There’s something so reassuring about a classic baked dessert, isn’t there? Something that tastes just like tradition. Our family gatherings always featured desserts that were simple, dependable, and quietly elegant, and that’s exactly what these Mini Individual Custard Tarts bring to my table today. They take that familiar, comforting vanilla custard flavor we all love and package it perfectly into small, shareable portions.
Making these individual tarts feels really special—it’s like giving everyone their own little slice of comfort. Making them for parties or dinners brings me right back to those big family get-togethers where everyone felt taken care of. I just know you’re going to love this recipe because it feels special without adding any last-minute stress to your day.
Why You Will Love These Mini Individual Custard Tarts
Honestly, these are my go-to when I need something impressive but don’t want to fuss at the last minute. They meet every need—they’re cute, comforting, and wonderfully simple to serve!
- They are perfectly sized for parties or small family desserts.
- The classic vanilla flavor is universally loved by everyone!
- You can make the custard and shells a day ahead.
- They fit beautifully into any setting, just like these strawberry tartlets fit into a tea party.
Essential Ingredients for Perfect Mini Individual Custard Tarts
I always say that great pastries come down to respecting the ingredients, and that’s true here, right from the shortcrust pastry to the silky custard filling. Getting these components right means you’re set up for success later on, even if we are just making simple, wonderful Mini Individual Custard Tarts.
I’ve broken down exactly what you need below. Don’t skip the chilling time for the butter—it’s crucial for that flaky base!
For the Buttery Tart Shells
- 1 2/3 cup flour
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 cup (120g) cold butter, cut into small blocks
- 1 egg, whisked (just for the dough)
For the Smooth Custard Filling
- 2 cups full cream milk
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Paste or 1 Vanilla Bean with seeds scraped out (use the bean if you can!)
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons Caster sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch (this helps it set nicely)
- 2 tablespoons butter (this is optional, but I like stirring it in at the end for extra richness)
Step-by-Step Baking Instructions for Mini Individual Custard Tarts
Okay, deep breath! While there are a few stages here, trust me, none of them are complicated. We are building these beautiful individual portions piece by piece. If you follow these steps exactly, you’ll have perfect Oven Baked Recipes ready to impress anyone!
Making and Chilling the Pastry Shell Dough
First things first: the pastry! Grab your food processor if you have one, it makes life so easy. Pulse together the flour, icing sugar, and salt. Then, toss in those cold butter chunks. Pulse until it looks like coarse crumbs—don’t let it turn into paste!
Now, add that whisked egg and just process until it starts coming together into a rough dough mass. Don’t work it too much! Once it forms a ball, wrap it up tight and put it in the fridge. I know waiting is the worst, but you absolutely must chill this dough for at least one hour. This relaxes the gluten and keeps those shells wonderfully crisp later.
Blind Baking the Tart Bases
Time to get rolling! Preheat your oven to 160°C or 320°F—we bake these low and slow. Roll out your chilled dough until it’s thin, about 3mm thick. Cut circles that are just a little wider than your mini tart pan bases. Gently press the dough into the tins, making sure you fit it into the sides without trapping air bubbles. Prick the bottom all over with a fork!
Now, line each shell with scrunched-up baking paper and fill it with baking beads or even dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Then, carefully lift out the paper and weights and pop them back in for about 10 more minutes until they look lightly golden. Cool them completely before you start the custard!
Creating the Classic Custard Filling
While those shells cool from their baking adventure, let’s make the silky filling. Gently warm your full cream milk with that gorgeous vanilla until it’s just steaming—don’t let it boil! In another bowl, whisk your egg yolks, caster sugar, and cornstarch until they are smooth and pale. This is where you build flavor!
The trick here is tempering: slowly pour that warm milk into your egg mix while whisking nonstop—seriously, don’t stop! Then, put the whole mixture back on low heat. Keep whisking until it gets thick and actually boils. Whisk it for 30 seconds *after* it boils, then pull it off the heat immediately. If you’re using that optional butter, stir it in now. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap—this stops that crinkly skin from forming—and chill it fully in the fridge. You can find more great easy baking recipes here!
Assembling and Serving Your Mini Individual Custard Tarts
Once everything is chilled and set, give that custard a vigorous whisk in the bowl until it’s smooth and glossy again. Spoon a nice dollop right into each cooled pastry shell. Don’t pile it too high! These Mini Individual Custard Tarts are best served shiny and fresh right after assembly. They are just beautiful!
