Dark chocolate, sweet caramel, sea salt, a flaky shell; this decadent tart is a dream come true. Caramel, salt, and chocolate all work really well together, and I often put them together into bars or cookies. I have been wanting to make them into a tart, but I will confess that my early attempts were fails, and it just seemed hard. Sometimes the caramel would be too soft and would run out as soon as I tried cutting into the dessert. While that may taste good, it doesn’t plate well, and does not make for a show stopper treat at a celebration. Sometimes the caramel would be too firm, and I’m just not looking to give my jaw a workout when I want to enjoy a treat.
Anyhow, I got it into my head that creating a caramel tart wasn’t worth it. And then I looked at my calendar and saw a “Chocolate Caramel Day” and felt inspired to try again. This time it worked!
I’m not going to lie: this recipe does take some special equipment (a candy thermometer), and it takes a bit of time. It’s not as hard as you might think, though, and it is worth the effort. Take the recipe one step at a time, and you will create something to show off at the dessert table.
Let my many failures work to your advantage. Take what I learned and turn it into an indulgence of sea salt, caramel, and chocolate that you don’t want to miss.
Pro Tips:
This tart is very simple in that it doesn’t have a lot of components. Shell, caramel, chocolate, salt, and that’s it. Make sure each of these components shines. The chocolate, especially, needs to be high quality since it needs to look good and taste good. I recommend Ghirardelli 60% or 70% baking chocolate.
Take the time to chill your tart dough before baking. We want that tart supported by a flaky crust!
I would suggest you store the completed tart in the refrigerator. I think the consistency of this caramel is just right. After slicing it though, the caramel will start to ooze if left at room temperature. I left mine out, and after about 12 hours it was doing a slow crawl out of the shell. It was still very good, but it will look fancier if you keep that caramel cooler. Take the tart out 5-10 minutes before you want to serve it and it will be just right!
My usual tart shell is pretty sweet, but I changed up this recipe. Since the caramel is so sweet already, I reduced the sugar in the shell. Just a note in case you have tried some of my other recipes such as my Fresh Fruit Tart or my Super Simple Lime Tart.
When making the caramel, try to keep the sugar mixture off the sides of the saucepan. We want to avoid sugar crystals falling in at inopportune times. We are looking for a nice amber color for the sugar before we add the cream. I usually lean toward a light amber color in an effort to avoid bitterness that comes from overcooked/burnt sugar.
This ganache is simple, and oh so good. I’m pretty sure you will want to use it on top of other treats. Consider doubling the recipe to pour over a chocolate cake, or using it to top ice cream. You are welcome!
Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart
A decadent tart filled with salted caramel, topped with chocolate ganache and a sprinkling of sea salt.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes plus chilling
- Category: pies & tarts
- Cuisine: desserts
Ingredients
For the Tart Shell:
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
1 cup flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
pinch of salt
2 Tablespoons cold water
For the Caramel:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup corn syrup
6 Tablespoons butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
For the Ganache:
4 Tablespoons butter
4 oz chocolate*
1 Tablespoon corn syrup
Top with Flaky Sea Salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350
For the Tart Shell: In a food processor, combine the butter, flour, sugar and salt and pulse until the mixture appears sandy and well incorporated. Add the water and process until the dough comes together. Roll out the dough and press into a 9″ tart pan. Using a fork, prick the bottom of the tart all over to create vents. This will prevent air bubbles from forming at baking. Chill the tart dough for about 20 minutes before baking. When ready to bake, line the shell with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes before removing the parchment and weights. Continue baking for about 10 minutes more until the shell is golden in color. We want a well baked tart shell that will hold up once it has been removed from the baking pan. Allow the tart shell to cool as you prepare the filling.
For the Caramel: Place the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a medium to large saucepan and heat over medium high, stirring occasionally using a wooden spoon. Try to keep the sugar mixture from the sides of the pan. Cook the sugar mixture until it develops a nice amber color. Once the sugar has become golden, stir in the butter. After the butter is incorporated, carefully add the cream being sure to avoid steam and splatters. Insert your candy thermometer and cook until the caramel reaches 245 F (about 118 C). Remove from the heat and stir in the sea salt. Slowly pour the caramel into the tart shell and allow to cool. Chill the caramel filled tart for one hour before adding the chocolate ganache.
For the Ganache: In a bowl, microwave the butter and chocolate at 30 second intervals until melted. Stir to combine, then add the corn syrup and mix. Pour the warm ganache over the chilled caramel tart and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Return the tart to the refrigerator to set.
Notes
*Use a good quality baking chocolate such as Ghirardelli 60% or 70%
*This recipe does require the use of a candy thermometer.
I hope you enjoy this tart as much as I did!
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