Simple Easter Basket Tarts (Puff Pastry Recipes)
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These Easter Basket Tarts are a simple puff pastry recipe that is cute, easy, and fun for the holiday. Delicious with simple store-bought fillings or decadent with homemade lemon curd or chocolate ganache. Topped with coconut grass and Easter eggs, they bring a festive touch to your Easter or dessert table!
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Make your Easter extra special with these adorable Easter Basket Tarts. A simple puff pastry recipe with delicious fillings and festive decorations.
Why I Love Puff Pastry Recipes & This Edible Easter Basket
Regardless of the season, it seems there are puff pastry recipes that make a holiday or party more festive, fun… and even easier.
For me, Christmas entertaining always includes a Spinach Puff Pastry Christmas Tree. Summer entertaining, particularly on Memorial Day, includes Easy Berry Pinwheel Pastries or for picnics and backyard BBQs throughout the summer.
So it’s little wonder that when spring cleaning my freezer this year, I came across a package of puff pastry tart shells. Checking the date, I knew they needed using. Running through recipe ideas in my head, it dawned on me that they resembled Easter baskets.
The idea for these tarts came quickly. What took longer to decide was whether to use lemon curd or chocolate ganache filling.
But the answer was super simple… both!
You can decorate these little gems however you want, but I found that slightly green-dyed coconut flakes resembled grass, and Easter egg malt balls looked perfect in my new and festive edible Easter baskets.
If you try them, let me know what creative ways you decorate your baskets!
Happy Easter,
Puff Pastry Recipe Overview
- What it is: A simple table decor, name card holder, or quick Easter treat
- Kitchen Tools Needed: A baking sheet
- Time:
- Makes: 6 tarts
When Do You Serve Easter Basket Tarts?
I love these for an Easter brunch or dinner. They can serve as a name card holder at the top of each plate or on a dessert table. I also love them for a spring-themed afternoon tea. Whether that be for Mother’s Day or any gathering when spring is in full bloom!
Ingredients for Easter Basket Tarts
Here are the simple ingredients needed for these puff pastry treats. The ingredient measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Puff Pastry Tart Shells: I used Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry Shells, which contains 6 frozen tart shells.
- Filling: I love the idea of both lemon curd and chocolate ganache fillings for Easter; however, be creative, and you may come up with another spectacular filling!
- Sweetened Coconut Flakes: I used a couple of green food dye drops to resemble grass.
- Easter Eggs: I wanted the entire Easter basket to be edible, so I opted for Easter Malt Balls in egg-shaped pastel colors. (I found mine at Williams Sonoma, but all the markets have a version of these).
Making Homemade Filling
As I mentioned above, I think both lemon curd and chocolate ganache are perfect fillings for Easter and the spring season. While you can most definitely use store-bought fillings, you can also make your own.
Keep in mind you will need a little more than 1 cup of filling. In this post, I’m using Nutella for an upcoming dinner with several children I knew would prefer this filling. For Easter, I will make half lemon curd and half chocolate ganache.
Lemon Curd Filling
I have an easy Lemon Curd recipe I make often. It takes about 20 minutes but can be made ahead.
Chocolate Ganache Filling
You need only two ingredients to make chocolate ganache: chocolate and heavy whipping cream. You can use dark, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate. I will be using the filling from my Chocolate Ganache Mini Tarts recipe.
How to Make Easter Basket Puff Pastry Recipe
Step-by-step instructions are also in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Preheat the oven to 425℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Bake puff pastry shells from frozen.
Follow the package instructions to bake the tarts from frozen. When cool, press the tart “lid” down into the puff pastry or remove all together. If you remove the tart shell, there is more room for filling, less if you press it down into the tart.
Fill the tarts.
Fill the interior of the tart with lemon curd, ganache (or Nutella), or a combination of both.
Decorate
Place coconut flakes in a small bowl, add a couple of drops of green food dye, and stir until even in color. Place small rings of coconut around the outside edges of the tart and place “easter eggs” in the middle.
Puff Pastry Recipe FAQs
While I love to add an egg wash to most pastries, this is the exception. An egg wash on this frozen tart shell can affect its rise. Which wouldn’t be good for the Easter basket shape.
Bake according to the package instructions, but for Pepperidge Farms pastry shells, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, place tarts about 2 inches apart, and bake for 18-20 minutes. I begin checking the tarts at 15 minutes.
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Simple Easter Basket Tarts (Puff Pastry Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 package frozen puff pastry tart shells like Pepperidge Farms
- Lemon Curd store-bought or homemade
- Chocolate Ganache or Nutella
- Sweetened Coconut Flakes
- Easter Eggs like Easter Malt Balls
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Follow the package instructions to bake the tarts from frozen.
- Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Press the "lid" down into the puff pastry tart or remove all together. If you remove the tart shell, there is more room for a filling, but either way, it's delicious.
- Fill the interior of the tart with either lemon curd or ganache (or Nutella), or make a combination of both. I like to add the filling to a resealable baggie and pipe it into the tart to keep it tidy.
- Place coconut flakes in a small bowl, add a couple of drops of green food dye, and stir until even in color. Place small rings of coconut around the outside edges of the tart and place "easter eggs" in the middle.
Video
Notes
- Filling Amounts: I add just a heaping 2 tablespoons of filling per tart, more if you remove the tart lid instead of pressing it into the bottom of the tart. For 8 tarts, you will need a little more than 1 cup of filling.
- Ready-Made Fillings: If you’re looking for a super quick solution, store-bought lemon curd and Nutella are great options. If you have more time, both homemade lemon curd and chocolate ganache are simple and delicious!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.