Perfect Tart Crust Recipe
Perfect Tart Crust: buttery, just a little sweet, and tender as can be. This easy-to-make, basic dough will complement any kind of filling!
Fall is in full swing now, my friend! Soon we will be knee-deep in pies and tarts!
I figured, why not get ahead of it, and post one of the most useful recipes in any good baker’s arsenal: Tart Crust! I’ve been using this recipe for years, and it’s even a component of many of the recipes you’ll find on this website. Check out this Salted Honey Nut Tart, these Lemon Cheesecake Tarts, and this Rhubarb Tart, and you’ll see what I mean!
Tarts are fun to make, mainly because they’re so versatile. You can fill a tart crust in so many delicious ways!
But the pastry dough is step one. You want a recipe that’s easy to make, tender and a little crunchy, buttery, and not too sweet, to provide the perfect contrast. And this recipe is IT!
WHAT IS TART CRUST?
When you make a tart, the crust can be almost as important as the filling! You want to make sure that you have a sturdy base that provides a flavor contrast as well as a little bit of texture.
Tart crust is definitely it’s own kind of thing. It is buttery and a little sweet, and it has kind of a shortbread-like mouthfeel.
It’s not the same thing as pie crust. Pie crust, while also buttery and not too sweet, tends to have more of a flaky texture, while tart crust is more like a cookie. And honestly, tart crust is WAY easier to make! This dough comes together in about 10 minutes flat. You gotta love that!
HOW TO MAKE TART CRUST STEP-BY-STEP
I like to make this tart crust recipe in the food processor, but if you don’t have one, that’s totally fine! It can also be made in a stand mixer or the old-fashioned way, by hand!
Start by combining the dry ingredients: flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Just give them a quick stir.
Next, add the butter. It’s best if the butter is cold. If you’re using a food processor, just pulse it a few times until you have something that resembles coarse meal. This can also be done with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or by hand with 2 knives (or one of my favorite tools: the pastry blender).
Once the butter is cut in to the dry ingredients, you can add the liquids. An egg yolk provides richness and structure, a little cream will help keep the dough workable, and vanilla extract is added for flavor.
As soon as the dough has gathered itself into a ball, stop mixing. If the dough is overworked, the tart crust could come out tough and it could also shrink a lot as it bakes.
Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for about an hour in the fridge, just to stiffen it up a little and make it easier to roll out.
WHAT SIZE PAN CAN THIS TART CRUST RECIPE BE BAKED IN?
Honestly, you can use this recipe for just about any size tart (within reason!). For the pictures and video you see here, I used a standard-sized 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom.
But it will also work with an 8-inch round pan, a rectangular tart pan, or even with a set of 6 mini tarts. Just roll the dough out to just an inch or two wider than the diameter of your cake pan. This is typically about 1/8-inch thick, but if it’s a little thicker or thinner that’s totally ok.
HOW LONG SHOULD THE TART CRUST BAKE?
Really, it depends. If you have a tart recipe, follow it. Sometimes tarts are baked filled, and sometimes just the pastry shell is baked, without the filling (this is known as “blind baking).
Just to give you an idea, the blind-baked tart shell you see here was baked for 20 minutes at 375 degrees F.
If you’re blind baking your crust, you might want to prick the bottom with the tines of a fork. This will prevent it from getting air trapped underneath and poofing up as it bakes. Sometimes it’s a good idea to place dry beans or pie weights in too, for the same reason. I didn’t do either of these things for what you see in these pics, and it was totally fine, but if you’re finding this to be a problem for you, give these solutions a try!
CAN THIS TART CRUST RECIPE BE MADE AHEAD?
I would recommend making the dough about an hour ahead. If you chill it much longer than that, it might become a little too stiff to work with easily. Of course, this can be remedied just by leaving it out at room temperature until it becomes a little softer.
You can also pre-bake the shell (unfilled), if your tart recipe allows for that. It will keep in a zip-top bag for a few days at room temperature, about a week in the fridge, and around a month or two in the freezer.
