I’m clearly on a muffin tin kick lately. Don’t worry about me, I’m just making tons of cute little bite sized treats in my mini muffin tin over here.
If you missed it, I made these mini beef taco bites in my mini muffin tin last week. The muffin tin isn’t just for muffins, friends. It’s for EV-ER-Y-THING. From appetizer sized beef taco bites to sugar cookie blueberry tarts.
Seriously I’m so in love with how these gluten-free mini blueberry tarts turned out. They’re the epitome of summer – full of fresh blueberries, tart and sweet, with a delicate and flakey gluten-free vegan sugar cookie crust.
I went the sugar cookie route for this recipe instead of a traditional pie dough or tart dough. I just really wanted the crust to have a slightly chewy texture and be able to hold up to the blueberry filling. So you kind of have a cross between a sugar cookie and a pie and a tart.
Needless to say, I STRUGGLED with what to name this recipe. Is it just a gluten-free sugar cookie with blueberries? Maybe it’s a mini blueberry pie? Or is it a gluten-free mini blueberry tart? You guys… I HAVE NO IDEA!
All I know it’s delicious and you should make it this Spring and Summer for every single potluck or social event you go to! Bridal shower, graduation parties, 4th of July gatherings. They all need these little mini blueberry muffin tin tarts! (For real, what do we call these things?)
I coincidentally made these gluten-free muffin-tin blueberry tarts also vegan by chance. If you know me, then you know I love creating gluten-free and vegan desserts. I personally don’t eat much dairy because of a casein intolerance (casein is one of those other proteins in dairy besides whey), though I am slowly trying to add back sheep’s milk and goat’s milk cheeses.
I also don’t eat eggs for an egg intolerance. Currently, eggs that are baked into baked goods seems to be okay for me right now in low quantities. But a fried egg for breakfast? Not a chance. The body is weird right? I’m sure you can all relate.
I had every intention of using my favorite roll out sugar cookie dough recipe for this dessert, but after testing I realized the egg was totally not necessary! Why? Well I didn’t want these guys to be too chewy or puff up too much so there was more room for the blueberry filling. It’s all about the blueberry filling after all!
Tips and Tricks for Making the Best Easy Mini Blueberry Tarts
- Don’t overfill the dough with blueberry filling. You really don’t want the blueberry to overflow because it sticks to the pan and creates a mess. You want the blueberry filling to stay contained within the sugar cookie shell.
- Don’t feel like you have to use all of the blueberry filling. You may have a few extra tablespoons of the blueberry filling. As I mentioned previously, don’t overfill those tart shells.. the result isn’t great. You can use up the leftover blueberry filling in oatmeal for breakfast!
- Let the sugar cookie blueberry tarts cool completely before serving. You want to take the tarts out of the oven when the outer edges of the cookies are starting to brown. The center will not look set yet. Once you let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes, the centers will set and you can remove the tarts from the pan with a knife.
- Speaking of removing tarts from the pan… Grease those muffin tin wells SUPER well. There is nothing worse than making beautiful mini blueberry tarts and not being able to remove them from the pan. It’s heart breaking, really. But really, if they break – eat them anyways! (or sprinkle over your ice cream – yum!)
- SUBSTITUTIONS are okay! If you don’t want to use dairy-free butter, use regular butter. If you have a nut allergy, use soy milk or cow’s milk instead of almond milk. If you have a corn allergy, use tapioca starch instead of cornstarch in the filling.
- You may be wondering.. Can I make these sugar cookie blueberry tarts in a regular size muffin tin? You bet you can! Just increase the time in the oven and you’ll obviously get less tarts – probably around 6 regular sized ones.
How to Make Gluten-Free Mini Blueberry Tarts
You’ll love how simple and fun these gluten-free sugar cookie blueberry tarts are to make in a mini muffin tin! The sugar cookie crust is lightly sweet with a chewy but sturdy structure to hold all of those bright and fresh blueberries in the filling. The tarts are gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan and will be a staple at any gathering this season!
More Gluten-Free Blueberry Recipes:
- Blueberry Turkey Breakfast Sausage
- Rainbow Power Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette
- Blueberry Chicken Salad Stuffed Avocado Boats
- Gluten-Free Blueberry Donuts
Easy Mini Blueberry Tarts
These mini blueberry tarts are SO easy to make in your mini muffin tin! They're made with a sugar cookie crust that gives the tarts extra flavor and they taste just like fresh blueberry pie! They're gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan.
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Ingredients
Cookie Crust:
- 1/2 cup dairy-free butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk - or soy milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups gluten-free flour blend
Blueberry Filling:
- 2 cups blueberries
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp lemon zest - from 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice - from 1/2 lemon
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of salt
**Use the toggle button above to turn the instruction photos on and off!
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, granulated sugar for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add milk, vanilla, and salt and mix to combine.
