Popular across Scandinavia these little tarts are flavored with almonds inside a buttery crust. Make them in tartlet molds for an extra special treat! I first came across this type of recipe on a vintage package of sandbakkel tins meant to make Norwegian cookies. These same molds are used to make many types of tarts, like these Norwegian Almond Tarts. But, they’re also called Swedish tarts depending on who you ask! In fact many countries in the region have some version of the delectable tarts. Here’s how to make them.

You will find variations on these tarts across the world. But, this type has a secret ingredient that you would never in a million years expect. Just like our potato candy (an old fashioned favorite) this dessert features potatoes in the filling. It’s definitely not something you taste outright, but it does give the filling a creamy, comforting texture.

The end result with the almond flavor is a bit like marzipan, only less dense and easier to bite into. The almond flavor mainly comes from almond extract so you can easily control how intense you want the flavor to be – which is not something you can do with marzipan.

Some Notes on Preparation

The number of tarts you will end up with depends on the size of baking containers you use. I got about 3 dozen from this recipe when using mini tart molds. If you use regular muffin pans you will end up with bigger tarts, but a fewer number.

The amount of almond extract in the recipe can be adjusted to suit your liking. Add more for an aromatic tart that is undeniably almond-flavored or add less if you’re not sure how much you like this strong flavor. It’s up to you!

Because this recipe uses a lot of butter you will have some butter wrappers to grease your pans with. I found these really useful for the nooks and crannies of the tart molds and the tarts released so well!

Using a zipper baggie to fill the tarts is the easiest and best-looking solution with this recipe. A piping tip might get clogged with the ground almonds, and filling them with a spoon doesn’t look as good. Using the plastic bag method the tops are relatively smooth and easy to glaze.

Substitutions to Avoid

I don’t recommend using almond flour if you have almonds you can grind instead. The reason for this is the flavor. Almonds ground the same day you use bake with them just have more flavor and more of that signature almond scent that makes a dessert like this special. If you need to use almond flour instead add another 1/2 teaspoon almond extract to the filling to make up the difference in flavor. I used blanched, slivered almonds for this recipe, so the color would be uniform. If you use regular almonds there will be speckles in the filling.

Substitutions That Work Well

Use any liquid you want for the glaze: cream, milk, water, plant milk, even liqueur. It all works! As long as it would taste good with sweet pastry and almond filling it can work in the glaze. Or leave them plain for a less-sweet experience.

If you don’t want to make your own sweetened shortcrust pastry from scratch then you can use some pre-made pie dough instead with no problems. In fact, having tried both crusts I really enjoyed the savory aspect that regular pie dough brings to a sweet treat like these Norwegian Almond Tarts.