Decadent Dark Chocolate Brownie Tart (Printable)

A luxurious tart featuring fudgy dark chocolate brownie in a crisp shell with optional berries or cream.

# What You'll Need:

→ Tart Shell

01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
05 - 1 large egg yolk
06 - 1-2 tablespoons cold water

→ Brownie Filling

07 - 7 ounces dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
08 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
09 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
10 - 1/4 cup brown sugar
11 - 2 large eggs
12 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
13 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
14 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

→ Optional Garnish

15 - Cocoa powder or powdered sugar for dusting
16 - Fresh berries or whipped cream

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
02 - In a bowl, combine flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Cut in cold butter with fingertips or pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk and 1 tablespoon cold water; mix until dough just holds together, adding extra water if necessary. Shape into a disk, wrap, and chill for 15 minutes.
03 - Roll dough on lightly floured surface and press into prepared tart pan. Trim excess dough and prick base with fork. Line with parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake 5 more minutes until lightly golden. Cool slightly.
04 - Melt chopped chocolate and butter together in heatproof bowl over gently simmering water or microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring until smooth. Let cool slightly.
05 - Whisk granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt into melted chocolate mixture until smooth. Fold in flour gently until just incorporated; avoid overmixing.
06 - Pour brownie filling into cooled tart shell, smoothing top evenly. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until edges are set but center remains slightly soft. Do not overbake, as tart will firm on cooling.
07 - Allow tart to cool completely on wire rack. Dust with cocoa powder or powdered sugar, and garnish with fresh berries or whipped cream as desired before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks impressive but uses techniques you probably already know, no fancy pastry skills required.
  • The tart shell adds a buttery crunch that regular brownies just can't match.
  • You can make it hours ahead and it actually tastes better after sitting, which means less stress when people are coming over.
02 -
  • Don't overbake the filling, it should jiggle slightly in the center when you pull it out or it will turn dry and cakey.
  • Chilling the tart dough really does make it easier to handle, I skipped it once and ended up with a patchy, frustrating mess.
  • Use good quality dark chocolate, the filling is mostly chocolate and butter, so there's nowhere for cheap ingredients to hide.
03 -
  • Press the tart dough directly into the pan instead of rolling it out if you're short on time, it works just as well and saves cleanup.
  • Let the melted chocolate cool for a few minutes before adding the eggs, or you'll end up with scrambled bits in your batter.
  • Use a hot, dry knife to slice the tart for clean edges, wipe it between each cut.
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