- Add in the gluten-free flour about half of a cup at a time, mixing in between, until the flour is incorporated.
- Scoop cookie dough out onto a piece of parchment paper and pat it flat so that it's no more than an inch high. Freeze for about 30 minutes.
- While the cookie dough is chilling, make the blueberry filling. Add fresh blueberries, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt to a bowl and stir to mix.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
- Press about a tablespoon of cookie dough into each well of a mini muffin pan. Press the cookie dough up the sides of the well and make sure there are no thin spots.
- Spoon some blueberry filling into each tart shell, being sure not to overfill. You may have leftover blueberry filling which is okay.
- Bake mini tarts at 350F for 22-26 minutes, until the edges of the cookie shell is golden brown. Cool to let the filling set. Remove from muffin tins and serve.
Notes
- Don't overfill the dough with blueberry filling. You really don't want the blueberry to overflow because it sticks to the pan and creates a mess. You want the blueberry filling to stay contained within the sugar cookie shell.
- Don't feel like you have to use all of the blueberry filling. You may have a few extra tablespoons of the blueberry filling. As I mentioned previously, don't overfill those tart shells.. the result isn't great. You can use up the leftover blueberry filling in oatmeal for breakfast!
- Let the sugar cookie blueberry tarts cool completely before serving. You want to take the tarts out of the oven when the outer edges of the cookies are starting to brown. The center will not look set yet. Once you let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes, the centers will set and you can remove the tarts from the pan with a knife.
- Speaking of removing tarts from the pan... Grease those muffin tin wells SUPER well. There is nothing worse than making beautiful mini blueberry tarts and not being able to remove them from the pan. It's heart breaking, really. But really, if they break - eat them anyways! (or sprinkle over your ice cream - yum!)
- SUBSTITUTIONS are okay! If you don't want to use dairy-free butter, use regular butter. If you have a nut allergy, use soy milk or cow's milk instead of almond milk. If you have a corn allergy, use tapioca starch instead of cornstarch in the filling.
- You may be wondering.. Can I make these sugar cookie blueberry tarts in a regular size muffin tin? You bet you can! Just increase the time in the oven and you'll obviously get less tarts - probably around 6 regular sized ones.
Nutrition
Calories: 114kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 104mg | Potassium: 12mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 2.1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Hello, I am getting ready to make this delicious looking recipe, but I ran into a problem. The directions say to first cream together the butter and granulated sugar and brown sugars. When I look at how much brown sugar, there is no mention of it in the ingredients. I think I may just try it without the brown sugar and see what happens.
Sarah! So sorry! There’s no brown sugar in the recipe – that was from an earlier test of the recipe and I forgot to delete that part. Thanks for catching. 1/2 cup granulated sugar is all you need. Hope I caught you in time!
I ended up using 1/2 C brown sugar and we still love them. Going to make them without it next time. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks! Going to make some homemade vanilla ice cream and put one of these on top!
So glad it still worked out for you! And YESSSS to that vanilla ice cream! 🙂
to make these with regular flour would you use the same amount of flour??
Hi Sara – yes you would!
Could you make these ahead of time? If so, how would you store them? For how long? Fridge? Countertop? I’m thinking of doing these also with regular store bought sugar cookie dough as a shortcut for graduation party.
Thanks for any advice!
Hi Kim! Yes, definitely can make these in advance. You can store them for 1-2 days in an airtight container on the counter. The blueberry filling will last longer in the refrigerator for about 4 days. Hope this helps!
i am making these ahead of time for a picnic, to be paired with a homemade vegan lemon curd!
YESSS! Love the idea of pairing with vegan lemon curd! Feel free to send me pics! I hope you enjoy 🙂
Do you think I can substitute homemade blueberry jam for the filling? Has anyone tried it that way?
Hi Suzanne, I think that should work! I haven’t done it with this exact recipe but I’ve done it with another one of my GF (but not vegan) shortbreads and it worked wonderfully.
Hi, how much longer should I bake them for with a regular sized muffin tin?
Hi Dahae,
Since the crust is pushed to the sides of the muffin tin, at most you’ll need only a few extra minutes to make sure the center of the blueberry filling sets. I’d recommend to start checking at the 22 minute mark still and then just cook until the edges are browned and the center is no longer wobbly. Hope this helps!
Hi…it says to use cooking spray to grease the pans….would Crisco non-stick cooking spray be okay or would that disqualify this from being a gluten-free recipe? Thanks so much! Needing to make these by 2 p.m. on 7/18 so any advice would be appreciated. Just realized I hadn’t even thought about the cooking spray issue.
