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Cheddar cheese tarts are delicious, perfectly portioned hors d’oeuvres for entertaining! Instead of one larger tart, we’ve created miniature versions of this fabulous cheese tart recipe.
They are exploding with rich cheddar flavor and so easy to make – ideal for brunch or served as a savory appetizer. They’re beautiful to serve any season or occasion.
As a former event planner and caterer and entertaining enthusiast, I love serving easy to eat bites that look as beautiful as they taste. These cheddar cheese tarts are quick, easy and beautiful not to mention amazing.
If there is one food that I cannot live without, it’s cheese. While I love all cheese, classic cheddar is one of my favorites. It’s so versatile and flavorful.
It’s incredible on its own, but pairs beautifully with other flavors. In addition to making classic cheese tarts, I mixed some up with thyme and caramelized onions, and savory tomato and spinach – the options are endless!
That’s why I had so much fun creating these delectable little cheddar cheese tarts! You can make them with premade crust or phyllo shells for the easiest little shortcut. A dash of decadent heavy cream in the cheese mixture really seals the deal!
The end result? A creamy, cheesy tart that truly tastes as good as it looks! They are simple and yet add a touch of elegance for entertaining.
Cheese Tarts
As a long-time entertaining enthusiast, I’ve become a fan of simple, yet beautiful presentations. I like to focus on a few items that I know will give me a little wow moment without taking too much of my time.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Crust – Homemade or store-bought pie crust, cream cheese pie crust, phyllo dough or phyllo shells.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese – Choose a high quality cheddar that is creamy, smooth, and melts beautifully! It adds a buttery flavor to this delicious dish. Pre-shredded bags can work in a pinch. Learn how to grate cheese here.
- Heavy Cream – Makes these tarts incredibly decadent and moist.
- Eggs – Create an incredible custard base.
Quick Tip
Shred your cheddar fresh from a block of cheese. It’s the step that makes an incredible difference in your recipes. It’s worth the extra minute of effort! When you shred cheese yourself, it’s SO creamy and melts to perfection.
Variations
- Herbs – Thyme, rosemary and basil are all wonderful additions.
- Veggies – Caramelized onions, peppers, spinach, arugula, mushrooms, or cherry tomatoes.
- Protein – Prosciutto, ham, cooked bacon, cooked guanciale, cooked sausage.
How to Make Cheese Tarts
- Prep – Grease mini tart pan or mini muffin tin and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Make Custard – In a medium mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat eggs and heavy cream until well combined.
- Fill – Roll out pie dough on a floured surface. Cut into circles and place pie crust in each cup. Fill 3/4 of the way with custard. Top generously with freshly shredded cheese.
- Bake – As directed, until set.
A Note on Baking Time
You can create this cheese tart in a larger tart pan, as well. You’ll use the same temperature, but increase your baking time until the tart is baked all the way through, more like a traditional quiche.
Tips
- Season – Salt and pepper to taste, if you wish – but they don’t need it! Be especially careful with any added salt, because cheddar cheese is generally salted.
- Pre-made Pie Crust – If you’re using a premade pie crust, use anything as a circle cutter to make your life easier. This cuts the crust into the perfect shape for the muffin tin cups.
- Serving Suggestion – These can be served warm or at room temperature. They’re delicious either way and all the better for entertaining!
- Make Ahead – Yes, you can bake these up to two days in advance and store in a sealed, refrigerated container. Simply reheat to warm when ready to serve.
Make More (or Less!)
Scaling up, down or substituting? You’ll love this printable Measurement Conversion Chart!
Frequently Asked Questions
Should cheese tarts be warm or cold?
You can serve these little cheese tarts either way! They are wonderful served warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Is a cheese tart like a quiche, or more like a cheesecake?
These miniature cheese tarts are more like a quiche than a cheesecake! While a cheesecake is filled with rich flavor and has a similar crust, it’s a sweet finish. These traditional cheddar cheese tarts are savory.
Serving Suggestions
These little cheese tarts are wonderful for brunch.
- Serve them along with my fresh fruit skewers
- Or a simple spring mix salad
- Try these pink champagne cupcakes for dessert.
- Add a fruity champagne cocktail and you’re all set!