Expert Tips for Perfect Mini Individual Custard Tarts
Even with a straightforward recipe like this, a few little tricks can take your Mini Individual Custard Tarts from good to absolutely legendary. These secrets are all about fighting moisture and keeping that pastry crisp!
My number one enemy in pastry making is a soggy bottom, especially when we are filling it with something wet like custard. The double bake we use during the blind baking process is key, but here’s my extra layer of defense: before you add the baking weights, I often brush the inside of the baked-but-still-warm shell with a *tiny* bit of leftover whisked egg white. It seals those pores up! It’s one of those great pastry recipes secrets you pick up over time.
If you’re working on a warm day and your dough starts getting too soft while you’re rolling or lining the tins? Don’t try to force it! Just pop the entire tray of lined shells back into the fridge for 20 minutes. Cold dough is happy dough. It shrinks less when it bakes, which means perfectly shaped sides.
Now, about that smooth custard. Remember how I told you to whisk it vigorously after it comes out of the fridge? That is non-negotiable! If you skip that, you’ll end up with lumps because the starches settle when cold. A good, hard whisk right before filling smooths everything out beautifully so it pours like silk.
And please, don’t stress if you don’t have little tart molds. I’ve totally done this when I’m out of my miniature pans. You can definitely use a standard mini cupcake tin. The bake time might be a little shorter when they’re smaller, so just keep an eye on them toward the end of that second baking stage!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Mini Individual Custard Tarts
When you’re following along with a classic bake like this, you might wonder about swapping things out. Generally, I stick closely to the original plan for the pastry, but the vanilla is one area we can discuss!
That beautiful vanilla flavor is really the star when you’re making simple Mini Individual Custard Tarts. If you have vanilla bean paste, use that; it gives you the lovely flecks and deep flavor. If you only have extract, use about half the amount of paste you would use, since extract is more potent.
Now, caster sugar is necessary because it dissolves so quickly into the yolks. If you’re stuck, you can use granulated white sugar, but you’ll need to whisk it a little longer to make sure it doesn’t leave a gritty texture in your rich custard.
Storing and Reheating Your Homemade Desserts
One of the best things about these Mini Individual Custard Tarts is how well they lend themselves to make-ahead baking. They are perfect for preparing for a party so you can focus on everything else!
If you’ve made your shells, you can store those naked beauties wrapped up on the counter for about two days perfectly well, though longer is better kept in the fridge if it’s humid. The key here is usually separating the custard from the pastry until the very last minute.
Once the custard is fully chilled, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. I absolutely love being able to get the filling done early! Before you assemble, just give that cold custard a good, hard whisk again until it smooths out. Don’t try to reheat it, though; custard is meant to be served cold or at room temperature in these Homemade Desserts.
Once you fill the shells, try to serve them within a few hours, maximum. Pastry and moisture don’t mix long-term, so we want to avoid that soggy bottom look. If you have leftovers after the party, it’s best to gently pull the remaining custard filling out of the pastry shells before storing them separately again. You can find more wonderful easy baking recipes that save you time on my site!
Frequently Asked Questions About Mini Individual Custard Tarts
We all have those little panics when baking, don’t we? I figured I’d answer the things that pop into my head every time I pull these out of the oven, just to make sure your experience with these wonderful Baked Dessert Recipes is smooth sailing! Finding reliable guidance is key when you’re working with classic recipes.
Can I make the pastry shells ahead of time?
Oh yes, that’s highly encouraged! Making the dough ahead of time is a huge time saver. Once you’ve made the dough ball, wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap and stick it right in the fridge. It holds up beautifully for a couple of days, maybe even three if your kitchen isn’t too warm. When you’re ready, just let it sit on the counter for about 10 minutes to warm up slightly before rolling. Remember, cold dough is your friend for those sharp edges!
What is the best way to prevent the custard from cracking?
Cracking usually happens because the custard edges set way faster than the middle, and then when it cools, it shrinks unevenly. The mistake I see most often is over-baking! Once the custard wobbles just a tiny bit in the very center (like soft jelly, not liquid), pull them out. They will continue to set up perfectly as they cool down outside the oven. Also, pulling that plastic wrap right down onto the surface when chilling helps trap moisture and prevents rapid drying, which causes those unsightly breaks.
Are these suitable for other baked dessert recipes?
