These gorgeous Chocolate Mini Tarts are deceptively easy to make using my simple press-in shortbread dough a luscious chocolate ganache. Made up of only seven ingredients, they're elegant, simple and enticing!
When it comes to entertaining, making simple individual desserts makes sense. You can prepare them ahead of time, reducing stress on the day. My Chocolate Panna Cotta and Strawberry Eton Mess are perfect examples of this.
Don't be fooled by the elegance of these Mini Chocolate Tarts. With the foolproof sablée dough used in my Strawberry Sablée Tart, you press it into the tart tin with your fingers and bake it until cooked through. No blind baking is needed! It produces a fabulous buttery, short pastry.
Once baked, the tart shells are filled with a simple, luxurious chocolate ganache. Made with only chocolate and cream, it's perfect as is or customise with flavourings. Got to love an adaptable, easy treat. Set it in the fridge, and that's it!
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🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Uses basic ingredients. All the ingredients are basic pantry or fridge staples. With only 7 ingredients in total to make the ganache and the pastry - that's pretty simple!
- Looks stunning. Wow, your guests with these beauties. You can dust the tarts for understated elegance, sprinkle in chocolate curls or decorate them with fruit. You get to choose!
- Tastes incredible. The simplicity of refined chocolate shines through in the ganache. The buttery sablée ganache
- Make ahead. The mini tartlet shells can easily be made up to a couple of days before. Make the ganache and refrigerate the tartlets at lunchtime, ready to serve after dinner. Zero stress!
🧾 Ingredients Needed
Whilst the list of ingredients is short- there are a couple of pointers to note regarding the chocolate tarts. Read on to find out more. You'll be fully equipped to make incredible buttery pastry and smooth fudgy ganache.
Sablée Tart Shells
The tart shells use the same dough as in my Sablée Cookies. It's foolproof and delicious.
Butter - I've opted to use salted butter as the salt in the pastry only helps to accentuate the chocolate flavour. If using unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon salt to the dough. Make sure the butter is at room temperature before making it.
Egg yolks -Two large egg yolks help bind the dough plus provide taste and richness. Room-temperature yolks are best. Save the egg whites to make meringue nests or simple Lingue di Gatto Cookies.
Chocolate Ganache
Cream - The cream needs to have a minimum 34% fat content, so double (heavy cream) is the best to ensure that the ganache sets to a firm consistency.
Butter & Golden Syrup - These are optional ingredients that you could leave out. However, the butter adds richness and a luscious shine to the ganache. The golden syrup adds a touch of sweetness. It can be substituted with corn syrup.
Chocolate: The chocolate steals the show in this mini chocolate tarts recipe. With so few ingredients in the ganache, pick the best quality chocolate you can for the taste to shine through. There's no hiding behind other ingredients!
I prefer to use a good quality 70% cacao dark chocolate (bittersweet chocolate). It holds the perfect depth of flavour and bitterness in the chocolate without going too far on the bitterness spectrum.
Alternatively, you could use a combination of both 70% dark chocolate and milk chocolate. I regularly use Lindt Dark 70% Chocolate Bar, but other brands such as Valrhona, Guittard, or Callebaut are amazing too.
📖 Variations
I like to think of this chocolate ganache tart recipe as a base recipe that you can grab with both hands and create endless variations with.
- Tart Shells: Add flavour to the shortbread crust by adding orange or lemon zest or even rosemary and thyme. Sub 2 tablespoon of flour with cocoa powder for chocolate tartlets. Add nuttiness by subbing ½ cup flour with almond flour.
- Chocolate Ganache: There are so many options that you can do. Add in liquor such as amaretto or Frangelico for a grownup boozy kick. Add espresso powder or malt powder dissolved in hot water. (The kids love the malt powder version). Add jam or compote to the base of the shell and cover it in ganache.
- Decoration: Here are some of my favourite ways to decorate these mini tarts. Dust simply in cocoa powder. Add red berries such as raspberries or red currants. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings or flaked sea salt. Drizzle in dark chocolate.
👩🏻🍳 How to Make
With only two components to this chocolate ganache tart recipe, the dough and the ganache, I look forward to showing you how simple this recipe is to make. As the mini tarts use a filling that requires no cooking, the tart shells need to be fully baked before filling.
Regular shortcrust dough requires refrigerating, rolling out and then blind baking to get a fully baked tart shell.
Sablée dough is pressed directly into the tin using your fingers. No rolling is required. It's then baked until fully cooked through. No blind baking is required. Brilliant right?! Easy chocolate tarts for the win!
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*
Make the Sablée Shortbread Dough
First things first. Let's make this dough. The butter and cream do need to be beaten together using a stand mixer or electric hand-held beater.
TIP: To make the pastry by hand
If you don't have either, then substitute the sugar for powdered icing sugar. ie. 65g/1/3cup sugar = 65g/1/2cup powdered icing sugar. Then use a wooden spoon to beat it with the butter by hand.
The result will be a slightly denser pastry, but only marginally.
