Keto Goat Cheese Tartlets

Keto Goat Cheese Tartlets…aka little bites of heaven.

These are DELICIOUS. I'm not just saying this. I ate 3 immediately after baking them and each time I kept saying “WOW”. Friends and family agreed. The pastry for these is perfect. You wouldn't even know it's low carb.

The pastry is flaky, buttery and has a fantastic crunch. When I first came up with this low carb flour combination I think I cheered out loud. I baked it on it's own to test it and when I tasted it I was in SO EXCITED. Like I'm talking, happy dancing around my kitchen, excited.

I had so many failed attempts before this so it really does feel amazing to share this recipe today.

I know these Keto Goat Cheese Tarts seem to have a lot of steps but these are honestly super easy to make so don't let the directions scare you. Just look at the photos for instructions on how to roll the dough and it'll be a breeze!

I truly hope you guys enjoy these and you can expect many more low carb pastry recipes in the future!

Before you make these, I do want to talk a bit about one of the ingredients, Vital Wheat gluten. I constantly get asked if it’s keto, what it is, where to buy it, etc. So I’ve written an entire article on it you can see here to learn more.

In summary, vital wheat gluten is the protein found in wheat. It’s what creates gluten strands and provides the soft but chewy texture in bread and baked goods. Nowadays you can buy Vital wheat gluten extracted and separated from the wheat. On its own, it’s only a protein with minimal carbs attached to it.

It’s perfectly fine on a keto diet if you track the NET carbs in this recipe like anything else. The only people who absolutely should NOT consume it is those with a gluten allergy or who are celiac. If you can't have gluten, I recommend experimenting with dough recipes using psyllium husk and/or xanthan gum.

Now that we've got that out of the way, I really hope you guys enjoy these!

Ingredients In Keto Goat Cheese Tartlets:

•  As I mentioned above, Vital Wheat Gluten is necessary for this recipe and cannot be replaced. See this article if you’d like to learn more about it.
• Oat Fiber – This ingredient provides structure to the dough without adding carbs as it’s almost 99% fibre.
• Xanthan gum – a great way to improve elasticity in gluten-free baked goods. It’s used alongside vital wheat gluten to provide the best possible “crust-like” texture. If you do not have this ingredient you can still go ahead with this recipe but I’d recommend it if you can get your hands on it.
• Almond & Coconut Flour – I use the Kirkland Costco brand of almond flour (I buy it in bulk on Amazon or at Costco itself occasionally) and this brand of coconut flour for this recipe. As I’ve noted in many of my past recipes, the brand of almond and coconut flour can affect the final outcome of the recipe because absorbency can vary depending on how the flour has been processed.

Tools I Used To Create Keto Goat Cheese Tartlets

• Low Carb Substitution Guide – This is totally optional but if you like my recipes, I now have a $5 guide available with all of the substitutions I use to create every recipe on my site. You can use this to convert old traditional recipes and create new keto recipes! You can purchase it here and/or read more if you are interested. 🙂 I appreciate your support so much guys!
• Nutritional Food Scale – AKA my best friend. This little buddy has been with me for over 4 years and never fails. Perfect measurements and only needs the batteries replaced maybe once a year!
• Non-Stick Rolling Pin – I didn’t use this one originally for the recipe but I highly recommend it so you don’t have to constantly flour your surface and roll the dough out with wax or parchment paper!
• Wax/Parchment Paper – Makes it easier to roll out dough that’s sticking to your rolling pin.
• Saran Wrap – To wrap the dough for chilling

Tips For Making The Keto Goat Cheese Tartlets

• When you first form the dough, you want chunks of butter still visible. DON’T OVER-MIX. You want it just blended enough so you can form a rough ball and place it in the fridge. The dough doesn’t have to be perfect right away because you’ll be rolling it out several times and the butter will eventually become less “chunky” in the dough.
• Your dough should seem a little dry at first but once you get rolling it, the butter chunks should moisten it more. If you find your dough still very dry, you can sprinkle a bit of cold water on it as needed to add moisture OR alternatively if you find it too wet, sprinkle coconut flour as you are rolling and folding it.
• If you find your dough sticking to your rolling pin or surfaces, make sure to sprinkle some coconut flour on both as needed. You can also roll out your dough with a piece of parchment paper on top to make it a bit easier.
• When folding your dough, turning 90* and folding it again to form layers, make sure the dough stays cold and you don’t have it out too long. If you need to, throw it back in the fridge for 5-10min between rolling to keep it chilled.
• Also when it comes to the layers in the dough, you want to fold and roll it out about 4-5 times or until your butter is streaky in your dough and no longer large chunks. Don’t fold it more than this or your butter may start to melt!