When you’re ready to assemble your tart, just thaw the pre-baked crust at room temperature, and fill!
Next time you’ve got the itch to make a beautiful tart, try this perfect tart crust recipe! It’s the perfect base to complement just about any kind of filling!
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- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, stand mixer, or in a medium mixing bowl.
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Pulse/stir/cut in the butter with a pastry blender, until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
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Add the egg yolk, cream, and vanilla, and process/mix/stir until the dough gathers itself into a ball and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
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Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for 1 hour.
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On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a thickness of about 1/8-inch.
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Press the dough gently into the tart pan(s), trimming away any excess.
Recipe Video
A few other great crust recipes:
That looks amazing! My tart crusts always seem to melt away in the oven if I don’t use pie weights (and even a little bit when I do 🙁 ). Definitely going to try this recipe soon!
That’s interesting Merel! Hopefully this recipe brings you better luck with your tarts!
The baking master strikes again! What a perfect tart crust.
Oooh a good tart crust recipe is so important to have! Thanks for sharing.
This is a fantastic recipe! If you don’t have a good crust, your tart won’t turn out
Amazingly simple, great results, true classic.
Filled with some cranberry/orange relish leftover from Thanksgiving and dusted with sugar for a little extra sparkle, and I wish I had more cranberries stored away somewhere.
Thanks tons!
Sounds fantastic! I’m so glad it worked well for you!
What temperature do you needto cook this tart crust?
Hi Erica! Please check out the info listed under the heading “How Long Should the Tart Crust Bake.” Thanks!
I NEED to make more tarts because tart crust is so dreeeeamy
I’ve been researching for some fun ideas for a dessert for a Christmas party and happened on this tart crust. I tested it out tonight and it was fantastic! My husband was skeptical, thinking he wouldn’t really like it, but he raved about how good it was. I ended up making mini pastries using a cupcake tin, filled them with a mascarpone cream filling, and topped with a few berries, and they were great! Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
That’s fantastic Rebekah! I’m so happy you and your husband liked it- sounds like he is a tough customer! Love your idea about how to fill the crust. Sound delicious and so pretty!
This dough came together beautifully for me. The texture in hand was so amazing. I did stray from the directions slightly. Instead of making a dough disk to chill.
I rolled my dough out after mixing in food processor, between two pieces of parchment paper to the size diameter of my 9 inch tart pan, then I let the dough chill in the refrigerator for an hour.
After the hour was up, I took my dough out to let it come to room temperature While my oven is preheating to cook my tart crust. Once it came to room temperature Already in the size diameter I needed for my tart pan, I fitted the dough still cool to the touch into the pan, oven reached its 375 degree Fahrenheit temperature and I wrapped the edges in tinfoil and put it in the Oven as soon as possible while the tart dough is still very chilled to the touch but not exactly room temperature soft either.
My reason for trying it this way…. is to prevent the dough from shrinking in my tart pan as it bakes.
Here’s to hoping that method works.
So glad to hear the dough came together well for you Emmi! That chilling method sounds like a great idea!
This is a near perfect crust. I thank you so much, easy to make, even easier to eat.
So happy you liked it! Thank you for the positive review!
Can I substitute the heavy cream with whole milk?
Hey Liz! You’ll get the best result if you bake the recipe as written.
I want to try your recipe, the results look great. If I leave out the sugar; could this be used for savoury pies?
Hey Susan! If you’re looking to make a savory pie, I think you’d really like the pie crust recipe linked a few times above. This one is meant for tarts which are generally sweeter.
I used this recipe after my market did not have the almond paste my usual crust recipe requires. This recipe worked out, though I found the recipe directions tedious to work through. I never found the pan size, the baking temperature or baking time for blind baking so went with what l do for my almond paste crust and it worked just fine. I read through the text again the next day and found “9 inch tart pan” and saw Cook Time 20 min at the beginning information. The Total Time of 40 minutes excludes the requured 1 hour refrigeration time. This is a good recipe, but for me the directions were too lengthy and seemed scattered.
