30 Tart Recipes for an Irresistible—and Impressive—Dessert

From a beautiful apple rose tart to a no-bake coconut pecan tart, these desserts offer a slice of perfection.

Strawberry Tart — Credit:
Rachel Marek

Although they may look fussy, tarts are actually easier to make compared to many types of pies, and they're just as lovely—if not more so—to serve and eat. This dessert is also a bit unexpected since the default for so many events is a slice of cake, batch of cookies, or traditional pie. Whether you've never made one before or consider yourself an expert, this collection of dessert tart recipes is sure to delight, as it truly has something for every taste.

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Blueberry Tart

Blueberry Tart

Fruit-filled tarts are probably some of the most recognizable ones. This buttery shortbread tart filled with fresh blueberries is a perfect example of how wonderful they can be.

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No-Bake Coconut Pecan Tart

coconut-pecan tart — Dana Gallagher

For that irresistible pecan crunch and coconut flavor, whip up this easy, no-bake tart recipe. The filling combines butter, sugar, cream, and condensed milk, along with semisweet chocolate and pecan halves.

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Apple Rose Tart

apple rose tart dessert — Christopher Testani

Did you know that apple tarts deliver a more concentrated apple flavor than the more common double-crust pies? As an added bonus, you don't have to wait hours for them to cool. If you have a mandoline, you'll save time and get evenly sliced apples, all the better for arranging in a beautiful rose-like formation.

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Pumpkin-Pecan Tart

Bryan Gardner

Can't decide between pecan pie or pumpkin pie? Here's a sweet solution. It's perfect with a dollop of whipped cream.

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Frozen Café-Mochaccino Tart

frozen cafe-mochaccino tart topped with cocoa nibs — Con Poulos

Coffee and chocolate are such a marvelous combination, and they come together beautifully in this coffeeshop-inspired tart. To make it, you fill a chocolate-shortbread shell with chocolate and coffee ice creams, and while they set, you whip up an airy caramel meringue to dollop on top.

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Martha's Cherry Tart

Cherry Tart — Mike Krautter / GETTY IMAGES

Cherries and tarts go hand in hand. Similar to pie, it's that fusion of sweet-meets-tangy fruit with a crispy buttery base that creates an explosion of flavor on your tastebuds.

07 of 30

Milk Chocolate-Pistachio Tart

Milk Chocolate-Pistachio Tart — Johnny Miller

To impart major pistachio flavor to this knockout dessert, we wove the nut into three different components: the crust, the paste that's layered beneath the filling, and the dusting on top.

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Peanut Butter Cup Tart

chocolate peanut butter tart martha bakes — Mike Krautter

Our grown-up twist on the beloved childhood treat teams a chocolate wafer crust with a decadent peanut butter filling and swirled chocolate ganache topping.

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Lemon Curd Soufflé Tart

lemon curd souffle tart topped with powdered sugar — Emily Kordovich

This delicious and elegant lemon dessert is as light as a feather. It's made with a simple pâte sucrée dough and a quick homemade lemon curd.

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Nut-Crusted Cranberry Tart

Yossy Arefi

The classic nutty-sweet combo of nut butter and jelly has escaped the confines of the sandwich and landed in a tart. The crust features walnuts, and the topping is a riot of candy-like cranberries.

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Cranberry-Meringue Tart

Cranberry-Meringue Tart — Pieter Estersohn

Although this spectacular cranberry tart recipe makes a terrific Thanksgiving dessert, it would be welcome on any fall or winter table. It has an easy press-in crust made with a buttery mixture of crushed saltines which balances out the pucker-perfect curd filling. The finishing touch is a creamy meringue "wreath" piped on top.

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Rhubarb-Strawberry Tart

strawberry-rhubarb tart — Christopher Testani

Why do we call this a rhubarb-strawberry tart, and not a strawberry-rhubarb tart? Because the rhubarb takes center stage, with strawberries playing a supporting role. It's a perfect springtime dessert.

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Apple-Membrillo Tart

apple membrillo tart — Justin Walker

Can't decide between sweet or tart? This recipe lets you have both. Granny Smith apples offer the perfect combo of flavors, and pair beautifully with Spanish quince paste, which is spread underneath the fruit.

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Easy Strawberry Tart

Strawberry Tart — Rachel Marek

If strawberries are your thing, there are more than a few tarts that'll satisfy your taste buds. One of our favorites is this simple strawberry stunner, which is just the thing to make when these juicy fruits are at their peak.

