Chocolate Peanut Caramel Tarts Recipe
These Chocolate Peanut Caramel Tarts are particularly moreish. They are like an individual tart version of a Snickers bar. They have a buttery, sweet pastry base and are filled with a smooth caramel, roasted peanuts and topped with a rich dark chocolate ganache. For this recipe, you can use your own homemade sweet pastry, a store bought premade pastry like this one from JusRol, or buy already baked pastry shells. The finished tarts can stay fresh for up to 3 days.
So how do I make these Chocolate Peanut Caramel Tarts from scratch?
These tarts can be made in just a few simple steps;
- Sweet Pastry Shells
- Caramel
- Filling Tart Shells
- Dark Chocolate Ganache
Sweet Pastry Shells
So, you’re gonna want to start off with a block of sweet pastry. This can either be made from my previous recipe or store bought if you prefer. Below I have included an easy to follow, simple video from Good Housekeeping UK. This shows the method I prefer to use while rolling and fitting a tart shell.
Now, because we are making a open tarts, and not cooking the filling and the shell together, we will blind bake the pastry shells. To do this, place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the pastry. Fill it with either ceramic beans made for baking or regular dried beans. In this recipe, I have used dried chickpeas as it’s what I had on hand. Dried pasta and rice also works well in a pinch! The is to keep the pastry level and reduce any air bubbles or rising that may happen in the oven.
Caramel
To begin making the caramel, add the sugar and water to a saucepan. Heat on high heat until the sugar starts to caramelise. Turn down to medium and cook till you achieve an amber colour. Add in the butter and whisk thoroughly. The sugar will start to spit and look clumpy when you add the butter, this is normal. Keep whisking and be careful not to burn yourself. Once the butter is fully incorporated, add the cream next and whisk. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes until all remaining sugar crystals dissolve. Leave to cool slightly for 1-2 minutes.
Filling Tart Shells
Once your caramel has cooled slightly, spoon a generous tablespoon of caramel into each baked pastry shell. Sprinkle roasted peanuts on top of the caramel. Add another tablespoon of caramel on top of the roasted peanuts and smooth over. Leave to cool and set while you prepare the ganache.
Dark Chocolate Ganache
To make the dark chocolate ganache, add the chopped dark chocolate to a large mixing bowl. Heat up your cream, either in the microwave or in a saucepan until close to boiling point. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and leave to sit for 1-2 minutes. Whisk together until all the chocolate has melted and you have a smooth ganache. Carefully pour the chocolate ganache equally into the tarts. Fill as close to the top as you can without spilling over. Add a few roasted peanuts to the top for decoration. Chill for at least 30 minutes to set the tarts. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They are best eaten at room temperature. When ready to serve, remove from the fridge for 30 minutes to allow the caramel to soften a little.
TIPS FOR A PERFECT CARAMEL?
-Don’t mix the sugar, swirl the pan every minute or so to prevent burning. Mixing the sugar may result in large sugar crystals which may produce a grainy caramel. You can use a whisk once you add in the butter and cream though.
-You’re looking to get the sugar to a soft ball stage. This means that if you drip a small bit of the sugar into water, it should form a small soft ball, that is squishy to the touch still. If using a food thermometer, aim for a temperature of just under 112-115°c/234-240°f.
-Don’t worry if it starts to crystallise and forms lumps after you add the butter and cream. This is totally normal and the sugar will dissolve again once it’s put back on the heat. For this reason, I like to underdo my caramel slightly at the start before adding the butter and cream for this reason, so I don’t worry about burning it when trying to remelt the sugar crystals.
For more Chocolate Recipes, check out my Chocolate category, here.
Maybe you’re interested in No Bake Recipes? Take a peek at my No Bake Recipes, here.
Chocolate Peanut Caramel Tarts
Equipment
- 4 individual tart shells
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Small saucepan
- 1 medium/large mixing bowl
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Rubber Spatula or Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 1 batch sweet pastry homemade or store bought
Caramel
- 125 grams caster sugar
- 1 tbsp water
- 40 grams butter
- 75 grams cream
- 40 grams roasted, non salted peanuts
Dark Chocolate Ganache
- 100 grams dark chocolate high quality
- 75 grams cream
Instructions
Pastry cases
- Preheat oven to 170°c (340°f) or 160°c (320°f) if fan assisted.
- Divide the sweet dough into 4 smaller pieces. Lightly flour a work surface and using the rolling pin, roll out each piece thinly to a few cm bigger than the pastry shells you are using.
- Carefully fit the pastry into each tin and trim off any excess.
- Place small pieces of parchment paper directly onto the pastry to cover the base and add in baking weights/dried beans/rice to help keep the paper down.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the base is cooked and starting to turn a light brown. Allow pastry shells to cool before next step.
Caramel
- In a small saucepan, add the sugar and water.
- Heat on medium/medium-high until the mix starts to bubble.
- Continue cooking until you reach a light amber colour, swirling the pan often to prevent burning.
- Take off the heat and add in the butter. Be careful as it may splutter. Whisk well and return to the heat. The sugar may crystilise when you add the butter, this is normal and you can dissolved it later.
- Cook for another minute before removing from the heat and whisking in the cream. Be careful as it may splutter.
- Return to the heat and cook for another 3-4 minutes, whisking often until all the sugar has dissolved again.
- Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Pour about a tablespoon of caramel into each cooled tart case.
- Sprinkle some roasted peanuts all over the caramel and cover with another tablespoon of caramel.
- Allow to coo slightly before the next layer.
Dark Chocolate Ganache
- Chop up your chocolate if using blocks and add to your mixing bowl.
- Add the cream to a small saucepan and heat on medium until close to boiling.
- Pour the hot cream directly over the chocolate in the bowl and leave to stand for 1 minute without touching.
- Whisk together until a smooth ganache has formed and all the chocolate has melted.
- Pour on top of the cooled caramel and fill to the top as close as possible.
- Decorated with a sprinkle of peanuts and a little sea salt.
- Allow to cool and set for at least 2 hours before serving.
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