Walnut tart with orange-infused salted caramel

A alrge walnut tart sits cooling on a counter
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Confession: This is no ordinary walnut tart recipe. This is likely the last tart recipe you’ll ever need in your life! For us, it is one of our favorite recipes and goes down in the great desserts hall of fame! 

This recipe combines the best of two classic and utterly delicious dessert recipes, the walnut tart and the irresistible combination of salted caramel. We can’t lie, this recipe has been sampled many times and made to perfection. 

The perfect blend of the sweetness of orange with the warm salted caramel sauce works perfectly with the crunchy savory base and walnuts that have soaked and absorbed all of the flavor.

Serving:

8-10 slices

Ready in:

 2h, 30 mins

Skill level:

medium

Serve with:

Fresh cream or ice cream

About This Recipe

Our Walnut tart with orange-infused salted-caramel recipe can be made either as one large tart or can be made as mini-tarts that are the perfect sweet treat with afternoon tea or as dessert. This tart recipe makes one large tart that serves around 8.

Alternatively, you can easily adapt the recipe to make around 6-8 smaller tarts around 3 inches (7.5 cm) without needing to adjust the quantity of ingredients.

a golden walnut tart sits on a blue countertop.

Ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe

Makes 1 x 10-inch /25cm tart)

For the base

  • 7 Oz. (175g) plain biscuits (digestives or similar)
  • Pinch of salt
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • 1.7 Oz. (50g) icing sugar
  • 4 tablespoons of extra virgin oil
  • Finely grated zest of 1/2 orange

For the filling

  • Orange zest from 1 orange
  • Juice from ½ the orange
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 7 Oz. (200g) walnut halves

For the salted caramel sauce

  • 4 Oz. (115ml) water 
  • 8 1/2 Oz. (240g) of white granulated sugar 
  • 2g rock salt flakes or pink Himalayan salt
  • 8 ounces (225g) heavy cream

    Equipment needed

    • Food processor or whisk
    • 1 large bowl for mixing ingredients
    • 1 x 10-inch (25cm) tart baking tray with removable sides (or 6-8 small 3-inch (7cm) tart trays if you’re making individual mini-tarts)

    How to make salted caramel, the easy way! 

    Ok, there are plenty of salted caramel recipes out there on the interweb, but whilst giving you the one and only tart recipe you’ll ever need, we might as well give you the ultimate, and super-easy guide to making your own salted caramel sauce. It takes around 30 minutes to prepare and can be refrigerated for around a month so it’s perfect to use in other recipes.  

    Method for making the ultimate salted caramel sauce

    • In a medium-sized metal saucepan on medium-high heat, add the sugar, water, and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until it comes to a boil (around 4-5 minutes). 
    • Reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for around 6-8 minutes or until you see the mix become a deep honey color (occasionally swirl the mixture to ensure it is even but do not stir constantly). 
    • The mix will slowly take on a deeper, richer amber color and will have a syrupy texture. Once at this stage, reduce the heat to low and add the double cream while stirring constantly.  add time
    • Continue to simmer the caramel on low heat for another 3-4 minutes (somewhere around 220-240°F (105-115°C) is ideal). 
    • Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. The caramel sauce will be quite runny but will thicken once it stands and is refrigerated. Can be stored for around a month in the fridge in an airtight jar.
    Walnut tart with orange and honey-infused salted caramel

    How to make the perfect walnut tart (step-by-step guide)

    There are a few easy steps to follow when making this recipe. We recommend making the salted caramel sauce first so you have it ready to go. 

    Step 1 – Make the base

    • Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C 
    • Add the biscuits, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and orange zest to a food processor and buzz for 2 minutes until the mixture forms small breadcrumbs pieces. 
    • While the food processor is still running, slowly add the olive oil to the mixture and buzz for another minute or two. 
    • Add the mixture to a pie pan with removable sizes. Use a glass with a flat bottom to press down the mixture and even it out in the pie pan. 
    • Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside for use later. 

    Step 2 – Prepare the salted caramel

    • In a medium-sized metal saucepan on medium-high heat, add the sugar, water, and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until it comes to a boil (around 4-5 minutes). 
    • Reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for around 6-8 minutes or until you see the mix become a deep honey color (occasionally swirl the mixture to ensure it is even but do not stir constantly). 
    • The mix will slowly take on a deeper, richer amber color and will have a syrupy texture. Once at this stage, reduce the heat to low and add the Heavy cream while stirring constantly. Be careful, as if the caramel mixture is hot, it may spit when you add the cream. 
    • Continue to simmer the caramel on low heat for another 3-4 minutes (somewhere around 220-240°F (105-115°C) is ideal). 
    • Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. The caramel sauce will be quite runny but will thicken once it stands and is refrigerated. Can be stored for around a month in the fridge in an airtight jar. 

    Step 3 – Prepare the filling

    • In a bowl, add the walnuts, juice and zest from half an orange and mix well.
    • Next, add around 7Oz. / 200ml of the salted caramel sauce made earlier from the recipe step above. Mix well
    • Beat the egg and add to the mixture once it is still slightly warm, stir gently to ensure the mixture is even. 

    Step 4 – Add filling to the base and bake

    • Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/350°F.
    • Add walnuts and salted caramel mixture to the pre-baked base. Don’t fill right to the top as they will expand slightly while cooking. Allow for the filling to reach around 1/8th of an inch (0.5 cm) below the top of the tart rim and filling. 
    • For a large tart, bake for around 25-30 minutes or until the filling is set and golden. Use a toothpick to check if the filling is set. For smaller tarts, bake for 15 minutes and check if they require any additional cooking time. 
    • Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool before refrigerating for at least an hour. 

