Chocolate hazelnut tart combines the warm flavors of dark chocolate and toasted hazelnut into one delightfully rich dessert. Fans of Nutella will love this sweet and crunchy treat.
This tart features a crust made from a combination of hazelnuts, graham crackers, and cocoa powder. The easy filling is simply made by mixing together cream and chocolate.
Why This Recipe Works
Chocolate and hazelnuts go together like peanut butter and jelly, macaroni and cheese, or pizza and beer! The popularity of Nutella initiated the trend of chocolate hazelnut desserts.
One tone dishes can get boring. For example, ice cream on its own is fine. But, Ice cream tastes better with a crunchy cone!
This chocolate hazelnut tart keeps your palette excited. It has various texture to keep you wanting more. Chew from the crust, creaminess from the chocolate ganache filling, and crunch from the roasted hazelnuts and sea salt flake topping.
Ingredients
A few simple ingredients are needed to make this salted chocolate hazelnut tart. The recipe requires sugar, salt, and butter, as well as the following:
- Hazelnuts: Recipe calls for raw whole hazelnuts that you will toast in the oven. This produces the best, cleanest flavor. Alternatively, pre-roasted chopped hazelnuts.
- Graham Crackers: Grind graham crackers in a food processor, or buy pre-ground graham crackers. You may swap in chocolate graham crackers, vanilla wafer cookies, or biscoff (speculoos) biscuits.
- Cocoa Powder: Use either natural (non-alkalized) cocoa powder or Dutch-processed (alkalized) cocoa powder. Natural cocoa powder tends to have a more intense and fruity chocolate flavor. Dutch-processed cocoa powder has a smoother, less acidic flavor compared to natural cocoa powder.
- Heavy Cream: Also labelled as heavy whipping cream. It is mixed with chocolate to create ganache.
- Dark Chocolate: This chocolate is melted to create the ganache topping. Choose to use dark chocolate bars, chips, or chunks. Bittersweet chocolate is another great option. The recipe benefits from the slight bitterness of dark chocolate.
- Maldon Salt: An artisanal salt known for their distinct flakey salt crystals. It adds a delicate crunch to desserts and savory dishes. Maldon sea salt flakes has a soft flavor that differs from regular sea salt or kosher salt. It is a “finishing salt.”
Recipe Variations
Gluten-Free: Make a gluten-free chocolate hazelnut tart by swapping out standard graham crackers for Partake’s gluten free vegan classic grahams or Pamela’s gluten free honey graham crackers.
Crust Options: Swap out the graham crackers for vanilla wafer cookies or biscoff (speculoos biscuits). Or, you can use any cracker or biscuit that you have used to make cheesecake crust.
Size Options: This recipe makes four 5-inch mini tarts or one 9-inch tart. I recommend using mini tart shell pans with removable bottoms for easy unmolding. This 9-inch tart pan is also great for making cherry tomato pesto tart, pear frangipane tart, or quiches.
Recipe FAQs
Keep tart in an airtight container at room temperature away from heat and direct sunlight for up to 24 hours. Store in the fridge for longer storage, up to three days.
Tart can be made a day ahead of time. After tart has chilled and set, cover tightly with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container in the fridge overnight. Sprinkle hazelnuts and salt before serving.
This recipe tastes BEST with hazelnuts. You may swap in almonds or hazelnuts. However, those nuts don’t have the same prominent nutty flavor of hazelnuts.
More Chocolate Hazelnut Dessert Recipes
- Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Bread
- Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Donuts
- Berry Nutella Swirl Bread
- Hot Chocolate Hazelnut Milk
Salted Chocolate Hazelnut Tart
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw hazelnuts
- 1 ½ cup ground graham crackers
- 3 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter,, melted
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream
- 12 oz dark chocolate, , finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Toast hazelnuts in oven for 8-12 minute until the skins begin to separate from the nut. Rub the warm hazelnuts in a clean dish towel to remove the skins.
- In a food processor, grind ⅔ cup of the hazelnuts with graham crackers, cocoa powder, sugar and salt. Add melted butter and pulse until moisture is distributed. Transfer mixture to a 9-inch removable bottom fluted tart pan.
- Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to flatten. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Half way through baking, if you notice that the crust is puffing up, remove and gently press it back down using the bottom of the drinking glass. Continue to bake until the crust is dry and set. Let cool on a wire rack as you prepare chocolate filling.
- In a medium sauce pot, bring cream to a boil. Remove from heat and add in chopped chocolate. Whisk until smooth. Pour into the prepared tart shell. Smooth out chocolate ganache into an even layer. Chill in refrigerator for one hour, until set.
- Roughly chop the remaining ⅓ cup of hazelnuts. Sprinkle hazelnuts and sea salt flakes on chilled tart just before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Wow, this looks amazing! I love chocolate and hazelnut, and add sea salt….heaven!
Thanks! A touch of salt makes everything taste better!
I’m looking forward to trying this one!
Enjoy, Ron!
Wow! I love the look of these tarts…usually we see golden tarts, not chocolate ones!
Thanks, Jeannie! :)
Yum, your tarts look and sound amazing!
Thanks, Rosie! I love your chocolate and salted caramel cupcakes!
These tarts look divine! I’m a big fan of the cracker base, so easy and delicious, and that chocolate filling? wow, yummy. Very lucky to have such a family ;)
Thanks! Chocolate is one of my weaknesses. :)