Introduction
Finding the perfect dessert for a dinner party or a quiet weekend treat often leads to the same craving: something rich, silky, and deeply satisfying. A chocolate hazelnut tart is the ultimate answer. It combines the crunch of a toasted nut base with a velvety ganache that feels far more impressive than it is difficult to make. We know that when you are looking for a recipe like this, you aren't looking for a "healthy" compromise. You want proper chocolate flavour and a texture that rivals any high-end patisserie.
This post covers everything from choosing the right plant-based fats for a crisp crust to mastering the art of a smooth, dairy-free ganache. We'll be using our own LoveRaw® products to show you how to get that iconic hazelnut hit without needing a drop of dairy. Whether you are baking for a crowd of dedicated vegans or just want a ridiculously good dessert, this is the only recipe you'll ever need. It is chocolate first, vegan second, and entirely epic.
The Science of the Perfect Pairing
Chocolate and hazelnuts are a legendary duo for a reason. The earthy, roasted notes of the nuts provide a perfect counterpoint to the sweetness and depth of premium cacao. When you are making a tart, this balance is even more important. You aren't just looking for a bit of flavour. You want a multi-sensory experience where the snap of the chocolate meets the creaminess of a hazelnut-infused filling.
The key to unlocking this lies in the roasting. Raw hazelnuts are fine, but roasted hazelnuts are a different beast entirely. Roasting brings the oils to the surface, intensifying the aroma and making the texture much more brittle. This is essential for the base of your tart, where you want a clean break rather than a chewy crumb.
Key Takeaway: Roasting your hazelnuts before incorporating them into the base or filling isn't just a suggestion; it is the secret to a professional-grade tart with deep, complex flavour.
Choosing Your Tart Base: Biscuit vs Pastry
There are two main schools of thought when it comes to a chocolate hazelnut tart base. You have the classic shortcrust pastry and the more modern, arguably more indulgent, biscuit base.
The Classic Shortcrust
A traditional shortcrust pastry is buttery and flaky. In the plant-based world, achieving this without dairy requires high-quality fats. Shea butter and coconut oil are excellent alternatives here because they stay solid at room temperature, giving the pastry that essential "short" texture. A well-made vegan shortcrust should be blind-baked until it is golden and crisp to ensure it can hold the weight of a heavy chocolate ganache without becoming soggy.
The Biscuit Base
If you want something with more crunch and less fuss, a biscuit base is the way to go. By pulsing toasted hazelnuts with dairy-free digestive biscuits or even chocolate cookies, you create a foundation that is packed with texture. Using a natural plant fat like coconut oil helps bind everything together while keeping the list of ingredients clean and simple.
- Biscuit Base Pro: Much faster to prepare and offers a satisfying, granular crunch.
- Pastry Base Pro: Provides a sophisticated, melt-in-the-mouth contrast to the smooth filling.
- The Hybrid: Add finely chopped hazelnuts to your pastry dough for the best of both worlds.
The Secret to a Velvety Vegan Ganache
The filling is where the magic happens. A standard ganache is usually a mix of chocolate and heavy cream. To recreate this in a plant-based kitchen, you need to understand how fats work. Since we don't use dairy, we look for alternatives that provide the same mouthfeel.
Using a high-quality M:lk® chocolate is a brilliant starting point. Our M:lk chocolate is designed to mimic the creaminess of traditional milk chocolate using plant-based ingredients like rice flour and sunflower lecithin. This lecithin is a natural emulsifier that helps the chocolate and the "cream" (usually a soy or oat-based heavy cream alternative) bind together into a glossy, smooth liquid. For more guidance on getting a silky filling, try this vegan chocolate ganache recipe.
If you want to take the hazelnut flavour to the next level, this is where a spread comes in. Adding a few generous spoonfuls of a vegan hazelnut spread into your warm ganache adds a layer of roasted nuttiness that you simply cannot get from extracts alone. Our Choco Love spread is perfect for this, as it is made with roasted hazelnuts and premium cocoa without any palm oil or refined sugar.
Essential Ingredients for Success
When you are making a tart this decadent, every ingredient has to pull its weight. There is nowhere to hide, so quality is everything.
