Mini Gluten Free Chocolate Earl Grey Tarts
Why does Earl Grey infused milk take this decadent chocolate tart to the next level? I don’t know, but this Gluten Free Chocolate Earl Grey Tart is amazingly unique and delicious. And unlike other very chocolaty, this one is not sickeningly sweet.
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This recipe was originally published on December 19, 2019 and was republished on February 4, 2021 with updates.
What Changed?
I first made this decadent chocolate earl grey tart just over a year ago. It was so amazing, but I did not love the pictures and it’s been bugging me ever since. Naturally, I was excited to make it again because it meant I got to eat it again!
But this time, I had to change it up. My brother and brother in law who made this recipe with me the first time had given me these adorable 4 inch tart pans. I used them to make my Whiskey Caramel Tarts and had to use them again.
Mini Gluten Free Chocolate Earl Grey Tarts
My brother in law found this recipe by The Kitchen McCabe and I was immediately intrigued. I’ve been wanting to infuse tea flavors into desserts for awhile now. Needless to say, I was hooked by Kayley’s glorious images as well as the flavors of this dish. I made my own tweaks and loved the result.
In fact, I didn’t even realize it was a gluten free dessert until I started reading the recipe itself. But I think it doesn’t have to be gluten free. Keep the almond flour, but if you don’t have gluten free flour, just use all purpose flour. I think your Mini Chocolate Earl Grey Tarts will still come out beautifully!
So Easy a Caveman Could Do It
Seriously, this tart sounds luxurious and looks fancy pants, but it’s actually crazy easy. There’s no pastry dough to chill and roll out and no extravagant prep work. You’ll be making a crumbly tart crust and a chocolate truffle filling. And if you want to, some whipped cream. Boom. Done.
Originally, I made this in a large rectangular tart pan, but I’ve since cut down on the filling and used mini tart pans. It was a bit tedious to press the crumbly crust into six different pans, but you get into a rhythm and it’s not too bad. I even lined the pans with a circle of parchment to make them easy to remove, but you don’t have to do this.
Gluten Free Chocolate Tart Crust
While I used my stand mixer to make the crust, if you don’t feel like pulling out your big ole stand mixer, you could totally whip the crust up in a food processor. That’s exactly what I did for my Fudgy Chocolate Cookie Bars.
Divide the crust into the 6 pans, that’s about 48 grams each for me, and begin pressing it in. Press the sides of the tart in first, then press the rest into the bottom. To get the flat top around the edge, press firmly with the blunt side of a knife to tamp it down.
Related Reading: Lavender & Honey Macarons
Earl Grey Truffle Filling
We’re going to steep a few bags of Earl Grey Tea in some hot cream to infuse the tart with that unique flavor. Earl Grey is black tea flavored with bergamot oil, which is a citrus fruit similar to an orange, but it looks like a lime.
Once you’ve got the crust in the oven, you can begin infusing the cream and making the filling. It’s very important not to over bake the tart after you’ve added the filling. Bake until there is just a slight jiggle in the center. That took my mini tart pans about 14 minutes.
Top it Off… Or Don’t
This time around, I decided to let my tarts be naked. If you do want some whipped cream, try my stabilized whipped cream. It’s sturdy and delicious! Or you could whip up a bit of ganache and drizzle that over it.
I have a really bad habit of going too far. Or being too extra. I just don’t know when to stop! This time around, I almost had to have Josh hold me back, but ultimately I decided that keeping them simple was the best way to let the flavors shine through.
A Few Notes
You will have extra filling. But that’s not too terrible, I guess. I also had some extra pie dough, so I lined another tart pan and used up the remaining truffle mix. You could always make more crust to make more 4 inch tarts. It’s totally up to you!
Since there was extra filling, I have cut back on the filling ingredients. So if you do decide to make this as one large tart, you may be a little low on filling. In that case, I suggest topping it off with a chocolate ganache. You can even infuse it with more earl grey tea, if you like.
Related Reading: Gluten Free Marshmallow Brownies
Enjoy!
I cannot get over the creamy filling in these mini gluten free chocolate earl grey tarts. It’s rich, but not overly heavy or sweet. The slight bitterness from the black tea pairs perfectly with the smooth, sweet chocolate.
Send this recipe to a friend who will either make it for you, or help you eat it all up. Even though you may want to, this is not a dessert you should eat all by yourself!
Mini Gluten Free Chocolate Earl Grey Tarts
Ingredients
Crust
- 1.75 oz almond flour
- 2.25 oz gluten free flour (King Arthur Measure for Measure)
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1.5 oz dark cocoa powder
- 1.75 oz sugar
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
- 5 Tbsps unsalted butter cold and diced (2.5 oz)
- 1 tsp vanilla
Filling
- 8 fl oz heavy cream
- 2 Tbsps honey
- Pinch of salt
- 4 bags Earl Grey Tea
- 4 oz semi- sweet chocolate chopped
- 1 egg
Instructions
Crust
- Sift the almond flour, gluten free flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low until combined.
- Add the vanilla and cold, cubed butter. Mix on medium- low until the mixture begins to clump, about 3- 5 minutes. It will still be very dry, but clumps together when you squeeze it.
- Press the crumb mixture into the tart pans. For me, this was about 48 g or 1.7 oz in each pan. Focus on building up the sides of the crust first. Pack the crust in firmly. Place in the freezer to chill until firm. About 20- 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F while the tarts chill. Place the pans on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat and bake for 15 minutes.
Filling
- While the crust bakes, place cream, honey, and salt in a saucepan over medium/ med- low heat until steaming, but not bubbling.
- Remove from heat and add the tea bags. Make sure they are fully submerged and let them steep for 10 minutes. Gently squeeze excess milk out of the bags and discard. Heat the cream mixture back to steaming hot.
- Place the chocolate in a small heat proof bowl. Add the hot cream and let the mixture sit for a minute. Stir until smooth. Whisk in the egg.
- Carefully pour or spoon the filling into the tart pans. Bake until the edges are set, but the middle has a slight jiggle. About 12- 15 minutes.
- Let the tarts cool to room temperature then chill in the fridge for an hour. For extra pizzazz, top with whipped cream and sea salt and enjoy!
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Colleen
Hi there! I’m Colleen, a novice baker with a passion for learning and improving my bakes… and blunders. On Bakes and Blunders, you can find all sorts of tasty recipes that range in difficulty, but most importantly, I’ll try to explain the reason behind important steps. If you know why a recipe works, you can tweak and adapt it to suit your unique tastes, and you’ll be able to reliably produce some very delicious treats. If you love baking and want to expand and grow your skills, or if you are a casual baker and just need some pointers, my blog is right up your alley! Join me on my baking journey and we’ll learn how to make more impressive recipes together.
2 Comments
Christy
Not a comment but a question – If I don’t have mini tart pans, do you have a suggestion for a more regular size pan to make a single large tart? You mentioned that you originally made this in a rectangular pan but changed the recipe. I have a 10 round tart pan and a 9 inch springform pan . I would love to make this and would really appreciate your input!
Colleen
I believe I used a 9 inch tart pan. Bake the tart crust at 375F for 18- 20 minutes. After adding the filling, bake for 15- 20 minutes. You want the tart shell to be firm after the first bake. With the second bake, you’re looking for set edges and a slight wobble in the center. Hope that helps!