If you love salted caramel and chocolate, this Salted Caramel Tart is your dream come true! The creamy caramel filling is made with condensed milk, a secret trick for making perfect soft-set caramel without using a candy thermometer. With a biscuit crust and luxurious chocolate ganache topping, it’s hard to believe you only need 6 ingredients to make this!
Salted caramel tart
“OMG, that caramel tart!”, my friend exclaimed. “You’ve probably given my whole family diabetes, but OMG!!!!”
I grinned, gleefully. “I know, it’s INSANE, isn’t it?”
This is probably the most indulgent dessert I know how to make. It’s sinfully decadent. The caramel filling is truly incredible – it’s smooth, creamy, thick and so soft.
It’s made using a caramel base of butter plus sugar (for the caramel flavour) which is then combined with condensed milk. Once baked, it sets, almost like a soft custard. It’s different to the traditional method of making caramel fillings which require the caramel to come to a specific temperature at which point it will set to be a soft creamy caramel, rather than runny or hard. i.e. Candy thermometer required.
I have it in my head that this is the Australian way of making a creamy caramel, as it is how the caramel is made for the Aussie favourite Caramel Slice. I’d love to know if anyone knows otherwise. I feel like it’s an undiscovered secret because I never seem to see caramel tarts/pies/bars/slices etc made using condensed milk.
The biscuit crust
This tart is made with a simple biscuit crust, like you see with cheesecakes. That caramel was made for using as a glue to suction up all the loose crumbs when you inhale your slice!
This is how I press the crumbs into the tart tin – using something flat and round with straight walls. I’m using a measuring cup here. Use it to press the crumbs into the wall and a knife or your finger to level out the top of the crust, and to level out the base of the tart.
As for the topping – what else could it be other than a chocolate ganache? 🙂 This ganache has a slightly higher chocolate to cream ratio than traditional ganache recipes (which are usually 1:1) so the chocolate is a little firmer than used as a frosting. It makes it soft but cuttable without smearing so you get nice neat tart slices.
Many readers have jokingly noted how my very recognisable hands have been absent in videos recently. Shooting videos by yourself is seriously hard work when you have a simple home set up like I do. I’ve been thinking about getting a studio, setting things up “properly”. A permanent video shoot area with studio lights, a kitchen, getting a permanent support team and making my life a little – ALOT – easier.
But for me, one of the things I love about my website is how personal it is. Everything that you see is made in my pokey kitchen, the recipes are my own, created by me, tested by me, taste tested by family and friends. The larger a team gets, the less personal this website will become. Does anyone here seriously think that Martha Stewart creates every recipe that ends up on her website, her magazines, cookbooks and TV shows?
I enjoy making my own videos, shooting them, editing them. In a bid to make my life slightly easier, I get my mother or a helper to come in once a week to help with food prep, double/triple/quadruple test recipes, and most importantly in my world, help with the washing up.
And because everybody has nicer hands than me, I can never resist calling on my help to be my video hand model. 😂 Plus the incredible convenience of not having to wipe my hands and dash around to check the camera with every single micro step in every video! For a recipe like this, if I shot it myself, I would have to do that about 40 times – at least.
I feel like this post is a little all over the place and a bit stilted.
I’ll be honest. I’m a bit tarted out. I’m really trying to drum up the enthusiasm for what is possibly the most raved about dessert ever by my taste testers – and that includes the homeless man at the dog park.
But I’ve made this seven times in a week and half!! Testing + a couple of video fails.
As I said, I’m tarted out!!
My friends are not. I definitely did not run out of willing taste testers to even take the ones I wasn’t 100% happy with. 🙂
To be clear, Dozer was not one of those taste testers. No chocolate for dogs!! – Nagi xx
Watch how to make it
Salted Caramel Tart recipe video. So you can see how soft that caramel is and don’t miss the Dozer cameo at the end!!
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Salted Caramel Tart
Ingredients
Base:
- 225g / 8 oz plain sweet biscuits, about 2 cups (packed) crushed (Arnott’s Marie Crackers, Graham Crackers, Note 1 for Digestives)
- 150g / 10 tbsp unsalted butter , melted (Note 1 for Digestives)
Caramel:
- 100g / 7 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar (tightly packed cup)
- 2 cans sweetened condensed milk (395g / 14oz each can)
- 1 3/4 tsp salt (2 ½ – 3 tsp salt flakes)
Chocolate Ganache Topping:
- 1/3 cup thickened cream (heavy cream), or any cream 30%+ fat
- 150g / 5 oz dark chocolate melts / chips
- Sea salt flakes , for topping (recommended)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180*C/350°F (160°C fan-forced). Grease and line the base only of a 23cm / 9" tart tin with a loose base. (Or a springform pan of a similar size)
- Blitz biscuits – Roughly break up biscuits and place in a food processor, then whizz until fine crumbs form. Or do this step with a ziplock bag and rolling pin.
- Press – Pour crumbs into a bowl, add melted butter, mix until it looks like wet sand and no dry crumbs remain. Pour into tin, then press firmly into base and sides – use something flat like a cup to assist (refer to video).
- Bake & cool – Transfer to tray (safe handling), place in oven and bake for 10 minutes, then remove and cool slightly (5 minutes in fridge).
Caramel:
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar and whisk to combine – butter may not incorporate fully.
- Whisk – Once it starts bubbling and the sugar is completely melted, pour in the condensed milk, whisking as you go. Whisk constantly until you see steam coming off the caramel (~ 4 minutes), then remove from heat.
- Pour into base – Add salt (adjust to taste), then pour the caramel into the tart base.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges of the caramel surface is golden and the surface has a “skin” on it, but the caramel is still soft and the centre jiggles slightly (see video for demo.)
- Cool on counter while you make the chocolate.