- High-Quality Cocoa Mass: Look for chocolate that lists cocoa mass as a primary ingredient. This gives the ganache its depth and prevents it from being cloyingly sweet.
- Toasted Hazelnuts: Always buy whole hazelnuts and roast them yourself. The pre-chopped versions often lose their oils and flavour on the shelf.
- Plant-Based Fats: Whether you use vegan butter, coconut oil, or shea butter, ensure it is neutral-tasting so it doesn't overpower the chocolate.
- Emulsifiers: Natural sunflower lecithin, often found in high-quality vegan chocolate, is your best friend for a split-free ganache.
The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Tart Recipe
This recipe creates a rich, indulgent tart that serves 8 to 10 people. It uses a biscuit-style base for maximum crunch and a silky, two-ingredient ganache enhanced with hazelnut spread.
- Serves: 10
- Prep time: 30 minutes (plus 4 hours chilling)
- Difficulty: Medium
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 250g vegan digestive biscuits
- 100g toasted hazelnuts (skins removed)
- 80g melted vegan butter or coconut oil
- A pinch of sea salt
For the Filling:
- 200g LoveRaw M:lk chocolate, finely chopped
- 150ml plant-based double cream alternative (oat or soy works best)
- 3 tbsp LoveRaw Choco Love hazelnut spread
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
To Garnish:
- Handful of whole roasted hazelnuts
- A dusting of cocoa powder or a sprinkle of flaky sea salt
Method
- Place the biscuits and 100g of toasted hazelnuts into a food processor. Pulse until you have a fine crumb with a few larger nut pieces for texture.
- Add the melted vegan butter and salt. Pulse again until the mixture looks like wet sand and holds together when pressed.
- Tip the mixture into a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Use the back of a spoon to press it firmly into the base and up the sides. Ensure the edges are thick enough to hold the filling.
- Place the tart shell in the fridge to firm up for at least 30 minutes.
- In a small saucepan, gently heat the plant-based cream until it just begins to simmer. Do not let it boil.
- Place the chopped M:lk chocolate and the hazelnut spread into a heatproof bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit undisturbed for two minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract and whisk the mixture slowly starting from the centre. Continue whisking until it is glossy, smooth, and completely combined.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into the chilled tart shell. Smooth the top with a spatula if needed.
- Place the tart in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight, until the filling is set.
- Before serving, remove the tart from the tin. Garnish with whole hazelnuts and a sprinkle of sea salt.
Tip: If your ganache looks like it might split, add a teaspoon of room-temperature plant milk and whisk vigorously. This usually brings the emulsion back together.
Mastering the Texture
One of the common issues with vegan tarts is the filling being either too soft or too hard. A perfect tart should have a "snap" on the outside and a melt-in-the-mouth centre.
This comes down to the ratio of chocolate to cream. If you use a chocolate with a high cocoa butter or cocoa mass content, it will set firmer. If you find your tarts are consistently too soft, try increasing the chocolate-to-cream ratio slightly. Alternatively, incorporating a little bit of coconut oil into the ganache can help it set with a more solid, fudgy consistency that still melts beautifully once it hits your tongue.
How to Roast Hazelnuts Properly
Don't skip this. Preheat your oven to 180°C. Spread the nuts on a tray and roast for 8 to 10 minutes. You'll know they are done when the skins start to crack and the kitchen smells like heaven. Once they are out, wrap them in a clean tea towel and rub them together. The skins will flake right off, leaving you with smooth, golden nuts ready for your tart.
Troubleshooting Your Tart
Even the most experienced bakers run into trouble sometimes. Here is how to fix the most common chocolate hazelnut tart mishaps.
The "Soggy Bottom" Syndrome This usually happens if the filling is poured in while it is still too hot or if the base hasn't chilled enough. Make sure your biscuit base is ice-cold before adding the ganache. If you are using a pastry base, blind-baking is non-negotiable.
Cracked Ganache If your tart surface cracks, it is likely because it cooled too quickly or the fridge was too cold. To fix this, dip a metal spatula in hot water, wipe it dry, and gently run it over the surface of the tart to smooth out the cracks.
