Caramel Tart Recipe

I packed this salted caramel tart with a nutty brown butter crust, silky homemade caramel, and a glossy toasted brown sugar meringue that looks almost too good to slice. One bite and I knew it deserved the title ULTIMATE.

I’m fully obsessed with this caramel tart because it hits every dessert nerve I have. The brown butter crust is nutty, crisp, and just salty enough to make the caramel taste even deeper.

I love that glossy salted caramel filling with flaky sea salt, especially when it slices thick and a little dramatic. And then there’s the toasted brown sugar meringue, all swoops and browned edges, giving the whole thing this ridiculous marshmallowy finish.

But not too sweet. Not flat.

Not boring. Just buttery, salty, creamy, crunchy, and wildly addictive.

This is the tart I want when I’m showing off.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour gives the crust structure, so it slices clean without crumbling everywhere.
• Icing sugar keeps the crust tender, sandy, and lightly sweet.
• Fine sea salt stops the crust from tasting flat or boring.
• Browned butter brings that nutty, toasty flavor you’ll absolutely notice.
• Egg yolk adds richness and helps the dough hold together nicely.
• Vanilla makes the crust smell cozy before you even taste it.
• Ice water saves dry dough, but don’t overdo it.
• Granulated sugar turns into deep caramel, sweet with a tiny bitter edge.
• Heavy cream makes the caramel smooth, glossy, and properly spoonable.
• Flaky sea salt cuts the sweetness and makes every bite pop.
• Egg whites build that fluffy meringue cloud on top.
• Cream of tartar helps the meringue stay stable, not sad and weepy.
• Plus, brown sugar on top gets crackly, toasty, and a little dramatic.

Ingredient Quantities

• For the brown butter crust: 180 g (1 1/2 cups) all purpose flour
• For the brown butter crust: 50 g (1/4 cup) icing sugar
• For the brown butter crust: 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• For the brown butter crust: 115 g (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, browned and cooled
• For the brown butter crust: 1 large egg yolk
• For the brown butter crust: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• For the brown butter crust: 1 to 2 tablespoons ice water, as needed
• For the salted caramel filling: 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
• For the salted caramel filling: 90 g (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• For the salted caramel filling: 120 ml (1/2 cup) heavy cream, warmed
• For the salted caramel filling: 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus more to finish if desired
• For the toasted brown sugar meringue: 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• For the toasted brown sugar meringue: 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
• For the toasted brown sugar meringue: 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• For the toasted brown sugar meringue: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• For finishing the meringue: 1 to 2 teaspoons light brown sugar for sprinkling and toasting

How to Make this

1. Make brown butter and cool: melt 115 g unsalted butter in a light saucepan over medium heat, cook until nutty brown bits form and aroma is fragrant, transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature.

2. Make crust: whisk together 180 g all purpose flour, 50 g icing sugar and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt; stir in cooled brown butter, 1 large egg yolk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until crumbly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons ice water as needed to bring dough together; form into a disk, wrap and chill 30 minutes.

3. Blind bake crust: preheat oven to 180 C (350 F); roll chilled dough to fit a 23 cm tart pan, press into pan, trim excess, line with parchment and pie weights, bake 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment and bake 8 to 10 minutes more until golden; cool slightly in pan.

4. Make salted caramel filling: in a clean heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt 200 g granulated sugar without stirring until it becomes amber, carefully add 90 g unsalted butter in pieces and stir until incorporated, then slowly whisk in 120 ml warmed heavy cream until smooth; remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt; cool 10 to 15 minutes.

5. Fill tart: pour slightly cooled caramel into baked crust, smooth surface, chill in fridge until set about 30 to 45 minutes.

6. Prepare meringue base: in a clean bowl whisk 4 large egg whites with 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar until soft peaks form; gradually add 200 g granulated sugar while whisking, continue to whip until glossy stiff peaks form, then beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

7. Top tart with meringue: pipe or spread meringue over chilled caramel, creating peaks or textural ridges that will brown nicely.

8. Toast meringue: sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoons light brown sugar over peaks and carefully brown with a kitchen torch until evenly toasted; alternatively place under a hot broiler for 1 to 2 minutes watching closely to avoid burning.

9. Finish and serve: let tart rest 10 minutes after toasting, sprinkle extra flaky sea salt if desired, then slice with a hot dry knife for clean cuts; serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Equipment Needed

1. Small light saucepan for browning butter
2. Heavy-bottomed saucepan for making caramel
3. Electric mixer (stand or hand) for whipping meringue
4. Large mixing bowls
5. 23 cm tart pan with removable bottom
6. Rolling pin and bench scraper
7. Parchment paper and pie weights or dried beans
8. Rubber spatula and offset spatula for smoothing
9. Kitchen torch or oven broiler and a heatproof baking sheet
10. Digital kitchen scale plus measuring spoons and a sharp knife for slicing

FAQ

Caramel Tart Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• All purpose flour: substitute pastry flour for a more tender crust, or use a 1:1 gluten free flour blend if avoiding gluten (add 1 to 2 teaspoons xanthan gum if blend lacks it).
• Unsalted butter (brown butter crust): use salted butter and omit or reduce added salt in the recipe, or use a high quality vegan butter for dairy free results; brown it carefully as you would dairy butter.
• Heavy cream (salted caramel filling): use half and half plus 1 tablespoon melted butter per 1/2 cup for similar richness, or use full fat coconut milk for a dairy free caramel (flavor will be coconut forward).
• Egg whites (toasted brown sugar meringue): use aquafaba (the liquid from canned chickpeas), whisked until stiff peaks, as a vegan substitute; use 3 tablespoons aquafaba per egg white as a starting point.

Pro Tips

1) Brown butter with patience: watch and smell more than you watch the clock. Once the milk solids turn golden and smell nutty, pull the pan off the heat and transfer the butter to a cool bowl right away so it does not continue cooking in the hot pan. Cooling to just below room temperature makes the crust come together without scrambling the egg yolk.

2) Keep that crust flaky: when you add ice water, start with the smaller amount and press the dough together with gentle pressure instead of overworking it. Chill the dough well before rolling so it relaxes and shrinks less during blind baking.

3) Make stable caramel by controlling temperature and heat shock: let the sugar fully melt and reach a deep amber before adding butter. Warm the cream first so it does not seize the caramel when you whisk it in. If the sauce seems grainy, keep it over low heat and whisk gently until smooth.

4) Meringue success tricks: use a perfectly clean, dry bowl and beaters and bring egg whites to room temperature for easier volume. Add the sugar slowly and be patient until glossy stiff peaks form. Toast with a torch for precise color or use a very hot broiler but stay right beside the oven, rotating quickly to avoid burning.