These mini cheese tartlets are elegant, bite-sized baked appetizers perfect for parties. Made with puff pastry and a creamy blend of cheeses, white wine, and heavy cream, they bake up crisp, buttery, and cheesy with minimal effort.
Although these savory tartlets taste and look fancy, they’re a great way to use up leftover cheeses from the fridge. Mix and match cheeses to suit your pantry — they pair well with meaty or vegetable appetizers and make excellent party fare.
They’re also freezer-friendly and reheat well, so you can prepare them ahead of time to reduce hosting stress.
For more puff pastry appetizer ideas, try other tarts, pinwheels, and turnovers in your collection.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Texture – A light, airy cheese filling contrasts with a super-crisp pastry shell, creating the ideal one-bite appetizer.
Surprisingly light – Even though the filling uses cheese and cream, it puffs up during baking so it stays airy and not dense.
Customizable – Use any cheeses you like, add caramelized onions, bacon, or swap herbs to create your own version. The recipe adapts easily to what you have on hand.
Ingredients
- Puff pastry. Two sheets of thawed puff pastry rolled thin and cut into rounds. Homemade rough puff pastry works too.
- Cheese. A mix of aged sharp cheddar and gruyère gives great flavor; feel free to substitute other cheeses.
- Egg. One egg helps create a light, fluffy filling and assists with puffing during baking.
- White wine. Dry white wine adds acidity and depth—optional but recommended.
- Thyme. Fresh thyme leaves add a bright herbal note; use fresh rather than dried for best flavor.
See the recipe card below for exact quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Top finished tartlets with a small spoon of fig jam for a sweet-savory contrast.
- Fold caramelized onions, sautéed leeks, or crisp bacon into the filling for extra flavor.
- Swap cheeses: goat cheese, blue cheese, brie, gouda, or other favorites will work.
- If you prefer not to use wine, omit it — the tartlets will still be delicious.
- For larger servings, bake in a regular muffin tin and cut pastry circles to fit.
- If you don’t have a food processor, finely shred the cheeses and chop with thyme, then whisk together with the cream, egg, and wine.
How to Make This Recipe
One: Combine the cheeses, cream, egg, wine, and thyme in a food processor.
Two: Pulse until mostly smooth but still slightly textured so small shreds of cheese remain.
Three: Roll each sheet of puff pastry to about 1/8″ thickness.
Four: Use a 3″ cutter to cut rounds; you should get about 12 rounds per sheet.
Five: Press each round into a mini muffin tin, shaping the dough firmly into the bottom and up the sides.
Six: Spoon the cheese mixture evenly into each pastry cup and tap the pan on the counter to settle the filling.
Hot tip! Dipping the bottom of a small glass in flour and using it to press pastry into the cups makes assembly quick and tidy.
Seven: Bake at 400°F until golden and puffy, about 15–20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan.
Eight: Gently remove tartlets with an offset spatula or fork and transfer to a platter. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Expert Tips
- Press the pastry into the tin so there’s enough space for the filling without thinned spots.
- Use a tablespoon or small scoop to portion filling evenly into each cup.
- An offset spatula or small knife makes it easy to lift tartlets from the pan without damage.
- Serve on a board with sliced pears or fig jam for a pleasant sweet contrast.
Recipe FAQs
Serve cheese tartlets warm or at room temperature. If served cold the pastry loses crispness, so reheat briefly if needed.
They’re done when the filling has puffed up and the pastry edges are golden brown. The filling will settle slightly as they cool.
A few may puff over — that’s fine. They will fall back a bit as they cool. Gently loosen any bits stuck to the pan before removing.
Storage
Store tartlets covered in the refrigerator for up to one week. Reheat on a sheet pan in a 375°F oven for 5–10 minutes until warmed through.
You can freeze baked tartlets in an airtight container for up to two months and reheat them from frozen in the oven.
More Cheesy Appetizers You’ll Love
-
Soft Pretzels and Beer Cheese Dip
-
Homemade Pepperoni Bread
-
Hot Jalapeño Corn Dip
-
Phyllo Fried Feta with Hot Honey
Did you make this recipe? Tag @thecozyplum on Instagram or Facebook and leave a star rating below!
📖Recipe
Cheese Tartlets
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
- Rolling pin
- Mini muffin tin
- Shot glass (optional) for pressing pastry
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup aged sharp cheddar, shredded
- 1/2 cup gruyère, shredded
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed (or rough puff pastry)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a food processor, combine the cheddar, gruyère, salt, egg, heavy cream, white wine, and thyme. Pulse until mostly smooth but still slightly textured.
- Roll one sheet of puff pastry to about 1/8″ thick. Cut 12 rounds with a 3″ cutter and press each round into a mini muffin cup. Repeat with the second sheet to make 24 cups total.
- Tip: Flour the bottom of a shot glass and use it to press the pastry evenly into each cup.
- Fill each pastry cup with the cheese mixture, then tap the pan on the counter to settle the filling.
- Bake 15–20 minutes until the pastry edges are golden and the filling has puffed. Some may rise over the sides; that’s fine.
- Cool 5 minutes, then carefully remove tartlets with an offset spatula or butter knife. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Notes
Store tartlets covered in the fridge for up to one week. Reheat on a sheet pan in a 375°F oven for 5–10 minutes until warmed through. Baked tartlets freeze well in an airtight container for up to two months; reheat from frozen in the oven.
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.