Everyone needs a classic tart crust recipe in their arsenal. And this one is mine. It’s incredibly easy to make (it utilizes the food processor!), requires just 6 ingredients, is wonderfully crisp and just sweet enough.
For this classic tart crust recipe you can either partially bake it, which is perfect for tarts with fillings that need to be cooked, or fully bake it, which is great for no-cook fillings. Two cheers for options!
So, what’s in a tart crust recipe?
This tart crust recipe requires only 6 ingredients, all of which are probably already in your pantry or fridge. Good news all around!
Ingredients in a tart crust:
- All-purpose flour
- Confectioners’ Sugar
- Butter
- Egg yolk
- Cream
- Vanilla extract
- Salt (Since we’ve all got salt on hand, I don’t usually add it to the total ingredient number)
How do you make a tart crust?
STEP 1:
Pulse dry ingredients together, scatter butter over top and pulse until a coarse meal is formed. Add yolk and cream mixture and pulse until a dough comes together.
STEP 2:
Turn dough out onto a work surface.
STEP 3:
STEP 3:Form dough into a disk and wrap tightly with plastic wrap; chill 1 hour.
STEP 4:
STEP 4:Roll dough out then press into bottom of pan and up sides; trim edges and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
STEP 5:
Blind bake crust until starting to brown and dry to the touch. To blind bake, line the unbaked tart crust with foil, fill with baking weights (or beans) and bake.
Can you freeze tart crust?
Yes! You can freeze tart dough and the baked crust. Here are some options for both refrigerating and freezing:
Freeze tart crust dough
Form dough into a disk, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month. If frozen, let dough thaw completely on counter before rolling.
Freeze tart crust dough in pan
Dough-lined tart pan can be wrapped tightly in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month. Bake frozen tart crust according to recipe instructions, adding a few minutes on to the baking time as needed. No need to thaw before baking.
Freeze baked tart crust
Wrap baked tart crust with a layer of plastic wrap and foil; freeze for up to 1 month. Let that at room temperature before filling.
More Tart Crust Recipe Options
Swap in whole wheat pastry flour for the all-purpose flour. The result? A toasty/nutty crust that’s just as crisp as the regular all-purpose variety.
Make a naturally sweetened tart crust
Swap ground sucanat in for the confectioners’ sugar. You can also use ground coconut sugar, but the crust will be a bit darker and not quite as crisp.
Put your tart crust to use in these tart recipes!
Pear, Hazelnut & Blue Cheese Tart
Sweet, nutty and just a bit savory!
Blueberry-Lemon Curd Tart
A favorite around here, this stunning tart is a show stopper!
Pear & Almond Tartlets
A take on the classic frangipane tart, these mini tarts are absolutely delicious! Or use it to make this Pear Tart.
Make sure to tag me @ZESTFULKITCHEN ON INSTAGRAM or comment below if you make this Tart Crust Recipe.
To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can click the button on any of the photos, or the red button on the side bar or below the recipe. Happy baking!
Print
Classic Tart Crust Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes + 1 ½ hours chilling
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 2 Âľ hours
- Yield: one 9-inch tart crust 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Foolproof recipe for a crisp tart crust. Easy to make and requires just 6 ingredients!
Ingredients
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ÂĽ cups (6 ÂĽ ounces) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ÂĽ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ÂĽ-inch pieces and chilled
Instructions
Whisk egg yolk, cream, and vanilla together in bowl. Process flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, about 5 seconds. Scatter chilled butter over top and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 15 pulses. With processor running, add yolk mixture and process until dough just comes together, about 12 seconds.
Form dough into 6-inch disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour. (Dough can be wrapped tightly in plastic and refrigerate for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month. If frozen, let dough thaw completely on counter before rolling.)
Let chilled dough sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes, roll dough into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Loosely roll dough around rolling pin and gently unroll into a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom, letting excess dough hang over edge. Ease dough into pan by gently lifting edge of dough with your hand while pressing into corners and fluted sides of pan with your other hand (make sure edges are about 1/4-inch thick). Run rolling pin over top of pan to remove any excess dough.
Wrap dough-lined pan loosely in plastic, place on a large plate, and freeze until dough is chilled and firm, about 30 minutes. (Dough-lined tart pan can be wrapped tightly in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375°. Set dough-lined tart pan on baking sheet, discard plastic and line with a double layer of aluminum foil, covering edges to prevent burning; fill with pie weights. Bake crust until golden brown and set, about 30–40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
For a par-baked tart crust: remove weights and foil and let crust cool.
For a fully cooked tart crust: remove weights and foil and continue baking crust for an additional 5-10 minutes until deeply golden brown.
Notes
Equipment Needed:
- 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom
- Food processor
Make a whole wheat tart crust
Swap in whole wheat pastry flour for the all-purpose flour. The result? A toasty/nutty crust that’s just as crisp as the regular all-purpose variety.
Make a naturally sweetened tart crust
Swap ground sucanat in for the confectioners’ sugar. You can also use ground coconut sugar, but the crust will be a bit darker and not quite as crisp.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛ of a recipe
- Calories: 194
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 158mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 59mg
Keywords: Tart Crust Recipe, tart crust, Tart
Yum
Can’t wait to try this recipe!! It looks perfect
Thanks Joanne! I love that it can all be made in the food processor! 🙂
Hi Lauren, I made my first ever tart shell using this recipe with great success. If I add 100g ground pistachio to the mix, should I reduce the flour or add more butter? How will I adjust other ingredients accordingly? Thank you
★★★★★
Hi Gigi—great question! I would use 3/4 cup flour with your 100g ground pistachios (which I assume will be about 3/4 cup). I’d also add 2 tablespoons regular cane sugar (in addition to the confectioners’ sugar). The cane sugar will help create a tender crumb. Keep the butter the same, but if the dough isn’t coming together add a splash of cream. Let me know how it goes!