Chocolate Tart Dough (chocolate short dough)

Chocolate Tart Dough (also known as short dough or pâte sucrée) is a slightly sweet cookie-like dough that is perfect for making fruit tarts, cream pies and cut-out cookies. It’s dead-simple to make and freezes very well.

How can I use Chocolate Tart Dough?

Pâte Sucrée or sweet tart dough bakes up with a nice crisp bite and is strong enough to hold soft fillings like pastry cream or fresh fruit without getting soggy.

I love to use this dough as the base for a delicious Chocolate Strawberry Tart. You can also use this dough to make chocolate cut-out cookies. Sandwich the cookies with jam or chocolate ganache for a chocolatey treat.

Chocolate Short dough couldn’t be easier to make. Cream the butter and sugar, add the egg and then the flour and cocoa.

This recipe makes enough dough for a 10″ or 12″ tart. You can freeze the dough to use later. It freezes beautifully.

How to make Chocolate Tart Dough:

1. a sifter filled with flour and cocoa. 2. a bowl of butter and sugar with the beater. 3. a bowl of chocolate dough.
  • Sift together the dry ingredients.
  • Cream the butter and sugar then add the eggs.
  • Add the dry ingredients and mix until almost combined.
chocolate tart dough before and after kneading together.
  • The dough will look dry but will come together as you knead it.
  • Knead the dough into a smooth ball. Wrap and refrigerate or freeze.

How to roll a chocolate tart shell

1. Chocolate dough rolled to a circle on a surface. 2. Chocolate dough on a rolling pin over a tart pan.
  • Roll the dough to 1/8″ thick for to line a tart pan.
  • Use the rolling pin to transfer the dough to the pan.
1. A tart pan lined with chocolate dough. 2. A fork poking holes in a chocolate tart crust.
  • Press the dough into the pan and trim the top edge.
  • Poke the bottom of the pan with a fork to allow steam to escape as the dough bakes.
a baked chocolate tart crust.
  • You can’t judge doneness by the color. You’ll need to touch the dough to be sure it’s baked through.

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5 from 2 reviews

Chocolate Tart Dough Recipe

Chocolate Tart Dough (also known as short dough or pate sucre) is a slightly sweet cookie-like dough that is perfect for making fruit tarts and cream pies. It's dead-simple to make and freezes very well.
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
12 servings
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Ingredients

  • 5 oz all purpose flour (1 cup, see note)
  • 1 oz dutch process cocoa powder (¼cup)
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 5 oz unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
  • 3 oz granulated sugar (⅓ cup)
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ tsp vanilla

Instructions

  • Sift together 5 oz all purpose flour, 1 oz dutch process cocoa powder and ¼ tsp salt and set aside.
    5 oz all purpose flour, 1 oz dutch process cocoa powder, ¼ tsp salt
  • Cream 5 oz unsalted butter and 3 oz granulated sugar just until combined and slightly aerated. Add the egg and ¼ tsp vanilla, mix to combine and scrape down the bowl and beater.
    5 oz unsalted butter, 3 oz granulated sugar, 1 egg, ¼ tsp vanilla
  • Add flour/cocoa and mix until the dough just begins to come together. Remove from the mixer and knead into a ball. Divide the dough into 2 pieces and flatten each ball to a disc. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1-2 hours before using or freeze for up to 3 months.

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Notes

If measuring the flour by volume use the “dip & sweep” method. That is, dip the measuring cup into the flour bin, overfill it, then sweep away the excess.
This recipe makes enough for a 10-12″ tart crust. 
This dough freezes very well. Double wrap in plastic and freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 315IU | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg
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2 Comments

    1. The bake time and temperature will depend on how you are using the dough. If you will bake the tart shell with no filling bake it at 375F for about 10-15 minutes. Since you won’t be able to use color as an indicator of doneness, press the center of the tart shell to make sure it’s baked through.