Can I Freeze Keto Goat Cheese Tartlets?

Yes! You can freeze the tartlets/pastry dough at multiple points in the process:

1. You can freeze the pastry dough after preparing it (at the end of step 7, instead of placing it in the fridge, just wrap it in Saran wrap and place it in a ziplock bag in the freezer instead). Then remove and let the dough thaw enough to be able to roll before continuing to step 8 and onward.
2. You can freeze the shells themselves inside the muffin tins then remove the tray and let them thaw partially before adding fillings and baking as per the instructions below.
3. You can freeze them after baking by placing the keto goat cheese tartlets in an airtight container between layers of wax paper. When you want them next, bake from frozen at 400*F just until warm.

Keto Goat Cheese Tartlets

Serves: 12 tartlets

Ingredients:

Pastry

• 5 tbsp vital wheat gluten, 50g (see above in the post for more info!)
• 1/4 cup almond flour, 30g
• 2 tbsp oat fiber, 14g
• 1 tbsp coconut flour, 7g
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum, optional, recommended for texture
• 1/8 tsp salt (1/4 tsp if using unsalted butter)
• 125g salted butter, cold
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp cold water

• 1/2 a large onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp sugar free syrup
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• pinch of garlic powder
• pinch of salt
• pinch of pepper
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• ~3/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled, 3oz or 85g
• 3 tbsp pecans, chopped, 20g
• rosemary, fresh or dry for garnishing

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix together all of your dry ingredients.
2. Cut your butter in rough slices about 1/8 inch thick and add them to the flour mixture. Stir a few times to coat the butter, then add your cold water and stir again just until you get a very rough dough that you can form into a ball. (Alternatively you can use a food processor for this, just be careful not to over-mix if doing it this way).
3. Wrap the rough dough ball and place it in the fridge for 30min to chill.
4. Next on a coconut floured surface roll the dough out into a rectangle as best you can (it's okay if it's a bit rough the first time, just gently push in the edges if pieces separate – also see my tips on rolling the dough if it's dry or sticking).
5. Fold one side of the rectangle inward, then the other until the dough looks like this (see photo).
   

   Push the rough edges in slightly to make the dough neater to work with.

6. Turn the dough 90* and Roll the dough out into a rectangle again, pushing down the layers you just formed. Repeat this 4-5 times. As you go, the dough will begin to form a nicer looking rectangle and the butter will become streaky and less clumpy.
7. Fold once more and then wrap your dough and place it in the fridge to cool for another 30min.
   
8. During this time, you can prepare your onions for the filling. To do so, heat a small frying pan with the olive oil over low-medium heat. Add the onions, garlic powder, salt and pepper and sauté until translucent (~3-4min). Remove from the heat and add your balsamic vinegar and syrup. Return to the heat and sauté for 1 more minute, then set aside.
9. After your dough is done chilling, pre-heat your oven to 400*F.
10. Again on a well-floured surface, roll your dough out into a thick rectangle (it will be hard to get it very thin at this point) and cut the dough in half with a sharp knife. Wrap half the dough and place it back in the fridge.
11. Working with half the dough now, roll it out into a rough rectangle about 1/8th of an inch thick (see photos).
12. Grease a 12 muffin tin tray with oil or butter.
13. Use a large coffee mug or a circle cutter to cut pieces of dough to fit inside the muffin cups. Repeat this with the second half of the dough and re-roll scraps as needed to form more circles (I refrigerate my scraps in-between to prevent them from getting to warm).
14. Place the circle cut outs inside the muffin tins, pressing the dough into the bottom and partially up the sides (don't over-work the dough, they don't have to look perfect or cover the entire tin). Use a fork to poke a couple holes in the bottom of each piece of dough.
15. Next, sprinkle some goat cheese into each tartlet, add your caramelized onions next, then sprinkle pecans and a pinch of rosemary on top.
16. Bake for 20-25min or until tartlets are golden brown around the edges and pop out easily. (You might want to check at 18min if your oven bakes on the hotter side because my oven bakes slow!) Serve warm or cool and freeze in an airtight container between layers of wax paper and re-heat on a baking sheet at 400*F until warm. Enjoy your Keto Goat Cheese Tartlets!

