Chewy Nut Tart

byBeth Le Manach
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byBeth Le Manach This post may contain affiliate links.
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This yummy Chewy Nut Tart is a great alternative to Pecan Pie if you’re looking to change things up this Thanksgiving!

It combines a flakey crust with a chewy, nutty center and a drizzle of semi-sweet chocolate. It’s very easy to whip up at the last minute if you need just one more dessert for your dessert table, and it’s totally delicious, too!

For more delicious Thanksgiving desserts, try my French Apple Cake, my Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars, or my Apple Galette.

a slice of nut tart on a serving platter with other slices.
Refrigerating the tart overnight will provide nice clean slices.

The Ingredients:

  • Butter: I use unsalted butter for this recipe. You’ll need enough for the crust and the filling. For the crust, be sure the butter is cut into a small dice and chilled. You can dice it and then refrigerate it while you prep the rest of the ingredients. Chilling the butter helps the pastry dough come together easily and avoids sticking.
  • Flour: No need for pastry flour. I use regular all-purpose flour.
  • Salt: I prefer Kosher salt for texture and flavor.
  • Egg: Mixed with ice water will help your tart crust come together while providing a richer flavor.
  • Nuts: I use a combination of raw cashews, walnuts, and almonds. But you really could use any nut you like. Pecans, Hazelnuts, Pistachios are all good choices. Just be sure they equal three cups in total.
  • Honey: Creates a wonderful stickiness to the filling without the need for corn syrup. It’s a similar recipe I use for my Pecan Bars with Shortbread Crust. Another great nut recipe for Thanksgiving!
  • Vanilla Extract: For the best flavor, use pure vanilla extract (as opposed to imitation vanilla extract).
  • Heavy Cream: Will add a rich texture to the caramel filling.
  • Semi-Sweet Chocolate: It a great addition for drizzling over the tart once it’s baked.
  • High-Quality Vanilla Ice Cream Yes, this would be the time to spring for the good stuff!
Ingredients laid out on a counter
The Nut Tart uses basic ingredients you may already have at home!

Making the Tart Dough

  • Be sure the tart dough is nicely chilled before rolling it out.
  • I like to use these rubber pastry mats for rolling out dough since they show how large your circle of dough needs to be for the size of the pan you are using.
  • This recipe calls for a 9″ removable bottom tart tin.
  • Fold the crust over, towards the inside of the tart to form a double crust. This will make your tart more stable.
Tart dough draped over a tart tin
Folding the dough over allows for a double-crust which will make your tart more stable.

Trimming the Tart Dough

  • Trimming the tart dough will provide nice, clean edges to your tart after it is baked.
  • The best way to get a nice clean edge is to freeze the tart shell for 10-15 minutes after you have fitted it into your pan.
  • Then, using a sharp knife that is not serrated, slice the edges off until they are flush with the tin’s edge.
  • Keep frozen until ready to fill the shell with the nut filling.
A trimmed tart shell with dough
Pop your tart in the freezer for 10 minutes to make it easier to trim the edges.

Preparing the Nut Filling

  • This is such an easy pie filling to make!
  • Just create the caramel filling by melting the butter and sugar and then adding the honey, vanilla, and heavy cream. A good pinch of salt.
  • Then add the nuts and toss them with a spatula until they are well coated. You shouldn’t have any more liquid left in the pot, it should all be coated on the nuts.
Nuts covered in sugar syrup in a pot
Be sure the nuts are well-coated in the sugar mixture before placing in the tart shell.

Filling the Tart Shell

  • Allow the nuts to cool slightly so they don’t melt the pastry, but not too much so that they are hard to spread out. Freezing the tart shell will help keep the tart shell cool while preventing it from melting.
  • Transfer the mixture to the shell, and with a small rubber spatula spread out the nuts so that they are a single layer and no gaps remain between the crust and the nut filling.
  • This will prevent the crust from slipping down into the shell.
  • Bake at 350F (175C) for just 25 minutes.
  • Do not overbake over you will burn the nuts! And that is not a great-tasting flavor! Nuts burn very quickly so I wouldn’t go over 25 minutes in the oven.
A tart shell filled with nuts in a sugar syrup
Smooth the nuts out into a single layer before baking.

