These mini salted caramel tarts have a velvety smooth caramel set in the middle of a golden brown graham cracker-style crust. Each bite will send you straight into a buttery salted caramel heaven! Made vegan and gluten-free!
This Salted Caramel Tart recipe is sponsored by Edward and Sons. All thoughts are my own. Thank you so much for supporting brands that make The Fit Peach possible!
Attention all caramel lovers! You will swoon over these cute miniature caramel tarts. Each one has a pool of gooey sticky vegan caramel that you could literally eat by the spoonful.
The caramel is a version of my dairy free caramel sauce but it has a thicker consistency and fewer ingredients due to the sweetened condensed coconut milk.
For more caramel love, check out my caramel apple butter, caramel apple martini, and my oat milk caramel latte!
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Ingredients and notes
These dairy free tarts are made with a few simple ingredients.
For the crust
- Almond flour - This is the base of the crust. Feel free to substitute with oat flour or gluten free 1 : 1 flour.
- Coconut oil - Provides moisture to the crust so it remains soft and tender. You can swap this with melted butter or vegan butter if desired.
- Maple syrup - Used to sweeten the crust. Honey or agave will also work well.
- Molasses - This is the key to the graham cracker flavor. A little goes a long way!
For the vegan caramel
- Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk - This is the base of the caramel sauce. It's already thicker in consistency and has a slightly sweet flavor. I recommend Edward & Son's Let's Do Organic brand.
- Coconut sugar - Dissolved into the coconut milk to create a buttery caramel flavor and color. Light brown sugar will also work.
- Flaky sea salt - This is mixed into the caramel and sprinkled on top of the tarts. Large sea salt flakes work best. Don't use table salt.
What is sweetened condensed coconut milk?
I used Edward & Son's Let's Do Organic Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk in this vegan tart recipe. With a thick consistency and subtle sweetness, it makes the perfect dairy-free ingredient in lavish desserts. You can find out where to pick some up near you here!
Step by step directions
You will need a pot or skillet to make the caramel. A food processor or mixer is best for the crust and you will need a few mini tart pans.
Step 1 : Prepare the crust
Add all crust ingredients to a food processor. You can also do this in a blender or in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon.
Pulse until the mixture begins to form little clumps of dough that resemble sand. The mixture should be sticky enough to stick together when pressed.
Step 2 : Bake the crust
Spoon the crust dough into the mini tart pans and press into the bottom and sides. You can do this with your hands or with the back of a spoon. Bake in the oven until golden brown.
Allow the crusts to cool completely before removing the bottom and filling with the caramel.
Step 3 : Prepare the caramel
Add the sweetened condensed coconut milk and the coconut sugar to a pot or skillet and heat over medium heat. Stir continuously to prevent burning until the coconut sugar is fully dissolved into the milk.
Once the caramel begins to simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and allow it to simmer for another 2 - 3 minutes until it's thick enough to coat the back of the spatula.
Step 4 : Fill the crusts with caramel
Place the cooled crusts on a tray or plate and spoon about 2 tablespoons of the caramel sauce into each one. Sprinkle some flaky sea salt over top and transfer the tray to the fridge to allow the caramel to set for at least 30 minutes.
Expert Tips
Although this caramel tart recipe is fairly straightforward, here are a couple tips and tricks to ensure your mini tarts are fabulous:
- Press the crust dough into the tart pans. This recipe makes approximately 6 mini tarts. Make sure you have enough dough in each pan to provide some structure. If the crust it too thin, it won't be able to hold the delicious caramel filling
- Let the crust cool before filling with caramel. We want the crust to be cooled before we add the filling. If the crust is too warm, the caramel sauce will melt and bleed into the crevices of the crust (aka make a big mess). Let the crusts cool for at least 10 minutes, it doesn't take too long.
- Store mini tarts in the fridge. For optimal texture, store the tarts in the fridge. You can store them on the counter but keep in mind that the caramel will be on the softer side.
- Don't skimp on the salt flakes. This is what makes our tarts 'salted'. This mediterranean sea salt is perfect for these tarts.
How to store and serve
These tarts will keep for up to 5 days uncovered in the fridge. I like to keep them on a tray or a plate so it's easy to clean up.
If you store them in an airtight container they can stay fresh for up to a week. Don't stack them in the container though.
When serving, you can leave them out at room temperature for a few hours. The caramel will just soften over time a little.
Frequently asked questions
Traditional caramel is not vegan due to butter and heavy cream typically used.
Coconut milk is typically what is used in vegan caramel since it has a thick consistency. Coconut sugar or brown sugar is then heated into the milk to add some buttery sweetness
Yes, wrap each tart individually in saran wrap or wax paper once the caramel has set. Store in a freezer bag or container. They will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge or out on the counter before serving.
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Recipe
Salted Caramel Tart (Vegan!)
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2 cups almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut oil - melted
- 2 ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
For the Caramel Filling
- 7.4 oz can Edward & Son's Let's Do Organic Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- Sea salt flakes
Instructions
For the Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Add all crust ingredients to a food processor and pulse until small clumps of dough begin to form that resemble sand.
- Press dough into 6 mini tart pans, making sure to press into the bottom and sides of the pans.
- Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until golden brown. Let cool before filling.
For the Caramel Filling
- While crusts are cooling, heat the sweetened condensed coconut milk and coconut sugar in a skillet over medium heat until simmering. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to stir occasionally to prevent burning.
- Pour about 2 tablespoon of the caramel sauce into each crust, sprinkle with sea salt flakes, and place in fridge for at least 30 mins to set. Once set, serve and enjoy!
Do you have to use coconut sugar for it to be vegan?
No you can use brown sugar if you want!
can these be baked ahead of serving time, frozen, and thawed to serve?
Yes they can! Store them in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Look delish! Any idea how one could convert this into a large (regular size) tart?