Nutrition for 1 tartlet: 13g fat | 2.6 NET carbs | 4.9g protein | 2.8g fibre

Disclaimer: This post contains some affiliate links

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Keto Goat Cheese Tartlets

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Refrigeration Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer

Keyword: tartlets

Servings: 12 Tartlets

Calories: 144kcal

Ingredients

Pastry

• 5 tbsp vital wheat gluten 50g (see above in the post for more info!)
• 1/4 cup almond flour 30g
• 2 tbsp oat fiber 14g
• 1 tbsp coconut flour 7g
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum optional, recommended for texture
• 1/8 tsp salt 1/4 tsp if using unsalted butter
• 125 g salted butter cold
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp cold water

Filling

• 1/2 a large onion chopped
• 1 tbsp sugar free syrup
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• pinch of garlic powder
• pinch of salt
• pinch of pepper
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• ~3/4 cup goat cheese crumbled, 3oz or 85g
• 3 tbsp pecans chopped, 20g
• rosemary fresh or dry for garnishing

Instructions

• In a bowl, mix together all of your dry ingredients.
• Cut your butter in rough slices about 1/8 inch thick and add them to the flour mixture. Stir a few times to coat the butter, then add your cold milk and stir again just until you get a very rough dough that you can form into a ball. (Alternatively you can use a food processor for this, just be careful not to over-mix if doing it this way).
• Wrap the dough and place it in the fridge for 30min to chill.
• Next on a coconut floured surface roll the dough out into a rectangle as best you can (it's okay if it's a bit rough the first time, just gently push in the edges if pieces separate - also see my tips on rolling the dough if it's dry or sticking).
• Fold one side of the rectangle inward, then the other until the dough looks like this (see photo).
• Turn the dough 90* and Roll the dough out into a rectangle again, pushing down the layers you just formed. Repeat this 4-5 times. As you go, the dough will begin to form a nicer looking rectangle and the butter will become streaky and less clumpy.
• Fold once more and then wrap your dough and place it in the fridge to cool for another 30min.
• During this time, you can prepare your onions for the filling. To do so, heat a small frying pan with the olive oil over low-medium heat. Add the onions, garlic powder, salt and pepper and sauté until translucent (~3-4min). Remove from the heat and add your balsamic vinegar and syrup. Return to the heat and sauté for 1 more minute, then set aside.
• After your dough is done chilling, pre-heat your oven to 400*F.
• Again on a well-floured surface, roll your dough out into a thick rectangle (it will be hard to get it very thin at this point) and cut the dough in half with a sharp knife. Wrap half the dough and place it back in the fridge.
• Working with half the dough now, roll it out into a rough rectangle about 1/8th of an inch thick (see photos).
• Grease a 12 muffin tin tray with oil or butter.
• Use a large coffee mug or a circle cutter to cut pieces of dough to fit inside the muffin cups. Repeat this with the second half of the dough and re-roll scraps as needed to form more circles (I refrigerate my scraps in-between to prevent them from getting to warm).
• Place the circle cut outs inside the muffin tins, pressing the dough into the bottom and partially up the sides (don't over-work the dough, they don't have to look perfect or cover the entire tin). Use a fork to poke a couple holes in the bottom of each piece of dough.
• Next, sprinkle some goat cheese into each tartlet, add your caramelized onions next, then sprinkle pecans and a pinch of rosemary on top.
• Bake for 20-25min or until tartlets are golden brown around the edges and pop out easily. (You might want to check at 18min if your oven bakes on the hotter side because my oven bakes slow!) Serve warm or cool and freeze in an airtight container between layers of wax paper and re-heat on a baking sheet at 400*F until warm. Enjoy!

Notes

• When you first form the dough, you want chunks of butter still visible. DON’T OVER-MIX. You want it just blended enough so you can form a rough ball and place it in the fridge. The dough doesn’t have to be perfect right away because you’ll be rolling it out several times and the butter will eventually become less “chunky” in the dough.
• Your dough should seem a little dry at first but once you get rolling it, the butter chunks should moisten it more. If you find your dough still very dry, you can sprinkle a bit of cold water on it as needed to add moisture OR alternatively if you find it too wet, sprinkle coconut flour as you are rolling and folding it.
• If you find your dough sticking to your rolling pin or surfaces, make sure to sprinkle some coconut flour on both as needed. You can also roll out your dough with a piece of parchment paper on top to make it a bit easier.
• When folding your dough, turning 90* and folding it again to form layers, make sure the dough stays cold and you don’t have it out too long. If you need to, throw it back in the fridge for 5-10min between rolling to keep it chilled.
• Also when it comes to the layers in the dough, you want to fold and roll it out about 4-5 times or until your butter is streaky in your dough and no longer large chunks. Don’t fold it more than this or your butter may start to melt!

Nutrition

Fiber: 2.8g | Calories: 144kcal | Fat: 13g | Protein: 4.9g | Carbohydrates: 2.6g