Adding a Drizzle of Chocolate

  • For the finishing touch, add the chocolate to a double boiler. Melt until smooth and liquidy.
  • Then place the tart on a sheet of parchment paper, and dip a balloon whisk into the chocolate and run it across the tart moving the whisk back and forth until some nice drizzles form.
  • Place the tart in the refrigerator, uncovered, until ready to serve.
A nut tart drizzled with chocolate.
A drizzle of semi-sweet chocolate is both pretty and delicious!

Storing and Serving

  • The tart is best kept in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It will keep its chewy texture that way.
  • It’s best made 1 day ahead to keep the pastry flakey.
  • Serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
A slice of nut pie with a chocolate drizzle and vanilla ice cream
Serve with high-quality vanilla ice cream or butter pecan ice cream would be great too!
a nut tart covered with chocolate drizzle

Chewy Nut Tart

Yield: 8 slices
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 25 minutes

This yummy Chewy Nut Tart is a great alternative to Pecan Pie this Thanksgiving! It combines a flakey crust with a chewy nutty center and a drizzle of semi-sweet chocolate. A fantastic combination!

Ingredients

Tart Crust:

  • 1 ¼ cup (175g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon (13 g) sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon ( a large pinch) salt
  • 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) ice cold water

Nut Filling:

  • 1 cup (160 g) walnuts, raw
  • 1 cup (140 g) cashews, raw
  • 1 cup (160 g) almonds, raw
  • 6 tablespoons (85 g) of unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup (130g) light brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) honey
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 ¼ tsp (11 ml) heavy cream
  • 2 ¼ tsp (11 ml) vanilla extract

Garnish:

  • 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted
  • a dusting of powdered sugar

For Serving:

  • High-quality vanilla ice cream

Instructions

  1. To make the tart crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter, working it in between your fingertips combining it with the flour, until all the butter cubes are worked in and a coarse meal forms.
  2. Whisk together the egg with the ice water. Add it to the flour mixture, and whisk it up with a fork until a scraggly dough forms.
  3. Then with floured hands, form it into a ball then a disc and wrap it up in parchment paper. Refrigerate a minimum of 1 hour, but overnight is even better.
  4. Once chilled, roll the dough out onto a floured surface until 1/4" thick. Fit it into a 9" (23 cm) removable tart tin. Fold the edges over the rim into the tart, and press the dough into the fluting of the tart pan, working all the way around the tin. Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes or until hard.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350F (175C)
  6. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Place the almonds in a reseable plastic bag, seal the bag, removing any air bubbles. Whack the bag with a rolling pin or meat mallet until the almonds split in two. A few can be left whole. Then add the cashews and walnuts, and whack them as well to break into half. Seet the bag aside.
  7. Add the butter and brown sugar to a medium-sized pot, whisking until combined and melted.
  8. Then add the honey, vanilla, heavy cream, and salt. Whisk to combine.
  9. Add the nuts and toss them well to ensure the nuts are well coated. Turn off the heat. Set the pot aside.
  10. Remove the tart shell from the freezer. Trim the pastry crust so that the top of the dough is flush with the edge.
  11. Transfer the nut mixture into the tart shell, smoothing it down with a spatula to form an even layer.
  12. Bake for 25 minutes. The tart shell will be golden brown. Do not overbake, or the nuts will burn!
  13. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool.
  14. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler until liquified, smooth, and glossy.
  15. Place the tart on a sheet of parchment paper. Dip a large balloon, whisk in the chocolate, and run it back and forth over the tart to create chocolate drizzles.
  16. Refrigerate the tart overnight, uncovered.
  17. Just before serving, remove the tart from the tin and dust it with powdered sugar. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 414Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 168mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 1gSugar: 23gProtein: 4g
© Beth Le Manach
Category: Desserts
Brownie cake scooped into a mug with ice cream

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