5 days ago
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Make the perfect creamy and crispy snack at home with my Baked Cheese Tarts recipe. I’ll teach you to whip up the heavenly cream cheese filling and a flaky short-crust pastry that’s tender yet crunchy. It’s delicious warm, cooled, or chilled!
Creamy and soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside, these adorable Baked Cheese Tarts are truly out of this world! The flavor of this heavenly Japanese dessert is at once a little sweet, a bit tart, and a touch salty. I’m excited to teach you how to make the silky and rich cream cheese filling and the twice-baked pastry shells so you can enjoy this perfect petite bite at home.
If you love Japanese baked cheese desserts, try my Japanese Cheesecake, Basque Burnt Cheesecake, and Matcha Basque Cheesecake recipes next!
What are Baked Cheese Tarts?
Baked cheese tarts, known as “Hokkaido cheese tarts” outside of the US, originated in Japan’s northernmost prefecture famed for producing the richest and most delicious milk and cheese in the country. Since 2011, these delightful cream cheese pastries have gained popularity in Japan and later around the globe for their silky, wobbly centers when fresh from the oven, earning the nickname “lava cheese tarts.” JOC’s pastry assistant and our team worked together to make our version of this recipe, and we hope you enjoy it!
Why I Love This Recipe
- It’s THE perfect bite – These tarts are creamy inside and crunchy outside for a lovely contrast of textures. It’s hard to eat just one!
- Makes a crispy, flaky pastry crust – I’ll show you how to double-bake the tart shell to produce a light and tender pastry with a satisfying crunch.
- A refined and balanced taste – The cream cheese filling is just sweet enough, a bit tart, and slightly salty. I really love the exquisite balance of flavors!
Ingredients for Baked Cheese Tarts
- Pastry Dough:
- Unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar
- Kosher salt
- Large egg yolk – reserve the egg white in case you need it
- Almond flour
- Cake flour
- Vanilla extract
- Cheese Filling:
- Cream cheese – use full-fat
- Unsalted butter
- Whole or reduced-fat milk – avoid nonfat
- Heavy cream
- Granulated sugar
- Egg yolks
- Cornstarch
- Lemon juice
- Other:
- Large egg – for brushing on the tarts
- Unsalted butter – for greasing the baking pan
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
Substitutions
- Cake flour – Cake flour has lower protein content and less gluten than all-purpose flour, giving cakes, cookies, and other delicate pastries a fine crumb and tender structure! Please do not substitute it with all-purpose flour. You can make your own cake flour with all-purpose flour and cornstarch. See the recipe card below.
- Almond flour – For a fine pastry texture, please do not substitute almond meal in this recipe. Almond flour is fine and powdery, while almond meal is coarse and heavy. Almond flour also has a lighter color and flavor than almond meal.
- Whole milk – If you don’t have whole milk, you can use low-fat milk for this recipe. However, I don’t recommend nonfat milk because it lacks the richness needed for the filling.
- Standard muffin tin, mini tart pan, or egg tart molds
- 3-cup food processor (or stand mixer with paddle attachment)
- Resealable plastic bag (gallon size)
- Rolling pin
- Rolling pin guides (optional)
- 3.5-inch (9-cm) round cookie cutter
- Parchment baking liners (cupcake size)
- Pie weights (or dried beans)
- Piping bag and tip (or a resealable plastic bag with one cornered snipped with scissors)
How to Make Baked Cheese Tarts
Mix the pastry dough
Step 1 – Mix, flatten, and chill the dough. Process the pastry dough ingredients in stages using a food processor until the dough comes together. Put it in a resealable bag and roll it flat to 5 mm thick. Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
Prepare the cream cheese filling
Step 2 – Temper the eggs with the hot cheese mixture, then cook until thick. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. Heat the cream cheese and remaining filling ingredients (except lemon juice) in a saucepan until combined. Temper the eggs with the hot cheese mixture, then cook it to 160°F (71°C). Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice. Cool the filling and store it in the fridge.
