Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Tart Recipe

Easy Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Tart Recipe – Sweet & Salty Joy

Indulgent chocolate chip salted caramel tarts blend decadence with unexpected culinary magic, redefineing simple ingredients into an extraordinary dessert experience.

Sweet and salty harmonize perfectly in this irresistible treat that promises pure sensory delight.

Luxurious layers create a complex flavor profile that dances between rich chocolate and golden caramel undertones.

Professional pastry techniques elevate this humble dessert into a sophisticated culinary masterpiece that impresses even discerning palates.

Silky smooth textures complement the crunch of delicate chocolate chips, offering a multi-dimensional sensory journey.

Elegant yet approachable, this dessert strikes a perfect balance between comfort and refinement.

Homemade goodness meets gourmet creativity in a dessert that speaks directly to your inner food lover.

Store This Tart Without Sacrificing Crunch

  • Refrigeration: Wrap the tart tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep away from strong-smelling foods to prevent flavor absorption.
  • Room Temperature: Let the tart sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving to soften the chocolate and caramel layers. This helps restore its creamy texture and enhances the flavors.
  • Freezing: Slice the tart into individual portions. Place each slice in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying.

Pairing Ideas for a Decadent Dessert Hour

  • Craft a Creamy Coffee Companion: Pair this decadent chocolate chip salted caramel tart with a velvety latte or smooth cold brew. The rich coffee cuts through the sweetness, creating a luxurious flavor balance that dances on your palate.
  • Elevate with Dessert Wine Delight: Serve alongside a glass of golden Sauternes or a ruby port wine. These sweet wines complement the tart's caramel notes, enhancing the chocolate's depth and bringing out the subtle salt undertones.
  • Match with Vanilla Ice Cream Perfection: Top a slice with a scoop of premium vanilla bean ice cream. The cold, creamy texture contrasts beautifully with the tart's warm, gooey caramel and crisp chocolate chip base, creating a sensational dessert experience.
  • Refresh with Sparkling Contrast: Pour a chilled glass of prosecco or champagne. The bubbly, crisp drink cuts through the tart's richness, cleansing the palate and adding a celebratory touch to each decadent bite.

Tart Variations That Deserve Their Own Spotlight

  • Nutty Caramel Crunch: Replace chocolate chips with chopped pecans or almonds in the cookie base for added texture and nutty flavor. Sprinkle roasted nuts on top of the chocolate layer for extra crunch.
  • Espresso Chocolate Caramel: Incorporate instant espresso powder into the cookie base and chocolate layer for a rich, coffee-enhanced dessert. Dust with cocoa powder before serving to intensify the coffee notes.
  • Coconut Tropical Splash: Mix shredded coconut into the cookie base and sprinkle toasted coconut flakes on top of the chocolate layer. Drizzle with a touch of coconut rum for a tropical twist to the classic tart.
  • Berry Swirl Sensation: Blend raspberry or strawberry puree into the caramel sauce for a fruity undertone. Garnish with fresh berries and a light dusting of powdered sugar to complement the chocolate and caramel flavors.

Why This Tart Is a Sweet-Salty Marvel

  • Indulge in Decadent Layers: This tart combines three incredible textures – crispy chocolate chip cookie base, gooey salted caramel, and smooth chocolate ganache, creating a mind-blowing dessert experience.
  • Master an Impressive Technique: With simple steps, you'll create a professional-looking dessert that appears complex but is surprisingly achievable for home bakers of all skill levels.
  • Elevate Classic Flavors: The combination of sweet chocolate, rich caramel, and subtle salt creates a sophisticated flavor profile that transforms ordinary ingredients into an extraordinary treat perfect for special occasions or impressive dinner parties.
  • Quick and Crowd-Pleasing Dessert: From start to finish, this recipe takes just over an hour, delivering a show-stopping dessert that will wow friends and family with minimal effort and maximum deliciousness.

