America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo
Small Batch Baking
Recipe
1 hr 10 min

Chocolate-Passion Fruit Tartlets

(3)
4 Comments
Loading...
Chocolate-Passion Fruit Tartlets
Author: Camila Chaparro

Recipe By Camila Chaparro

Published on February 9, 2026

Chocolate and passion fruit make a harmonious flavor combination in this perfect pair of tartlets.

Time

1 hr 10 min

Yield

Serves 2

Why This Recipe Works

These individual-size desserts are visually stunning, incredibly delicious, and shockingly easy. Floral and mouth-puckeringly tart, fresh passion fruits are hard to find in much of the United States, but a puree made from their pulp can commonly be found in your freezer aisle. Heating just a few tablespoons of puree with cornstarch and sugar before blending with white chocolate and butter makes a lusciously textured and vibrantly flavored curd that we layer into two baked tart shells. To pair with the assertively flavored curd, we make a three-ingredient milk chocolate ganache in the microwave in less than a minute and then pour it over the chilled layer of curd. It sets to a beautifully glossy sheen, hiding the sunny yellow passion fruit layer within. Look for passion fruit puree with the other frozen fruit in your grocery store; it may also be sold as “passion fruit pulp,” but make sure it is seedless.

Ingredients

Browned-Butter Tart Shells

½ cup (2½ ounces) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons sugar
Pinch table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon water

Curd

¼ cup passion fruit puree
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1½ ounces white chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces

Ganache

1½ ounces milk chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Pinch table salt
Flake sea salt

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

step 1 imagestep 2 imagestep 3 imagestep 4 image
  1. FOR THE BROWNED-BUTTER TART SHELLS: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 4-inch tart pans with removable bottoms with vegetable oil spray; set aside. Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in medium bowl. Melt butter in small saucepan over medium-high heat, swirling saucepan occasionally, until foaming subsides. Cook, stirring and scraping bottom of saucepan with spatula, until milk solids are dark golden brown and butter has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove sauce pan from heat and carefully add water (mixture will sputter and steam). When bubbling subsides, add butter to bowl with flour mixture and stir until well combined. Let dough rest until just warm to the touch, about 5 minutes.
  2. Divide dough in half, then transfer each half to prepared tart pans. Use your hands to evenly press and smooth dough over bottom and up side of pan (using two-thirds of dough for each bottom crust and remaining third for sides). Place pans on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and bake until crusts are golden brown, 23 to 28 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
  3. FOR THE CURD: Whisk passion fruit puree, sugar, and cornstarch together in small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thick paste forms, 2 to 4 minutes. Off heat, add white chocolate and whisk until melted, then whisk in butter in 2 additions until mixture is smooth and glossy. Divide curd evenly between cooled tart shells and smooth tops with small offset spatula. Refrigerate, uncovered, until firm, about 30 minutes.
  4. FOR THE GANACHE: Microwave milk chocolate, cream, and salt in bowl at 50 percent power, whisking frequently, until chocolate is melted, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Divide ganache evenly between tart shells, spreading into smooth, even layer with clean offset spatula. Refrigerate, uncovered, until set, about 30 minutes.
  5. To serve, remove outer metal ring of tart pans, slide thin metal spatula between tarts and tart pan bottoms, and carefully slide tarts onto individual plates. Sprinkle with flake sea salt.

Ask ATK

Have a Question?

We’d love to hear from you! Drop us a message anytime and we’ll get back to you. We’re here to help!

Recipe FAQs

My Rating

Up Next

Small Batch Browned Butter Blondies
Recipe1 hr 15 min

Small Batch Browned Butter Blondies

Chocolate-Passion Fruit Tartlets

Recipe By Camila Chaparro

Published on February 9, 2026

Time

1 hr 10 min

Yield

Serves 2

Chocolate-Passion Fruit Tartlets

Ingredients

Browned-Butter Tart Shells

½ cup (2½ ounces) all-purpose flour1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons sugarPinch table salt4 tablespoons unsalted butter1 tablespoon water

Curd

¼ cup passion fruit puree3 tablespoons sugar1 tablespoon cornstarch1½ ounces white chocolate, chopped3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces

Ganache

1½ ounces milk chocolate, chopped2 tablespoons heavy creamPinch table salt
Flake sea salt

Instructions

  1. FOR THE BROWNED-BUTTER TART SHELLS: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 4-inch tart pans with removable bottoms with vegetable oil spray; set aside. Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in medium bowl. Melt butter in small saucepan over medium-high heat, swirling saucepan occasionally, until foaming subsides. Cook, stirring and scraping bottom of saucepan with spatula, until milk solids are dark golden brown and butter has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove sauce pan from heat and carefully add water (mixture will sputter and steam). When bubbling subsides, add butter to bowl with flour mixture and stir until well combined. Let dough rest until just warm to the touch, about 5 minutes.
  2. Divide dough in half, then transfer each half to prepared tart pans. Use your hands to evenly press and smooth dough over bottom and up side of pan (using two-thirds of dough for each bottom crust and remaining third for sides). Place pans on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and bake until crusts are golden brown, 23 to 28 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
  3. FOR THE CURD: Whisk passion fruit puree, sugar, and cornstarch together in small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thick paste forms, 2 to 4 minutes. Off heat, add white chocolate and whisk until melted, then whisk in butter in 2 additions until mixture is smooth and glossy. Divide curd evenly between cooled tart shells and smooth tops with small offset spatula. Refrigerate, uncovered, until firm, about 30 minutes.
  4. FOR THE GANACHE: Microwave milk chocolate, cream, and salt in bowl at 50 percent power, whisking frequently, until chocolate is melted, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Divide ganache evenly between tart shells, spreading into smooth, even layer with clean offset spatula. Refrigerate, uncovered, until set, about 30 minutes.
  5. To serve, remove outer metal ring of tart pans, slide thin metal spatula between tarts and tart pan bottoms, and carefully slide tarts onto individual plates. Sprinkle with flake sea salt.
This is a members' feature.