Chocolate Ganache:
- Melt chocolate – Place cream and chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Microwave in 2 x 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until smooth.
- Cool then pour – Set aside for 10 minutes to thicken slightly, then pour over the base. Smooth top or make swirls like I did (just wait until the chocolate thickens slightly). Sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
- Refrigerate for 1 ½ hours to allow chocolate to set. Then remove and bring to room temperature before slicing to serve. Handle carefully when sliding the tart off the base – or just leave it on to be safe and just remove the sides.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
For Caramel Monsters
Caramel Slice (aka Millionaire’s Shortbread!) – the great Aussie favourite!
Peanut Butter Caramel Tart – dangerously easy
Sweetened Condensed Milk Caramel – just place a can of condensed milk in the slow cooker!
More slices and bars
Strawberry Bars – made with tons of fresh strawberries!
Easiest Ever Raspberries Jam Bars
Life of Dozer
Checking himself out while I was making the recipe video!! 😂
Hello…love your recipe..but I need tart base measurements for my 12″ tart pan. Can you help me with the biscuit one as well as the flour one..?
Has anyone tried this with gluten free biscuits?
It always seems like there is too much butter??
Hi Prachi, I haven’t made it in this size, however I would increase the servings to 16 and base your tart off that amount. Love to know how you go! N x
This was delicious! My husband’s favourite dessert is banoffee pie so I used this recipe but added sliced banana and whipped cream on top instead of the chocolate ganache (and reduced the salt). It tasted amazing. The banana and cream cut through the super sweet caramel and it came together so well. Thanks Nagi!
This is so easy and so delicious! I made it with choc biscuit base and without the salt and it’s the BEST! Thanks Nagi!
Looks fantastic, but is this really supposed to fit in a 9″ tart tin? I had way too much volume to fit.
Hi Abby, yes it is made for a 9″ tin – you can see this in the video 🙂 N x
Made this tonight. It was delicious. I only struggled with the base being too dry that it crumbled. My dinner guests loved it anyway and said I could make it again soon. They are happy taste testers.
Hi Nagi, fairly new to baking, here. Having trouble getting the caramel to thicken in the over once poured over the base. I’ve tried a couple of times, but the caramel never develops the “skin” and stays too thin to hold up the ganache. Any thoughts on what I’m doing wrong? Thanks so much!
Hi Nate, sorry you’re having issues, sounds like you may need to cook it longer on the stove before baking it – try cooking an added 2 minutes on the stove and then proceed with the recipe. N x
Hi, I love the look of this recipe for Christmas! If I wanted to make it for 18, what sized springform or rectangular pan should I use please? (I’m hopeless at these kinda baking tin conversions!)
Hi Toni, I would recommend a 12″ pan 🙂 N x
Thank you SO much for your reply – and so quickly! This now gives me greater confidence to cook this tart for a larger number of people. Much appreciated. : )
This was amazing!!! Easy as well. Will absolutely make again.
Pls tell me a way to prevent the caramel from becoming hard.I don’t have a thermometer.I don’t even know what corn syrup is?
Hi Nagi! Love your recipes! I made this one for dinner at the boys place last night and it was an absolute hit! Glad I left the leftovers with them though, otherwise I would have eaten the whole thing myself, not good for the gut and happy to share the love! I followed the recipe exactly as you suggested but I think my base creating technique might need a little work as it was a little crumbly. Any advice on how to achieve that perfect base without it crumbling everywhere?
My base broke up and mixed into the caramel. Do I need to use more butter?
Hi Jo, I’ve never heard of this happening! Did you make any changes to the ingredients by any chance? N x
I’d like to add whisky to this as I’ve seen in other recipes… would it work with this?
I love the way you think Janet, I haven’t tried but think a tablespoon or two added to the caramel will work fine 🙂 N x
This recipe looks sinfully delish! I’m planning to make it for an Indian festival which is coming up in 2 days. May I please know if I can use store bought caramel syrup in this recipe? Will it be too runny?
Hi Ranveet, store-bought is too runny and wont work here sorry! N x
Brought this along to my friend’s place for a post lockdown meal. It was a huge hit for her whole family. Thanks for yet another great recipe. I pretty much only cook from your site now!
This sounds delicious!! Would it be possible to make these as individual tarts in a cupcake/muffin tin? Would the recipe need any amendments?
You could Elyssa, although you may find them difficult to get out of the pan! N x
I’m going to try making this in a muffin tin in a paper cupcake / muffin liner . I figure the base is similar to your mini cheesecakes so hoping it will work
Awesome, thanks for your reply 🙂
Hi Nagi 🙂
Am I able to use thickened cream instead of condensed milk? If so what quantity would you suggest?
PS: love your videos and recipes.
Hi Kay – no you need the condensed milk for the caramel in this recipe sorry! N x
Hi nagi I have just found you recently and your pointers along the way, I want to make this using 10in tray will the same quantity do
Hi Cathroina, are you using a rectangular tray? N x
Hi nagi it is a circle cake dish, thank you for your reply loving making your recipes.
I have just made this and taken out the fridge I made in spring tin when I was taking it off the caramel seems hard will it soften up once out the fridge a while I’m taking it over a friend’s so can’t try it
Looks yummy
Maybe for an Easter treat?
Sounds like a great idea Di!
Omg this has made me drool can’t wait to make this. Nagi thankyou for your info on Japanese knives I am going to Japan next year and was thinking about bringing some home. I am left handed and your info was great thanks so much. Merry Christmas to you and your family and of course Dozer
I’ve made this tart three times in two weeks! Everyone loves it and it is so easy. I’ve used Biscoff cookies for the crust, with only 4oz of butter. It keeps well so is great for making ahead, and serves a lot because it is so rich! Delish!