What You’ll Need for Caramel Perfection

Cookie Base Ingredients:
  • All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure and texture for the cookie base, use unbleached for best flavor.
  • Baking Soda: Helps the cookie base rise and become light, fresh baking soda ensures good leavening.
  • Salt: Enhances overall flavor and balances sweetness, use fine sea salt for even distribution.
  • Unsalted Butter: Creates rich, tender base with creamy texture, room temperature ensures smooth mixing.
  • Granulated Sugar, Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create crisp edges with soft center, use high-quality sugars.
  • Vanilla Extract: Adds depth and warmth to the cookie base, pure vanilla provides best flavor.
  • Large Egg: Binds ingredients and adds richness, use fresh room temperature egg.
  • Chocolate Chips: Provides chocolate bursts throughout the cookie base, semi-sweet works best.
Caramel Sauce Ingredients:
  • Granulated Sugar: Main component for creating caramel, use pure white sugar for clear color.
  • Corn Syrup: Prevents sugar crystallization and creates smooth caramel, light corn syrup recommended.
  • Water: Helps sugar dissolve and caramelize evenly, use filtered water.
  • Heavy Cream: Adds richness and stops caramel cooking, use full-fat cream.
  • Unsalted Butter: Provides silky texture and flavor to caramel, use high-quality butter.
  • Salt: Enhances caramel flavor, use fine sea salt.
  • Vanilla Extract: Adds depth to caramel sauce, pure vanilla provides best flavor.
Chocolate Layer Ingredients:
  • Dark Chocolate: Creates rich, smooth chocolate layer, use high-quality chocolate.

How to Build a Tart with Texture and Drama

Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Gather all ingredients for the cookie base.

Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients

In a bowl, combine:
  • Flour
  • Baking soda
  • Salt

Set the mixture aside.

Step 3: Create Cookie Base Batter

In a separate large mixing bowl, cream together:
  • Butter
  • Sugars

Mix until smooth and fully incorporated.

Step 4: Add Wet Ingredients

Stir in vanilla extract and egg. Blend until well combined.

Step 5: Finish Cookie Base Dough

Slowly mix in the dry ingredient mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.

Step 6: Prepare and Bake Cookie Base

Press the dough into a tart pan. Refrigerate for 5 minutes. Bake for 22-25 minutes.

Step 7: Cool and Shape Cookie Base

After baking, gently press down the center. Allow to cool for 20 minutes.

Step 8: Prepare Caramel Sauce

Warm heavy cream and set aside.

Step 9: Cook Caramel

In a saucepan, cook:
  • Sugar
  • Corn syrup
  • Water

Cook until the mixture turns honey-colored.

Step 10: Finish Caramel Sauce

Add warmed cream, then stir in:
  • Butter
  • Salt
  • Vanilla

Let the caramel cool slightly.

Step 11: Apply Caramel Layer

Pour caramel sauce over the cooled cookie base. Chill in the refrigerator.

Step 12: Create Chocolate Layer

Melt together:
  • Butter
  • Chocolate
  • Corn syrup

Step 13: Complete the Tart

Pour the chocolate mixture over the caramel layer. Sprinkle with fleur de sel.

Step 14: Chill and Serve

Refrigerate the tart before slicing and serving.

Tips for Crisp Crust and Gooey Middle

  • Master Your Mixing: Cream butter and sugars thoroughly to create a light, fluffy base that guarantees a tender cookie crust.
  • Chill for Perfection: Refrigerate the cookie dough before baking to prevent excessive spreading and maintain a crisp, defined tart shape.
  • Watch Caramel Carefully: Monitor sugar syrup closely during caramelization, removing from heat when it reaches a golden honey color to prevent burning.
  • Smooth Chocolate Technique: Melt chocolate and butter gently using a double boiler or low heat to ensure a silky, glossy chocolate layer.
  • Salt Finishing Touch: Sprinkle fleur de sel sparingly for a dramatic flavor contrast that elevates the entire dessert's complexity.
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Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Tart Recipe

Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Tart Recipe


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4.7 from 8 reviews

  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x

Description

Chocolate chip salted caramel tart delivers pure indulgence with its rich chocolate ganache and silky caramel layers. Luxurious chocolate and sea salt create a perfect balance of sweet and savory that will transport dessert enthusiasts to culinary bliss.


