Dulce de Leche Caramel Tarts. So simple, so easy. Only 5 common ingredients and a very easy method is all it takes to make these rich, buttery, utterly irresistible mini tarts.
Dulce de Leche Caramel Tarts using Sweet Short Crust Pastry
Recently on Rock Recipes, we have posted two new versatile recipe ideas. We’ve shown how to easily make a thick dulce de leche caramel, for use in plenty of ways from ice cream sundaes to filling a cake.
We also just posted a recipe and detailed instructions for making Sweet Shortcrust Pastry. That pastry is so versatile and can be used in pies, turnovers, or in perfect little tarts like these.
Place dough on well floured board.
It’s also a very easy and forgiving pastry dough that works beautifully in these mini tarts. The rich caramel and buttery pastry are a marriage made in heaven.
For search purposes, and to centralize both recipes into one recipe idea, I have posted this caramel tarts recipe for easy use.
3 and a half inch cookie cutters are the perfect size to make mini tart shells
Dulche de Leche Caramel Tarts, they come with a history.
This was actually how I first tasted that rich caramel made from sweetened condensed milk many years ago. It was while visiting friends in the Bonavista North area of the province.
It seemed every gathering I went to there, where food was being served, had these little mini tarts or even a full pie sized tart to cut in slices. I fell immediately in love.
Sweet Shortcrust pastry tart shells ready for the oven.
In truth, I have been making these for years but honestly, not very often.
First, anything in pastry is an instant attraction for me. That, coupled with that incredible filling and well, …I really can’t be trusted not to eat far too many of them.
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry shells just out of the oven.
My will power is above average for most sweets, probably because they are pretty common in this house. I can have a single serving and move on or even just a few bites to sample on many occasions.
Not with these little beauties though.
Be warned. They are seriously that incredibly good!
Two Caramel Dulche de leche caramel tarts using 2 different pastry recipes.
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry and all Butter pastry tarts.
These photo demonstrate the difference in the two types of pastry. You can always use any favourite pastry to make these indulgent little tarts.
If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out another classic based upon Tim Horton’s Strawberry Custard Tarts.
Strawberry Custard Tarts aka Tim Tarts
Like this Dulce de Leche Caramel Tarts recipe?
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Dulce de Leche Caramel Tarts
Dulce de Leche Caramel Tarts. So simple, so easy. Only 5 common ingredients and a very easy method is all it takes to make these rich, buttery, utterly irresistible mini tarts.
Ingredients
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk (made as dulce de leche caramel, see recipe below)
- 1/2 batch of Sweet Short Crust Pastry (see recipe below)
Instructions
- Prepare the Dulce de Leche Caramel as indicated in the recipe below. This will take about 6 hours to cook and cool completely, so if you can make it a day ahead, that's best.
- Make a batch of the Sweet Short Crust Pastry in the recipe provided at the end of this post.
- Once the pastry is chilled as indicated, roll out to about 1/4 of an inch thickness.
- Using a 3 1/2 inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles of dough and place them in a 24 count mini tart pan.
- Carefully tuck the pastry all the way to the bottom of the pan, ensuring it gets into the corners.
- Chill the pan again for 15 minute
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Put the chilled tart shells into the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes until they are a light golden brown at the edges.
- Carefully remove them from the pan and cool the baked tart shells on a wire rack.
- When cool fill with a teaspoon or so of the caramel filling and serve.
Notes
The pastry recipe will make 2 rounds of dough. I can be frozen for later use.
Nutrition Information
Yield
24Serving Size
1 tartAmount Per Serving Calories 102Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 20mgSodium 41mgCarbohydrates 14gFiber 0gSugar 9gProtein 2g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
How to make Caramel Dulce de Leche from Sweetened Condensed Milk
Caramel Dulce de Leche made from Sweetened Condensed Milk. Ah oh so easy way to make either a dulce de leche sauce or a more thick set caramel with so many delicious uses.
Ingredients
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk (300 ml in Canada, 14 oz can in the US)
Instructions
- Lay the can on it's side in a deep pot and cover with hot water.
- Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Check on the pot every 30-45 minutes to see if the water needs topping up.
- When it does need topping up, add boiling water from the kettle, so as not to slow down the cooking process.
- Roll the can on the opposite side occasionally when you add water to ensure even cooking.
- Simmer for 3 hours for a thick set caramel as shown in the photos.
- Cool the can completely to room temperature before placing in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
- If not using this all at once, I store the remainder in a mason jar or sealed plastic container in the fridge.
IMPORTANT. Do NOT let the pot run dry. This can cause the can to expand and possibly burst open. Do NOT walk away from this as it boils. Monitor it closely to make sure the cans are always fully submerged and just gently simmering. I set a timer for every 30 minutes or so to check it.
Using a quite deep pot is a good idea as well, so it can hold more water.
Follow the instructions fully and you will have no issues with it at all.
Notes
For a more sauce like consistency, for sundaes and desserts, cut the time back to 90 to 120 minutes depending upon how dark and thick you want the sauce.
Experiment by making it a few times to get your own perfect sauce consistency and colour.
Nutrition Information
Yield
20Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 62Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 7mgSodium 25mgCarbohydrates 11gFiber 0gSugar 11gProtein 2g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
How to make Sweet Short Crust Pastry
How to make Sweet Short Crust Pastry. A practically foolproof pastry recipe that you can completely make in a food processor, if you like. Perfect for tarts, turnovers and pies.
Ingredients
- 2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp cold butter (salted)
- 1/3 cup + 1 tsp icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp cold water
- (Metric measurements in notes.)
Instructions
- This recipe can be made using a traditional pastry cutter to cut the butter through the flour and then just add the egg and water and bring it together into a soft dough.
- In the food processor method, just cut the cold butter into cubes and add to the flour and icing sugar in the food processor.
- Pulse process together until the butter is fully incorporated and the mix has a wet sand look.
- Add the egg yolks and col water, then pulse process again until a soft dough forms.
- Divide the dough into 2 balls, flatten into rounds, and wrap in plastic wrap.
- Let the dough rest in the fridge for at least a half hour before using it in the recipe you are making.
Notes
- This recipe makes 2 rounds of dough, sufficient for about 24 mini tarts or 2 pie shells. You can always use half and freeze the other round to use later.
- Nutrition is calculated based upon 24 tart shells.
- I converted this recipe from British measurements to North American measures a long time ago. If you prefer to bake by weight, here are the original measurements.
350 grams plain flour
200 grams cold butter (salted)
50 grams icing sugar (powdered sugar)
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp cold water
Nutrition Information
Yield
24Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 114Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 33mgSodium 54mgCarbohydrates 11gFiber 0gSugar 2gProtein 2g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
nancy
Thursday 10th of April 2025
Hi Barry, You ca save yourself a lot of when making theses tarts. Eagle brand now makes the Dulce de leche for you in 300ml cans. It is available along side the regular the condensed milk but has some brown on the label to differentiate it from the regular condensed milk. Please give it a try and save yourself a lot of time when making these tarts. ENJOY. Thanks for all the wonderful recipe. Nancy
Peggy
Saturday 15th of April 2023
I am saving this recipe because it looks so good but thought this is also an easy way to get a message to you. I found myself left with 3 very tired bananas and dreaded just another plain banana loaf. So I candied the walnuts and added to the regular banana loaf dough as usual when cooled off. Bingo! I also put a few on top. Another Bingo! Another time I would leave the chopped walnuts a little larger. Just thought you might like to play with this idea. Absolutely love your emails. Keep up the good work. You are so Canadian. Thanks Peggy
Sandy
Wednesday 8th of December 2021
Can these be frozen after they are made?
Lynn Parsons
Monday 13th of December 2021
We haven’t tried freezing them
Gail
Thursday 26th of March 2020
Barry, when do you add the icing sugar to the dough recipe. Is it pulsed with the flour and butter? OR added with the egg yolks and water?