Roll and cut the pastry
Step 3 – Punch out dough rounds and remove a small wedge. Roll the chilled dough to 5 mm thick, then cut and peel away the top of the plastic bag. Punch out pastry circles with a round cutter and cut out a pie-shaped wedge so the dough fits neatly into the molds.
Form the pastry shells
Step 4 – Slide the dough into the mini tart molds. Here, I use a standard muffin pan to make mini pastry shells that are 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep. Gently press the dough into the corners of the mold and smooth the edges. Prick the bottom of each tart shell with a fork.
Bake the pastry
Step 5 – Bake with pie weights, then cool. Place a parchment liner in each shell and fill with the weights. Baked in a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven for 15 minutes, then remove the weights. Lower the temperature and bake for another 5 minutes until the shells are set but still pale. Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
Assemble
Step 6 – Pipe the cream cheese filling into the cooled tart shells. Hold the tip close to the bottom center of the pastry shell as you squeeze the piping bag. Stay in that position until the shell fills completely with cheese filling. When it looks overfilled, pull out the tip.
Final Bake
Step 6 – Brush with egg wash and bake until golden. Set the tarts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10–15 minutes at 425°F (220°C). The tarts are done when the surface is dry and turns golden. Enjoy them warm, at room temperature, or chilled!
Nami’s Recipe Tips
- Weigh your flour – It’s important to measure the flour accurately for baking recipes, so that’s why I recommend weighing your ingredients with a kitchen scale. To see ingredient weights, click on the Metric button at the top of the recipe card. If you use a measuring cup, you may end up scooping more than you need if your flour is tightly packed. If you don’t have a scale, then fluff the packed flour with a spoon and sprinkle it into a measuring cup. Overfill it, then level it off with a knife.
- Pre-chill the ingredients and equipment for the pastry dough – Cold butter is the key to flaky pastry. To keep the butter as cold as possible, I take the additional step of pre-chilling all the pastry dough ingredients as well as the food processor bowl and blade for at least 1–2 hours. This ensures a cooler environment when it’s time to make the dough.
- Use almond flour for a tender texture and deep flavor – Almond flour lightens the wheat flour in the dough, making the pastry softer and more tender. I also love the richer flavor it adds to the pastry compared to using cake flour alone. Please do not use almond meal, which is coarser and heavier than almond flour.
- Chill the pastry dough before cutting – Chilling keeps the butter pieces solid and distinct from the other ingredients in the dough. I recommend rolling the dough flat and chilling it in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight. Once in the oven, the butter melts and creates steam that forms those delicious flaky layers. If you are short on time, I suggest chilling the dough in the freezer for 1 hour instead.
- Blind-bake the pastry shells – For a crunchy crust, be sure to pre-bake and cool the tart cups before filling them. I know this may seem like an extra step, but trust me when I say that baking the shells twice makes the best tart crust. The final results are worth it!
- Use full-fat cream cheese – The higher fat content is necessary to make a creamy and rich filling with the correct texture. I know it’s tempting, but please do not use reduced-fat cream cheese for this recipe.
- Temper the eggs – When combining the hot cheese mixture with the egg mixture, you must gradually introduce the hot ingredients while whisking to gently bring up the temperature of the eggs. If you combine the two all at once, the eggs will cook and you’ll end up with scrambled egg lumps in your filling.
- Brush with egg wash for a golden top – Baked cheese tarts have a beautiful golden top and sheen thanks to egg wash. Applying a thin layer of egg beaten with a little water gives a slightly crisp top to the cheese filling, too.
Variations and Customizations
- Add flavors to the cream cheese filling. There are chocolate, matcha, Earl Grey, orange, peach yogurt, and so many different flavored cheese tarts available in Japan. If you like a savory profile, try Parmesan cheese. You could also experiment with mascarpone, an Italian cream cheese.