STEP 1. Cream together butter and sugar until pale. The butter has to be at room temperature for a good amount of air to be incorporated into the mixture. Cream for about 2-3 minutes until pale and thickened (Images 1 & 2).
STEP 2. Add yolks and mix. The yolks should also be at room temperature to emulsify properly with the creamed butter (Images 3 & 4). Mix for a minute until well combined and smooth.
STEP 3. Sift in flour. Then beat on low until the dough just starts to come together. You don't want to overbeat at this point; otherwise, the dough will be tough (Images 5 & 6).
STEP 4. Bring the dough together. Use your hands to squeeze the dough together, catching any dry bits in the bottom of the bowl (Image 7). Form the dough into a rough ball and shape it into a disc.
TIP: Make the pastry by hand
It's nearing winter here in the UK, and my dough can be used immediately. However, if you live in a warm climate and the dough is sticky, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 30 mins (Image 8).
Fill the Tart Tins and Bake
The best part about this recipe is that the dough is designed to be pressed and shaped in the tart pan.
I've used 5cm/2inch diameter fluted tart tins with removable bases. You can also use egg tart moulds that are more readily available. But they are deeper than what I've used, so you may need to x2 or at least x1.5 the ganache to ensure you have enough to fill each tart shell.
STEP 5. Line tart pans with dough. I do this in a three-step process. Firstly, tear off a small ball of dough from the disc and use your thumbs to press it into the base. Make sure it isn't too thick and make it even across the pan base (Image 9).
Secondly, get more dough and press it all around the edges, adding more as needed. Press it into all the fluted edges and ensure the thickness is even all the way around (Image 10). Trim off excess by rolling a rolling pin over the pan or using a sharp knife (Image 11).
Last, you'll need to dock the base of the dough to create little steam vents to release steam and prevent the base from puffing up (Image 12).
Now refrigerate. This is crucial! The butter must firm up and re-solidify before they go into the oven. The pastry will then stay in place and not shrink.
STEP 6. Bake! Once chilled, bake the tart shells in a preheated oven at 160C/ 320F for 30-35 minutes until golden. The underside of the tartlets should be dry and crisp and show no moisture in the dough. Cool fully on a wire rack.
I've set the oven at a slightly lower temperature, making them bake for a little longer than normal, as I found the edges browned too quickly on a higher heat, and it got too fiddly to try and tent the edges with foil.
Make the Chocolate Tarts Filling
The ganache only takes a couple of minutes to create, so wait for the tart shells to cool fully before making it.
STEP 6. Heat the cream. We're making the ganache over the stove top but check out below for two other methods. Heat the cream in a small saucepan on low until warm and steaming and you see some small bubbles around the edges of the pan. Don't let it boil, otherwise, it will split.
STEP 7. Add cream to the chopped chocolate. Pour the cream over the chocolate (Image 14). Make sure the chocolate is chopped into small pieces. It melts quicker like this.
Then add the butter and golden syrup and pour the cream over the chocolate (Image 15). Leave for a minute or so, then whisk until the chocolate and butter are melted and the ganache smooth (Images 16 & 17).
TIP: Make the ganache in the microwave or double boiler.
- Microwave. Add all ganache ingredients to a heat-proof bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments stirring in between until the cream and chocolate has melted and combined.
- Double boiler, or bain marie. Place a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (don't let the base of the bowl touch the water. Add all ganache ingredients and stir until melted and smooth.
Assemble the Chocolate Mini Tarts
STEP 8. Pour ganache into tart shells and refrigerate. Once the ganache is smooth, pour it into each tartlet shell to just below the edges of the tartlet. Repeat until all tart shells are filled. Then refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour until set.
🥣 How To Serve
Remove the Chocolate Mini Tarts 30 minutes before serving for the chocolate to soften slightly. That way, the ganache goes luxuriously fudgy. Decorate with a dust of cocoa powder, chocolate shavings and fresh berries as I've done, or another way if you prefer.
These make the perfect addition to a high tea or baby shower. They're also wonderful for birthday celebrations, family gatherings or when entertaining during Thanksgiving or the Holiday season.
These Chocolate Mini Tarts also make wonderful gifts too. Place in a cardboard box decorated with ribbon. Edible gifts are the best!
💭 Recipe Pro Tips
For the tartlet shells.
- Use room-temperature butter and eggs. This allows the butter to cream fully with the sugar and then the egg yolks to emulsify with the creamed butter.
- Don't overwork the dough. Only mix until the dough starts to come together.
- Rest the dough for a minimum of 30 minutes in the fridge. This allows the gluten to relax and the flour to hydrate.
- Refrigerate tart shells before baking. This allows the butter to re-solidify and will help prevent the shells from shrinking.
- Don't have time to make the pastry, then use store-bought tart shells. The ganache only takes 5 minutes to make, making this one of the simplest chocolate tart recipes ever!
For the chocolate ganache
- Use the best quality chocolate for optimal flavour.
- Don't boil the cream otherwise, the ganache will split
- Chop the chocolate as finely as you can so that the heat of the cream will melt it easily.
- Stir the cream and chocolate slowly until melted and combined.
