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Hi Bold Bakers!
If you’re a fan of pecan pie, then you must try this incredible French walnut-caramel tart! While I love pecan pie, this homemade tart is slightly less time consuming to make, and the flavor notes are absolutely out of this world! It’s crunchy and nutty and the perfect amount of sweetness. Plus, doesn’t it just look so fancy!
I love the combination of the walnuts and the caramel. Walnuts have a slightly bitter edge, which balances the sweet caramel perfectly — and adding a touch of salt really brings out those flavors and makes the walnut-caramel tart downright addicting!
A dessert that is sweet, a little salty, and crunchy? Where could you go wrong!
What Is A French Walnut-Caramel Tart?
This is a French-style tart with a pie-crust bottom filled with a delicious caramel and walnut combination. I love to start with my Flakiest Pie Crust or my 5-Minute No-Roll Pie Crust, but a good quality store-bought pie crust will work as well. I also use my homemade caramel — caramel making can be a bit tricky, so I suggest you check out my Trouble Shooting Caramel video!
What You Need To Make French Walnut-Caramel Tart
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- 9-inch (23cm) tart pan
- Parchment paper
- Pie weights (dried beans or uncooked rice will work)
- Saucepan
How To Make French Walnut-Caramel Tart
After you try this, I’m positive it will become a recipe you visit again and again — so be sure to bookmark this page! Here is how you make the perfect walnut-caramel tart (and don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, on the page down below):
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Roll out your pie crust and line a 9-inch (23cm) tart pan with it. Prick it all over with a fork and line it with parchment paper. Add in your pie weights and blind bake it for 15 minutes.
- Remove the parchment paper and the pie weights and continue to bake for another 10 minutes, or until the pie crust is fully baked and golden.
- While the pie crust bakes, prepare your filling. I start by making a “wet” caramel, which is when you make caramel with a little water instead of just cooking down sugar. Combine your sugar and the water in a saucepan and heat it, without stirring, until it turns a deep amber color. Be sure to watch my Trouble Shooting Caramel video to avoid any mishaps!
- Turn off the heat and carefully whisk in the cream, then the butter and honey. Don’t be surprised! It will bubble up a lot.
- Turn the heat back on to low and simmer for a few minutes, until everything is dissolved and combined. Stir in the salt and walnuts.
- Pour the filling into the tart shell and bake for 15 minutes.
- Allow the tart to cool completely, for at least 2 hours, to let the filling set before serving.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making French Walnut-Caramel Tart
- When you are making the caramel, be sure to watch the sugar and water carefully and keep the cream close by. A deep amber color will give a full caramel flavor, but it can get too dark and taste burnt and bitter quickly! As soon as it gets to the right color, pour in the cream to stop the cooking.
- Take care when you are pouring in the cream and butter — the caramel will bubble up a lot, and the steam can burn.
- Feel free to experiment with other nuts in this recipe, or try a combination of walnuts and other nuts, like pecans. Just be sure you have 3 cups of chopped nuts, whichever you use.
- Use my Pie Crust or a good quality store-bought.
- Check out my Trouble Shooting Caramel video for tips on how to make the perfect caramel.
How Do I Store French Walnut-Caramel Tart?
You can store any leftover walnut-caramel tart at room temperature, loosely covered, for up to 2 days.
Make More Pie Recipes!
And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!
Full (and printable) recipe below!
Try These Recipes!
French Walnut-Caramel Tart Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust
- 1 ¼ cups (10oz/282g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (4floz/115ml) water
- 1 cup (8floz/225ml) heavy cream warmed
- ½ cup (4oz/115g) butter softened
- ⅓ cup (4oz/115g) honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups (15oz/426g) chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Blind bake your tart shell: roll out the pie crust and line a 9-inch (23cm) tart pan with it.
- Prick all over with a fork, line with parchment and pie weights, and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the parchment and the weights and continue baking for about another 10 minutes, or until fully baked and golden.
- While the crust is baking, make your filling: combine sugar and water in a saucepan and heat, without stirring, until the liquid turns a deep amber color.
- Turn off the heat and while whisking carefully pour in the cream, then the butter and honey. It will bubble up a lot.
- Turn the heat back on low and simmer for a few minutes, until everything is dissolved and combined. Stir in the salt and walnuts.
- Pour filling into the baked tart shell and bake for 15 minutes.
- Let cool completely for at least 2 hours to let the filling set before serving. Store, loosely covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.
love the recipe…I would like to use a 28cm pan with a height of 3cm…how can I adjust ingredients accordingly…
Far, far too sweet. Also my caramel would not change to the prescribed colour, even after 35 minutes.
your photography is absolutely amazing! Thank you for giving me so much inspiration for recipes and photos 🙂
Can you to star bread please