This deliciously indulgent Gluten-Free Chocolate Pecan Tart has a soft fudgy center, topped with crunchy pecans baked in a buttery flaky tart shell.
Gluten-free chocolate pecan tart is the perfect dessert to serve this holiday season. It’s a chocolatey twist on the classic pecan pie favorite without the usual corn syrup. This tart is super easy to make, with versatile crust options. It’s become one of our favorite desserts to serve after Thanksgiving dinner, and I hope it will become one of yours too.
GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE PECAN TART FILLING
This recipe is simple to make with only a handful of ingredients. You can use either a gluten-free pie dough recipe for the bottom or an oreo crust. And unlike traditional pecan pie, there is no corn syrup in this tart recipe.
- Pecan Halves: Try selecting the best-looking intact pecans in the bag to arrange on top of the tart.
- Butter: Unsalted butter, ghee, or dairy-free butter work well in this tart.
- Chocolate: I love using a bittersweet dark chocolate chip, around 70%.
- Dark Brown Sugar: You can also use coconut sugar or maple sugar for a non-refined sugar option.
- Eggs: Two large eggs to help the tart to rise.
- Vanilla Extract: Two teaspoons of a good quality vanilla extract bring a caramel like-flavor to this recipe.
- Salt: For flavor.
HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE PECAN TART
I love the look and precision of a tart shell, but you would always use a 9-inch pie pan instead. This is the best chocolate pecan pie ever!
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a large circle ⅛ inch thick, then place the dough into a 9 – inch lightly greased tart pan with removable bottom. Press the dough with your hands on the bottom and sides of your pan, crimping the sides of the pan, smoothing out any gaps or cracks. Then pop the tart pan in the freezer while you make the filling.
- Add the chocolate chips and butter to a large glass bowl and microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring in between with a spoon, until melted. It should take around 1 minute to fully melt. Add the dark brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt to the melted chocolate, stirring until fully mixed.
- Remove the tart pan from the freezer and carefully pour the filling into the pan.
- Arrange 3 rows of pecans to the top of the pie with one nut reserved for the center in a circular pattern and evenly spaced. Then place the tart on a large baking sheet and into the oven for 20 minutes. Then 5 more minutes with the addition of aluminum foil over the top to prevent the toasted pecans from burning. The pecan tart is ready once the middle has set and the tops of the pecans are golden brown.
- Remove the tart from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack at room temperature for 4 hours before serving. Store the pecan tart in an airtight container or simply place a sheet of aluminum foil over the top. This tart is best served a day later.
GLUTEN-FREE PECAN TART CHOCOLATE OPTIONS
This recipe calls for melted dark chocolate, and the lower percentage of dark chocolate will require less sugar in the overall tart.
Here is a guide for the amount of sugar to use in this recipe, paired with the chocolate percentage:
- 100% Unsweetened Chocolate: 1 cup of sugar
- 90-80% Bittersweet Chocolate: 3/4 cup of sugar
- 50-75% Semi-Sweet – Dark Chocolate: 3/4 cup of sugar
GLUTEN-FREE TART CRUST OPTIONS
In this recipe both a traditional gluten-free pie crust and my almond flour crust with great results. You could also try a chocolate Oreo crust or any other nut flours for grain-free crusts.
CAN I MAKE THIS CHOCOLATE PECAN TART PALEO?
Yes, this tart can be made paleo. Try using my almond flour crust recipe for the crust, and ghee, coconut sugar, and paleo-friendly chocolate chips, such as these 72% coconut sugar chocolate chips or these 100% unsweetened chocolate chip options in the filling. Adjust the amount of sugar as needed.
FOR MORE DESSERT RECIPES, CHECK OUT THE LINK BELOW
- Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pie
- Gluten-Free Pecan Pie
- Gluten-Free Lemon Tart
- Gluten-Free Vanilla Cream Fruit Tart
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie
Gluten-Free Chocolate Pecan Tart
Ingredients
Crust
- 1¼ cups gluten-free flour (170grams)
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, chilled
- 2 tablespoons sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1-2 tablespoons cold water, if dough is too dry
Chocolate Tart Filling
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (120 grams)
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Pecan Topping
- 1¼ cups pecan halves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Start by making your tart crust. Then place the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour to chill. Proceed to the next step.
- Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a large circle ⅛ inch thick, then place the dough into a 9 - inch lightly greased tart pan with removable bottom. Press the dough with your hands on the bottom and sides of your pan, crimping the sides of the pan, smoothing out any gaps or cracks. Then pop the tart pan in the freezer while you make the filling.
- Add the chocolate chips and butter to a large glass bowl and microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring in between with a spoon, until melted. It should take around 1 minute to fully melt. Then add the dark brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt to the melted butter and chocolate mixture. Stir until well combined.
- Remove the tart pan from the freezer and carefully pour the filling into the pan.
- Arrange 3 rows of pecans on top of the tart with one nut reserved for the center in a circular pattern and evenly spaced. Then place the tart on a large baking sheet and into the oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove the tart from the oven and then place a sheet of aluminum foil over the top, to avoid the pecans from burning. Return the tart to the oven for 3-5 more minutes. The pecan tart is ready once the middle has set and the tops of the pecans are golden brown.
- Remove the tart from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack at room temperature for 4 hours before serving. Once the tart has cooled, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the top and store it at room temperature. For best results, serve the tart the next day.
