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A chocolate pistachio caramel tart, sliced, with caramel oozing out between the slices
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5 from 1 vote

Chocolate Pistachio Caramel Tart

An ultra-indulgent tart with layers of buttery pistachio crust, silky pistachio caramel, and dark chocolate ganache. Rich, nutty, bittersweet, and luxurious.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Chill Time3 hours
Total Time4 hours 10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 12 slices
Author: Karie

Equipment

  • 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom
  • Rolling pin

Ingredients

Pistachio tart crust

  • 3 tablespoons pistachios
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter soft, diced
  • 2 egg yolks
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • pinch of salt

Pistachio caramel

Ganache

  • 6 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate chopped fine
  • ½ cup heavy cream

Topping (optional)

  • ¼ cup pistachios chopped
  • 1 tablespoon flaky sea salt

Instructions

  • Make the tart crust. Blend 3 tbsp pistachios in a food processor until finely ground (this may take a couple minutes). Add ¼ cup powdered sugar, 6 tbsp soft butter, 2 egg yolks, and ½ tsp vanilla. Blend until creamy and well mixed. Drizzle in 3 tbsp water and pulse to blend.
  • Add 1 ½ cups flour and a pinch of salt to the food processor. Blend just until mixed.
  • Pour tart dough out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface and knead gently a few times with your hands until it comes together. Form dough into a rounded disc and wrap tightly in plastic. Chill in refrigerator at least 30 minutes before rolling out.
  • Bake tart dough. Roll tart dough out (either on a lightly floured surface or between 2 sheets of parchment paper) until it's about ½ inch thick. Carefully lift dough and place into 9-inch tart pan. Press into the bottom and sides, eliminating gaps. If the dough breaks or you get any holes, simply patch those spots by pushing extra dough in. Trim away any excess dough from the edges of the pan.
    Prick dough all over with a fork and place in refrigerator or freezer for 20-30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375° F.
    Lay a sheet of parchment paper over the tart dough and fill with pie weights or baking beans. Bake for about 15 minutes. Remove pie weights, place tart crust back in oven, and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and fully cooked. Let cool completely.
  • Make pistachio caramel. If making your own caramel sauce, prepare it and let it cool for at least 20 minutes. Whisk ¾ cup caramel sauce with 6 tbsp pistachio butter until well blended. Pour into cooled tart crust. Let caramel layer cool completely before adding ganache.
  • Make ganache. Heat ½ cup heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat just until small bubbles start to appear on the edges. Pour hot cream over 6 oz chopped chocolate. Let sit 30-60 seconds, then whisk gently, starting in the middle and working your way out, until well mixed and silky.
    Pour ganache over caramel layer, spreading with a small offset spatula or tilting the tart gently until ganache covers tart in an even layer. Allow ganache to set until firm (room temp or fridge), 1-2 hours.
  • Decorate & serve. Sprinkle chopped pistachios and sea salt around the edges just before serving.

Notes

Pistachios: You can use either raw or roasted & salted pistachios for this recipe. I used roasted salted.
Pistachio butter: I recommend using a pure pistachio butter without added ingredients. If you use a pistachio butter that contains added sugar, oils, or other ingredients, the final flavor and texture of the pistachio caramel will vary.