These easy mini chocolate tarts are made with chocolate pastry shells and filled with a silky smooth and rich chocolate ganache.
They are super easy to make and individually portioned, giving you the ideal ratio of crisp pastry to smooth chocolate in every single bite, no slicing, no fuss, just rich, intense chocolate flavor.
For more mini desserts, check out my mini fruit tarts and mini Oreo cheesecakes.
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Why this recipe works
- Deep Chocolate Flavor: Made with a buttery chocolate shortbread shell and filled with a rich chocolate ganache for double the chocolate experience.
- Chocolate Shortbread Crust: The crust comes together easily in a food processor, yielding a crisp, buttery texture that holds its shape.
- Luxurious Ganache Filling: High-quality chocolate and heavy cream combine into a silky, smooth, and decadent center.
- Individual Portions: Perfectly portioned mini sizes mean zero slicing required for serving.
- Beginner-Friendly: Despite their upscale bakery appearance, the steps are straightforward and use simple ingredients.
Ingredients
Before you start, measure and prepare your ingredients so the baking process goes smoothly. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
For the Chocolate Shortbread Crust
Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder: Yields a deep, rich chocolate taste (natural cocoa powder works too).
All-Purpose Flour: Forms the base structure (cake flour works for a lighter crumb).
Egg: One room-temperature large egg binds the dough.
Kosher Salt: Balances the sweetness.
Powdered Sugar: Creates a finer texture than granulated sugar. (You can make your own by blending granulated sugar in a food processor).
Unsalted Butter: Must be cold and cubed. Avoid margarine or coconut oil, which alter the flavor and texture.
For the Chocolate Ganache
Heavy Cream: Use full-fat heavy cream. This cannot be substituted with milk or low-fat alternatives.
Dark Chocolate: Use premium semisweet or dark chocolate bars (at least 70% cocoa) for the best intense flavor.
Instructions
Make the crust
In a food processor, pulse together the flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and salt until combined.
Add the cold, cubed butter and pulse until pea-sized crumbs form. (Alternatively, cut the butter in by hand with cold hands).
Add the egg and vanilla extract, pulsing just until a dough forms. Avoid overmixing.
Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Roll the chilled dough out on a floured surface. Cut small rounds using a round cutter or bowl that is about 1 inch larger than your mini tart pans.
Press the pastry gently into each mini tart pan, trim the edges, and dock the bottoms with a fork. Freeze the shaped crusts for at least 20 minutes.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 15–20 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
Make the chocolate ganache
Combine the chopped dark chocolate and heavy cream in a small bowl. Melt in the microwave using 30-second pulses or set over a double boiler (bain-marie).
Let the mixture sit undisturbed for 10 minutes, then whisk until smooth, glossy, and silky.
Pour the ganache into the cooled tart shells until almost full. Transfer to the refrigerator for 2–3 hours to set completely.
Expert Tips
- Keep Butter Cold: Use ice-cold cubed butter to ensure a tender, crumbly shortbread texture.
- Chill the Dough: Resting the dough for 1 hour makes it much easier to roll and handle without sticking.
- Freeze Before Baking: Freezing the shaped crusts for 20 minutes prevents them from shrinking or collapsing in the oven.
- Choose Quality Chocolate: Since ganache is front and center, opt for high-end chocolate bars rather than baking chips for superior melt and flavor.
- Allow Proper Setting Time: Let the filled tarts chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours so the ganache achieves a firm, luxurious bite.
Troubleshooting
- The crust shrinks or slumps: The dough wasn't chilled long enough, or it was stretched too tightly into the pans. Always freeze shaped crusts for at least 20 minutes.
- The crust is too crumbly: The butter got too warm during handling, or not enough moisture from the egg was incorporated. Keep ingredients cold and handle minimally.
- The ganache is grainy or split: The chocolate was overheated or moisture entered the bowl. Let the chocolate and cream sit undisturbed for 10 minutes before gently whisking.
- The ganache won't set: Low-fat cream or milk substitutes were used instead of full-fat heavy cream. Always use full-fat heavy cream for a stable emulsion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tartlets are individual, miniature versions of full-sized tarts, perfectly portioned for single servings.
Avoid chips because added stabilizers prevent a smooth emulsion. Use chopped baking bars for a glossy, silky texture.
