If you know me well, you know I love any ricotta or lemon recipe, like Almond Ricotta Cake or Almond Flour Lemon Cake. But today’s recipe, Mini Lemon Blueberry Tarts, is one of those, ‘my friend is coming over, I have to whip something together quick’ sort of recipes.
If you are looking for a large tart recipe including the tart crust and filling, be sure to check out Summer Berry Tart for all your warm weather gatherings.
Ingredients
The ingredient list for these lemon blueberry tartlets is so short and sweet. The key is to have those little tartlets made from store-bought philo cups, but we will get to that in a bit. Here’s a quick glance at what we need:
- Ricotta cheese: I use my Homemade Ricotta Cheese recipe, but any store-bought ricotta cheese will do.
- Large eggs
- Honey: Honey is a natural sweetener that really compliments the ricotta, lemon and blueberries. However, an equal amount of maple syrup would also work.
- Vanilla extract
- Lemon zest: Zest one large lemon or two small ones before slicing and juicing.
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice will provide the best flavor.
- Mini fillo cups: Look for mini phyllo cups (sometimes labeled mini phyllo shells) in major grocery stores or online. If you have a local Greek store nearby, they will be readily available there, too.
- Blueberries: Fresh sweet blueberries are your best bet; just make sure to rinse and pat dry before adding to the tarts. For a jammy sort-of blueberry layer finish, you could also finish the lemon tarts with Blueberry Sauce.
- Pomegranate seeds: Optional, but I find the pomegranate seeds add such a lovely color and tangy bite.
Optional Add-Ins / Variations
- Fresh berries: Change up the blueberries to any of your favorite berries, like fresh raspberries, blackberries, or diced strawberries.
- Almond extract: Compliment the delicate lemon flavor with ½ teaspoon almond extract added to the ricotta mix.
- Whipped cream: Dollop each individual lemon tart with Maple Whipped Cream just before serving.
- Garnish: If serving immediately, you can garnish with a sprig of fresh mint for extra elegance.
How to Make Blueberry Tarts
This is the sweeter side of ricotta, with a little honey and fresh blueberries to get us there. To make these lemon and blueberry mini tarts, follow these steps:
- Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make ricotta filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta, eggs, honey, vanilla extract, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt.
- Fill phyllo cups: Place the filo cups on the prepared pan, spacing them out about 1” apart. Fill each shell with about 1 Tablespoon ricotta mixture.
- Bake: Bake for 14-15 minutes, or until the filling is warm and the shells are a lightly golden brown.
- Garnish: Allow the tartlets to cool slightly. Finish with fresh blueberries and pomegranate seeds, if using.
How to Store
While these mini berry tarts are best enjoyed the day they are made, they can be stored and enjoyed later in the week.
For best results, store leftover mini blueberry tarts in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days. Remove from the fridge 5 to 10 minutes before enjoying to take some of the chill off.
FAQs:
Lemon tarts can be runny if the filling is too wet. To ensure the filling is not runny, thoroughly mix the ricotta before mixing with the rest of the ingredients and bake until the filling is puffed and set in the middle.
Individual lemon tarts can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready to enjoy, remove from the refrigerator 5-10 minutes before enjoying to bring up to room temperature.
We do not recommend freezing the lemon tartlets as the phyllo cups become too soggy once frozen and thawed.
Other Blueberry Recipes You Might Also Like:
If you try this Mini Lemon Blueberry Tarts recipe, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. And if you took some pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them on my stories.
Mini Lemon Blueberry Tarts
Ingredients
- ¾ cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest from 1 large or 2 small lemons, freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
- 24 mini phyllo shells
- 1 cup blueberries
- A handful of pomegranate seeds as garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F Degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Whisk together ricotta cheese with eggs, honey, vanilla extract, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Place the phylo cups on the prepared pan and fill each cup with 1 tablespoon filling.
- Bake them until the filling is warm and the shells turn lightly golden brown, about 14-15 minutes.
- Allow them to cool for a few minutes. Garnish with blueberries and pomegranate seeds (if using) and serve.
Notes
- Yields: This recipe makes 24 mini tarts. I usually serve 4 per person as a “finger dessert”, which makes it ideal for 6 servings. You can, however, multiply the recipe if you are serving a larger crowd.
- Storage: Since it is so easy to put together, I highly recommend serving this recipe on the day that it is made. However, if you have leftovers you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
dalya
Bunu bu haftasonu yapacağım Aysegul’cum. Eğer normal seker kullanmak istersen ne kadar kullanmaliyim?
Aysegul Sanford
Dalya Ablacigim.. Seni burda gormek ne guzel. ❤️
Eger varsa bal kullan. 1 veya 1 bucuk tablespoon yeterli. Cok basit bir tarif bu zaten. 5 Dakkada hazir.
Resmini cek yolla bana, olur mu?
Sevgiler.
Trish - Mom On Timeout
Oh my goodness! These are just so sweet and pretty! Love!
Lori @ RecipeGirl
Pretty!
Christi
I adore the combo of lemon and blueberry! Such tasty little treats. 🙂
Aysegul Sanford
Thanks so much Christi!
Toni | Boulder Locavore
These are really cute!! Perfect for entertaining!
Erin
Mini desserts are my favorite, these lemon tarts are perfect for parties!
Aysegul Sanford
Thanks so much Erin. They are a favorite around here too.
Jennifer Farley
Adorable little servings of dessert! Lemon and blueberry go so well together.
Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes
These are way too cute!
Aysegul Sanford
Can’t agree more. People go crazy for them every time I make this recipe.
Melissa Sperka
Bite size desserts are my happy place. These are going to be perfect for my holiday dessert table!
Aysegul Sanford
Mine too. They are so easy to make too. 🙂
Zerrin
These are the cutest mini tarts I’ve ever seen! Fall in love with your styling here! Especially the shape of that bowl and the tarts make the LOVELIEST match EVER!
I need to find these fillo cups asap and try this recipe. Using your homemade ricotta recipe for sure.