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Peach and Blueberry Tart with Cream Cheese Filling

peach and blueberry tart with cream cheese filling — Paola + Murray

This new take on cheesecake is easier to make and so summery. The no-bake cream-cheese filling floats on a crisp, buttery press-in crust. Thin peach wedges (peeled for a luxurious finish) and blueberries tossed in sugar, lemon, and salt make a lovely topping.

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Rhubarb Custard Tart

Rhubarb Custard Tart — Kate Sears

Blind-baking the crust helps keep this tart's bottom firm and crunchy, so you don't have to worry about the creamy custard and tart rhubarb creating a soggy result.

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Blueberry-Ricotta Tart

The almond and wheat germ crust on this tart is wonderfully nutty, and does a great job complementing the no-bake filling of creamy and tangy ricotta and fresh blueberries.

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Apricot Cheesecake Tart

apricot cheesecake tart martha bakes patterned — Mike Krautter

Not all tarts have a pastry crust, as this delectable option proves. It's almost more cheesecake than tart as its crust is the graham cracker crust classic and it's filling pure cheesecake. And those polka dots? They're applied with a squeeze bottle. Even better, you can use any flavor of jam you like. We went with apricot for bright pops of orange.

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Persimmon Tart

tomatoes beside persimmon tart — Paola + Murray

This delightful dessert has a one-two punch of smooth, fudgy custard filling and a crackly bruléed top. And it uses a winter fruit you don't see often but that has a wonderfully sweet and delicate taste.

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Martha's Buttermilk-Blueberry Tart with Walnut Crust

buttermilk-blueberry-tart-with-nut-crust-120-d113085.jpg — Yossy Arefi

This simple tart is filled with a tangy buttermilk custard topped with sweet-tart blueberries that chills in a crunchy walnut crust.

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Pear Frangipane Tart

Bryan Gardner

Rum-spiked almond custard and mulled wine-poached pears deliver a rich and sophisticated tart for a fall gathering. Make the pears a day ahead to infuse the wine-and-spice poaching liquid, which gets reduced and glazed onto the pears as the final touch.

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Martha's Pecan Tart

Bryan Gardner

Martha's Pecan Tart is a Northeastern spin on the classic Southern pecan dessert by adding lemon zest to temper the sweet nut filling. Serve this crunchy, toasted nut tart with whipped cream, it's sure to be a fall holiday stunner on a dessert buffet.

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Martha's Chess Tart

Chess Tart

Here's Martha's take on the classic Southern dessert known as chess pie. Try it and you'll love it! With a cookie-like crust and a custardy filling, it's super delicious and super rich, so slice thinly!

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Key Lime Tart

This quick and easy recipe translates classic key lime pie into tart form. A press-in graham cracker crust is filled with lime curd, baked for 20 to 25 minutes, chilled for a few hours, and garnished with lime zest before serving. If you can't find key limes, traditional limes will work just as well for this sweet and tart citrus tart.

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Pink-Applesauce Tart

Marcus Nilsson

Overlapping rows of delicate, thinly sliced Empire apples make this tart a wow-worthy display, but the taste will have people coming back for seconds. Smooth applesauce hides beneath the top layer, and it's spiked with Calvados for a grown-up treat.

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Chocolate-Raspberry Tart

For a colorful display that makes a splash at the end of a special meal, try this tart that features rich chocolate and tart raspberries. The crust is made from chocolate wafer cookies, and the filling, semisweet chocolate.

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Concord Grape Tart

grape jam tart martha bakes — Mike Krautter

Come autumn, make these pretty tart, which incorporates musky and aromatic Concord grapes.

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French Fruit Tart

french fruit tart — William Abranowicz

Rustic elegance is the name of the game with this vibrant tart, which features a spread of berries and currants atop a vanilla-sour cream custard. A hidden layer of white chocolate adds an exciting dimension of flavor.

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Cranberry Tart

Bryan Gardner

A dessert that truly lives up to its name is a welcomed addition to any table spread. Ample cranberries paired with cognac, red currant jelly, and gelatin offer a bright and zesty zing of flavor while a shortcrust dough lends buttery indulgence.

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Sour-Cherry Frangipane Tart

sour-cherry frangipane tart topped with powdered sugar — Mikkel Vang

You'll impress with this stunning tart. It features a delicious, buttery, almond flour crust, an almond-infused filling, and inimitable sour cherries.

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