I’ve created a lot of gluten free desserts recipes over the years, but this chocolate tart might be my favorite. The silky chocolate mousse nestled in a salty pretzel crust and drizzled with salted caramel sauce combines for the best salty-sweet dessert you’ve ever had!
Remember when I convinced you to buy a tart pan to make a Cranberry Curd Tart last year? Pull it out again because I’ve got another tart that will make your head spin. In the very best way.
The filling in this tart is so silky smooth and fluffy. It takes a few minutes whipping in a stand mixer, but the extra whipping will be well worth your time. You can have this tart prepped for the fridge in under an hour and you can make it a a few days ahead of time!
This Chocolate Mousse Tart makes any day a special one!
Are you a sucker for salty-sweet desserts like me? Give me all the chocolate covered pretzels and sea salt caramel ice cream.This chocolate tart combines everything I love about those flavors into one dessert.
One of the best things about this dessert is that it can EASILY be made gluten free. Just swap out those pretzels for gluten free and use a little 1:1 GF flour in the crust and BOOM. You’re on your way.
What you’ll need for this Caramel Chocolate Tart
- Salty Pretzel Crust (see below)
- Chocolate Mousse Filling (see below)
- Extra pretzels and mini chocolate chips (optional, for garnish)
- Sea Salt Caramel Sauce
- Sea Salt Flakes – I highly recommend using Maldon Sea Salt Flakes. I also use these in my Everything Bagel Seasoning so I always have some on hand. They’re delicate and delicious and are a subtle boost of salty flavor.
Chocolate Tart Crust
- Pretzels – Any plain pretzels will do of any shape. Just don’t get flavored ones (obviously). Gluten free pretzels work just as well as regular ones, too.
- Butter
- Flour – All-purpose or a 1:1 GF blend will do here. I used King Arthur gluten free flour.
Chocolate Tart Filling
- Unsweetened baking chocolate – I like Ghirardelli 100% cacao bars or Bakers unsweetened baking chocolate.
- Butter – There’s quite a bit in this recipe – both in the crust and in the filling. We’re not on the low-fat train with this.
- Coconut Sugar – You can also use brown sugar here, but I like the caramely flavor of coconut sugar in this recipe.
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs – You might notice that I use raw eggs in this recipe. If that freaks you out, use pasteurized eggs. There’s a quick tutorial in this recipe post if you want to pasteurize your own eggs!
- Heavy cream
Salted Caramel topping
Trader Joe’s Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce is my favorite but feel free to use whatever you can find. Or make your own naturally sweetened caramel sauce with this recipe: Paleo Caramel Sauce.
How to make a Chocolate Caramel Tart
- Crush the pretzels, mix with melted butter, flour, and a little water and press it into a tart pan. Bake for 8 min.
- Meanwhile make the filling by whipping the sugar and butter. Add the melted and cooled unsweetened chocolate and vanilla. Keep whipping.
- Add the eggs, whipping for a few minutes between each addition.
- Whip the cream and fold it into the chocolate mixture.
- Transfer the chocolate filling to the baked and cooled pretzel crust. Cover and chill for 2 hours.
- Top with extra pretzels, sea salt flakes, sea salt caramel sauce, and some mini chocolate chips. (optional, but cute)
Tips for making this Chocolate Tart Recipe
- Make sure the pretzels are crushed really, really finely. It’ll make it easier for it to stick together when you cut into the tart.
- Temperature is important during different times in this recipe. Make sure the chocolate is cooled to room temp or else your butter will melt and it will affect the texture of the mousse. Also, make sure the crust is cooled before you add the filling or it will melt.
- There’s a lot of whipping in this recipe. Make sure to whip everything as stated in the recipe for the fluffiest mousse!
- Chilling the tart will help it cut more easily when you serve it.
Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart variations
Use a different pan: If you don’t have a tart pan, you can use a 9-inch shallow pie plate or a 8/9-in springform pan. The crust won’t reach the top of those pans, but that’s OK because the tart itself is supposed to be rather short.
Make individual tarts: Use 6 or 8 ounce ramekins to make individual desserts. I haven’t tried that with this recipe, but I estimate you could get 5-6 mini tarts out of the crust and filling.
Top with fruit: If chocolate + fruit is more your thing, skip the toppings listed in the recipe and pile a bunch of fresh berries on this tart! Raspberries would be especially delicious.
Make a S’More Tart! You can also use a pre-made graham cracker pie crust and top it with some toasted marshmallow fluff to make a s’more situation.