I’m trying my hand at making my first tart and this looks like a great recipe! I’m horrible at making raditional pie crusts so I hope this will work out. I think I may be a little heavy handed with my mixing, so I’ll take your advice and be a little softer. Is there a way to make this a chocolate crust or do you have a recipe for one. Can I just add cocoa powder to it or will that change the texture? I’m eyeing a chocolate, raspberry filling for one, but I’ll need to convert the ingredients to American measurements. Any help appreciated to make this easier.
Hi Mary! I think you’ll find this tart crust is a lot more forgiving than a flaky pie crust. And I think there probably is a way to make a chocolate version, but I have not yet developed/tested out a recipe like that, so sadly I am unable to give you specifics as of right now. I can say that in my past experience, it’s usually not as simple as just adding cocoa, since the cocoa tends to make things a little drier but it does not swap out for flour in equal measure. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to hear how it all works out! Good luck!
I swapped out 1/2 cup flour with cocoa and it did need a few drops more cream, but came out so beautifully! Filled with mousse au chocolat and raspberries, definitely something I’ll do again.
Sounds fantastic Alez! Congrats on a job well done.
Can this be made without the sugar and vanilla for a savory tart filling?
Absolutely! Good luck and enjoy!
The recipe is in desperate need of updates. It fails to include the temperature or a baking duration. So are we supposed to guess?
Hey there! This recipe is relatively newly uploaded so there’s really no need for any updates just yet. You can find the information you’re looking for under the heading “HOW LONG SHOULD THE TART CRUST BAKE?.”
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Looks like an amazingly simple great tart crust. Looks so good! Will certainly try to make one very soon. Thank you sooooo much for sharing a great recipe ☺️
My pleasure Jess! Hope you enjoy!
Im making my first tart ever ! My pastery cream turned oyt perfect! But im having a diffcult time with the crust ive never done a home made crust before and im doing it by hand so that may be my problem i can not for the life if me get the dough to form its just a flour mess of. Spotted wet egg mixture and dry flour and sugar with butter clumps what am i doing wrong
I think if you are making it by hand it will take a lot of elbow grease and quite a bit more time than a food processor would need. I would just keep working it until it comes together. You’re looking for a smooth, homogenous dough. Good luck!
Hi Heather I’m Steve, I’m not a professional bake but have been baking for almost 50 years. My Mother taught me years ago when making a crust by hand always start with the dry ingredients and make sure that your butter is cold. Before adding butter to the dry mix, cut by Tablespoons and then each Tbls into 1/4 pieces. (Try not to warm butter with hands when doing this) if butter should become soft, return pieces to fridge until firm. Now add butter pieces to flour making sure to coat each piece with flour mixture to prevent clumping. Once all in using your finger tips began combining a few pieces of butter at a time with flour to resembles a crumbly substance and keep going until all the butter is incorporated. Then you can bring it all together with remaining ingredients to form your ball. Sounds time consuming but really it isn’t but be assured your ingredients will be evenly distributed, I learned this at age ten so good luck.
Hello
Can I use shortening instead of butter, my son is lactose even to butter.
Thank you
Hi there! I think if it’s a product that can sub for butter 1:1, it should probably work, but I haven’t tested it that way myself so I can’t say for sure. Good luck!
I followed the recipe and it did not form together the way it should. Is there something missing from the ingredient list ?
No, definitely not. I make this often, in fact, I just made it for a baking class I taught at Williams Sonoma. Their staff made it as well and did not have a problem. Can you provide more detail as to what your results were?
I would really like to help you troubleshoot, but you have given me nothing to go on here. If have no idea what you mean at all. This comment is not helpful to others. There are no specifics, just anger and hostility. You can get back to me with specific questions, or I will delete the comment as I’m not sure it’s even real.