Ingredients

Scale

Main Ingredients:

  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted Challenge butter

Liquid Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon corn syrup

Seasoning:

  • Fleur de sel sea salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly combined.
  3. Using an electric mixer, cream unsalted butter with granulated and brown sugars until light and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
  4. Incorporate vanilla extract and egg into the butter mixture, mixing until smooth and well-integrated.
  5. Gradually fold the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined.
  6. Gently fold in chocolate chips, ensuring even distribution throughout the dough.
  7. Press the cookie dough evenly into the prepared tart pan, creating a uniform base and slightly raised edges.
  8. Refrigerate the dough for 5 minutes to firm up, then bake for 22-25 minutes until golden brown around the edges.
  9. Remove from oven and gently press down the center with the back of a spoon to create a slight indentation.
  10. Allow the cookie base to cool completely for 20 minutes at room temperature.
  11. For the caramel sauce, warm heavy cream in a small saucepan and set aside.
  12. In a separate heavy-bottomed pan, combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, and water, cooking without stirring until the mixture turns a honey-golden color.
  13. Carefully pour the warm cream into the caramel, stirring continuously to prevent splattering.
  14. Add unsalted butter, sea salt, and vanilla extract to the caramel, stirring until smooth and glossy.
  15. Allow the caramel to cool slightly, then pour evenly over the cooled cookie base.
  16. Refrigerate the tart for 15-20 minutes to set the caramel layer.
  17. For the chocolate layer, melt dark chocolate and butter together using a double boiler or microwave.
  18. Stir corn syrup into the melted chocolate mixture until fully incorporated and glossy.
  19. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly, then pour over the caramel layer, creating an even coating.
  20. Sprinkle fleur de sel across the top of the chocolate layer for a delicate, salty contrast.
  21. Refrigerate the tart for at least 2 hours to allow all layers to set completely before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • Chill the tart base before baking to prevent spreading and maintain crisp edges during cooking.
  • Use room temperature ingredients for smoother, more even mixing of cookie dough and better texture.
  • Watch caramel sauce carefully while cooking to achieve perfect honey color without burning, which can create bitter taste.
  • Allow each layer to cool slightly before adding next layer to prevent melting and maintain distinct texture.
  • Select high-quality chocolate and fleur de sel for enhanced flavor complexity and gourmet presentation.
  • Refrigerate tart for minimum 2 hours before serving to ensure clean, neat slicing and firm layers.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 8
  • Calories: 232 kcal
  • Sugar: 18 g
  • Sodium: 65 mg
  • Fat: 16 g
  • Saturated Fat: 9 g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
  • Trans Fat: 0.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 22 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 2 g
  • Cholesterol: 25 mg
Lucas Bennett

Lucas Bennett

Founder & Recipe Creator

Expertise

Simple Everyday Recipes, Sustainable Cooking Practices, Creative Meal Planning, Recipe Testing and Improvement

Education

Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, Wisconsin

  • Degree: Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts
  • Focus: Practical culinary training, fundamental cooking techniques, meal planning, and using fresh, local ingredients.

Lake Superior College, Duluth, Minnesota

  • Program: Certificate in Sustainable Food Systems
  • Focus: Cooking methods that promote sustainability, farm-to-table practices, and eco-friendly meal creation.

Lucas Bennett’s cooking journey started in his parents’ kitchen, where he learned to prepare tasty, no-fuss meals from scratch. His culinary passion led him to Fox Valley Technical College, where he gained practical cooking skills.
He then expanded his focus on sustainability at Lake Superior College. Today, Lucas shares easy, approachable recipes designed to make cooking enjoyable and stress-free for everyone.

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