Sticky Filling If the ganache doesn't set, you might have used a cream alternative with too much water content. You can rescue this by freezing the tart for an hour before serving, or by serving it as a "deconstructed" tart in bowls. It will still taste legendary.
Decorative Finishes for a Professional Look
A tart that tastes this good deserves to look the part. You don't need professional pastry skills to make it look like it came from a boutique bakery.
- The Nut Shard: Roughly chop roasted hazelnuts and pile them high on one side of the tart for a modern, asymmetrical look.
- The Drizzle: Melt a little bit of white hazelnut spread (like our White Hazel Daze) and drizzle it in thin lines across the top.
- The Wafer Crunch: For a truly iconic finish, crumble one of our M:lk Choc Cre&m Wafer Bars over the top just before serving. The layers of wafer and hazelnut Cre&m add an extra dimension of texture that is ridiculously good.
- The Salted Edge: A tiny sprinkle of Maldon sea salt around the perimeter of the tart makes the chocolate flavour pop and cuts through the richness.
Storage and Make-Ahead Advice
This tart is a dream for busy hosts because it actually tastes better after a day in the fridge. The flavours have more time to mingle and the base becomes slightly more integrated with the filling.
- Fridge: Keep the tart in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: You can freeze the whole tart for up to a month. Defrost it slowly in the fridge overnight before serving.
- Serving Temperature: Take the tart out of the fridge about 15 to 20 minutes before you want to eat it. This allows the ganache to soften just enough to give you that perfect, velvety texture.
Bottom line: A chocolate hazelnut tart is all about the contrast between a crisp, salty-sweet nut base and a rich, creamy ganache. Get those two right and you have a world-class dessert.
Smart Organic and the LoveRaw Journey
We are proud to be backed by the expertise of Viki and Yani, the founders of Smart Organic. Their years of experience in the plant-based industry and their massive international reach have been instrumental in helping us develop the high-quality ingredients we use today. This partnership allows us to focus on what we do best: creating vegan chocolate that tastes like proper chocolate, whilst benefiting from their global distribution and product development knowledge. It is this support that ensures every bar, cup, and spread we make meets the high standards our customers expect in 2026.
Conclusion
Making a vegan chocolate hazelnut tart is one of the most rewarding bakes you can tackle. It is proof that you don't need dairy or palm oil to create a dessert that is downright decadent. By focusing on quality ingredients like roasted hazelnuts and premium cocoa mass, you can achieve a result that is uncompromising in both taste and texture.
- Always roast your hazelnuts for the best flavour.
- Use a high-quality M:lk chocolate for a creamy ganache.
- Don't be afraid to add a sprinkle of salt to balance the richness.
If you are ready to start your baking project, the best place to begin is with the right ingredients. Our Spreads Mixed Box features all three of our signature flavours, giving you everything you need to create the ultimate hazelnut filling or a stunning white chocolate drizzle.
FAQ
Can I make this tart gluten-free?
Yes, you can easily swap the digestive biscuits for a gluten-free alternative to make the base. Our spreads are also naturally gluten-free, making them a safe and delicious choice for the filling. Just ensure you check the packaging of your chocolate and cream alternatives for any potential cross-contamination.
What is the best way to cut a chocolate tart without it cracking?
To get a clean, professional slice, use a sharp knife that has been dipped in hot water and wiped dry. The heat from the blade will glide through the chilled ganache without dragging or cracking the surface. Clean the knife and reheat it between every single cut for the best results.
Can I use a different nut instead of hazelnut?
Whilst hazelnut is the classic choice, you can certainly experiment with almonds or pistachios. Our Almond Butter Cups or Pistachio Bliss spread would be excellent inspirations for a twist on the traditional recipe. Just remember that different nuts have different oil contents, so you may need to adjust the amount of binder in your base.
Why is my ganache grainy?
A grainy ganache usually happens if the chocolate is overheated or if the cream was too hot when added. It can also occur if the chocolate wasn't chopped finely enough, causing it to melt unevenly. Please check the packaging for full allergy information, as cross-contamination is possible during the manufacturing of any chocolate product.
