No-bake dark chocolate ganache tart is a fool-proof dessert that marries rich dark chocolate with a cookie or pastry pie crust. Ideal for any occasion or a simple no-bake dessert, this straightforward recipe is adaptable to gluten-free and vegan preferences. This sumptuous chocolate tart is as effortless as it is indulgent.
If you're a fan of no-bake desserts, you'll adore this no-bake chocolate truffle tart. If you're looking for a fruit-based no-bake dessert, try this no-bake strawberry cheesecake or this no-bake lemon cheesecake.
For more incredible chocolate recipes, try these dark chocolate brownies or these chocolate pavlovas with salted caramel.
Jump to:
- ⭐️ What makes this chocolate ganache tart fool-proof
- 🧾 Essential ingredients for making dark chocolate tart
- 👩🏻🍳 Simple steps for no-bake tart
- What chocolate should you choose?
- 🍯 Storing leftover tart slices
- 💡 Chef's Guide: Expert Tips
- ❓Recipe FAQ's
- No Bake Chocolate Ganache Tart With Salted Caramel
- Meet the Chef!
⭐️ What makes this chocolate ganache tart fool-proof
- Simple ingredients: A few key ingredients ensure a delicious outcome with minimal effort.
- No-bake method: Eliminates baking challenges, making the process straightforward.
- Adaptable recipe: Works well with various crust types and personal tweaks for the perfect chocolate tart.
- Silky smooth texture: My Michelin star method, which is easy, will result in a smooth and creamy ganache every time.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Effortlessly maintains its exquisite taste and texture, even when made ahead.
🧾 Essential ingredients for making dark chocolate tart
In this section, I've outlined the key ingredients and why they're essential in the recipe. For precise measurements, refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Dark chocolate: The key ingredient for flavor and texture, dark chocolate gives the ganache its rich, creamy quality. The choice of chocolate affects the tart's taste and sweetness.
- Heavy cream: Essential for ganache, heavy cream blends with melted chocolate to create a rich, velvety texture that firms upon chilling.
- Corn syrup: Enhances the ganache's smoothness and adds a glossy finish. *This is optional but really helps, especially if you're new to making ganache.
- Pie Crust (cookie or pastry):
- Cookie Crust: Provides a sweet, crunchy base, made from crushed cookies. Ideal for a no-bake, contrasting texture.
- Pastry Crust: Offers a traditional, flaky texture. It can be homemade or store-bought, influencing prep time and flavour.
👩🏻🍳 Simple steps for no-bake tart
- Prepare the tart shell:
- Cookie crust or a pastry crust, you decide. For a no-bake option, use a cookie crust made from crushed graham crackers or Oreos mixed with melted butter.
- Press the mixture evenly into your tart pan, ensuring the base and sides are well-covered. Refrigerate it while you make the ganache. *If using salted caramel, spread a ¼ cup in the bottom of the tart shell.
- Make the ganache:
- Begin by melting the dark chocolate. This can be done carefully in the microwave, heating in short bursts and stirring in between, or using a double boiler to melt the chocolate gently over simmering water.
- Gently heat the heavy cream and corn syrup in a separate saucepan. Do not boil; just warm it enough to blend easily with the chocolate.
- Once the chocolate is melted and the cream mixture is warm, pour the cream over the chocolate. Gently stirring the mixture until you achieve a smooth and well-combined ganache. This careful blending helps ensure the ganache doesn’t split or become overworked.
- Assemble the tart:
- Pour the smooth ganache into your prepared tart shell. Use a spatula to spread it evenly.
- Place the tart in the refrigerator and let it set overnight. This duration is crucial for the ganache to firm up properly.
- Serving the tart:
- Before serving, take the tart out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. This step enhances the flavor and texture, making it easier to slice.
- To achieve perfect slices, use a hot knife technique. Warm a sharp knife under hot water, then dry it with a clean towel. Slice the tart, cleaning and reheating the knife under hot water after each cut. This method ensures clean, precise slices.
- Garnishing (optional):
- Garnish your tart with whipped cream, fresh berries, or chocolate shavings just before serving for added elegance. *I've used chocolate shavings and dried rose petals.
What chocolate should you choose?
For the perfect ganache tart, it's crucial to choose the right type of chocolate. Dark chocolate with at least 65% cocoa is preferred, giving a deep chocolate taste while maintaining a creamy consistency. Semi-sweet chocolate is also a good option for those who prefer a less intense chocolate flavor. *Avoid chocolate chips. They do not melt well and contain too much sugar.
- Dark Chocolate (65% Cocoa): This is my top pick- Guittard bittersweet,
- Rich, intense chocolate flavor.
- Creamy texture when melted.
- Ideal balance of sweetness and bitterness.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate:
- Slightly sweeter than dark chocolate.
- Suitable for a milder chocolate flavor.
However, some chocolates are not suitable for this recipe:
- Baker's Chocolate:
- Too bitter for this tart.
- Designed for recipes with added sugar, making it unsuitable for our ganache.
- Milk Chocolate:
- High sugar content.
- May not set properly due to lower cocoa percentage.
- Results in a tart that's overly sweet and with a less desirable texture.
- Choosing the right chocolate ensures a delicious balance in your no-bake dark chocolate ganache tart, both in flavor and texture.