- Enjoy the cheese tarts at different temperatures. When fresh from the oven, they have wobbly centers, thus the nickname “lava cheese tarts.” The texture transforms at room temperature or once chilled, developing a dense, creamy, and cheesecake-like consistency. When frozen, the texture is just like ice cream.
- Use convenient store-bought tart shells. When you are short on making homemade pastry, get these premade tart shells from World Market and add your own fillings!
What to Serve with Baked Cheese Tarts
These tarts are a beautiful dessert or afternoon snack on their own. They’re also delicious paired with these recipes:
- With sandwiches – Put together an afternoon tea spread with Japanese Fruit Sandwich (Fruit Sando) or Japanese Sandwich—Mixed Sando.
- With other sweets – Serve it with an assortment of cakes like Madeleines (French Butter Cakes) or Matcha Chiffon Cake.
- With afternoon tea – Royal Milk Tea is the perfect tea-time pairing.
- With a matcha drink – Try it with a green tea beverage like Matcha Latte.
Storage and Reheating Tips
To store: To enjoy the cheese tarts on the day you make them, keep them at room temperature. To store them longer, keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This will preserve the texture of the filling, giving it a dense, creamy consistency similar to cheesecake.
To freeze: Wrap each tart individually in plastic wrap, then place them in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to one month.
To reheat: If the tarts are cold or at room temperature, microwave for a few seconds and enjoy! If frozen, thaw at room temperature or enjoy them frozen for a texture similar to ice cream. If you prefer a freshly baked texture, lightly warm refrigerated or thawed tarts in a preheated oven or toaster oven for a few minutes. This will restore the crispy crust and slightly soften the filling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?
Cake flour contributes to the light texture of the pastry crust. Therefore, I don’t recommend using all-purpose flour. If you don’t have cake flour, you can make your own with just two ingredients. Measure 1 cup of all-purpose flour and remove 2 tablespoons of it. Then, add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift 3–5 times and it’s ready-to-use cake flour.
What’s the difference between almond meal and almond flour? Can I use either one for this recipe?
I recommend you use almond flour for this recipe to achieve a refined pastry texture. Almond flour is finer and more powdery than almond meal, which is coarser and heavier. The brown skin is removed to make almond flour, so it’s pale in color compared to almond meal, which is darker. Almond flour has a lighter taste as well, whereas almond meal has a richer, almond-forward flavor.
Can I skip the almond flour and use cake flour instead?
The almond flour helps keep the pastry shell tender, so I don’t recommend substituting it with cake flour.
My pastry dough was crumbly and didn’t come together. What should I do?
I suggest adding egg white (reserved from the egg yolk), a teaspoon at a time, until your dough comes together to form a dough mass. I ended up adding two teaspoons of egg white, but please check the condition of your dough before adding.
Can I use granulated sugar instead of confectioners’ sugar in the pastry dough?
Confectioners’ sugar (or powdered sugar) produces a smooth and fine pastry crust. Pastry made with a coarser sugar will not be as smooth. So I recommend using confectioners’ sugar in this recipe.
More Rich and Creamy Dessert Recipes
If you love this Baked Cheese Tarts recipe, you’re in for a treat with these other irresistible baked recipes.
- Matcha Swiss Roll (Roll Cake)
- Purin (Japanese Custard Pudding)
Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Chilling Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 2 hours
For the Cheese Filling
- ▢ ¼ cup sugar (granulated)
- ▢ 2 large egg yolks
- ▢ 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- ▢ 3 Tbsp whole milk (you can substitute low-fat milk; do not use nonfat milk)
- ▢ 3 Tbsp heavy cream
- ▢ 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- ▢ 8 oz cream cheese (full-fat; 1 brick, 1 cup; I use Philadelphia brand)
- ▢ 2 tsp lemon juice
For Baking
- ▢ 1 Tbsp unsalted butter (for greasing the pan)
- ▢ 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell) (for the egg wash)
- ▢ 1 tsp water (for the egg wash)
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.
