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This magnificent Milk Chocolate Tart has a rich and luscious chocolate filling nestled in a sweet shortbread crust. This combination creates an exquisite contrast of crunchy and creamy making a decadent indulgence that’s perfect for any occasion.

Milk Chocolate Recipes are not nearly as prevalent as rich deep dark chocolate desserts. But at our house, even the diehard chocoholics gave this chocolate tart recipe rave reviews!

A slice of milk chocolate tart on a white plate with a raspberry and mint garnish.
Table of Contents hide
1 Why You Must Make
2 Expert Tips
3 Frequently Asked Questions
4 You May Also Like:
5 Milk Chocolate Tart Recipe

Why You Must Make

  • It’s simple to make! Just a shortbread crust and chocolate filling. 
  • The easy filling is cooked on the stovetop, and no second round of baking is needed.
  • Even though it’s made with less intense milk chocolate, it will still dazzle the taste buds of chocolate fanatics.
  • It’s your introduction to chocolate crémeux, French for creamy, that’s a delicate filling that is “silkier than ganache yet denser than mousse,” according to Cook’s Illustrated.
Whole milk chocolate tart on a white cake stand.

Expert Tips

  • You can make and bake your tart shell ahead of time. It must be cooled to room temperature before filling.
  • Use the best chocolate you can for the tastiest results. Chocolate chips often have wax or additives to help them keep their shape. Chocolate bars like Lindt or Ghirardelli use higher quality chocolate and your chocolate desserts will have the best flavor made with them.
  • Use a cooking thermometer to monitor the temperature of your filling as it cooks. PRO-Tip: The mixture must reach 170-175° so that it will set properly when it cools.
  • Pro-Tip: Use a large Pyrex measuring cup for straining the chocolate filling after it’s come to temperature. The spout makes it easy to pour the filling into the tart shell.
  • Change the crust recipe to your favorite. I was not a fan of Cook’s Illustrated’s fussy crust, so used Dorie Greenspan’s pâte sucrée recipe, a sweet shortcrust crust, instead. A chocolate cookie crust or graham cracker crust would work well, too, though there may be some extra filling if you use a store-bought version.
  • Serve with a nice dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream plus some plump, ripe raspberries or strawberries to garnish.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between a pie, tart, and torte?

A Pie is a sweet or savory dish made with a crust and filling. It can have both a top crust and bottom crust or just a bottom crust.
A Tart is also a sweet or savory dish with a shallow-sided crust. The crust can be baked, then filled, or filled then baked. Tarts can be bite-sized or larger.
A Torte is a rich cake that can be made with little flour, but instead with ground nuts or breadcrumbs. It may also contain eggs, sugar, and flavorings and have one or multiple layers.

Can you substitute semisweet chocolate for milk chocolate?

You can replace semisweet chocolate chips for milk chocolate chips in cookies, but in many other recipes, milk and semisweet chocolate are not interchangeable. Milk chocolate is softer than semisweet. Semisweet and bittersweet chocolates can be substituted for each other as they are more similar in texture.

Why Didn’t the Chocolate Filling Set?

Most likely, the filling didn’t get up to the proper temperature in order to set when chilled. Make sure the filling is stirred constantly and the bottom scraped with a rubber spatula while cooking so that it all reaches the goal temperature.

You May Also Like:

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A wedge of milk chocolate tart on a white dessert plate with raspberry garnish and a red handle fork
The Recipe:

Milk Chocolate Tart Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Yield 8

A shortbread crust filled with an ultra-creamy milk chocolate filling makes for a divine dessert!

Ingredients

  • 1 9-inch tart shell, baked (I used Dorie Greenspan's Sweet Tart Dough Recipe; see link in Recipe notes)

Filling:

  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 4 egg yolks
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 12 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
  • 10 tablespoons butter, melted and hot
  • Fresh berries and sweetened whipped cream, to garnish, optional

Instructions

  1. Bake and cool tart shell in a 9-inch tart pan with removable sides. Set aside.
  2. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl or a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup.
  3. Whisk together the half-and-half, egg yolks and salt in a saucepan.
  4. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and reaches 170-175°.
  5. Remove from heat, then whisk in chocolate and vanilla.
  6. Add the melted butter and whisk until incorporated, then pour through the strainer and then transfer the filling into your tart shell.
  7. Cool for about 20 minutes at room temperature before moving your tart into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight, to set the filling.
  8. Serve with sweetened whipped cream and berries, if desired.

Notes

The Sweet Tart Dough recipe is from Dorie Greenspan. The filling is from Cook's Illustrated.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 504Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 157mgSodium: 220mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 3gSugar: 29gProtein: 7g

Thatskinnychickcanbake.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although thatskinnychickcanbake.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Also, many recipes on thatskinnychickcanbake.com recommend toppings, which may or may not be listed as optional and nutritional information for these added toppings is not listed. Other factors may change the nutritional information such as when the salt amount is listed “to taste,” it is not calculated into the recipe as the amount will vary. Also, different online calculators can provide different results. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information obtained is accurate.

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© Liz Berg
Cuisine: American, French / Category: Pies