French Chocolate Ganache Tart Recipe: Rich, Silky Dessert Guide

This classic French chocolate ganache tart is a dream dessert for chocolate lovers. It pairs a crisp cocoa shortcrust pastry with a rich dark chocolate ganache made from just two main ingredients. Elegant enough for a dinner party and simple enough for afternoon tea.

Why we love this recipe

If you love chocolate, this dark chocolate ganache tart delivers intense, pure chocolate flavor. The combination of a crunchy cocoa shortcrust (pâte sablée) and a silky, fudge-like ganache is irresistible. Compared to a baked triple chocolate tart, this version is simpler to make and features an unbaked ganache that sets to a dense, fudgy texture.

Ingredients

Cocoa Tart Crust

The crust is a cocoa-infused French shortcrust pastry (pâte sablée). It’s made by combining the dry ingredients with cold butter and an egg:

• Dry: Plain/all-purpose flour, icing (powdered) sugar, a pinch of salt, and unsweetened cacao powder.
• Wet: Cold unsalted butter cut into cubes and one room-temperature egg.

For best results, weigh ingredients in grams or milliliters. This yields a consistently textured pastry—especially important for shortcrust.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling

The ganache requires only two ingredients: quality cooking chocolate and heavy cream. Classic ganache uses equal weights of chocolate and cream.

• Chocolate: I use 70% dark (bittersweet) cooking chocolate. Use cooking-grade chocolate (bars, callets, or chips) rather than eating chocolate or standard chocolate chips, which may not melt smoothly.
• Cream: Thickened/heavy cream. Avoid low-fat or fat-free creams, as fat content affects taste and set of the ganache.

No extra sugar is added to the ganache; sweetness comes from the chocolate you choose. For a sweeter filling, select a chocolate with a lower cocoa percentage or milk chocolate. Optional additions include a knob of butter for shine, a splash of vanilla, or a dash of coffee for depth.

How to make a Chocolate Tart Crust

Begin by preparing and blind-baking the tart crust. The ganache is a no-bake filling, so the pastry must be fully baked and cooled before filling.

• Sift the flour, cacao powder, icing sugar, and salt into a bowl. Add the cold butter cut into small cubes.
• Rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. In a food processor, pulse to achieve the same texture.
• Add the egg and bring the dough together gently; avoid overworking it. Flatten between two sheets of baking paper and roll to about 3 mm (1/8 inch). Chill on a tray for at least 1 hour.
• Line your tart ring or pan, prick (dock) the base with a fork, and chill again for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Freeze the lined pastry briefly while the oven reaches temperature, then bake 30–40 minutes until fully cooked. Cool completely on a wire rack before adding the ganache.

Note: the recipe makes slightly more dough than needed for a 24 cm (9.75″) tart ring with a 2 cm (0.75″) height, so you can use a slightly larger pan if preferred.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling

Make the ganache after the tart shell has cooled.

• Finely chop cooking chocolate if using a bar and place it in a heat-proof bowl.
• Heat the cream in a small saucepan over low heat until it simmers (do not fully boil).
• Pour half the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit 2–3 minutes to soften the chocolate. Stir gently with a spatula from the center outward until partially combined.
• Add the remaining hot cream and stir until the chocolate is fully melted and the ganache is smooth and glossy. If desired, stir in a small piece of butter for extra sheen.
• Pour the warm ganache into the cooled tart shell, smoothing with an offset spatula if necessary. Chill in the fridge, covered, for at least one hour or until set.

Finish with a drizzle of melted chocolate, fresh berries, cacao nibs, desiccated coconut, flaky sea salt, or whipped cream. Use a sharp knife to cut tidy slices.

Recipe FAQs

What to serve with this Chocolate Tart

I finished mine with a drizzle of melted chocolate, fresh berries, mint leaves, cacao nibs, and desiccated coconut, but it’s delicious plain as well. Serve each slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a fruit coulis, hot chocolate sauce, or crème anglaise for contrast.

