
Whatever filling you use, make sure to let it set before adding the ganache on top..
FAQs
These easy chocolate tarts have a chocolate shortcrust pastry shell filled with chocolate ganache.
Yes. You can freeze these tarts in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
A tartlet is just a miniature version of a tart. Tartlets are often made for parties as they can easily be eaten without cutlery and they’re a small portion.
Yes, you can. If you’re in a hurry, you can certainly just make the ganache and set it in shop-bought tart shells but if you have some time, I recommend making it from scratch.
Yes. Just use a fluted tart pan with a removeable base around 9 inches wide. You’ll want to roll the pastry to about 4-5 mm (⅕ inch) thick.
Yield and storage
This recipe makes around 18-19 tartlet shells but only 12 complete tarts. Those leftover tartlet shells can be frozen in an airtight container to be filled with anything you like for a quick dessert later. Did anyone say ice cream and chocolate topping!
Storing the pastry
The pastry dough can be made and shaped up to 3 days before baking and should be kept stored in the fridge. The dough, unshaped, can be made and frozen for up to 2 months. Wrap it nice and tightly in plastic wrap.
Storing the tarts
These mini chocolate tarts keep well in the fridge for up to 7 days or out of the fridge but a cool spot like the pantry for 3-4 days. Their texture at this temperature is so luxurious. They can be frozen but should be thawed in the fridge overnight.
These individual chocolate tarts can be served straight from the fridge or you can let them come to room temperature for around 45 minutes and the ganache texture is unbelievable.
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Ingredients
FOR THE TARTLET SHELLS
- 195 g plain flour (all-purp flour) (1 ½ cups / 6.9oz)
- 85 g icing sugar (powdered / confectioners sugar) (3oz / ⅔ cup)
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa (25g / 1oz)
- 100 g unsalted butter, cubed and chilled (3.5oz)
- 1 large egg
FOR THE GANACHE
- 250 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) (8.8oz)
- 250 ml cream (1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons butter (28g/1oz)
- 2 ½ tablespoons brown sugar (notes 1)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 30 g chocolate (any type), melted to decorate
- Raspberries to decorate
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- 12 hole muffin tin (non-stick)
- Saucepan
Instructions
- FOR THE TARTLET SHELLS:Place the flour, icing sugar and cocoa in the bowl of a food processor. Process a few seconds to distribute evenly.
- Add the cubed cold butter and blitz until the mixture looks a bit like sand – there may be lentil-sized pieces of butter left here and there and that’s perfect.
- Add the egg and process on low until the mixture starts forming large clumps.
- Turn the dough out and pull it together into a smooth ball with your hands (making sure not to handle it too much), then flatten slightly.
- Dust your work surface with cocoa (this can get messy but a bench scraper is your best friend for clean up or see my notes for a less messy way of doing it). Dust the top of the dough with a little cocoa as well.
- Gently and gradually roll the pastry out to about 3mm (⅛ inch) thick, turning it often and adding more cocoa beneath and on top if required (don’t add too much though).
- Have a non-stick 12 hole muffin tin at the ready.
- Using a circle cookie cutter 9cm/3 ½ in wide (or just a little larger than the opening of the muffin tin holes), cut out circles of dough. Try to get 12 from the first roll, and at least 6 from a second roll out. Try to handle the dough only enough to bring back into a disk for the second roll.
- Lift with an offset spatula so they don’t become misshapen and gently push each down with your fingers into the muffin tin holes, gently pressing into the corners (if your rolling pin has a flat end like mine, it’s perfect for getting them flat to the bottom with a sharp nice corner, just be careful not to damage the tart shell).
- Chill 2 hours or overnight (don’t skip chilling).
- Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan forced) / 350F.
- Prick the bases of the tartlet shells a few times with a fork. Place a cupcake case or piece of baking paper into each, pressing it to the pastry at the bottom, and fill with rice (or pie weights).
- Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes then remove the cupcake cases and bake a further;
- If the filling will be baked, bake the tartlet shells a further 2-3 minutes, just to set the bases.
- Carefully remove the mini tart shells from the tins and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- You will have some tartlet shells leftover from this recipe – they can be frozen for up to 3 months. Try filling them with caramel sauce or dulce de leche for a quick family dessert.
- FOR THE GANACHE: Chop the chocolate very finely and place into a medium heat-proof bowl.
- In a small or medium saucepan, combine the cream, butter and sugar. Cook over low-medium heat, stirring until the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved. Let it come to a bubble then remove from the heat.
- Add the vanilla to hot cream, then pour it over the chocolate. Give the bowl a shake to settle the chocolate under the cream mixture and let it sit for 1 minute to soften.
- Stir the chocolate and cream gently just until you have a smooth, glossy ganache.
- Pour the chocolate mixture evenly between 12 tartlet shells.
- Transfer to an airtight container in a single layer and chill in the fridge for 3 hours or until set.
- Decorate, once set, with a drizzle of chocolate and raspberries or a dollop of whipped cream. Can be served immediately or left at room temperature for 30-45 minutes.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
- Type of chocolate: If you prefer a sweeter or less intense chocolate flavour, use a combination of half milk chocolate and half dark chocolate. Chocolate with 50% cocoa solids will also work in place of the 70%.
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4 Comments on “Mini Chocolate Tarts”
Chocolate lovers delight. Made with a thin layer of Raspberry preserves before adding ganache. Show stopper and chocolate lovers cannot go wrong. Will make again. for parties.
I love the addition of raspberry preserves – gorgeous. Thanks for trying my recipe, Joyce, I’m so happy you love them.
These are perfect for Valentine’s Day! Chocolate is a must, but I also love a mini dessert. It’s the perfect size for an after dinner treat! And I’ve never made custard before so thanks for the helpful instructions!
Thanks so much Leanne. Have an awesome day 🙂