Before You Start…
Gather all the ingredients. I highly encourage you to weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale. For weights, click the Metric button above. If you‘re using a cup measure, please follow the “fluff and sprinkle“ method: Fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and level it off. Otherwise, you may scoop more than you need.
Chill your ingredients and equipment for the pastry dough so they're very cold when you start. Cut the butter into ¾-inch (2-cm) cubes and place them in the freezer. Place the cake flour, powdered sugar, almond flour, salt, and egg in the refrigerator. Finally, place the removable parts of your food processor (or stand mixer, if using) in the fridge. Chill everything for at least 1–2 hours.
To Prepare the Pastry Dough
In a food processor (at least 3-cup capacity), add ¼ cup unsalted butter and process.
Then, add ½ cup confectioners’ sugar and process until smooth. Alternatively, in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.
Add 1 large egg yolk and ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract, mixing until incorporated.
Add ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ¼ cup almond flour and mix until smooth.
Add 1 cup cake flour and process on low.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Keep mixing.
Mix until the butter is fully incorporated. The dough will be a bit crumbly yet it should come together. If it doesn't, add a bit of reserved egg white or egg yolk to help it bind. Mine is still too fluffy, so I added 1 tsp of egg white.
Blend again and check the consistency. I added 1 more tsp of egg white.
Blend and check if the dough comes together. Now, it looks great.
Transfer the dough to a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Press out the air from the bag and seal it.
Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough in the bag to exactly 5 mm (or a bit less than ¼ inch) thick. We'll fix the thickness again after chilling, so it doesn't have to be perfect at this stage. Here, I place rolling pin guides (I used acrylic balance rulers) on either side of the bag to help achieve an even thickness. You could also use wooden rolling pin guides or square-sided disposable chopsticks as guides.
Keep rolling the dough through the bag until it's flat and an even thickness. Place the bag on a flat tray or sheet and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight (or freeze for 1 hour if you’re in a hurry).
To Prepare the Cheese Filling
In a large bowl, whisk together ¼ cup sugar and 2 large egg yolks by hand until slightly fluffy, about 1–2 minutes.
Add 1 Tbsp cornstarch and whisk until you have a smooth paste.
In a saucepan, heat 3 Tbsp whole milk, 3 Tbsp heavy cream, 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, and 8 oz cream cheese over low-medium heat. Use a spatula to break up the cream cheese, and once it begins to melt, whisk until smooth. Remove from heat as soon as the ingredients are combined, just before simmering.
Now, temper the egg yolk mixture. Gradually pour the warm cheese mixture into the bowl with the egg yolk mixture while whisking vigorously. The mixture should thicken slightly.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook, stirring frequently, on medium heat for a few minutes. Stir vigorously for about 1 minute after it begins to boil (you see small bubbles around the edges).
At this stage, the temperature is around 160°F (71°C) and it will start to thicken.
When the mixture has thickened, remove from the heat. Then, add 2 tsp lemon juice, which will loosen and smooth out the mixture a bit. Mix until incorporated.
Pour the cheese filling into a shallow tray or bowl (I used a prep tray from JOC Goods). Level it and smooth the top with a spatula.
Place a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper directly on the surface of the cheese mixture to prevent a skin from forming. Cover the tray or bowl with a lid. Cool to room temperature, then store it in the fridge until ready to use.
To Make the Pastry Shells
Grease the tart molds or muffin pan cups with 1 Tbsp unsalted butter. You don't have to use all the butter.
Place the bag of chilled dough on top of your work surface. I use a Silpat baking liner to prevent sticking. Through the bag, roll the chilled dough again to exactly 5 mm (a bit less than ¼ inch) thick.
Cut the sides of the resealable bag with a knife and peel away the top side, leaving the bottom side in place.
Using a 3.5-inch (9-cm) round cutter, punch out a circle of dough.
