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Easy cheese tart recipe with buttery tart shells and rich filling. These creamy Japanese cheese tarts are delicious and addictive, with flaky shells and a gooey cream cheese filling.
Cheese Tart
Japanese Cheese Tarts are also called Hokkaido cheese tarts. They are a trendy dessert that is known worldwide for their delicious and amazing taste.
These baked cheese tarts are addictive because of the rich cream cheese filling. Unlike other egg tarts, the cheese tarts are delightful to enjoy either warm, chilled or frozen, offering a completely different texture from the filling. Suffice it to say, the taste is always scrumptious.
This Japanese cheese tarts recipe is a must-try; they are perfect as dessert for any occasions, especially the holidays!
Ingredients For Hokkaido Cheese Tarts
How to make cheese tart shells? The buttery and flaky tart shells call for the following ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- Butter
- Powdered (icing) sugar
- Egg
The cheese tart filling calls for four ingredients:
- Cream cheese
- Powdered (icing) sugar
- Heavy whipping cream
- Corn starch
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make Japanese Cheese Tarts
Combine flour and sugar in a bowl and whisk them with chilled butter cubes. Beat the mixture with an electric hand whisk constantly until crumbs form. Continue whisking the mixture while adding the egg yolk one at a time. Knead the dough until smooth with your hands.
Arrange the dough into a tart mold. Use a 2.6-inch mini tart mold and fill it with a small portion of the dough. Press gently to even out the pastry dough and cut the excess dough from the edge. Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C) and bake the tart shells for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove the tart shells from the mold when they cool down.
Soften the cream cheese at room temperature before combining it with the sugar to reduce lumping. Use a spatula to mix cream cheese and sugar in a bowl. Continue mixing the mixture while adding heavy cream in three portions. Finally, sift the corn starch into the mixture and whisk well.
Transfer the cheese filling to a piping bag and squeeze it in the middle of the cooled tart shells. Freeze the cheese tarts for 4 hours until firm.
Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C). Remove the frozen cheese tarts from the freezer and egg wash them immediately. Bake them for 15 minutes.
Baking Tips
Prepare the dough with chilled butter, milk and eggs to create a crumblier crust for the cheese tarts.
To make a flat and even tart shell, gently press the dough into the mold and prick the bottom with a fork. This step prevents the shell from popping up from the bottom after baking, which bring more volume to the cheese filling.
Since the filling is not cooked in this recipe, softening the cream cheese at room temperature beforehand is essential. It helps to reduce the lumps in the mixture and creates a smooth texture for the filling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Serve Japanese cheese tarts warm and fresh off the oven. They can also be served chilled and frozen. The creamy baked cheese filling tastes like ice cream after refrigerated!
There are several ways to store cheese tart:
If you like chilled cheese tarts, you can refrigerate them in an airtight container or plastic bag for up to 3 days. Freezing the cheese tarts will last one week.
Another quick and easy way to store the cheese tarts is to freeze them before baking. You can always make the warm cheese tarts by baking them straight from the freezer. Don’t forget to brush the egg wash on them before baking.
This recipe is 381 per serving.
What To Serve With Japanese Cheese Tart
For a delightful afternoon tea, I recommend the following recipes:
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Cheese Tarts
Ingredients
Tart Shells
- 8 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup powdered, icing sugar
- 1 egg yolk
Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 cup cream cheese
- 3 tablespoons powdered, icing sugar
- 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Egg Wash
- 1/2 tablespoon milk, or water
- 1 egg yolk
Instructions
Tart Shells
- Cut the butter into small cubes. Combine flour, sugar, and butter in a mixing bowl, and beat with an electric whisk until the mixture resembles crumbs. Whisk the egg yolk into the mixture, then knead with your hands until a smooth dough forms.
- Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C). Take a small portion of the dough and press it evenly into a 2.6-inch tart mold. Trim off any excess dough from the edges with a knife and prick the bottom with a fork. Repeat these steps for the remaining eight tart shells.
- Bake the tart shells for 15 minutes. Let them cool completely before removing them from the molds.
Cream Cheese Filling
- Soften the cream cheese at room temperature and mix it with sugar in a bowl. Use a spatula to stir and fold the ingredients until smooth. Gradually add the heavy whipping cream in three portions, stirring until well combined after each addition. Finally, add the cornstarch and mix until smooth.
- Fill a piping bag with the mixture and pipe it into the tart shells. Freeze the cheese tarts for 4 hours, or until firm.
Bake The Cheese Tarts
- Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C). Prepare the egg wash by whisking together 1/2 tablespoon of milk and 1 egg yolk in a bowl until smooth. Brush the frozen cheese tarts with the egg wash.
- Bake the cheese tarts for 15 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I Have Two Japanese Cheese Tart.
How do you measure butter with tablespoons?
Just scrape the butter with the measuring spoon.
Use gram lah aiyo
Tart mold says 2.6”;, is that the bottom or top measurement?
2.6″ is the top measurement.
For the tart mold of 2.6”: is that the bottom or top diameter measurement?
2.6″ is the top measurement of the tart mold.
More questions:
1) For the tart pan, is it 2.6” on the flat bottom or on the tops?
2) How many tarts does this recipe make?
2.6″ is the top. You can make 9 cheese tarts in this recipe.
A few more questions :)
1). Is 2.6” mold the measurement from the base diameter or on the top?
Can I use disposable foil tins?
Can I use mini cupcake trays? If so, what’s the temp and time?
2) what is the orange item on the top of fillings.
3) is this similar to Pablo cheese tarts originally from Japan?
Thank you shar
1) The 2.6″ is the measurement for the top of the mold.
Yes, you can use disposable foil tins to make the cheese tarts.
If you want to use mini cupcake trays to make them, I suggest you bake the tart shells for 10 minutes at the same temperature.
2) The orange item on the top of the fillings is the egg wash.
3) These Japanese cheese tarts are similar to the Pablo cheese tarts, both baked cheese tarts.