Boy you are really hostile to someone who is trying to help you! The email was just a heads-up that your comment has a new reply on it. It instructs that you should click through to read it, and respond via the website. It didn’t come from me at all, it’s an automated email from WordPress with clear instructions on how to respond. If you were able to show a little human decency I would offer you my actual email but I don’t think I’m going to do that because you seem really toxic. I email back and forth with readers pretty much every day, and I also engage with them through my social media channels, so there is complete transparency there, nothing phony about it. Nothing phony about the recipe either, there are over 20 comments from other readers who’ve made it and enjoyed it. You obviously screwed something up and since you’re unwilling to communicate that to me, I am unable to help you. Consider yourself blocked!
I tried making this and the dough ball never happened. It just stayed crumbly and sort of combined into small bits of dough, like oily bits of dried clay.
Any idea what I did wrong?
I would process it a little longer Israel, that should get it to come together. A lot of times things seem dry at first but if you keep mixing, they come together. If it still doesn’t, try adding in another drop or two of cream.
Since only 2 teaspoons are needed, can I use whole milk instead of heavy cream?
I think that would probably work. Good luck!
Hi! I use your recipe for tart crust and it comes out amazing everytime . I have to make tart shells in advance in bulk… How should i store them so they remain fresh to use after 2 or 3 days?
I would cover them tightly or put them in an airtight container. They’d probably freeze well too.
I use this recipe for mini tarts and it’s just perfect! I tried many recipes that failed in the super hot and humid climate where I live, but yours always works. I pre bake the mini tarts, store in freezer and I’m ready whenever I feel like having my favorite lemon tarts. I even eat them without filling, so crispy and yummy! I save the egg whites for the meringue, perfection!
Your photography is STUNNING!
Tried your recipe. It turned out wonderful. I’ll be making it again for my Bible Study ladies.
I have an Ireland story for you. My sister and I took our mother to Ireland in 2002. She had always wanted to see the country of her heritage. Our grandmother was 100% Irish, she had the Irish brogue accent and was such a talented pastry cook. She always had a pantry full of delicious pastries and she would make the dessert of our choice for our birthdays. During the depression she was a cook for a school in Chicago.
My mom’s favorite place in Ireland was the Kylemore Abby, (great food). She spent a whole day there with the nuns. I loved how the Abby reflected off the water. We had planned to take mom back in 2004 and continue our trek to find family, but our mom passed before we could get back that summer. So my sister and I decided to continue the trek. We did find family on that trip. Lots and lots of cousins. Also an elderly priest (in his late 90s) who turned out to be a great uncle. He remembered our grandmother and our mom. Wished we could of met him on our 2002 trip with mom. She would have been so excited to meet him. He had spent his whole priesthood in Spokane, WA. That was so amazing to me, because I live in Post Falls, ID, just a mere 25 miles away and didn’t even know.
Ireland is so, so beautiful and I want to go back again with my son and my daughter. They both are so interested in learning their heritage.
Thanks for sharing your wonderful trip with us.
Thank you for a wonderful story. So sorry that your mom wasn’t able to go on that incredible trip with you- but I have a feeling she may have been watching over you the whole time. Your grandmother sounds like a saint as well. God bless!
absolutely beautifully perfect tart dough. rolled out like a dream, and tasted amazing. thank you!
This is the only crust I use for fruit tarts. I’ve had many people compliment it, one of whom was my mother in law. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It has made several beautiful fruit tarts.
Hi , Thanks for this great recipe, is the oven temperate for fan forced oven? Or should I reduce the temperatures if using fan forced.Thanks
It’s just for regular oven, not fan forced. So if that’s what you’re using, you should probably lower the temperature by 25 degrees F. Good luck!
I have made this tart shell 4 times now and it is perfect every time. I made the first with conventional flour and it was perfect. The rest I made with a gluten free flour blend and they were excellent.They were as easy to roll out and handle as the first one. The tart is beautiful and cuts perfectly!
I tried this. The result was amazing!!
Thank you for this recipe- it’s an absolute godsend! I did have to figure out a few tricks that work best for me when it comes to chilling and rolling it out but the results are always highly satisfactory. I do want to ask- do you have any tips if I want to incorporate almond (or some other nuts) meal into the dough? Eg how much flour should I switch out, and do I switch in a 1:1 amount of the meal? Thanks!!