🍯 Storing leftover tart slices
- In the fridge:
- Keep up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Best served after sitting at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
- In the freezer:
- Wrap tightly and store for up to 1 month.
- Thaw at room temperature before serving.
💡 Chef's Guide: Expert Tips
Drawing from a decade in Michelin-starred kitchens and Cordon Bleu training, here are my top tips for recipe success.
- Prepare the crust early: Assemble and press your chosen crust (cookie or pastry) into the tart pan, and refrigerate it to set. This can be done a day before to save time.
- Make the ganache in advance: Prepare the ganache and pour it into the crust. The ganache sets well in the fridge, so doing this step early ensures a well-set tart.
- Chill overnight: Let the tart chill in the refrigerator overnight for the best texture. This allows the ganache to firm up perfectly, making it easier to slice. *It takes 24 hours for the ganache to set and achieve its optimum texture fully.
- Add final touches before serving: If you plan to garnish the tart with toppings like whipped cream, fruit, or chocolate shavings, do this just before serving to maintain freshness and appearance. *I've decorated it with chopped chocolate and rose petals. But you can choose something else.
- Room temperature serving: Remove the tart from the fridge about 30 minutes before serving. This enhances the flavors and makes cutting smoother.
❓Recipe FAQ's
The corn syrup is a little insurance policy to help avoid a split (or broken) ganache. But if it does split, then you can add a small amount of warm milk or cream (not hot, just warm). Gradually add it to the split ganache while whisking constantly. The additional fat and liquid can help to re-emulsify the mixture. And starting with melted chocolate is also helpful. It's easier to emulsify two liquids than to start with hot cream and solid chocolate.
Ganache takes time to set because it's an emulsion of fat (from chocolate) and liquid (from cream), where the crystallization of cocoa butter in chocolate is a slow process. The setting time is influenced by the ratio of chocolate to cream, with higher chocolate content setting faster. Additionally, environmental factors like ambient temperature and the thickness of the ganache layer also play a role. Additives and the stirring method can further affect the setting time, with gentle stirring and minimal additives leading to quicker setting.
Not adding butter to your ganache primarily enhances the deep, pure chocolate flavor, allowing the quality of your chocolate to take center stage. A simpler ganache of just chocolate and cream is less prone to splitting, offering more stability and consistency in texture and setting.
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No Bake Chocolate Ganache Tart With Salted Caramel
Ingredients
For the cookie crumb tart shell: *see notes
- 1 ½ cups cookie crumbs, such as graham crackers or Oreos
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup salted caramel sauce, *I use store-bought but you can make your own.
For the ganache filling:
- 1 cup 238 g heavy cream
- 8 ounces 226.8 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons 30 ml corn syrup
Instructions
Cookie crumb tart shell:
- Mix the cookie crumbs and melted butter until well combined. The mixture should resemble wet sand.
- Press this mixture firmly and evenly into a 9-inch tart pan, covering both the bottom and sides.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set. Spread the ¼ cup of salted caramel in the bottom of the tart shell and leave to set again while you make the ganache. *It only needs a few minutes.
Ganache filling:
- Gently melt the finely chopped dark chocolate in the microwave in short bursts or over a double boiler, stirring regularly until smooth.
- In a separate saucepan, combine the heavy cream and corn syrup. Heat over medium heat until it's warm but not boiling.
- Gradually pour the warm cream mixture into the melted chocolate, stirring constantly to emulsify the cream into the chocolate until the mixture becomes smooth and glossy.
- Pour the smooth ganache into the chilled tart shell, levelling the top with a spatula.
- Refrigerate the tart overnight or for at least 6 hours to allow the ganache to set fully.
Notes
- Chocolate Quality: Use high-quality chocolate for the best flavor. The percentage of cocoa in the chocolate can affect the sweetness and richness of your ganache. For best results, use chocolate with at least 65% cocoa butter.
- Cream Temperature: Ensure the cream is warm but not too hot when added to the chocolate. Overheating can cause the chocolate to seize.
- Preventing Air Bubbles: When pouring the ganache into the shell, do so gently to avoid creating air bubbles, which can affect the smooth surface of your tart.
- Chill Time Variations: If you're short on time, chilling the tart in the freezer for about 2-3 hours can also set the ganache, but be cautious to avoid freezing it solid. Serving Temperature: For the best texture and flavor, let the tart sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before serving.
- Customization Options: Feel free to customize the tart by adding a hint of flavor to the ganache, such as vanilla extract, orange zest, or a splash of your favorite liqueur.
- Crust Variations: Experiment with different cookie bases for the crust to add unique flavors. Digestives, gingersnaps, or chocolate cookies are great alternatives.
- Tart Pan Tips: Using a tart pan with a removable bottom makes removing and serving the tart easier without damaging it.
- Tart shell: You can use cookies and blend them in a food processor or pastry for the tart shell. Store-bought or homemade pastry both work.
- Slicing the tart: A hot knife technique (dip in hot water, then wipe dry) is recommended for clean slices.
Nutrition
Meet the Chef!
Hi, I'm Debs. Cordon Bleu trained chef and recipe developer. I help you get incredible dinners on the table fast with fool-proof recipes and step-by-step instructions along with tips and tricks that I've learned over a 10-year career in professional kitchens.
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