Chocolate Ganache Tart with Toasted Hazelnuts

A chocolate ganache tart is actually a very simple dessert! We added toasted hazelnuts beneath the chocolate for extra texture and flavour.

This post first appeared on May 24, 2018 and was last updated February 18, 2021.

If we could only make one type of dessert until the end of time, we just might make tarts! The possibilities for a tart’s filling are endless. Vanilla custard, fruit curd, or stewed fruit are great. You can even fill tarts with nothing but sweetened whipped cream! Sometimes the simplest things are best.

This decadent tart is filled with a mixture of melted dark and milk chocolates, whipping cream, and butter. What’s not to love? You can leave the tart with just the chocolate filling, and it’s seriously perfect as is. For this version though, we added a layer of toasted hazelnuts to really bring out that classic Nutella flavour.

A crescent of fresh fruit and cute hedgehog chocolate truffles take this dessert to the next level, but they aren’t necessary! If you’re not sure how you want to decorate your chocolate ganache tart, check out this post called How To Dress Up A Fruit Tart for more inspiration.

You do need one blind-baked tart shell or pie crust for this recipe. We used one fully baked sweet shortcrust pastry shell for this post.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Method
• Tips & Notes
• Substitutions
• Recipe

Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the printable recipe card with full ingredient measurements and complete instructions.

Ingredients

Method

Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Add the hazelnuts to the pan, and cook them until fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes, shaking the pan often so the nuts don’t burn. 

Dump the toasted nuts out onto a clean and dry tea towel. Gather the tea towel around and over the nuts and let them “steam” in the towel for about a minute. Gently rub the towel over the nuts to coax off the skins (this step is optional, and not necessary). Place the toasted nuts in the prepared baked pastry shell and set aside.

Chop both of the chocolates and place them together in a large heatproof bowl. Set aside.

Add the whipping cream, butter, and espresso powder (optional) to a small pot. Warm everything together over medium-low heat until the butter is melted and the cream is steamy. You don’t want the cream to bubble or boil because if it gets too hot, your chocolate may seize or split (see the notes below for what to do if this happens).

Once hot, pour the cream mixture over the chopped chocolate.

Let stand for one minute then whisk together until smooth.

Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the tart shell over the toasted hazelnuts. Smooth the top of the chocolate with the back of a soup spoon or an offset spatula.

Let the tart sit at room temperature for at least three hours, and up to overnight to set. Decorate however you like before serving.

To Serve

To serve your chocolate ganache tart, run a sharp knife under hot water, dry it with a kitchen towel, then slice the tart gently. Continue the process of heating the knife under hot water, and drying the blade with a towel for easiest slicing.

Tips & Notes

You don’t have to toast the nuts if you don’t want to, however, we love the added flavour toasting brings.

If you are serving this tart after a late dinner, or to children, you may want to omit the espresso powder.

After slicing, store the chocolate ganache tart, covered on a platter or plate in the fridge, for up to three days.

What To Do If Your Ganache Seizes Or Splits

If the cream and butter mixture is too hot, it can cause the fat in the chocolate to separate and become lumpy or gritty. If this happens, try:

• Letting the split ganache cool to room temperature.
• Spooning it back into a pot.
• Warming it gently over medium-low heat on the stovetop while whisking often.

This technique *may* save your ganache. You can also try adding a a sprinkle of fresh chopped chocolate and a splash of fresh cream to help try and emulsify the fats back together.

Substitutions

If you don’t want to make pastry from scratch use a store-bought frozen pie shell and bake it according to package directions.

Any mixture of chocolate you like or have on hand will work in this recipe so long as you keep the measurements the same.

You can substitute an equal amount of any other nuts you like in place of the hazelnuts. Of course almonds and chocolate are great together!

More Decadent Chocolate Recipes

Baked Chocolate Donuts
Chocolate Sourdough Cake
Double Chocolate Buckwheat Brownies
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Loaf
Dark Chocolate Coconut Bars

Recipe