Mini cranberry tarts are insanely simple and so so pretty

These mini cranberry tarts are pretty in pink starting with a buttery delicate puff pastry crust, a spoonful of cranberry curd, and topped with a dollop of cranberry whipped cream. Throw some candied cranberries up top, and you have a pastry shop quality dessert people won’t believe you made at home.

But here’s the thing: these are SO easy to make. You won’t believe me looking at them, but you can make these in about 30 minutes if you’ve got your cranberry curd ready to go.

That’s a win in my book when you’re thinking about Thanksgiving desserts. I’m always thinking about what kinds of recipes I can add to my Thanksgiving spread beyond pies, and these cute little tarts are high on my list.

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Mini Cranberry Tarts

Why you’ll love these tarts

1. Easy: The only baking here is to bake the little tart shells. Outside of that, it’s just a quick assembly. You can easily make these in 30 minutes, which are the kind of desserts I’m always looking for for holiday baking!
2. Sweet tart flavors: The cranberry curd is so smooth with just the right amount of sweetness to balance the cranberry’s tartness. The whipped cream frosting, tinted with more cranberry curd is as beautiful as it is a smooth airy way to smooth out that tart flavor even more.
3. Cute!: Mini desserts always have that adorable factor going for them. These are adorable and the perfect bite-sized portion so you can add it on to other desserts on Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Helpful equipment for making mini cranberry tarts

1. Muffin tin: This is the easiest mold to use for mini tartlets, and most people have it in their baking kit. A standard muffin tin is much easier to use than a mini muffin pan, and it gives you more room for cream up top when you’re ready to frost your tarts.
2. Tart tamper: The only bad part about working with puff pastry is controlling the puff. In this case, you need to end up with a pastry shell that can hold a bit of the cranberry curd. To get this, you need to dock the pastry inside the pan…still, the pastry will likely puff up. This is where a tart tamper will save you. A couple times during the baking, use the tart tamper to collapse the pastry down until it’s mostly flat. It’s a simple little tool that helps you get the shape you want from your shells without having to blind bake them. If you don’t have a tart tamper, you can improvise with another tool. My Mom uses her thumb; I’ve also used a metal spoon before, and you could also use the bottom of a wooden spoon.
3. Pastry bag with decorative tip: For making a pretty swirl of cream on the top of the tarts. Use whatever tip you’d like.
4. Round cutters: You can use plain round cutters or scalloped cutters for the pastry shells. You can also cut around a glass with a paring knife.

Process for making cranberry tarts

1. Roll: Roll out the puff pastry into a thin sheet.
2. Cut: Cut the puff pastry with a round cookie cutter and then fit them into the bottom of your muffin tin.
3. Dock: Use the tines of a fork to poke holes in the bottom of each crust. You’ll need to poke all the way to the bottom of the tin to control the puff of the pastry.
4. Bake: Bake the pastry shells most of the way and then check to see if they’ve puffed up too much.
5. Tamp down: It’s likely your shells will be puffed up no matter how well you docked them. Take the shells out a few minutes shy of the end of the baking time. Take a tart tamper and use it to press down the crust so that the bottom is flat and the sides go up the side of the pan a little.
6. Finish baking: Finish baking the shells until they’re crisp and lightly brown. Tamp down the shells again if they need it.
7. Cool: Transfer the shells to a wire rack.
8. Make the frosting: Beat everything together until the cream holds its shape.
9. Fill and finish: Fill each shell with a spoonful of cranberry curd. From there, pipe a rosette of the frosting on top and top with a sugared cranberry if using.

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