Bake These Cream Cheese Mini Fruit Tarts Using Store-Bought Pie Crust!
These holiday mini fruit tarts look fancy but are honestly super easy to make!
Looking for a unique yet easy treat or brunch recipe?
Today I’m sharing how to turn store-bought pie crusts into the cutest mini fruit tarts that are delicious to eat and so fun and easy to make. You then top them with a simple cream cheese filling.
These will seriously impress your holiday party guests, and anyone can pull them off, I promise!
The best part is that these adorable mini fruit tarts require just a handful of ingredients!
The pie crust gets cut up using a star cookie cutter, and then baked in the oven using a mini muffin pan. With the ends raised, it makes a fun base to fill with preserves and then top with sweetened cream cheese.
These would be a great cookie exchange item to consider or a perfect make-ahead Christmas morning snack.
As far as what flavor of tart you’d like to create, that is up to you! We usually stick with blackberry preserves, but today I tried making them with my favorite sweet fig spread and lime curd from the jar! All flavors were yummy. 😋 You can make a variety or stick with one flavor, it’s all up to you!
Tried and true family recipes are the best and this one is no exception!
My grandma Bonnie was an expert at holiday treats and she actually taught me how to make these easy pie crust tarts many years ago. Every Christmas I now bake them as a fun family holiday tradition and my kids usually like to get in on the Christmas baking.
Rolling out the cookie-cutter stars is usually a favorite for kids to help with. Above is an older pick of my young helper from a few years ago!
Tips for making perfect mini fruit tarts:
- You’ll need a star cookie cutter for these tarts to onlinee out looking like pretty flowers. You’ll also need a mini muffin tin. I actually keep two pans on hand for making these so I can bake both at the same time. If you have just one, you can do a couple of rounds in the oven.
- As far as adding the cream cheese, I use my favorite Wilton dessert decorator tool to pipe it on top using a star-shaped tip. You could use a pastry bag, or improvise with a Ziploc bag with the side snipped.
- These are easy to transport using a 9×13 casserole dish with lid. Any leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the fridge for a few days.
- Two pie crusts will make about 40 miniature tarts. If you wanted to just use one crust, you can cut the recipe idea in half.
Mini Fruit Tarts
yield: 40 SERVINGS
prep time: 30 MINUTES
cook time: 10 MINUTES
total time: 40 MINUTES
Star-shaped pieces of pie crusts get baked and topped with berry preserves and sweetened cream cheese for a delicious treat!
Ingredients
Directions
1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2
Lightly dust a cutting board with flour. Use the cookie cutter to cut star shapes from the pie crust and place them in the non-stick muffin tin. Press the middle of the star down into the pan. Roll out the scraps of dough using a rolling pin, and continue until all the dough is used.
3
Bake the pie crust stars for 9-10 minutes in the oven to slightly brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.
4
Place the pie crust stars on a cooling rack. Spoon a little (about a teaspoon size dollop) of fruit spread into the middle of each tart.
5
In a mixing bowl onlinebine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and extracts. Use a hand mixer to blend until smooth.
6
Place the cream cheese mixture into a pastry bag with a star tip and add a small amount to the tops of each mini tart. Transfer to a tray and enjoy! Refrigerate leftovers in the fridge covered for up to a few days.
These are delicious little bite-sized pieces of heaven!
I love the pie crust with the fruit and cream cheese onlinebo! Be warned, if you bring these mini tarts to a party, they disappear quickly, so maybe make a double batch for larger crowds.
I have also prepped the pie crust stars ahead of time, placed the cookie sheets covered in the fridge, and then just popped them in the oven when ready to bake. Enjoy!
