Chocolate Strawberry Tarts

A rich, decadent chocolate tart with a velvety ganache filling and fresh strawberries on top. The combination of bittersweet chocolate, crisp tart shell, and juicy fruit makes for a beautiful dessert that’s as impressive as it is delicious.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Because it balances richness with freshness — the chocolate satisfies your sweet cravings, while the strawberries keep it from being too heavy. It’s elegant enough for special occasions, yet simple enough to make on a weekend. Also, it looks stunning when plated.

Ingredients

(Tip: You can find the complete list of ingredients and their measurements in the recipe card below.)

• all‑purpose flour
• unsalted butter
• granulated sugar
• good quality dark (or semi‑sweet) chocolate
• heavy or whipping cream
• fresh strawberries
• vanilla extract
• optional: butter (for richness), cocoa powder (if making a chocolate crust), jam or glaze for strawberries

Directions

1. Prepare the crust: Mix flour, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into a tart pan (or individual tartlet pans) and chill for about 30 minutes.
2. Blind bake the shell: Line with parchment and weights (beans, rice, or pie weights), bake until lightly golden. Remove weights and bake a bit more to finish. Allow to cool.
3. Make the chocolate ganache: Heat the cream until nearly boiling. Pour over chopped chocolate and let sit a few minutes. Stir gently until smooth. Stir in butter or vanilla if desired.
4. Assemble: Pour ganache into the cooled crust. Let it set (room temperature or in refrigerator). Once set, arrange sliced strawberries on top (you can glaze them with warmed jam or sugar syrup if you want shine).
5. Chill & serve: Let the tart chill for at least an hour so ganache firms. Before serving, bring to room temperature a bit so chocolate flavor is full.

Servings and timing

• Serves: ~8–10 slices (for a single large tart)
• Prep time: ~20‑30 minutes
• Baking (crust) time: ~10‑15 minutes blind + finish bake
• Ganache setting time: ~1 hour (or more if refrigerated)
• Total time: ~1 hour 30 minutes (allowing for chilling)

Variations

• Use a chocolate cookie crumb crust (graham cracker, Oreo, or chocolate wafer cookies) instead of pastry.
• Swap strawberries for other berries (raspberries, blackberries) or a mix.
• Use milk chocolate or white chocolate for a different flavor profile.
• Add a layer of jam beneath the strawberries for more fruitiness.

Storage/reheating

• Store in refrigerator, covered, for up to 2‑3 days.
• Let sit at room temperature for ~15‑20 minutes before serving so ganache softens slightly.
• Do not freeze once assembled (berries get soggy). You can freeze just the baked shell or ganache separately.

FAQs

1. How do I prevent the crust from getting soggy?

Make sure the crust is fully baked and cooled before adding the ganache. Sometimes brushing a thin layer of melted chocolate into the crust before filling helps seal it.

2. Can I use a store‑bought crust?

Yes — a premade tart shell or pie crust works fine. Just bake according to package instructions, then proceed with the ganache filling.

3. What kind of chocolate is best?

High quality dark chocolate (e.g. 60‑75% cacao) gives depth. Semi‑sweet works too. If using milk or white chocolate, reduce sweetness elsewhere or choose strawberries that aren’t too sweet.

4. My ganache is too runny — how do I fix it?

Cool it longer. If it still doesn’t firm, add more chocolate (melted) bit by bit while stirring. Chilling helps.

5. Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes. You can bake the shell a day ahead, make the ganache in advance (refrigerate), and assemble before serving (but leave strawberries for last to preserve freshness).

6. How should I cleanly slice the tart?

Use a sharp knife warmed (run under hot water and dry) for clean cuts. Clean between cuts to avoid dragging crumbs.

7. Can I use frozen strawberries?

You can, but thaw and drain them well. Frozen fruit tends to release more juice, which may make the tart watery.

8. Is this recipe gluten free?

Not as written. To make gluten free, use a gluten‑free flour blend for the crust, or use gluten‑free cookie crumbs for a crumb crust.

9. What about vegan or dairy‑free version?

Use non‑dairy butter substitute, coconut cream or another plant cream, and vegan chocolate. Strawberries are naturally vegan.

10. Why does ganache sometimes separate or look grainy?

Probably the chocolate was overheated or the cream was too hot. Melt gently, use chopped chocolate so it melts evenly, and stir carefully.

Conclusion

This chocolate strawberry tart is one of those desserts that delight on all fronts: visual appeal, flavor contrast, texture play. Once you have the shell baked and the ganache made, plating and finishing with strawberries is very satisfying. If you try it, you’ll see how something relatively simple can feel gourmet. Let me know if you want the step‑by‑step for the mini‑tart version or a simpler, no bake version!

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