Easy Tart Crust

Easy Tart Crust

step-by-step recipe

Recipe by
Reviewed by Arturs Arnicans
Prep Time: 2h 10m
Cook Time: 30m
Total Time: 2h 40m
Temp.: 375 °F
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Easy
4.9 (14 Reviews)
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Ingredients

Adjust servings:

Nutritional Information

170
calories
11g
fat
16g
carbohydrates
2g
protein
15mg
cholesterol
1417mg
sodium
Easy Tart Crust

Recipe Description

This Easy Tart Crust recipe is absolutely perfect! It is beyond simple to make, uses pantry staples, and goes well with any filling. And though the store-bought pie crust tastes fine, every home baker needs a go-to crust recipe in their back pocket. So grab your notebook, and we are now going to go over how to make a tart crust step-by-step.     

This homemade tart crust is a perfect cross between the flavor of an all-butter pastry with the amazing flakiness of an old-fashioned shortening pastry. To make this tart crust recipe, start by mixing the dry ingredients in a food processor. Add shortening and butter and process until the mixture forms pea-sized pieces. Transfer to a bowl and add just enough ice-cold water to form the dough into a disc. Chill the disc for about an hour before rolling it out and pressing into the bottom of a tart pan. Chill the dough-lined tart pan before baking it as directed in your recipe. Now, the buttery, flaky tart crust is a few steps (and an oven) away!

To make the Easy Tart Crust, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for Easy Tart Crust

Steps to make

  1. 1

    Combine dry ingredients

    1 min
    Step 1 - Easy Tart Crust

    In a food processor, whisk together 1 ¼ cups flour, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt.

  2. 2

    Add shortening

    1 min
    Step 2 - Easy Tart Crust

    Add 3 tablespoons chilled and cut into ¼-inch pieces vegetable shortening and make about 10 1-second pulses until the mixture resembles coarse sand.

  3. 3

    Add butter

    1 min
    Step 3 - Easy Tart Crust

    Add 4 tablespoons chilled and cut into ¼-inch pieces unsalted butter and make about 10 1-second pulses more until the mixture forms pea-sized pieces.

  4. 4

    Add ice water

    3 min
    Step 4 - Easy Tart Crust

    Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized bowl and sprinkle 3 tablespoons ice water over it. Using a rubber spatula, mix the mixture in a folding motion. Once the mixture forms large clusters, stop mixing. If the dough falls apart, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.

  5. 5

    Chill

    1h
    Step 5 - Easy Tart Crust

    Using your hands, form the dough into a 6-inch disc. Don’t overwork the dough. Wrap the disc into a plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

  6. 6

    Roll out

    2 min
    Step 6 - Easy Tart Crust

    Unwrap and place the chilled dough between two 12-inch wide pieces of parchment paper. Alternatively, lightly flour a work surface. Roll the dough out to a 12-inch circle.

  7. 7

    Press into pan

    3 min
    Step 7 - Easy Tart Crust

    Gently transfer the dough to a 9-inch tart pan and use your fingers to press the dough into the bottom and sides. Allow the excess dough to overhang the sides. Fold the edge of the dough in on itself so that it creates a ¼-inch thick border. Then crimp the edges. Since this is the inside of the tart, the border doesn’t have to be perfect.

  8. 8

    Chill

    1h
    Step 8 - Easy Tart Crust

    Refrigerate the dough-lined pan until firm, about 40 minutes. Then transfer to a freezer for about 20 minutes until very cold.

  9. 9

    Preheat oven

    5 min

    Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 °F.

  10. 10

    Bake

    35 min
    Step 10 - Easy Tart CrustStep 10 - Easy Tart Crust

    Double line the chilled dough with aluminum foil and place baking beans or pie weights on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes for a pre-baked tart crust. Bake for 35 minutes for a partially baked crust. Bake for 40 minutes for a fully baked tart crust.

  11. 11

    Serve

    Step 11 - Easy Tart Crust

    Use this to make your favorite tart recipes. The dough can keep in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours or freeze it for up to one month.

This Easy Tart Crust recipe is worth the effort! It is buttery and flaky and goes well with any filling. Give this recipe a try, and please don’t forget to tag #cookmerecipes in your baking posts.

About the author

Lilly Mathuse

Lilly is an enthusiastic and cheerful young mom. She knows as well as any parent that children can be really picky when it comes to food. And she’s had plenty of experience trying to cook meals that are both tasty and nutritious, and able to satisfy the tastes of a fussy kid right away! To save you some precious time, Lilly's going to share with you all the tricks she learned the hard way, so you don’t have to! She has a wealth of recipes for quick and easy meals for kids and families on a budget.

Recipe Reviews

Have you made this recipe? Share your experience and help other cooks!

★★★★★
★★★★★
4.9 out of 5 (14 reviews)
Sandy85
May 20, 2025
Verified

Simple and amazing. I made this tart crust for my daughter's birthday pie, and it was a hit. Everyone loved it. I’ll be using this recipe from now on.

Katy
March 10, 2025
Verified

Absolutely fab! Made this tart crust for a family gathering, and it was a hit! So simple – defo my go-to now! Thanks for sharing!

Jenna
February 21, 2024
Verified

So easy crust. I made this when friends came over for dinner. We all loved how flaky and buttery it was! I’ll definitely be using this recipe again for my next tart.

Megan Johnson
January 8, 2024
Verified

Fabulous! I made this for my husband's birthday tart, and he loved it. So easy to blend and bake, now it's my go-to crust recipe!

David Martin
December 22, 2023
Verified

Excellente! Le croûte est si facile à faire et délicieux avec tout remplissage! Mes enfants l'ont adoré!

Laura
October 15, 2023
Verified

So easy and delicious

Ursula
October 12, 2023
Verified

Awesome!

Sophia Johnson
October 3, 2023
Verified

Absolutely love this!

Zoe Anderson
May 13, 2023
Verified

Super easy and yum! My kids love it for dessert.

Carl
April 5, 2023
Verified

Making this Easy Tart Crust was a game changer for our family baking nights. My kids loved helping mix the ingredients, and the crust turned out so flaky and delicious. It made our chocolate tart a hit at dinner last weekend, so proud of this recipe!

Nathalie
February 4, 2023
Verified

Je suis tellement fière d'avoir essayé cette croûte de tarte! Facile à faire avec des ingrédients basiques. J'ai préparé une tarte pour l'anniversaire de mon mari, et il a adoré ! Merci pour cette recette !

Lindsay
August 4, 2022
Verified

Superb! I made this tart crust for my friend's birthday, and it turned out just perfect. The simplicity of the recipe really made me feel like a pro in the kitchen. I can't believe how easy it was to create a flaky, buttery crust. I'm so proud of myself and can't wait to bake another one soon.

Maddie
November 4, 2021
Verified

Fantastic! I made this for my daughter's birthday tart, and it was a hit with everyone! So easy and such a great base for any filling.

Athina
September 8, 2021
Verified

Thanks for sharing the recipe! I have cracked my dough several times and finally had success using this method.

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