These bite-sized Mini Lime Tarts are the ultimate dessert for lime lovers. They're sweet, tangy, and full of zesty lime flavor! Their small size makes them perfect for sharing and bringing to a party.
Check out my Matcha Tiramisu for another easy dessert recipe!
I tried key lime pie for the first time at a restaurant I worked at during university. Their pies were smooth, creamy, and topped with whipped cream. They were so delicious, so I asked our patisserie how she made them. I was shocked when I learned that it was only five ingredients!
🧂 Ingredients
- Limes: The star ingredient! Key limes are hard to find in regular grocery stores, so my recipe uses regular limes, which taste almost the same. Use bright green limes since we'll use the zests to flavor the filling.
- Sweetened condensed milk: You can find this in the baking aisle of most grocery stores. It has a thick, goopy texture and is the primary source of sweetness in the filling.
- Cream cheese: Gives the tarts a decadent flavor and a silky mouth feel
- Sour cream: Use full-fat sour cream; otherwise, the filling will be runny.
- Frozen tart shells: You can find these in the frozen section of grocery stores.
- Whipped cream (optional): I like to top my lime tarts with whipping cream, which helps balance the tartness.
Substitutions
- My recipe uses frozen tart shells to cut time and make sharing easier. If you can't find tart shells, substitute them with two 9-inch pie shells.
🔪 Instructions
STEP 1: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and place tart shells on a large baking tray. Bake on the bottom rack for 12-20 minutes (or the suggested time on the box) until golden brown. Allow the tart shells to cool to room temperature.
STEP 2: Grate the zest of 3 limes with the smallest holes on a microplane or a box grate. Then, reserve them in a small bowl. Cut limes in half and juice them until you have ⅓ cup of lime juice. You can use your hands if you don't have a juicer.
STEP 3: Add cream cheese to a medium-sized bowl and beat on high speed until soft and fluffy (about 30-45 seconds). This will soften the cream cheese and prevent chunks of cream cheese in the final filling.
STEP 4: Pour in condensed milk and beat on medium speed until well combined.
STEP 5: Add sour cream and beat on medium speed until well combined.
STEP 6: Add lime juice and zest and beat on medium speed until well combined. Transfer the mixture to a large ziplock bag and cut a ½-inch hole in one of the corners.
STEP 8: Hold the bag of filling over the cooled tart shells and squeeze the bag to begin piping. Pipe about 2-3 tablespoons of filling per tart shell. Cool the mini lime tarts in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.
When you're ready to serve, top each tart with a generous dollop of whipped cream. If you want an even more robust lime flavor, squeeze a couple of drops of fresh lime juice onto each tart. Enjoy!
💭 Top Tips
- Use fresh limes for the best flavor.
- Ensure you bake the tart shells fully; nothing is worse than underbaked pastry. To ensure the bottoms of the tarts get baked properly, bake them on the bottom rack. If the tops are browning too quickly, place a large piece of tin foil loosely over the tarts.
🥡 Storage & Leftovers
Storing: Store mini lime tarts in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you plan on eating these slowly throughout the week, I recommend storing the baked tart shells and filling separately so the shells stay crunchy.
📖 Recipe FAQs
Yes, definitely! The recipe can easily be changed to a homemade or store-bought pie crust. Simply swap out the pie crust for the tart shells. This recipe will make enough filling for two 9-inch pies.
Yes, of course. I tested this recipe using regular limes since key limes are much harder to find. However, I think the flavor is just as good. If you want to learn more, you can check out this blog post on the differences between regular limes and key limes.
📋 Recipe
Mini Lime Tarts
Equipment
- 1 large baking tray
- 1 microplane, zester, or cheese grater
Ingredients
- 30 frozen tart shells
- 3 limes
- 250 g cream cheese (full fat)
- 300 ml sweetened condensed milk
- 250 ml sour cream (14%, or full fat)
- 1 canister whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
- Place tart shells on a large baking tray and bake at 375°F (190°C) on the bottom rack for 12-20 minutes.
- Using a microplane, remove zests from the limes and set them aside. Cut the limes in half and juice them until you have ⅓ cup of lime juice.
- Add cream cheese to a medium-sized bowl and beat on high speed until soft and fluffy (about 30-45 seconds).
- Add condensed milk and beat until well combined.
- Add sour cream and beat until well combined.
- Add lime juice and zest and beat until well combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a large plastic bag. Cut a hole about ½ inch thick into one of the corners. Hold the bag over a tart shell and squeeze the bag to start filling the tart.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour to allow the filling to set.
- Top with whipped cream, and enjoy!Note: If you want an even more robust lime flavor, squeeze a couple of drops of fresh lime juice onto each tart.
Video
Notes
- Use fresh limes for the best flavor.
- Ensure you bake the tart shells fully; nothing is worse than underbaked pastry. To ensure the bottoms of the tarts get baked properly, bake them on the bottom rack. If the tops are browning too quickly, place a large piece of tin foil loosely over the tarts.
Ben
Another hit recipe from Grump!