Absolutely! These little shells are just the perfect sturdy base for almost anything. Once blind-baked, they are ready for lemon curd, fresh fruit fillings, or even a lighter chocolate ganache. Think of them as your versatile canvas for exploring flavor profiles one day and sweet treats the next. They are a fundamental building block for many fantastic single-serving desserts, and you can see other great baked dessert recipes on the site!
Nutritional Estimates for Mini Individual Custard Tarts
Now, I always tell folks not to obsess over numbers when you’re making something truly comforting, but I know some of you like to keep track! These estimates are based on using the ingredients exactly as listed in the recipe—the shortcrust pastry, the full-fat milk, and the sugar amounts. Because these are Mini Individual Custard Tarts, they really do stay portion-controlled naturally!
Please remember these are just good ballpark figures. How much fat or sugar ends up in your tart depends on how thickly you roll your pastry or how generous you are with the custard! For the official long-form details on how we calculate these figures, you can always check out our standard recipe disclaimer here.
Here are the quick estimates per one tart:
- Serving Size: 1 tart
- Calories: 350
- Fat: 18g (with 10g saturated fat)
- Carbohydrates: 40g (with 20g sugar)
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 150mg
- Fiber: 1g
Share Your Experience Making These Mini Individual Custard Tarts
I truly love hearing how these little treasures turn out in your homes! When you bake these Mini Individual Custard Tarts, please come back and leave a rating below so other bakers know how reliable the recipe is. I adore seeing photos of your family enjoying them—it means the world to me, Sophia Reed, to know these classic flavors are still making memories at your tables! You can find out more about my own baking journey here at my page.
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Mini Individual Custard Tarts
- Total Time: 90 min
- Yield: Varies based on pan size
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Bake classic vanilla custard tarts in small, individual portions using a simple shortcrust pastry. These tarts are perfect for sharing at gatherings or enjoying as a comforting homemade dessert.
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cup flour (for tart shells)
- 1/2 cup icing sugar (for tart shells)
- 1 pinch salt (for tart shells)
- 1/2 cup (120g) cold butter (for tart shells)
- 1 egg, whisked (for tart shells)
- 2 cups full cream milk (for custard)
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Paste or 1 Vanilla Bean with seeds scraped out (for custard)
- 4 egg yolks (for custard)
- 2 tablespoons Caster sugar (for custard)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch (for custard)
- 2 tablespoons butter (optional, for custard)
Instructions
- Prepare tart shells: Cut cold butter into small blocks. In a food processor, pulse flour, icing sugar, salt, and butter until the mixture resembles small crumbs.
- Add the whisked egg and mix until a dough forms. Do not overmix. Form a ball with your hands.
- Place the dough between two pieces of baking paper and roll to about 3mm thick. Place on a tray, cover, and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C or 320°F.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough slightly more if needed, keeping it around 3mm thick.
- Cut circles from the dough, about 2cm wider than the base of your mini tart pans. Reroll scraps as needed.
- Place the cut-out bases into the tins, pressing the sides and bottom gently to fit, avoiding air bubbles. Prick the bases with a fork several times. Return the filled tins to the fridge for 1 hour.
- Line each pastry shell with scrunched baking paper and fill with baking beads, rice, or dried beans to hold the shape.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and weights, then bake for another 10 minutes until lightly browned.
- Remove the bases immediately and let them cool completely.
- Prepare the custard: Gently heat the milk and vanilla in a small pot on low heat until warm, but do not boil.
- In a separate pot, whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar until well combined.
- Sieve the cornstarch into the egg-sugar mixture and whisk until combined.
- Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg mixture while continually whisking to prevent the eggs from cooking.
- Turn the stove to low heat and continue whisking until the mixture thickens and boils. Whisk for 30 seconds after it boils, then remove from heat.
- If using, stir in the optional butter away from the heat until combined.
- Allow the custard to cool for 2-3 minutes, then transfer it to a wide dish. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.
- Chill the custard completely in the fridge. Before use, whisk the cooled custard to smooth it out.
- Assemble: Add a dollop of cooled custard into each cooled tart shell, being careful not to overfill.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you do not have mini tart pans, you can use mini cupcake tins.
- If the dough feels too flimsy while working with it, chill it for another 30 minutes.
- The custard can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 45 min
- Cook Time: 45 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Classic
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tart
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 150mg
Keywords: Mini Individual Custard Tarts, Baked Dessert Recipes, Easy Baking Recipes, Homemade Desserts, Pastry Recipes, Oven Baked Recipes, Custard Tarts, Crème Patissiere