This caramel nut tart features a rich shortbread crust topped with a sweet and salty mixed nut caramel. No need to roll out any dough - just use your hands to press the shortbread dough into your tart pan. It's an indulgent treat for your next special occasion!
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This tart should have its own national day. You know how there is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, etc? Well, there should be a National Caramel Nut Tart Day; it's that good.
The rich, salty-sweet shortbread crust is the perfect pairing for the nutty caramel filling. I'm a sucker for all things buttery, and I love a good salty-sweet combo as well. If you combined a crunchy and sweet pecan pie with a rich shortbread cookie, you would have this tart!
Seeing that Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away and I am a pecan pie fiend, making a play on this holiday dessert seemed perfect.
For more indulgent pie recipes, try my apple pie with puff pastry, turtle pie, and butterscotch pecan pie!
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⭐️ Why This Tart Is The Best
- Crunchy, buttery, salty, sweet, rich, and nutty. YUM!
- Easy. One of the best things about this caramel nut tart is that you don't have to roll out any dough - just use your fingers to spread it into your tart pan!
- Make-ahead option. The shortbread crust can be made several days in advance, at your convenience.
- A beautiful tart that's perfect for your holiday table
- Freezer-friendly recipe
🍯 Ingredient Notes
- Brown sugar - Adds rich molasses notes
- Honey - Gives our caramel floral notes and complements the mixed nuts
- Mixed nuts - Pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts, and pistachios add buttery, nutty flavor and a crunchy texture
- Vanilla extract - Gives the caramel a deeper flavor
📝 Variations & Substitutions
- Make dairy-free: Substitute any plant-based/vegan butter and (heavy) cream.
- Healthier: Swap up to ¼ cup of whole-wheat flour to make it slightly healthier.
- Make gluten-free: Substitute all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Rosemary: For an herby nut tart, add 1 teaspoon of (finely chopped) fresh rosemary to your caramel filling.
- Chocolate: Finish off your tart with 1-2 tablespoons of melted dark chocolate drizzled over the top.
- Nuts: Use your favorite variety of nuts (just be sure to use the same combined total volume).
🔪 How To Make Caramel Nut Tart
Make the Pastry:
To make the pastry, put all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Run a few seconds to blend. Add the cold butter and process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle dough with yolk and water mixture and pulse until dough begins to gather into dough. Gently gather into a ball, wrap in plastic, and chill at least 30 minutes.
Grease an 11-inch fluted, false-bottomed tart pan. Using your fingers, pat the dough into the pan until it is about ⅛-inch thickness. Trim away excess at pan's rim. Chill tart shell at least 30 minutes.
To bake, preheat oven to 400°F. Line tart shell with foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Place on baking sheet (to avoid butter dripping in oven) and bake 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Make the Filling:
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, honey, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Cook over low heat, whisking until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and whisk until mixture comes to a boil. Boil one minute, or until large bubbles form.
Remove pan from the heat and quickly stir in nuts and cream. Immediately pour the mixture into tart shell. Spread out evenly to cover the entire surface of the pastry.
Bake on baking sheet for about 20 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven and cool on a rack. Serve at room temperature.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips
- Make ahead. If you are short on time, this tart can be made in several steps. The shortbread dough is chilled twice, so you can make it and chill it overnight.
- When you press the dough into your tart pan, be sure to press dough all the way up to the top of the fluted edge.
- Storage: Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- How to freeze: After completely cooled, wrap individual slices in foil and place in a large freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in refrigerator overnight.
- Work fast. When making the caramel filling, add the nuts and cream quickly and pour into tart shell immediately. After the nuts and cream are added, the caramel cools down fast, making it thicker and easier to set.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
Tartlets are traditionally freestanding and shallow, with a firm pastry base, looser filling, and no top crust.
Tartlets are merely mini-tarts that fit into the palm of your hand.
This is the definition of a tart, which is typically shallow, freestanding, and straight-sided.
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Caramel Nut Tart Recipe
Equipment
- 11" fluted tart pan
Ingredients
For the Pastry:
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
- 1 ½ large egg yolks blended with 1 ½ Tablespoons ice water
For the Filling:
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- ½ cup firm-packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup pecans
- ⅔ cup hazelnuts
- ½ cup whole walnuts
- ⅓ cup shelled, salted pistachios
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Pastry:
- To make the pastry, put all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Run a few seconds to blend. Add the cold butter and process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle dough with yolk and water mixture and pulse until dough begins to gather into dough. Gently gather into a ball, wrap in plastic, and chill at least 30 minutes.
- Grease an 11-inch fluted, false-bottomed tart pan. Using your fingers, pat the dough into the pan until it is about ⅛-inch thickness. Trim away excess at pan's rim. Chill tart shell at least 30 minutes.
- To bake, preheat oven to 400°F. Line tart shell with foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Place on baking sheet (to avoid butter dripping in oven) and bake 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Make the Filling:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, honey, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Cook over low heat, whisking until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and whisk until mixture comes to a boil. Boil one minute, or until large bubbles form.
- Remove pan from the heat and quickly stir in nuts and cream. Immediately pour the mixture into tart shell. Spread out evenly to cover the entire surface of the pastry.
- Bake on baking sheet for about 20 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven and cool on a rack. Serve at room temperature
Notes
- Make ahead. If you are short on time, this tart can be made in several steps. The shortbread dough is chilled twice, so you can make it and chill it overnight.
- When you press the dough into your tart pan, be sure to press dough all the way up to the top of the fluted edge.
- Storage: Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Work fast. When making the caramel filling, add the nuts and cream quickly and pour into tart shell immediately. After the nuts and cream are added, the caramel cools down fast, making it thicker and easier to set.
- Recipe adapted from The Splendid Table.
Mirlene
You had me at caramel! Caramel is one of my favorite flavors and this tart has all of my favorite nuts! It's an all-in-one kind of dessert for me!
Gastronotherapy
Yay! It is definitely a tart for caramel and nut lovers!
Heather Johnson
love this - reminds me of a pecan pie with so much more!
Gastronotherapy
Yes, I like to think of it as pecan pie meets shortbread!
Heather Perine
What a wonderful sweet and salty dessert to serve guests for the holidays! And the buttery shortbread crust on the bottom...perfection!
Gastronotherapy
Thanks, Heather! Yes, I love making this every year for the holidays!
Andrea
I've never had a tart like this. It looks and sounds amazing! I can't wait to dig in to it.
Gastronotherapy
I hope you enjoy it, Andrea!
Carrie Robinson
I am loving all of the nuts in this! Looks like dessert perfection. 🙂
Gastronotherapy
Soooo many nuts! The nutty crunch pairs really well with the rich shortbread and sweet caramel!
Morgan
My friend recommended your website so I decided to try this and omg, it might just be the best thing I've ever tasted!! Thank you for this incredible recipe!
MaryAnne
Awww, thanks Morgan! I appreciate you trying a new recipe and leaving such a sweet comment! This is one of my all-time favorite desserts, so you choose well! 😉