Mini Raspberry Almond Tarts Recipe for Holiday Baking

Mini Raspberry Almond Tarts

Some recipes earn a permanent spot in the rotation because they taste far more impressive than the effort behind them. Mini Raspberry Almond Tarts are exactly that kind of treat.

A tender almond crust cradles a little jewel of sweet raspberry jam, and a snowfall of powdered sugar finishes every single one.

One batch makes 24 mini tarts, which means there is always enough to fill a cookie tray and still sneak one warm from the pan.

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My grandmother kept a tin of almond cookies on her counter and dusted everything with powdered sugar before anyone was allowed to touch it. That ritual stuck with me.

Now when I pull a tray of these tarts from the oven, I picture her shaking sugar over the whole batch and telling me that small desserts are the polite way to celebrate. She had a point.

These are the treats I bring to birthday brunches, holiday cookie swaps, and slow Sunday afternoons when the house wants something sweet and nobody wants a project.

They are wonderfully practical too. Prep takes about 25 minutes, the oven does its work in 15, and the whole batch is finished in roughly 40 minutes. Most of that time you are not even standing at the counter.

The dough gets pressed into the pan, the jam goes in with almost no fuss, and the tarts cool while you set the table.

Make ahead note: baked tarts keep beautifully, so you can finish them the day before a party and dust them with powdered sugar just before guests arrive.

Why You’ll Love Mini Raspberry Almond Tarts:

There is a reason this recipe keeps landing on my holiday trays year after year. It hits the sweet spot between looking fussy and being genuinely simple, and the results disappear faster than anything else on the table.

• Bite sized and easy to portion. Each tart is a single satisfying bite, so a tray serves a crowd without anyone needing a plate or a fork.
• Made for planning ahead. You can bake a batch in advance and pull it out when the doorbell rings instead of hovering over the oven while guests arrive.
• A flavor pairing that really works. The almond brings nutty depth and a tender crumb, while the raspberry jam cuts through with a bright, sweet tart contrast.
• Familiar ingredients. Everything here comes from a standard pantry, and the food processor does the heavy lifting.

They also travel well. I have carried these tarts to potlucks in a simple airtight container, and they arrived looking just as neat as when they left my kitchen.

Ingredients Notes For Mini Raspberry Almond Tarts:

Every ingredient in this dough has a job. Understanding what each one does makes the whole recipe easier to adjust with confidence.

A few details are worth protecting. The butter needs to be cold and cubed so it stays in small pieces until the dough comes together, which is what gives you flakiness rather than a dense crust.

The almond extract is small in amount but it defines the whole personality of the tart, so measure it rather than pouring freely. Raspberry jam or preserves both work, and preserves with visible fruit give you the most interesting texture inside each little well.

Steps To Make Mini Raspberry Almond Tarts:

This is a forgiving dough, and a food processor handles most of the work. If you do not own one, a mixing bowl and a pastry cutter will get you to the same place.

1. Preheat and line the pan. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F, then line a mini muffin pan with mini paper liners so the tarts lift out cleanly later.
2. Combine the dry ingredients. In a food processor, combine 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add 1/2 cup cubed cold unsalted butter along with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract.
3. Pulse into a dough. Pulse the mixture until a cohesive dough forms, then turn it out onto a clean surface.
4. Knead and shape. Knead the dough gently until it is smooth. Use a small cookie scoop to portion evenly sized balls, roll each one into a sphere in your hands, and place them into the prepared liners.
5. Create the wells. Press the end of a wooden spoon into the top of each dough ball to make an indentation about 1/4 inch deep. This little well is where the jam will sit.
6. Pipe in the jam. Spoon the raspberry preserves into a plastic zip top bag, press out the excess air, seal it, and snip a small corner. Pipe the preserves into each indentation, filling them a touch past level for a generous center.
7. Bake. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until the tarts are golden brown and set.
8. Cool in the pan. Let the tarts cool in the pan for about 20 minutes. This step matters. Moving them too soon is how tarts crumble.
9. Remove and finish. Slide a butter knife under each tart to lift it from the pan, then dust the tops with powdered sugar.

