Adorable mini tarts filled with a rich chocolate and cream cheese mixture in a buttery shortcrust pastry. These are semi-homemade chocolate cheesecake tarts and take only 20 minutes to make. Also, this chocolate cream cheese tart recipe uses ready-to-use tart shells that cut preparation time by half and make entertaining a breeze.
Table of Content
About these tarts
Can you think of a dessert more simpler than tartlets? Often, when I entertain, I choose to serve mini-tarts because they are pretty to look at and easy to serve. So, this is a semi-homemade kinda thing.
- First, you buy the tart shells readymade, which is so easy to find at any grocery store. However, if you plan to make homemade mini-tarts calculate and extra 45 minutes of active time.
- And, it takes 15 minutes to make the chocolate filling.
- Lastly, 3 minutes to pipe the filling. How easy is that?
Homemade vs. ready-to-use tart shells
You can make the tart shells from scratch or you can cheat and buy them from the store, as I have done here. Sometimes, it's ok to be lazy. And yet, making mini tarts at home is not difficult. So, if you don't have these ready to use tartlets, you can make these yourself. And, I have shared three different methods of making mini tarts with the recipe and video. You must check it out.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Chocolate - Always use good quality chocolate. Chocolate that you enjoy eating. For example, I'm using 60% Callebaut coverture chocolate.
- Cream cheese - Use a good 38% or more cream cheese, so you get the maximum cheese flavor. Since, low-fat cream cheese will make the consistency of the filling too soft.
- Whipping cream - I highly recommend using 35% fat whipping cream. The low-fat versions will have too much liquid and not whip well to soft peaks. And, the excess moisture can cause the crust to get soggy. But, if you plan to use a low-fat version, I would recommend assembling them closer to serving rather than ahead of time.
Step by step instructions
Prepare tart shells
- In a food processor bowl, combine flour, salt, sugar - and pulse a few seconds.
- Next, add cubed chilled butter - pulse for 30 seconds to a minute until it resembles bread crumb consistency.
- Then, add the egg yolk - pulse some more.
- Add 2 to 4 tablespoons water the mixture forms a dough.
- Transfer to a work surface - bring the dough together to form a disc.
- Wrap in cling wrap and chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
- When chilled, roll small pieces of dough into disc and line each tart shell. Cut off any excess at the edges.
- Alternatively, you can cut a small disc for the base of the tart and strips for the sides. Cut off any excess.
- Place the tartlet in the fridge while you preheat the oven
- Preheat the oven to 200 C / 390 F.
- Next, prick the pastry all over with the tines of a fork or cocktail stick to prevent the dough from puffing.
- Bake in the preheated oven – the 3-inch mini-tarts take 10 to 12 minutes while the 5 -inch mini-tarts take about 12 to 14 minutes.
- Then, cool the tarts completely before filling.
Prepare the chocolate cheesecake filling
- Whip the cream with cornstarch to soft peaks - and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl or bane-marie.
- Then, add the cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla.
- Lastly, fold in the whipped cream.
Assemble the tarts
- Transfer cream cheese mixture to a piping bag and pipe into each tart shell.
- Finally, Garnish with a little shaved chocolate.
Frequently asked questions
This tart will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
These don't take long to make. In fact, the filling takes just 5 minutes. You can also fill these about 2 days ahead.
Fill the tart shells and chill them in the fridge to set. But, make sure to bring to them to room temperature before serving.
If you plan to make the tart shells at home, you can use either one of these pastry recipes:
Rich shortcrust pastry - Pate Sable - using the creaming method similar to how we make cookies. Or,
Sweet shortcrust pastry - pate sucree - using the crumble method similar to how we make a pie crust.
Also, I have a step by step recipe and a video tutorial showing three different methods for making homemade mini tart shells.
Absolutely. Double the recipe and the filing will be perfect for one 9-inch shortcrust pastry shell. And, you can also use a ready to use, ready to roll or make my homemade rich shortcrust pastry in advance. In addition, I have a baked Chocolate Cheesecake Tarts that you must check out too.
Yes. In fact, I also have cream cheese chocolate mousse tarts as well as chocolate ganache tart.
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Printable Recipe
Chocolate Cheesecake Tarts
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Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
Tart shells (30 shells)
- 1 ½ cup (190 g) All-purpose flour
- 4 oz (113 g) Unsalted butter ((1 stick) chilled, cubed)
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup (50 grams) Sugar
- 1 Egg yolk (large)
- 2 tablespoon Chilled water (up tp 4 tbsp)
Chocolate cheesecake filling
- 8 oz (226 g) Cream cheese
- ½ cup (120 ml) Whipping cream
- 4 oz (100 g) Dark chocolate
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ cup (60 g) Powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
Garnish
- ½ cup Chocolate shaving
Instructions
Tart shells
- In the bowl of a food processor combine flour, salt, sugar – pulse a few seconds.
- Add cubed chilled butter – pulse for 30 seconds to a minute until it resembles bread crumb consistency
- Add the egg yolk – pulse some more
- Add 2 to 4 tablespoons water the mixture forms a dough
- Transfer to a work surface – bring the dough together to form a disc
- Wrap in cling wrap and chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
- When chilled roll small pieces of dough into disc and line each tart shell. Cut off any excess at the edges.
- Alternatively, you can cut a small disc for the base of the tart and strips for the sides. Cut off any excess.
- Place the tartlet in the fridge while you preheat the oven
- Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F.
- Prick the pastry all over with the tines of a fork or cocktail stick to prevent the dough from puffing.
- Bake in the preheated oven – the 3-inch mini-tarts take 10 to 12 minutes while the 5 -inch mini-tarts take about 12 to 14 minutes.
- Cool the tarts completely before filling
Chocolate cheesecake filling
- Whip the cream with cornstarch to soft peaks – set aside
- In a separate bowl melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl or bane-marie
- Add the cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla
- Lastly, fold in the whipped cream
Assemble
- Transfer cream cheese mixture to a piping bag and pipe into each tart shell.
- Garnish with a little shaved chocolate.
Recipe Notes & Tips
Featured Recipe Below - How to Make Homemade Mini Tart Shells - 3 methods
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Charleen
I see listed in the filling ingredients is 1 tbsp cornflour, but no mention is made in the instructions as to what to do with it. Please clarify.
Veena Azmanov
Charleen, you will the cream with cornstarch. It helps to stabilize it. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Charleen
Thank you so much Veena.
Aline
These are so cute and look so tasty! The step by step makes it seem very easy and approachable as well - I need to try!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Aline. I hope you try this.
Soohie
Your work is so inspiring. Love these cute, little tarts. Thanks for the recipe.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Sophie
Jess
These tarts look and sound amazing! The chocolate centers look sweet and perfect!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Jess. They were definitely delicious.