How to Store
- Room Temperature – These cheese tarts can sit out at room temperature while serving for up to two hours.
- Refrigerate – Allow to cool. Store in an airtight container refrigerated up to five days.
- Freeze – Allow to cool. Store in an airtight container up to three months. Thaw overnight. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Cheddar Cheese Tarts
Bite sized cheddar cheese tarts packed with flavorful cheddar cheese and custard.
Yield
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust divided
- 4 eggs
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup Cabot cheddar cheese grated
- 1 tablespoon thyme or other fresh herbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Grease tart or mini muffin tin.
- Roll out pie dough on a floured surface. Cut dough into circles using a tart or cookie cutter and place into individual tins.
- In a medium mixing bowl or stand mixer, whisk eggs and cream.
- Pour mixture into crusts until 3/4 full.
- Top generously with cheddar cheese. Garnish with herbs.
- Bake 15 minutes or until set.
Tips
Substitutions
Crust- Homemade, store-bought pie crust or cream cheese pie crust cut into circles to press into tartlet pan or mini muffin tin
- Phyllo Dough – cut into circles to press into tartlet pan or mini muffin tin
- Phyllo Shells – place on a small cookie sheet. Yields 36.
Variations
- Herbs – Garnish with thyme, rosemary or basil just before baking.
- Veggies – Add caramelized onions, peppers, spinach, arugula, mushrooms, just before filling with custard and cheese. Place halved cherry tomatoes on top just before the bake.
- Protein – Add prosciutto, ham, cooked bacon, cooked guanciale, cooked sausage before filling with custard and topping with cheese.
Tips
- Season – Salt and pepper to taste, if you wish – but they don’t need it! Be especially careful with any added salt, because cheddar cheese is generally salted.
- Pre-made Pie Crust – If you’re using a pre-made pie crust, use anything as a circle cutter to make your life easier. This cuts the crust into the perfect shape for the muffin tin cups.
- Serving Suggestion – These can be served warm or at room temperature. They’re delicious either way and all the better for entertaining!
- Make Ahead – Yes, you can bake these up to two days in advance and store in a sealed, refrigerated container. Simply reheat to warm when ready to serve.
To Store
- Refrigerate – Allow to cool. Store in an airtight container refrigerated up to 5 days.
- Freeze – Allow to cool. Store in an airtight container up to 3 months. Thaw overnight. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 176kcal (9%), Carbohydrates: 8g (3%), Protein: 5g (10%), Fat: 14g (22%), Saturated Fat: 7g (35%), Cholesterol: 85mg (28%), Sodium: 143mg (6%), Potassium: 58mg (2%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 1g (1%), Vitamin A: 420IU (8%), Vitamin C: 1mg (1%), Calcium: 91mg (9%), Iron: 1mg (6%)
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
MaryAnn Grove says
I look forward to receiving your recipes.
Kathy Menold says
I am getting desperate for new meal ideas during this self isolating period of our lives. This sounds perfect to serve with a fruit salad on these hot summer nights. I have lots of herbs a d will experiment to see what the family likes best. Thanks Julie.
Julie Blanner says
Enjoy! I know how that feels. Let me know if you need more ideas along the way!
Jill says
Haven’t tried this yet but is sounds delicious! Have been a huge fan of Cabot cheeses for years and years. Excellent brand. Both the Extra Sharp White Cheddar and the Seriously Sharp are “to die for”. Definitely agree with you on grating your own for the best results. I do keep bagged grated cheeses on hand for convenience (and where it doesn’t affect the recipe) , but there is NO substitute for freshly grated cheese. Thank for sharing.
Julie Blanner says
So glad you enjoy them, too! It’s so funny…when we have friends over they can’t believe the difference it makes. It’s one of those “who knew” things for many. Hope you have a beautiful weekend.
Jeanne Sloan says
This was fabulous as it looks… and so easy! Absolutely delicious, so of course I had to buy the tart pan to make the hundreds more tarts that I plan to make in the future. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe and great pictures.
Julie Blanner says
Thank you, Jeanne! The tart shape makes everything feel elegant, doesn’t it?!
Elizabeth says
These look delicious and so easy! I’ve never tried to make cheese tarts before but I am totally adding these to my list to bake.
Julie Blanner says
Enjoy!