A gorgeous salted caramel chocolate tart that will remind you of a candy bar! With a crunchy chocolate crust, a generous layer of sticky caramel and a smooth ganache layer on top, this dessert is sure to impress!
We had just received the latest issue of Bon Appetit when my husband stopped in his tracks and said that I had to make this. He handed me the magazine, and when I saw the name of the dessert, I immediately agreed.
The recipe didn’t seem too difficult. I would need to make a chocolate crust (in my brand new tart pan!), fill it with a salted caramel and then top it with a luscious ganache. What’s not to love about that?
This recipe does take a bit of time to cool the dough before baking and to allow the caramel layer to set. So make sure you set aside a few hours to bake this tart. Thankfully, a lot of that time is waiting time, so you can go ahead and browse your favorite Pinterest boards or whatever makes you happy.
When I took a bite of the tart, it immediately reminded me of my favorite candy bar – a Milky Way – with the chocolate and caramel pairing. The crust can get a little bit crumbly so just make sure you have a few napkins handy to wipe them off your mouth.
We all loved this tart and think that Bon Appetit did another fantastic job with another winning recipe.
Salted caramel chocolate tart
Ingredients
Crust
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 Tablespoons cold milk or water
Filling
- 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/3 cup water
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter chilled and cut into pieces
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Ganache
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate do not go over 70% cacao, chopped finely
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
Make the crust
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, sugar, salt and flour. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingers. The mixture will resemble wet sand. If you pinch it, it should stay together. Add the egg yolk and milk and mix until a loose dough comes together. Knead with your hands for a few minutes until you get a smooth dough. Flatten it into a disc, wrap in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. While it is chilling, make the caramel.
Make the caramel
- In a medium sized saucepan, mix together the sugar, cream of tartar and water. Heat over medium heat until the sugar gets bubbly and the mixture turns a deep amber color, about 10 minutes. Take the saucepan off the stove and add in the butter, one piece at a time and stir vigorously (the mixture will bubble and fizz). Slowly add in the cream and stir vigorously again (it will continue to bubble and splatter). Stir in the salt and set aside. Caramel can be made a day in advance - just heat it up in short spurts to get it soft again.
Bake the crust
- Once the dough is chilled, allow it to thaw for about 5 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a circle. Generously grease a removable tart pan that is either 9" or 10" in diameter. If you don't own a tart pan, you can make this in a round cake pan or even a springform pan. Remove the bottom from the tart pan and place the rolled out dough on top - the dough should hang over the edges. Place the removable bottom back into the tart pan and gently push the overhung dough up onto the sides of the pan. It's OK if the dough hangs over the edges here. Use a rolling pin to roll over the top of the pan - the excess dough will fall off. Press down on the bottom of the crust with a measuring cup or any other flat-bottomed item. Prick the crust all over with a fork and freeze the crust for about 15 minutes.
- Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and line the top of the crust with foil. Add pie weights, beans or anything else to weigh down the crust. Bake in your preheated oven for about 12-15 minutes or until the crust appears dry. Carefully remove the pie weights and patch any holes with leftover dough. Bake for an additional 18-22 minutes or until the crust is firm and dry. Transfer to a wire rack and allow it to cool.
Make the ganache
- In a large measuring cup, microwave the cream until just bubbling. Add the chopped chocolate and allow to sit for about 1 minute. Then stir vigorously until everything is smooth and glossy.
Assemble the tart
- Once the crust is cooled, pour the caramel on top. Let it sit and firm up for about an hour. Then pour the ganache on top, and using the back of a spoon, you can make decorative patterns or swirls. Sprinkle the top with the flaky sea salt. Allow the tart to set for at least 15 minutes before serving.