Tips to make this recipe

• Chop chocolate finely to help it melt quickly and evenly—this reduces the need for extra heat and prevents graininess.
• If the cream cools while you mix, reheat it to a simmer before adding the second half.
• If some chocolate remains unmelted, warm briefly in the microwave in short bursts (no more than 30 seconds at a time) or use a double boiler.
• Stir ganache with a spatula rather than a whisk to avoid introducing air bubbles and to keep the finish smooth.
• Pour the warm ganache into the baked shell immediately for a glossy surface; it will thicken as it cools.

Storing & Freezing

Store the filled tart in the fridge for 24–48 hours. The crust is best enjoyed within that timeframe to retain its crunch. You can bake the tart shell 1–2 days ahead and fill it shortly before serving. The unfilled baked crust can be kept at room temperature wrapped in foil or plastic. I don’t recommend freezing this tart.

More Tart Recipes

• French Orange Tart
• Rhubarb Custard Tart
• Easy French Apple Tart
• Strawberry Custard Tart
• Parisian Flan (Flan Pâtissier)
• Lemon Curd Tart
• Peach Tarte Tatin
• Chocolate Raspberry Tart
• Pear Frangipane Tart (Tarte Bourdaloue)

Made this recipe? Let us know by leaving a comment and tag your photo on Instagram @a.baking.journey!

Recipe

French Chocolate Ganache Tart

This classic French chocolate ganache tart pairs a crisp cocoa shortcrust with an intense two-ingredient dark chocolate ganache.

Servings: 10

Author: Sylvie

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Resting Time3 hrs

Total Time4 hrs 10 mins

Ingredients

Chocolate Tart Crust

• 225 g (1 1/2 cup) plain / all-purpose flour
• 20 g (2 tbsp) unsweetened cacao powder
• 50 g (1/2 cup) icing (powdered) sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 120 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cold
• 1 egg, room temperature

Chocolate Ganache Filling

• 250 g (9 oz) dark cooking chocolate (preferably 70%)
• 250 ml (1 cup) thickened / heavy cream

Instructions

Chocolate Tart Crust

1. Sift the flour, cacao powder, icing sugar, and salt into a bowl and mix.
2. Add cold butter cubes and rub into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
3. Add the egg and combine gently into a smooth, soft dough. Do not overwork.
4. Roll the dough between baking paper to about 3 mm (1/8 inch). Chill on a tray for at least 1 hour (up to 24 hours).
5. Line a tart ring or pan, dock the base with a fork, and chill again for at least 1 hour.
6. Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). Freeze the lined pastry briefly, then bake 30–40 minutes until cooked through. Cool completely.

Chocolate Ganache Filling

1. Chop the cooking chocolate finely and place in a heatproof bowl.
2. Heat the cream until it begins to simmer. Pour half the hot cream over the chocolate and leave 2–3 minutes.
3. Stir gently from the center outward until partially combined, then add the remaining cream and stir until smooth and glossy.
4. Pour the warm ganache into the cooled tart shell and smooth. Chill covered for at least 1 hour or until set.
5. Decorate as desired with melted chocolate, berries, cacao nibs, or coconut.

Notes

The tart ring used in the original is 24 cm wide and 2 cm high. This pastry recipe may yield a little extra for slightly larger pans.

Ingredient note: Use cooking chocolate, not standard eating chocolate. Adjust sweetness by choosing a chocolate percentage you prefer.

1. Make sure no loose powder remains when rubbing in the butter; a food processor works well.
2. Gently mix the egg in—transfer to the bench if easier—but don’t overwork the dough.
3. If the dough is too cold to roll, let it rest a few minutes at room temperature; if too soft, chill briefly.
4. The chocolate may not be fully melted after the first cream addition—that’s normal. Gently stir until smooth.
5. If the cream cools, reheat to simmer before adding the second half. For stubborn unmelted chocolate, warm briefly in the microwave in short bursts or use a double boiler.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 410 kcal |
Carbohydrates: 32 g |
Protein: 7 g |
Fat: 33 g |
Saturated Fat: 20 g