- Don't use chocolate chips to replace the chocolate. They are designed to hold their shape and won't create as smooth a ganache.
📋 Recipe FAQs
The chocolate ganache needs a good 2 hours for it to set fully. Any less than that, and it probably won't set properly. Also, if the ratio of cream to chocolate is not measured out correctly, the ganache won't set fully.
You can make these Chocolate Mini Tarts the day before they are to be served. Ensure the tart shells are fully cooked through as crisp before filling to prevent any soggy bottoms.
Alternatively, make the tart shells the day before, cool and store them at room temperature until ready to fill.
Yes absolutely! The ingredients are enough to make a 23cm (9inch) tart. Follow the method exactly. Just fill one large tart pan with a removable base rather than individual mini tart tins.
❄️ Storage and Freezer Instructions
To store: The chocolate mini tarts are best eaten on the day they are made, however, will last in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 4 days. The pastry may lose its crispiness the longer they are refrigerated, though.
To freeze: I wouldn't recommend freezing the baked and prepared chocolate mini tarts. Rather, I would prepare the pastry and line the tart shells with it, then bake directly from the freezer, adding five or so minutes to the bake time. Then fill with ganache and refrigerate until set.
🍫 More Chocolate Dessert Recipes
If you tried this Mini Chocolate Tart recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Mini Tarts Recipe
Equipment
- Mini Tart tins
Ingredients
Sablée Shortcrust Dough
- 130 g salted butter, room temperature
- 65 g granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 220 g plain flour (all-purpose)
Chocolate Ganache
- 120 g dark chocolate 70% (bittersweet)
- 120 ml double cream (heavy cream)
- 30 g salted butter
- 1 tablespoon golden syrup
Decoration
- Cocoa powder, chocolate shavings or red currants (optional)
Instructions
Make the Sablée Shortcrust Dough
- Cream butter and sugar together. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or an electric hand-held mixer), beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until pale and creamy.
- Incorporate egg yolks. Add in the egg yolks and mix until well combined, about a minute.
- Add flour to form a dough. Sift the flour into the mixing bowling mix on low speed until just incorporated and the dough starts to clump. Use your hands to bring the dough together by gently squeezing it together. (Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes if the dough is sticky.)
- Press dough into the tart pan. Tear some dough from the dough ball and press it into the base of the tin to make a level and even dough base. Press dough onto the sides of the pan, getting more if needed. Ensure the sides are even all the way around. Use a rolling pin to cut off the excess, or a sharp knife.With the tines of the fork, dock the base of the tart. Repeat until all tart pans have been filled.Refrigerate tart bases for 30 minutes or freeze for 15 minutes.
- Bake. Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F and bake tart bases for 30-35 minutes, turning them halfway through, until golden and the pastry crisp. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire wrack.
Make the Chocolate Ganache
- Heat the cream in a small saucepan on low until steaming and you see some tiny bubbles around the edges of the pan. Don't let it boil, otherwise, it will split.
- Add cream to the chopped chocolate. Pour the cream over the chocolate. Make sure the chocolate is chopped into small pieces, it melts quicker like this. Then add the butter and golden syrup to the cream. Leave for a minute or so, then whisk until the chocolate and butter have melted and the ganache is smooth.
Assemble the Tarts
- Fill tart shells. Once the ganache is smooth, divide the ganache into each tartlet shell, filling to just below the top edge of the pastry. Then refrigerate tarts for a minimum of 1 hour until set. When ready to serve, allow the tarts to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes for the ganache to soften slightly. Then decorate with a dusting of cocoa powder, a sprinkle of chocolate flakes and some red berries.
All recipes are developed and tested in Metric grams. I strongly recommend that you bake using digital scales for a more accurate result. I have provided a conversion to US customary in the recipe but please note that I haven’t tested using this method.
Notes
- Use room-temperature butter and eggs.
- Don't overwork the dough.
- Rest the dough for a minimum of 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Refrigerate tart shells before baking.
- Use store-bought tart shells for a quick alternative!
- Use the best quality chocolate for optimal flavour.
- Don't boil the cream otherwise, the ganache will split
- Chop the chocolate as finely as you can so that the heat of the cream will melt it easily.
- Stir the cream and chocolate slowly until melted and combined.
- Don't use chocolate chips to replace the chocolate. They are designed to hold their shape and won't create as smooth a ganache.
Natalie
Hi! Thanks for the thorough instructions. I’m making a few of your recipes for thanksgiving 🙂 I’d like to use this crust, but pair it with a curd filling. I’m wondering…Do I need to seal the crust (like you instruct in your sweet short crust recipe) before I add filling? I ask because the filling I’m going to use is a bit more liquid than ganache and the assembled tarts will be refrigerated overnight. In summary: does one need to worry about a soggy bottom with this crust, especially when filling it with a curd and letting it sit overnight? Thanks so much!
Emma
Hi Natalie- Thanks so much for your message. Yes, if using any type of wet filling in a tart I would definitely seal the pastry with an egg wash. And make sure that the pastry is cooked through to minimise any risk of soggy pastry. Thanks so much for making my recipe for such a special day.