Hi Suzanne! Is it the original Crisco non-stick cooking spray? That one is gluten-free and the only allergen is soybeans. Just make sure it’s not the baking spray that contains flour in it – that one is not gluten-free. If you want to send me a list or picture of the ingredients feel free – I can help you make sure it’s gluten-free. My email is megan@adashofmegnut.com if that’s easier 🙂
Hi Megan! You ROCK! Thanks so much…it is the original! At least I think it is. I went to their website and also looked on the product. These are the ingredient: Canola Oil (which they say adds a trivial amount of fat; soy lecithin, dimethyl silicone (for anti-foaming purposes) and propellant. I’m think I’m good! What do you say?
And it says “crisco original” on the cooking spray can….I guess that should be a dead give away! LOL!
Yes! You’re good to go – it’s gluten-free 🙂 Enjoy!
Thanks so much….I can’t wait to bake and try them! You’re such a blessing to have gotten back to me so quickly! Thanks again!
I made these tarts, the dough was so frozen i couldn’t get them in the pan. After I thawed it out and painstakingly got them in, I put in the blueberries. I baked them for over an hour and the dough never baked. What a waste of berries!
Hi CJ! How long did you freeze the dough for? It should only be frozen for 30 minutes as per the recipe so it’s just chilled and the vegan butter is stays cold. It shouldn’t be completely frozen. Hope this helps!
Can you use cupcake papers instead?
Hi Skylar – I just find it easier to push the cookie dough straight into the muffin tin rather than using cupcake liners, but you can certainly use them!
did it work with cupcake liners? I had same question.
This is one of the best desserts I’ve ever had. Picked fresh blueberries today and my wife is gluten free. Used butter and milk and a dash of whip cream on top. Making a double recipe now to start giving some away tomorrow. My crust was too thick the first time, only made 11, but now o know what to do. Great recipe!
Just curious if these would freeze well. I am planning a tea party for my wedding, and since I have to do all the cooking (joys of being celiac in a rural area) I totally have to make things I can freeze ahead of time to save on the work! Much thanks, I can’t wait to try these! Just need more coconut oil!!! (I can’t have butter either, durn casien).
Hi Ravyn! You can put them in the refrigerator and they should keep that way. You can also freeze them depending on how far in advance you want to make them and just defrost at room temperature for a few hours. You can also make the dough in advance and leave in the refrigerator for up to 2 days ahead of time. So I would probably do the dough one day, bake all the next day and refrigerate (or freeze if doing further in advance), and then take out of the refrigerator or freezer right before the event. If they’re in the refrigerator they won’t need much time to come to room temperature. If they’re in the freezer I’d take them out the morning of to let them defrost. Someone has also used silicone molds when she was making a bunch of these so they were easier to pop out and said it worked really great. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂 Congrats on your wedding!!
Made these yesterday and they turned out great and delicious! Crust is sweet and blueberries are star of the show. I made one in a greased tin and it came out no problem. The rest I put in silicone muffin cups. They did not come out easily, so those we are eating with a spoon directly out of the cups, which also is great!
Just made these and they are so simple and delicious! The only downside is I have SO MUCH filling left over – I will make these again but either double the crust or half the filling.
Hi, I would like to know if I can decrease the amount of sugar in the crust, maybe to 1/4 cup?.
Thanks!
Hi Su, The crust for this recipe is a sugar cookie, so I wouldn’t recommend decreasing the sugar too much. I think you could probably go down to 1/3 cup without compromising the structure of the crust, but I have not tested it.
Ok, thanks so much. I’ll try that :0)
Can these be made ahead and frozen?
Hi Keri! Yes, you can make ahead and freeze. Just let them sit at room temperature for a few hours before serving.
Hi! Thoughts on using frozen berries?
It should work! My preference would be to let the blueberries defrost and then drain them of any excess moisture before continuing. The tarts are so small so having excess moisture with the frozen blueberries would not be ideal. So defrost, drain and then continue with the recipe as written.
Just made these and they are AMAZING! I can’t wait to try making it with Saskatoon berries from my backyard :)))
Thanks, Dijana! Would love to see a picture when you make them again with the Saskatoon berries from your yard! That sounds lovely!
Can I swap the butter for coconut oil? I’m impatient and won’t have butter for a couple days. But if you think it’s best I wait until I can use butter I will!
So so so so so delicious! Thank you for the recipe and inspiration! My sons and I picked fresh blackberries for this recipe instead of blueberries. I used grass-fed milk and butter, whole wheat flour, and added an egg. We brought a double batch to a party tonight and they were gobbled up so I just baked another double batch! I used a pestle to make the hole for berries and it worked really well! Thanks again!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Jane!! I love all of your changes and that you made it work for how you eat at home! I appreciate the kind review!