Uniform dough balls are the secret to even baking, which is why I scoop rather than eyeball. If your kitchen is warm and the dough feels sticky, chill the shaped balls for a few minutes before pressing in the wells.

Storage Options:

Leftover tarts keep very well in an airtight container, which is one of the nicest things about this recipe. Sealed properly, they hold onto their crisp edges and their flavor.

• At room temperature: about 1 to 2 days.
• In the refrigerator: up to 5 days.

If you plan to serve refrigerated tarts, let them sit on the counter for a short while first. The almond flavor wakes up as they come closer to room temperature, and the crust softens just enough to taste fresh again.

Variations and Substitutions:

This recipe bends easily, and I have tried most of these swaps on busy baking days when the pantry was not fully stocked.

• No almond flour? Replace it with additional all purpose flour. The tarts still bake up beautifully, though you lose some of that nutty depth.
• Different sweetener. Coconut sugar can stand in for the granulated sugar for a slightly deeper, caramel like note.
• Dairy free option. A good quality vegan butter substitute works in place of the dairy butter.
• Out of almond extract? Double the vanilla extract instead and let the raspberry carry the flavor.
• Change the fruit. Strawberry, apricot, or blackberry jam or preserves all work in place of raspberry.
• Skip the dusting. Whisk powdered sugar with a little milk to make a simple glaze and drizzle it over the cooled tarts instead.

Apricot is my favorite of the swaps because it stays a bit more tart, while blackberry turns the tarts into something that tastes like late summer. Whichever direction you go, keep the filling thick enough to mound in the well rather than run.

More Desserts

These tarts hold their own on any dessert table, but they also play nicely with others. I like to set them beside a bowl of fresh berries and a pot of coffee, and they are just as welcome next to a slice of cake at a birthday party.

Because they are small and neat, they fit into cookie assortments, tea trays, and holiday tins without stealing the spotlight from anything else.

If you are building a platter for a crowd, make a double batch. They are quick to assemble, they look polished with that powdered sugar finish, and there is something quietly satisfying about a dessert that never needs a fork.

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Mini Raspberry Almond Tarts

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Mini Raspberry Almond Tarts Some recipes earn a permanent spot in the rotation because they taste far more impressive than the effort behind them. Mini Raspberry Almond Tarts are exactly that kind of treat.

• Total Time: 40 min
• Yield: 24 mini tarts 1x

Ingredients

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1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup almond flour
⅓ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, cubed
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
½ cup raspberry jam or preserves
Powdered sugar, for dusting

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Instructions

1-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a mini muffin pan with mini paper liners.
2-In a food processor, combine the all-purpose: In a food processor, combine the all-purpose flour, almond flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the cubed butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
3-Process by pulsing until a cohesive dough: Process by pulsing until a cohesive dough forms. Transfer the dough to a clean surface.
4-Knead the dough gently until smooth: Knead the dough gently until smooth. Using a small cookie scoop, create uniformly sized balls of dough. Roll into spheres and place each into the prepared muffin liners.
5-Use the end of a wooden spoon: Use the end of a wooden spoon to create an indentation atop each dough ball, about 1/4 inch deep.
6-Fill a plastic zip-top bag with the: Fill a plastic zip-top bag with the raspberry preserves, seal, snip a small corner, and pipe preserves into the indentations.
7-Bake for 13-15 minutes, until golden brown: Bake for 13-15 minutes, until golden brown and set.
8-Allow tarts to cool in the pan: Allow tarts to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before removing.
9-Use a butter knife to lift tarts: Use a butter knife to lift tarts from pan. Dust with powdered sugar.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 25 min
• Cook Time: 15 min
• Method: bake