Use a knife to cut out a small, pie-shaped wedge (about one-eighth of the circle) from the dough round. This will help the dough fit neatly into the mold. Then, set the dough round on top of a tart mold or muffin cup. While working on the next rounds, the chilled dough will warm up and become a bit more pliable. You don't want to wait too long, either, because the dough will tear easily if it's too warm.
Repeat punching more rounds from the dough, cutting out small wedges, and transferring them on top of the molds.
As soon as the dough rounds look pliable, fit them into the molds to make pastry shells that are about 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep. They should slide in easily. Press the dough gently into the corners and smooth the edges. Tip: You don't want to stretch or extend the dough, which will make the pastry shell too thin. For a typical muffin cup or tart mold, there won't be enough dough to cover the sides all the way up to the top edge.
Re-roll the leftover dough between the sheets of the same plastic bag.
Roll to a thickness of 5 mm (a bit less than ¼ inch) over the plastic so the rolling pin doesn't stick.
Use the cutter to punch out more dough rounds and cut out small wedges.
Re-roll the leftover pieces again.
Repeat until you use all the dough.
Press the pastry dough into the corners and sides of the molds to form the shells to 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep. Make the top edges of the shells neat for presentation.
To Blind Bake the Pastry Shells
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Prick the bottom of each tart shell with a fork. Place a parchment liner in each shell, and fill with pie weights.
Repeat. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 15 minutes.
Take out the muffin pan from the oven and carefully remove the liners and pie weights. Return the pan to the oven, lower the oven temperature to 160°C (320°F), and bake for another 5 minutes.
When the shells are set but still slightly pale, remove them from the oven.
Gently lift out each pastry shell from the muffin pan and place on a wire rack to cool. Tip: With my thumbs inside the shell, I apply gently outward pressure to lift up the shells and transfer them to the cooling rack.
To Assemble and Bake the Cheese Tarts
Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). To make the egg wash, beat 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell) with a whisk in a small bowl. Add 1 tsp water and whisk again. Set aside.
Remove the cheese filling from the refrigerator. Place a piping tip in a pastry bag and set it over a cup.
Transfer the cheese filling to the piping bag with a spatula.
Pipe the cheese filling into the cooled tart shells. Squeeze the filling into close to the center bottom, staying in that position until it fills up all the way and looks overfilled, and then pull out. If the cheese filling is too firm, let it sit for a bit at room temperature to soften for easier piping.
Set the filled tarts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Brush the egg wash over the surface of each filled tart.
Place the tarts on the upper-middle rack in the oven and bake for about 10–15 minutes at 425°F (220°C).
Rotate the baking sheet halfway through for even coloring. The cheese tarts are done when the surface is dry and turns golden.
Let cool on the wire rack for a few minutes. For the best flavor, enjoy them warm or at room temperature on the same day they’re baked. When chilled in the refrigerator, the filling becomes denser, allowing you to enjoy a texture similar to a Japanese rare cheesecake.
To Store
If you plan to eat the tarts the same day, keep them at room temperature. Cover them lightly with plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container to prevent drying. For longer storage, keep the tarts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This will preserve the texture of the filling, giving it a dense, creamy consistency similar to cheesecake. You can also freeze them for up to one month. Wrap each tart individually in plastic wrap, then place them in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer. To serve, thaw at room temperature or enjoy them frozen for a texture similar to ice cream.
To Reheat
If you prefer a freshly baked texture, lightly warm refrigerated or thawed tarts in a preheated oven or toaster oven for a few minutes. This will restore the crispy crust and slightly soften the filling.
8 egg tart molds (or a standard muffin pan or mini tart pan)
3½-inch round cookie cutter (9 cm)
8 parchment baking liners (cupcake size)
pie weights (or dried beans)
piping bag and tip (or a resealable plastic bag snipped on one corner with scissors)
rolling pin guides (optional)
resealable plastic bag (gallon size)
Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: cheese tart, cheesecake
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