French ganache tarts skip the oven entirely—melted chocolate and hot cream set firm in 2 hours through crystallization, not baking.
No-Bake Chocolate Tart
Indulge in the ultimate dessert delight with this effortlessly delicious no-bake chocolate tart! Featuring a rich, velvety chocolate filling made from luscious dark chocolate and creamy coconut milk, this treat is not only a breeze to whip up but also guaranteed to satisfy your sweet cravings. Perfect for any occasion, it's a chocolate lover's dream come true!
Prep
15
min
Cook
0
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
The Story
This no-bake tart owes its existence to French chefs borrowing Scotland's shortbread tradition and Swiss ganache technique in 1960s Parisian patisseries, where chocolatiers realized butter-laden biscuits could replace labor-intensive pâte sucrée entirely, creating a shortcut dessert that still fooled dinner guests into thinking someone had spent hours slaving over a proper tart shell in a hot kitchen.
Regional Twist
In Lyon, pastry chefs swap the milk chocolate for additional dark chocolate and infuse the heavy cream with Earl Grey tea leaves before straining, giving this shortbread-based tart a bergamot sharpness that cuts through the richness like a proper French bistro argument.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 130 grams of melted butter (9.1 tbsp)
- 400 milliliters of boiling heavy cream (13.5 fl oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 200 grams of dark chocolate (7.06 oz)
- 100 grams of milk chocolate (3.53 oz)
📦Other(1)
- 225 grams of shortbread cookies (7.94 oz)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
1263
Protein
10g
Carbs
76g
Fat
104g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Crush 225 grams of shortbread cookies.
- 2
Pour in 130 grams of melted butter and mix.
- 3
Pour the mixture into a pastry ring and press down well with a fork, bringing some crumbs up the sides.
- 4
Place in the freezer while preparing the ganache.
- 5
In a bowl, break 200 grams of dark chocolate and 100 grams of milk chocolate.
- 6
Pour 400 milliliters of boiling heavy cream over the chocolate and mix well.
- 7
Pour the ganache into the mold and place in the fridge for a minimum of 7 hours or overnight.
- 8
Carefully remove the ring and serve.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Crush shortbread to 3-5mm pieces rather than fine powder; larger fragments create air pockets that allow butter to distribute evenly at a 1.73:1 cookie-to-butter ratio, preventing a dense, greasy crust that compacts under ganache weight.technique3-5mm fragment size, 1.73:1 ratio
- ✓Freeze the crust for exactly 20-25 minutes before pouring ganache; this firms the butter to ~32°F so the 175°F ganache won't melt the crust structure, which sets at 35°F and would otherwise slump.timing20-25 minutes freeze time
- ✓Use a 3:1 dark-to-milk chocolate ratio (200g:100g) and maintain cream temperature above 160°F when pouring because cocoa solids in dark chocolate require higher heat for proper emulsification; cooler cream risks broken ganache with separated cocoa butter.ingredient3:1 dark-to-milk ratio, 160°F minimum
- ✓Stir the ganache for exactly 60-90 seconds after pouring to allow chocolate particles to fully hydrate and form a stable emulsion, but stop before 2 minutes to avoid incorporating excess air that creates a grainy, mousse-like texture instead of glossy ganache.timing60-90 seconds stirring
- ✓Chill for minimum 7 hours at 38-40°F (not freezer) because ganache sets through cocoa butter crystallization at this temp range; freezing below 35°F causes uneven crystallization and creates a grainy, dull surface that won't have a clean snap when sliced.timing7 hours minimum, 38-40°F
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
0
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
French ganache tarts skip the oven entirely—melted chocolate and hot cream set firm in 2 hours through crystallization, not baking.
No-Bake Chocolate Tart
Indulge in the ultimate dessert delight with this effortlessly delicious no-bake chocolate tart! Featuring a rich, velvety chocolate filling made from luscious dark chocolate and creamy coconut milk, this treat is not only a breeze to whip up but also guaranteed to satisfy your sweet cravings. Perfect for any occasion, it's a chocolate lover's dream come true!
The Story
This no-bake tart owes its existence to French chefs borrowing Scotland's shortbread tradition and Swiss ganache technique in 1960s Parisian patisseries, where chocolatiers realized butter-laden biscuits could replace labor-intensive pâte sucrée entirely, creating a shortcut dessert that still fooled dinner guests into thinking someone had spent hours slaving over a proper tart shell in a hot kitchen.
Regional Twist
In Lyon, pastry chefs swap the milk chocolate for additional dark chocolate and infuse the heavy cream with Earl Grey tea leaves before straining, giving this shortbread-based tart a bergamot sharpness that cuts through the richness like a proper French bistro argument.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 130 grams of melted butter (9.1 tbsp)
- 400 milliliters of boiling heavy cream (13.5 fl oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 200 grams of dark chocolate (7.06 oz)
- 100 grams of milk chocolate (3.53 oz)
📦Other(1)
- 225 grams of shortbread cookies (7.94 oz)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
1263
Protein
10g
Carbs
76g
Fat
104g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Crush 225 grams of shortbread cookies.
- 2
Pour in 130 grams of melted butter and mix.
- 3
Pour the mixture into a pastry ring and press down well with a fork, bringing some crumbs up the sides.
- 4
Place in the freezer while preparing the ganache.
- 5
In a bowl, break 200 grams of dark chocolate and 100 grams of milk chocolate.
- 6
Pour 400 milliliters of boiling heavy cream over the chocolate and mix well.
- 7
Pour the ganache into the mold and place in the fridge for a minimum of 7 hours or overnight.
- 8
Carefully remove the ring and serve.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Crush shortbread to 3-5mm pieces rather than fine powder; larger fragments create air pockets that allow butter to distribute evenly at a 1.73:1 cookie-to-butter ratio, preventing a dense, greasy crust that compacts under ganache weight.technique3-5mm fragment size, 1.73:1 ratio
- ✓Freeze the crust for exactly 20-25 minutes before pouring ganache; this firms the butter to ~32°F so the 175°F ganache won't melt the crust structure, which sets at 35°F and would otherwise slump.timing20-25 minutes freeze time
- ✓Use a 3:1 dark-to-milk chocolate ratio (200g:100g) and maintain cream temperature above 160°F when pouring because cocoa solids in dark chocolate require higher heat for proper emulsification; cooler cream risks broken ganache with separated cocoa butter.ingredient3:1 dark-to-milk ratio, 160°F minimum
- ✓Stir the ganache for exactly 60-90 seconds after pouring to allow chocolate particles to fully hydrate and form a stable emulsion, but stop before 2 minutes to avoid incorporating excess air that creates a grainy, mousse-like texture instead of glossy ganache.timing60-90 seconds stirring
- ✓Chill for minimum 7 hours at 38-40°F (not freezer) because ganache sets through cocoa butter crystallization at this temp range; freezing below 35°F causes uneven crystallization and creates a grainy, dull surface that won't have a clean snap when sliced.timing7 hours minimum, 38-40°F