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Few desserts feel as elegant and satisfying as a classic French chocolate tar. With its crisp chocolate crust and silky ganache filling, this tart is rich, decadent, and surprisingly simple to make. It’s a timeless French recipe that turns everyday ingredients into something truly special — the perfect ending to a dinner party, holiday meal, or even a quiet Sunday at home.
The Tart Shell (Pâte Sucrée au Chocolat)
The base of this tart is a classic French pâte sucrée — a sweet shortcrust pastry that resembles tender shortbread. For this recipe, part of the flour is replaced with cocoa powder, which deepens the chocolate flavor.
If you prefer a buttery, more subtle base, simply omit the cocoa powder and replace it with flour. Either way, the result is crisp, delicate, and the perfect partner for a smooth ganache.
When making the dough, remember:
- Use cold butter to keep the texture light and flaky.
- Work quickly, pressing the flour and butter mixture into pea-sized crumbs before it softens.
- Add the egg yolk and cream gently, being careful not to overwork the dough.
This recipe calls for blind baking — fully baking the tart shell before filling it. This ensures the crust stays crisp under the rich ganache.
Tip: A 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom makes serving easy and elegant. If you don’t have one, a standard pie tin works fine — the presentation may change, but the flavor is just as good.
The Chocolate Ganache Filling
At the heart of this tart is a glossy, rich chocolate ganache — just chocolate and cream, whisked together until smooth. Once poured into the cooled tart shell, it sets to a luscious, silky texture.
Because the ganache is so central to this recipe, use the best chocolate you can find. Valrhona is the pastry chef’s favorite (and worth splurging on if you can). Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips are a more affordable option and widely available — they melt easily and give a wonderful result.
Chop bars finely if using — small pieces melt more evenly.
Dark or bittersweet chocolate creates the most balanced tart.
Milk chocolate can be used, but because of its higher dairy content, the ganache may be looser. You may need to increase the chocolate slightly to achieve the right texture.
For the best results, you should always use the highest quality ingredients you can find. I like to use a high quality unsalted butter (Président or Kerrygold) for the tart shell, and very good quality chocolate (Valrohona or Ghiradelli) for the ganache.
Serving Suggestions
This tart is best enjoyed at room temperature, when the ganache is at its creamiest.
For garnish, try:
- A dusting of cocoa powder
- Fresh raspberries or strawberries with mint
- A sprinkle of roasted nuts
- Or a light drizzle of leftover ganache with a touch of fleur de sel
Serve simply with coffee, or pair with a French digestif like Grand Marnier or Cointreau for a more festive touch.
Storing the Tart
- Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days, but always let it come back to room temperature before serving for the best flavor.
- Leftover dough can be wrapped and refrigerated for 3 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This French chocolate tart is elegant enough for Paris’ finest restaurants, yet simple enough for the home cook. With its crisp chocolate shell and silky ganache center, it proves that a few high-quality ingredients and a little French technique can create a dessert that feels luxurious without being complicated.
Bon appétit!
Gaby
French Chocolate Tart Recipe (Tart au Chocolat)
Equipment
- 1 small bowl
- 1 large bowl
Ingredients
Tart Shell
- 2 3/4 cups 345 g all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup 30 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup 100 g powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp fleur de sel
- 1 cup 2 sticks or 225g cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/3 cup 80 ml heavy whipping cream
Chocolate Ganache Filling
- 6 ounces 60% cocoa Ghiradelli chocolate chips
- 1 cup 240 ml heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Making The Tart Shell
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and heavy whipping cream, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter. Using your hands, gently toss the flour mixture over the butter to coat.
- Once the mixture is a crumbly texture, drizzle the egg and cream mixture over it and combine with a fork, until no dry flour is visible. It will likely be sticky at this point. But, don't worry, it will come together.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. You should coat the outside so that it no longer sticky. Be sure not too add too much excess flour. You will want to stop just when it is easy to handle without sticking to your fingers.
- Divide the dough in half, and wrap each piece in plastic wrap, and form into a disk. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before using. If you are not planning on using it right away, wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Alternatively, wrap it in two layers of plastic wrap, place in a freezer zip bag, and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Remove one dough disk from the refrigerator, and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough into an approximately 13 inch diameter circle (about 1/8 inch thickness). This gives a 2 inch (2 cm) border for the sides of the tart. To check sizing, you can gently place your tart pan right on top of the circle to ensure that you have excess dough for the border.
- Once you are satisfied with the size, starting at one end of the circle, gently place the rolling pin on top, and roll the dough around the pin like a roll of tape. You can use this transfer the dough to the tin without tearing it. Again, starting on one side of the tin, gently unroll the dough onto the tin.
- Lightly press the tart dough into the tart pan, focusing on the corners, and working up the sides of the tin. Don't worry if it tears, you can easily patch it up with some excess dough.
- Use the rolling pin to roll over the tin and remove any excess dough hanging over the edges. Place the tart tin and dough in the refrigerator for 25 minutes to chill.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees Celcius).
- After 25 minutes, remove the tin from the refrigerator, and using a fork, make pricks in the dough covering the bottom of the tin. This will prevent it from bubbling up during baking, and you won’t need to use pie weights!
- Bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove the tart crust from the oven, and allow to cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes.
- Carefully remove the tart crust from the pan by placing your hand in the center of the pan, and allowing the ring to fall down your arm. You can remove the bottom of the tin if you wish. The tart should slide off easily. But, if it needs coaxing, gently run a sharp knife between the crust and the bottom of the pan to remove the pan's base. Place the tart back on a wire rack to finish cooling completely before filling.
Making the Chocolate Ganache Filling
- While the tart shell is cooling, place the chocolate chips or pieces in a medium bowl.
- Heat the heavy cream over a low to medium heat, until it begins to simmer. You need to keep a close eye on the cream. If it boils over, you will end up with a huge mess! Remove the heavy cream from the heat and immediately pour it over the chocolate pieces, ensuring that all the pieces are covered.
- Allow the cream and chocolate to sit for about 5 minutes, until the chocolate pieces begin to melt. Starting in the center, whisk gently, gradually building up speed, until it is all incorporated. It should resemble a thick and glossy chocolate sauce.
Filling the Tart Shell
- Carefully pour the chocolate ganache into the cooled tart shell. Using an off set spatula, or knife, smooth the surface of the ganache, and allow to cool completely. You can leave it out on the counter top overnight to cool, or if you are in a hurry, place it in the refrigerator to cool.
Notes
If you are looking for another great chocolate dessert, try my Authentic Chocolate Truffles!
