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Hazelnut caramel and chocolate tart on a serving platter ready to be sliced and served onto individual dessert plates.

Hazelnut Caramel & Chocolate Tart

This Hazelnut Caramel & Chocolate Tart is a timeless European-inspired dessert that combines a crisp buttery sweet pastry with layers of rich homemade caramel, roasted hazelnuts and silky 55% dark chocolate ganache. Originally learned during my pastry apprenticeship, it remains one of my favourite recipes because it showcases the fundamental techniques that every baker should master while delivering an elegant dessert that never goes out of style.
To begin with, the sweet pastry is prepared using the rub-in method, which limits gluten development and creates a tender, crisp crust. Next, a deep amber caramel is carefully cooked to develop rich toffee flavours before warm roasted hazelnuts are folded through for added crunch and nutty aroma. Afterwards, once the caramel has completely set, a smooth chocolate ganache made with equal parts 55% dark chocolate and cream is gently emulsified and poured over the tart. Finally, a light dusting of cocoa completes this beautifully balanced dessert.
Throughout the recipe, you'll also discover the food science behind every stage—from preventing pastry shrinkage and caramel crystallisation to creating a silky ganache that won't split. Along the way, you'll find expert tips, dietary swaps, troubleshooting advice, storage instructions and answers to common baking questions, helping you achieve professional-quality results with confidence.
Perfect for dinner parties, afternoon tea, birthdays and festive celebrations, this Hazelnut Caramel & Chocolate Tart offers the ideal balance of crisp pastry, buttery caramel, crunchy roasted hazelnuts and rich dark chocolate in every unforgettable bite.
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Prep Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 8 people
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Baking
Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

Tart Base
  • 75 g Castor sugar
  • 125 g Unsalted Butter cubed Note 1 Note 1 leave out of the fridge for an hour if possible
  • 2 Egg yolks Note 2 Note 2. whole eggs-use yolks only
  • 250 g Plain Flour
  • 50 g Cold Water
Caramel with Hazelnuts
  • 100 g Soft Brown Sugar
  • 80 g Double cream note 3
  • 50 g Unsalted butter
  • 150 g Whole Hazelnuts
Ganache
  • 180 g Dark Chocolate 55% Note 4
  • 180 g Double cream
Olive oil
  • Olive oil
Cocoa
  • Cocoa for dusting

Equipment

  • 1 Long tart dish fluted removable base 34cm x 10cm
  • 1 Rolling Pin
  • 1 Stand mixer and flat paddle
  • 1 refrigerator
  • 1 Oven
  • 1 Bowl scraper
  • 1 knife
  • 1 chopping board
  • 1 small knife
  • 1 pastry brush for oiling tin
  • 1 Sieve
  • 1 Oven
  • 1 Oven tray
  • 1 Tea towel for rubbing the skins of the hazelnuts
  • 1 Small bowls separating the eggs
  • 1 stove
  • 1 Sauce pans
  • 2 Spoons for making the Caramel and one for the Ganache
  • 1 double boiler
  • 1 Palette Knife
  • 1 step palette knife

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven 175C
Prepare Tin
  1. Prepare a tart tin long removable base 34cm x 11 cm
  2. Use olive oil to brush the base and sides
Tart Base
  1. In a stand mixer with a flat paddle add the castor sugar and butter
  2. Mix until it resembles large crumbs on a medium speed-don’t cream
  3. Add in the yolks and just combine. Add in the flour and around 1 tablespoon of water
  4. Combine until the pastry comes together off the sides of the bowl.
  5. Don’t over work.
  6. Shape into a rectangle and rest in the fridge for 30 mins
  7. Roll out on a lightly floured bench to around 4mm thick
  8. Line the tin ensuring to not stretch the base when adding the pastry.
  9. use your thumb to press into the flute and down the side of the tin.
  10. Dock the base with a fork and rest in the fridge for 30 mins.
  11. Bake 175C until a light golden brown around 10 mins. Cool.
Hazelnuts
  1. Roast the hazelnuts around 7 mins until a light golden brown.
  2. Rub in a tea towel to get rid of the skin. Chop roughly (not too small)
  3. Set aside to keep warm in the oven when making the caramel.
Caramel
  1. For the caramel place all the ingredients except for the hazelnuts in a heavy base pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for around 8 mins until the mix is thickened and starting to smoke at the sides. Ensuring the hazelnuts are warm take the caramel off the heat and add the hazelnuts to the caramel and combine.
  2. Add to the base of the tart and spread evenly. Set in the fridge for around10 mins
Ganache
  1. Place the cream on the stove and bring to the boil
  2. Pour over the chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds
  3. Stir to combine until smooth.
  4. If the chocolate hasn’t melted fully add back to a double boiler and melt completely and combine until smooth.
  5. Spread chocolate mixture over the caramel and smooth with a spatula and refrigerate for around 3 hours
Cocoa
  1. Dust the tart top with cocoa

Video

Notes

 1-Cut butter  into small cubes and leave out the night to soften if possible or microwave 10 seconds at a time until finger soft (do not melt)
2- use 70g eggs (egg yolks only)
 3.Because the fat content of the cream plays an important role in both the caramel and ganache, avoid using light, pouring or reduced-fat creams. These contain significantly more water, which can produce a thinner caramel, a softer ganache and increase the risk of the chocolate ganache separating.
For the richest flavour, smoothest texture and best overall results, choose a full-fat cream with at least 35% milk fat.
 4- Couverture chocolate 45-55% is ideal but you will still get good results with dark baking chocolate