***Please note: this recipe has been updated from its original version in 2023: “Mini Feta & Tomato Tarts,” for the older version of the recipe, please feel free to scroll to the bottom of the blog post.
If someone served me a Single Tomato Tart at a party, I would cry. This is not only because I love the idea of having a whole perimeter of crust to myself, but also because I think the concept is SO CUTE. It’s like a mini galette, just for one, perfectly sized to fit the round of a tomato slice. This means tomato covers all the way to the edges, and with a variety of tomato colors, it can look pretty gorgeous, too.
These Mini Tomato Tarts are a combination of basil (or really any tender herb), creamy goat cheese and tomato, so the recipe is beautifully simple and really writes itself. I made this recipe with leftover pie crust, which I’ll link in the recipe box below, but store-bought puff pastry would work just as well, too.
If you are hosting a party, a lazy summer gathering, or a cozy brunch, I hope these beautiful tomato tarts might make an appearance!
Table of contents
- Why are these Single Tomato Tarts so great for hosting?
- Let’s talk about heirloom tomatoes
- How to choose the right cheese for these tomato tarts with goat cheese
- Shaping and making each tiny tomato tart
- Can you make this Tomato Goat Cheese Tart as a large-scale tart?
- Looking for other summer hosting recipes?
Why are these Single Tomato Tarts so great for hosting?
If you are looking for the perfect thing to serve at a summer gathering, I’m going to make the hard sell that these tarts are it. They keep well sitting out at room temperature or in the heat, so you can easily prep them for brunch. They are personal-sized, so if you need something for a potluck or buffet, they are a great option to bring. Plus, if you are looking for something you can artfully scoop and serve onto plates, look no further than these little personal-tomato pockets. Serve them alongside a beautiful side salad and people will be impressed to the ends of the world, I guarantee it.
Let’s talk about heirloom tomatoes
This tart is best made with big, juicy, peak-season heirloom tomatoes. Usually best bought in July, August and early September, when they are at their peak. If you scale this recipe up by two, you might want to use two large tomatoes of varying color, so you can mix and match each tart. If you are making the recipe as written, you should really only need one large, sweet and juicy tomato. But of course, it’s flexible! So scale up or down depending on the pie crust you choose to use.
How to choose the right cheese for these tomato tarts with goat cheese
While the tomato is the most important part of these beautiful mini tomato tarts – the cheese is right behind and almost equally important. I used to have a version of this recipe where I dressed the cheese in basil oil, but that felt a little fussy and a little uneccessary. Especially when you can choose a cheese that’s melty and complex on its own!
When selecting a goat cheese for this recipe, the creamier the better. I love Humboldt Fog for how easy it is to slice and portion, but I also love an herby goat cheese that you can pick up at any store for a nice herby kick. If you are plant-based, Laughing Cow has some wonderful garlic and herb wedges that melt perfectly into this recipe.
Shaping and making each tiny tomato tart
Roll out the pie crust until it is as thin as you’d have it for a normal pie. Use a bench scraper to carefully cut out circles that can encircle each tomato slice. You may have to cut some circles, then re-roll out any remaining pie scraps and cut new circles, continuing until you have enough pieces.
Dust each side of each crust with flour. Then place the feta mixture in the center of each circle. Add one tomato slice on top, then fold up the edges as you would a galette.
Can you make this Tomato Goat Cheese Tart as a large-scale tart?
The short answer: yes, absolutely. Just shape the tart how you would a round galette, and layer the tomatoes so that their edges are touching!
The long answer carries the caveat that layering the tomatoes may cause too much moisture in the center of the tart, so just make sure that just their edges are touching and you’ll be fine!
Looking for other summer hosting recipes?
Here are a few of my favorites, and yes, one of them involves pie crust!
And that’s it for these Single Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you!
Single Tomato Tarts
Equipment
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 2 sheets of parchment paper
- 1 halfsheet pan
Ingredients
- 1 all-butter pie crust fridge temperature
- 1 large heirloom tomato
- 6 ounces goat cheese sliced or crumbled
- 1 large egg for egg wash
- Flaky salt for topping
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves or any tender herbs, for topping
Instructions
- Remove your pie crust from the fridge, add it to a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a large rectangle, aim for it to be 12 inches by 8 inches.
- Move the pie crust to a half sheet pan covered in parchment paper. Transfer this to the fridge to chill.
- Slice the heirloom tomato crosswise, starting from the bottom. This should give you about 6 round slices.
- Slice or crumble the goat cheese and set aside.
- Set a rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F.
- Remove the crust from the fridge and use a bench scraper to cut it into six square pieces, each 4 inches by 4 inches.
- Place the goat cheese in the center of each tart. Layer a tomato slice on top.
