Classic Tart Shell (Pate Sucree)

Oct 13, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Pies tarts Vanilla: Extract Medium

A baked, empty classic tart shell (pate sucree) in a fluted tart pan on a marble counter, golden and crisp

The all-purpose French sweet tart shell: crisp, cookie-like and sturdy, for pastry cream, fruit, curd and ganache fillings.

Prep 20 min

Cook 25 min

Cooling 1 hr 30 min

Total 2 hr 15 min

Yield 8 slices

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

slices

1 ½ cups (190.0 g)all-purpose flour
½ cup (60.0 g)powdered sugar
¼ tsp (1.5 g)fine sea salt
½ cup (113.0 g)cold unsalted butter, cubed
1.0 (18.0 g)large egg yolk
1.0 tbsp (15.0 ml)cold heavy cream
1.0 tsp (5.0 ml)pure vanilla extract

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Instructions

Pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the cold butter and pulse to coarse crumbs.
Whisk the yolk with the cream and vanilla, add it and pulse until the dough just clumps. Press into a disk, wrap and chill 1 hour.
Roll to an 11-inch circle between sheets of parchment and ease it into a 9-inch tart pan, pressing into the fluted sides. Roll the pin over the rim to trim. Prick the bottom and freeze 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line with parchment and weights, bake 18 minutes, remove the weights and bake 7 to 10 minutes more until evenly golden. Cool in the pan.

Tips

Freeze the shaped shell before baking so the sides stay tall.
Patch cracks with a scrap of raw dough and bake 3 minutes more.
Brush the hot shell with beaten egg white to seal it against a moist filling.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make classic tart shell (pate sucree)?

Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking, plus 1 hour 30 minutes to chill. The recipe makes one 9-inch tart shell.

How should I store classic tart shell (pate sucree)?

The baked shell keeps 2 days at room temperature in an airtight container; raw dough freezes 2 months.

Can I make classic tart shell (pate sucree) ahead?

Bake the shell a day ahead; fill it the day you serve.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (5 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

The all-purpose French sweet tart shell: crisp, cookie-like and sturdy, for pastry cream, fruit, curd and ganache fillings.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 8 servings this recipe makes.

232 Calories / serving

13.0g Fat

25.8g Carbs

2.9g Protein

7.6g Sugar

Whole recipe (8 servings): ~1856 cal · 104g fat · 206g carbs · 23g protein · 61g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.