It’s official – cheese tarts have stolen the number one spot in our hearts lately. Those creamy cheese fillings, occasionally injected with flavours like chocolate, green tea and caramel, sit pretty on a buttery base, calling out to us every once in a while. And when they do, we can never say no. Resistance is futile.
Spurred on by our cravings, we went on a hunt around the island to track down the new and the famous classics. Who’s up for a cheese tart marathon this weekend?
Read on to find out which bakeries made the list.
Best for puff pastry tarts with flavoured molten cheese fillings.
The only ones to feature buttery puff pastry cups, Antoinette’s cheese tarts are in a league of their own. They come in five flavours: vanilla, salted yolk, matcha, grand cru chocolate and salted caramel, all of which complement the rich, gooey cream cheese and crispy pastry flakes. With these, you probably won’t be able to stop at one, so get them all to share with a friend.
30 Penhas Rd, 6293-3121. Mon-Thur 11am-10pm, Fri 11am-11pm, Sat 10am-11pm, Sun 10am-10pm. $2.60-$3/tart.
Best for light, fluffy cheese tarts.
We could wax lyrical about this famous Hokkaido bakery all day long. The self-proclaimed “best cheese tart ever in your life” definitely lives up to its name, with a generous dollop of cheese mousse made from three different types of cream cheese atop a crumbly crust. According to the brand, you can eat the treats four ways – fresh at room temperature, reheated in a toaster oven, icy from the freezer, and cold from the fridge. One thing’s for sure: there’s a reason why the store only sells one type of cheese tart.
Available from Apr 29. #B4-33 Ion Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn. Daily 10am-10pm. $3.50/tart, $19.50/box of six.
Best for traditional cheese tarts for less than $2.
Ah, nostalgia. The tiny neighbourhood bakery is one of Bishan’s not-so-hidden gems, offering homemade blueberry cheese tarts that remind you of the good old days when you would munch on one as an after-school treat. Each palm-sized pastry boasts sweet swirls of blueberry and soft cream cheese encased in a tart shell – and at $1.80, it’s easily the most affordable option on our list.
#01-442 Blk 505A, Bishan St 11, 8511-1005. Daily 9.30am-9pm. $1.80/tart.
Best for creamy ice cheese tarts with a thick cookie base.
These babies come chilled, with velvety smooth, slightly salted cream cheese in an almond cookie tartlet. Eight flavours await their turn to blow your mind (and your taste buds). There’s original, strawberry, Earl Grey, caramel, maple, green tea, mango and chocolate. Don’t mind us, we’ll have one of each, thanks.
Four outlets, including #01-01, 2 Duxton Hill, 6223-8628. Daily 11am-9pm. $3.80/tart.
L.E. Cafe Confectionery & Pastry
Best for blueberry shortcake tarts.
If you love your cheese tarts gooey, don’t get your hopes up too high for these blueberry cream cheese ones. They’re nothing like what you’d expect. Think strawberry shortcake, but with blueberry instead. A thin crust holds three layers: blueberry jam, vanilla sponge and whipped cream. We’re not entirely sure where the ‘cream cheese’ in the name went, but we could only detect a slight hint. As far as tarts go, they’re pretty decent, but we’d recommend the bakery’s famous bean curd tarts instead.
Three outlets, including David Elias Building, 264 Middle Rd, 6337-2417. Mon-Sat 10.30am-7pm, Sun & PH 10.30am-4pm. $15.90/box of eight.
Best for cheesecake-like tarts in a wide variety of flavours.
The star of the show is the RinRin ice cheese tart. Creamy and smooth, the cheesecake-ish top half doesn’t overpower the crunchy cookie base, making for a satisfying dessert. And best of all, it comes in a whopping 12 flavours – including chocolate, Earl Grey, caramel, green tea, strawberry, yuzu, Japanese rock melon, mango, raspberry and original – to cater to the fussiest of taste buds.
Five outlets, including #01-31/32 Icon Village, 12 Gopeng St, 6400-0247. Mon-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat, Sun & PH 11am-6pm. $3.50/tart.
Best for gooey cheese tarts with a hint of salted egg.
You may not think much of this ubiquitous bakery, but its cheese tarts are quite a value-for-money option. Two types feature here: the lava cheese tart and the salted egg yolk cheese tart. The base may be more biscuit than tart, but the cream cheese is melty and milky, like it should be. Plus, there’s an outlet everywhere you turn, so you won’t have a hard time satisfying your cravings.
40 outlets, including #B2-K1 VivoCity, 1 Harbourfront Walk, 6225-4579. Daily 10am-10pm. $2-$2.40 until Apr 30; afterwards $2.40-$2.80.
Best for pastries reminiscent of egg tarts, with a cheesy, silky soft centre.
Not gonna lie, we were pleasantly surprised by these. The original and golden lava salted egg ones are melt-in-your-mouth delicious – each bite is a mouthful of cheese with a tofu-like texture, surrounded by buttery crust. Sort of like an egg tart consistency, but creamier and tastier. If you’re a fan of tiramisu, make the trek to The Icing Room at Serangoon or Jurong to get your hands on the newly-launched tarts. Otherwise, the rest are available at selected locations, including BreadTalk Paragon and 313 @ Somerset.
Two outlets, including #B2-58/59 Nex, 23 Serangoon Central, 6634-4486. Daily 10am-10pm. $2/tart, buy three get one free.
Editor’s note: We updated the story with more info for The Icing Room.