- Gently pull in the edges of the pie crust, folding them over the edge of the tomato slice similar to how you would pinch a dumpling wrapper. Place the tarts back in the fridge to chill while the oven finishes preheating.
- When the oven is ready, whisk together the egg and brush all the edges of the crusts with a thin layer of the egg wash.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the crusts are deeply golden. Remove from the oven and let cool, then sprinkle the tarts with a pinch of flaky salt.
- Tear the basil (or tender herbs) over the tarts and serve warm!
Recipe from 2023: Mini Tomato & Feta Tarts
Equipment
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 2 sheets of parchment paper
- 1 halfsheet pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 1 & 1/2 cup avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon champagne vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 3/4 cup feta preferably stored in brine, then crumbled
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large heirloom tomato
- 1 all-butter pie crust or sheet of store-bought puff pastry
- 1 large egg for egg wash
- Flaky salt
- 1 ounce frozen feta crumbles optional, for grating on top
Instructions
- Begin by making the basil oil (and this can be done days ahead). Bring a large pot of water to boil and prepare an ice bath to the side. dd a large pinch of salt, then boil the basil for 15-30 seconds. Immediately transfer it to the ice bath.
- Squeeze out any excess water from the basil with your hands, then transfer it to a blender. Add the oil and blend until incredibly smooth, this takes me about 2-3 minutes of blending.
- Strain the oil through a sieve into a medium sized bowl. Discard any pulp. Season the oil in the bowl with the vinegar and kosher salt. Set this aside, this oil will last in the fridge for 2 weeks.
- Whisk together 1/4 cup of the basil oil with the feta. Add a few cracks of black pepper and set this in the fridge while you prepare the pie crust.
- Slice the heirloom tomato crosswise, starting from the bottom. This should give you about 6-8 big, round slices.
- Roll out the pie crust until it is as thin as you'd have it for a normal pie. Use a bench scraper to carefully cut out circles that can encircle each tomato slice. You may have to cut some circles, then re-roll out any remaining pie scraps and cut new circles, continuing until you have enough pieces.
- Dust each side of each crust with flour. Then place the feta mixture in the center of each circle. Add one tomato slice on top, then fold up the edges as you would a galette.
- Place all the individual tarts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill in the fridge while you preheat the oven to 375°F.
- When the oven is ready, whisk together the egg and brush all the edges of the crusts with a thin layer of the egg wash. Sprinkle the crust and tomato with flakey salt.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the crusts are deeply golden. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Take out a crumble of frozen feta (see recipe notes) and grate it on top of each tart using a rasp-style grater. Now they are ready to serve!
We really enjoyed these!! Our basil plant isn’t quite ready to be giving us 2 cups of basil at a time, so we substituted garlic olive oil (left over from https://justinesnacks.com/fava-beans-crazy-feta/) and finely chopped up a 1/4 of basil to throw into the feta mixture. I’m not usually one to mess with recipes, especially on the first try, but my boyfriend suggested we add some hummus to the tarts as well, so we layered the hummus, then the feta, then the tomatoes in each tart. It turned out so well, and bulked up the recipe to be a main course for us. That said, I know it would be delicious without the hummus, too 🙂
can use use pesto instead of basil oil?
Absolutely!
Do you think these would freeze well if I make them ahead of time?? Probably would just heat them from frozen?
The tomatoes can’t freeze well, but the dough is fantastic if you freeze it and let it hang out until you need it! I suggest assembling all the components separately to store for a long period of time, and then roll out and assemble right as you want to eat or serve them!
I want to try gluten free tarts- is there a dough you suggest for this recipe? Thank you.
Hi there – gluten free pastry is tricky and I’m by no means an expert, so I can’t guarantee a perfect recipe. But if you are ever making quick subs, the King Arthur GF 1:1 blend is my favorite product to recommend!
I am baking these as we speak and cannot wait to test!
What do you suggest I do with left over basil oil? (basic-as I’m not much of a cook)
Thank you for the inspiration!
It’s a lovely salad dressing or drizzle for grain bowls! I also love to mix it into scrambled eggs or drizzled over boiled eggs – so good. If you have some summer tomatoes that you aren’t using for the tart, it’s great drizzled over them as well. Put it on toast and it’s heavenly.
Your blog is like a beacon of light in the vast expanse of the internet. Your thoughtful analysis and insightful commentary never fail to leave a lasting impression. Thank you for all that you do.
Amazing! I normally shy away from making pastry dough, but your instructions were clear and easy to follow. I had a beautiful heirloom and this was the perfect way to use it. The tarts turned out just perfect – I’ll be making these time and time again!
This makes me so happy!! So, SO thrilled you liked them!