Piercing the bottom dough releases trapped steam, preventing the center from bubbling or distorting during baking.
Storing
Keep the tarts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days because the ganache contains dairy. Cover them to prevent them from absorbing fridge odors.
Freezing
Freeze assembled, cooled tarts on a parchment-lined baking sheet until firm (about 2 hours), then transfer to a freezer-safe container, separated by parchment paper, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Make It Ahead of Time
- Unbaked Dough: Store wrapped dough disks in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge before rolling.
- Shaped Crusts: Press dough into mini tart pans, freeze for 20 minutes, then wrap and freeze the unbaked shells for up to 1 month. Bake straight from the freezer, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the bake time.
- Baked Shells: Bake empty tart shells up to 2 days in advance and store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Assembled Tarts: Fully assembled tarts can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours before serving.
Substitutions
Gluten-Free: Swap the all-purpose flour for a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend.
Dairy-Free: Replace the heavy cream with vegan heavy cream or thick coconut cream, and use dairy-free dark chocolate.
Variations
Salted Caramel: Add a thin layer of gooey salted caramel to the bottom of the crust before pouring in the chocolate ganache.
Raspberry Swirl: Top the warm ganache with dollops of raspberry compote and swirl with a toothpick.
Nutty Crunch: Sprinkle chopped toasted hazelnuts, pecans, or almonds over the set ganache.
Orange Zest: Fold fresh orange zest into the warm ganache for a classic chocolate-orange profile.
Serving Tips
Fresh Berries: Top each tart with a fresh raspberry or strawberry slice for a pop of color and acidity.
Whipped Cream: Pipe a small rosette of fresh whipped cream and dust lightly with cocoa powder.
Chocolate Drizzle: Add a zigzag drizzle of melted white chocolate across the top for contrast.
Equipment
- Mini tartlets pans (easy-release)
- Food processor
- Electric hand mixer or whisk
- Mixing bowls
- Rolling pin
- Offset spatula
More tart recipes
Oreo tart- Buttery Oreo crust filled with an ultra-creamy chocolate filling and topped with cookie chunks.
Nutella tart- Hazelnut pastry crust filled with a decadent Nutella ganache and toasted hazelnuts.
Lemon tart- Crisp pastry shell filled with a bright, zesty lemon curd.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Mini Chocolate Tarts
Ingredients
Make the chocolate shortcrust pastry
- 2 cups Flour AP, plain flour, or pastry flour
- ¼ cups Cocoa powder
- ½ cups Powder sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ cup Butter cold, unsalted
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Make the chocolate ganache
- 10.5 oz Dark chocolate
- 10.5 oz Heavy cream
Instructions
Make the crust
- In a food processor, pulse together the flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and salt until combined.
- Add the cold, cubed butter and pulse until pea-sized crumbs form. (Alternatively, cut the butter in by hand with cold hands).
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, pulsing just until a dough forms. Avoid overmixing.
- Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Roll the chilled dough out on a floured surface. Cut small rounds using a round cutter or bowl that is about 1 inch larger than your mini tart pans.
- Press the pastry gently into each mini tart pan, trim the edges, and dock the bottoms with a fork. Freeze the shaped crusts for at least 20 minutes.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 15–20 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
Make the chocolate ganache
- Combine the chopped dark chocolate and heavy cream in a small bowl. Melt in the microwave using 30-second pulses or set over a double boiler (bain-marie).
- Let the mixture sit undisturbed for 10 minutes, then whisk until smooth, glossy, and silky.
- Pour the ganache into the cooled tart shells until almost full. Transfer to the refrigerator for 2–3 hours to set completely.
Notes
- Butter Temperature: Ensure the butter is strictly ice-cold before mixing to achieve the signature crisp, tender shortbread texture.
- Chocolate Quality: Use high-quality chopped chocolate bars (at least 70% cocoa) instead of chocolate chips. Chips contain stabilizers that disrupt a smooth ganache emulsion.
- Crust Docking: Always dock the unbaked pastry bottoms with a fork to release steam and prevent the shells from warping or bubbling during baking.
- Make-Ahead Flexibility: Unbaked shaped crusts can be frozen for up to 1 month and baked straight from the freezer by adding 2 minutes to the bake time.
- Storage & Freezing: Store assembled tarts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
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