Storing leftover Caramel Chocolate Tart
This tart is kinda rich so I imagine you’ll have some leftover unless you’re feeding a bunch of people.
Store any leftovers, covered, in the fridge for up to 7 days for best flavor.
Chocolate Mousse Tart FAQs
If it’s made in a shallow tart pan, then it’s a tart. Tarts usually have some kind of crust and can be both savory or sweet.
A torte has a cake component whereas a tart has some kind of pudding or fluffy mousse-like filling. Savory tarts tend to be either egg or cream based.
First, the pan used. Tart pans have a removable bottom and they’re more shallow than a pie dish. Dessert tarts aren’t usually baked whereas a pie can be both hot or cold, depending on the type.
See the tips I wrote out earlier in this post. My guess would be that your chocolate was too warm and melted your butter at the beginning. Or the crust was still warm and melted your filling at the end of the recipe. Make sure the components are the proper temperature when you’re putting this tart together. The tart filling should be a thicker, creamy texture even before you put it in the fridge.
More Easy Tarts and Pies on Perry’s Plate
If you like this chocolate tart recipe, try one of these other recipes!
Cranberry Curd Tart – A showstopping, fuchsia-hued tart that combines cranberry curd and sweet orange for a perfect holiday dessert.
Pineapple Pie – Think lemon meringue, but pineapple. My favorite cold pie, hands down.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie – Mine is infused with maple and chai spices!
If you make one of my recipes, be sure to post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!
Chocolate Mousse Tart
The silky chocolate mousse nestled in a salty pretzel crust and drizzled with salted caramel sauce combines for the best salty-sweet dessert you've ever had!
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 4 cups pretzels (twisted are easier to measure than sticks)
- 6 Tablespoons melted butter
- 3 Tablespoons flour (all-purpose or GF 1:1)
For the Filling:
- 2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
- 8 Tablespoons softened butter
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs (pasteurized if you prefer)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
For the Topping:
- Extra broken pretzels
- 3 Tablespoons sea salt caramel sauce
- Pinch of sea salt flakes
- Sprinkle of mini chocolate chips (optional, but cute)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Place an 9-inch tart pan on a large cookie sheet.
- Put the pretzels in the work bowl of a food processor and process until they're as finely chopped as you can get them. (Alternately you can put them in a zip top bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.)
- Add the 6 Tablespoons melted butter, flour, and 2 Tablespoons of water to the bowl and pulse until well blended. Mixture should be crumbly, but If you pinch, it should stick together. Add another Tablespoon of water if it seems dry.
- Transfer the pretzel mixture to the tart pan and press it to cover the entire bottom and up all of the sides as evenly as you can.
- Bake for 8 minutes. Set aside to cool. (Can be done a day ahead.)
- Start the filling by breaking the chocolate into smaller pieces and microwaving it in a small bowl for 15-second increments, stirring after each one, until the chocolate is completely melted. Set aside to cool. It should be room temperature when you use it.
- Put the softened 8 Tablespoons of butter into the work bowl of a stand mixer (fitted with the whisk attachment) along with the coconut sugar. Whip the butter and sugar for 3-4 minutes until it has lightened several shades. (Don't worry if it's grainy -- it'll all work out in the end.)
- Pour the melted and cooled chocolate and the vanilla extract into the bowl and continue to whip.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, whipping for 5 minutes in between each addition. When you're done the mixture won't be grainy and it will resemble fluffy chocolate pudding.
- Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold it into the chocolate filling.
- Transfer the filling to the cooled pretzel crust and smooth it out.
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours in the fridge to firm it up. It'll be easier to cut this way.
- When you're ready to serve it, sprinkle on some extra pretzels, a bit of sea salt flakes, some mini chocoalte chips (if you want), and a generous drizzle of sea salt caramel. Store refrigerated for up to 7 days for best flavor.
Notes
- I have made this with both gluten free and regular pretzels and flour and it works beautifully both ways.
- If you're using the last of a bag of pretzels, make sure you don't pour the excess salt at the bottom of the bag into the crust or you'll be bummed later.
- If you don't have access to a tart pan you can use an 8-in springform pan or an 8-in shallow pie dish. It will turn out thinner than a traditional pie, but still delicious.
- Also, sorry for all the of the dishes dirtied in this recipe.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1/8Amount Per Serving Calories 600Total Fat 38gSaturated Fat 23gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 117mgSodium 2953mgCarbohydrates 63gFiber 4gSugar 34gProtein 7g
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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