Japanese Cheese Tarts

Easy cheese tart recipe with buttery tart shells and rich filling. These creamy Japanese cheese tarts are delicious and addictive, with flaky shells and a gooey cream cheese filling.

Cheese Tart

Japanese Cheese Tarts are also called Hokkaido cheese tarts. They are a trendy dessert that is known worldwide for their delicious and amazing taste.

These baked cheese tarts are addictive because of the rich cream cheese filling. Unlike other egg tartsthe cheese tarts are delightful to enjoy either warm, chilled or frozen, offering a completely different texture from the filling. Suffice it to say, the taste is always scrumptious.

This Japanese cheese tarts recipe is a must-try; they are perfect as dessert for any occasions, especially the holidays!

Ingredients for Hokkaido Cheese Tarts

How to make cheese tart shells? The buttery and flaky tart shells call for the following ingredients:

• All-purpose flour
• Butter
• Powdered (icing) sugar
• Egg

The cheese tart filling calls for four ingredients:

• Cream cheese
• Powdered (icing) sugar
• Heavy whipping cream
• Corn starch

How to Make Japanese Cheese Tarts?

Combine flour and sugar in a bowl and whisk them with chilled butter cubes. Beat the mixture with an electric hand whisk constantly until crumbs form. Continue whisking the mixture while adding the egg yolk one at a time. Knead the dough until smooth with your hands.

Arrange the dough into a tart mold. Use a 2.6-inch mini tart mold and fill it with a small portion of the dough. Press gently to even out the pastry dough and cut the excess dough from the edge. Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C) and bake the tart shells for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove the tart shells from the mold when they cool down.

Soften the cream cheese at room temperature before combining it with the sugar to reduce lumping. Use a spatula to mix cream cheese and sugar in a bowl. Continue mixing the mixture while adding heavy cream in three portions. Finally, sift the corn starch into the mixture and whisk well.

Transfer the cheese filling to a piping bag and squeeze it in the middle of the cooled tart shells. Freeze the cheese tarts for 4 hours until firm.

Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C). Remove the frozen cheese tarts from the freezer and egg wash them immediately. Bake them for 15 minutes.

Baking Tips

Prepare the dough with chilled butter, milk and eggs to create a crumblier crust for the cheese tarts.

To make a flat and even tart shell, gently press the dough into the mold and prick the bottom with a fork. This step prevents the shell from popping up from the bottom after baking, which bring more volume to the cheese filling.

Since the filling is not cooked in this recipe, softening the cream cheese at room temperature beforehand is essential. It helps to reduce the lumps in the mixture and creates a smooth texture for the filling.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Serve Baked Cheese Tarts?

Serve Japanese cheese tarts warm and fresh off the oven. They can also be served chilled and frozen. The creamy baked cheese filling tastes like ice cream after refrigerated!

How to Store Cheese Tarts?

There are several ways to store cheese tart:

If you like chilled cheese tarts, you can refrigerate them in an airtight container or plastic bag for up to 3 days. Freezing the cheese tarts will last one week.

Another quick and easy way to store the cheese tarts is to freeze them before baking. You can always make the warm cheese tarts by baking them straight from the freezer. Don’t forget to brush the egg wash on them before baking.

How Many Calories per Serving?

This recipe is 361 per serving.

These cheese tarts are great for afternoon tea. For an Asian style tea break, I recommend the following recipes.