    Step 5 – To Serve

    • Walnut tart can be served warm or cool.
    A large Walnut tart with orange and honey-infused salted caramel sits on a white plate with some oranges placed nearby
    A alrge walnut tart sits cooling on a counter

    Walnut tart with orange-infused salted caramel

    Byron
    This recipe combines the best of two classic and utterly delicious dessert recipes, the walnut tart and the irresistible combination of salted caramel. We can’t lie, this recipe has been sampled many times and made to perfection.
    4.89 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 45 minutes
    Cook Time 45 minutes
    resting time 1 hour
    Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
    Course afternoon tea, Dessert, pie, Snack, starter, sweet, treat
    Cuisine American, baked, dessert, Mediterranean, Spain, spanish, tart
    Servings 8 people
    Calories 575 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 Food processor or whisk
    • 1 large bowl for mixing ingredients
    • 1 10-inch (25cm) tart baking tray with removable sides (or 8 small 3-inch (7cm) tart trays if you’re making individual mini-tarts)

    Ingredients

    For the base:

    • 7 Oz. 175g plain biscuits (digestives or similar)
    • Pinch of salt
    • Pinch of cinnamon
    • 1.7 Oz. 50g icing sugar
    • 4 tablespoons of extra virgin oil
    • Finely grated zest of 1/2 orange

    For the filling:

    • Orange zest from 1 orange
    • Juice from ½ the orange
    • 1 large egg beaten
    • 7 Oz. 200g walnut halves

    For the salted caramel sauce

    • 4 Oz. 115ml water
    • 8 1/2 Oz. 240g of white granulated sugar
    • 2 g rock salt flakes or pink Himalayan salt
    • 8 ounces 225g double cream

    Instructions
     

    Step 1 - Make the base

    • Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C
      An oven dial turned up to 180C
    • Add the biscuits, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and orange zest to a food processor and buzz for 2 minutes until the mixture forms small breadcrumbs pieces.
      7 Oz. 175g plain biscuits (digestives or similar), Pinch of salt, Pinch of cinnamon, 1.7 Oz. 50g icing sugar, Finely grated zest of 1/2 orange
      ingredients are added to a blender to make a biscuit base for a walnut caramel tart
    • While the food processor is still running, slowly add the olive oil to the mixture and buzz for another minute or two.
      4 tablespoons of extra virgin oil
      blended biscuit base ingredients breadcrumbed in a bblender
    • Add the mixture to a pie pan with removable sizes. Use a glass with a flat bottom to press down the mixture and even it out in the pie pan.
      a biscuit base is added to a pi tin ready for baking
    • Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside for use later.
      a baked biscuit pie base sits on a counter

    Step 2 - Prepare the salted caramel

    • In a medium-sized metal saucepan on medium-high heat, add the sugar, water, and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until it comes to a boil (around 4-5 minutes).
      4 Oz. 115ml water, 8 1/2 Oz. 240g of white granulated sugar, 2 g rock salt flakes or pink Himalayan salt
      water, sugar, and salt slowly dissolves in a frying pan
    • Reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for around 6-8 minutes or until you see the mix become a deep honey color (occasionally swirl the mixture to ensure it is even but do not stir constantly).
      salted caramel ingredients mixture starts to caramelize
    • The mix will slowly take on a deeper, richer amber color and will have a syrupy texture. Once at this stage, reduce the heat to low and add the double cream while stirring constantly. Be careful, as if the caramel mixture is hot, it may spit when you add the cream.
      8 ounces 225g double cream
      doubble cream is added to salted caramel mixture in a frying pan
    • Continue to simmer the caramel on low heat for another 3-4 minutes (somewhere around 220-240°F (105-115°C) is ideal).
      a rich ambber colored salted caramel sits in a frying pan
    • Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. The caramel sauce will be quite runny but will thicken once it stands and is refrigerated. Can be stored for around a month in the fridge in an airtight jar.
      a rich ambber colored salted caramel sits in a frying pan

    Step 3 - Prepare the filling

    • In a bowl, add the walnuts, juice and zest from half an orange and mix well.
      Orange zest from 1 orange, 7 Oz. 200g walnut halves, Juice from ½ the orange
      walnuts, orange juice and zest are mixed in a alrge white bowl
    • Next, add around 7Oz. / 200ml of the salted caramel sauce made earlier from the recipe step above. Mix well
      Salted. caramel. mixture is added to the walnut mixture in a frying pan
    • Beat the egg and add to the mixture once it is still slightly warm, stir gently to ensure the mixture is even.
      1 large egg
      Salted. caramel. mixture is added to the walnut mixture in a frying pan

    Step 4 - Add filling to the base and bake

    • Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/350°F.
      An oven dial turned up to 180C
    • Add walnuts and salted caramel mixture to the pre-baked base. Don’t fill right to the top as they will expand slightly while cooking. Allow for the filling to reach around 1/8th of an inch (0.5 cm) below the top of the tart rim and filling.
      a walnut tart waits to be baked in the oven
    • For a large tart, bake for around 25-30 minutes or until the filling is set and golden. Use a toothpick to check if the filling is set. For smaller tarts, bake for 15 minutes and check if they require any additional cooking time.
      A alrge walnut tart sits cooling on a counter
    • Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool before refrigerating for at least an hour.
      a golden walnut tart sits on a blue countertop.

    Step 5 - To Serve

    • The tart can be served warm or cool. Serve. with some fresh cream or with some extra salted caramel drizzled on top.
      A alrge walnut tart sits cooling on a counter

    Video

    Notes

    Walnut Tart Nutritional facts

    Walnut Tart Nutritional facts

    Keyword bake, Baked, caramel sauce, dessert, Dessert recipe, Dinner party, easy, easy to make, Honey, orange, salted caramel, spain, spanish, Spanish cuisine, Spanish dessert, walnuts

    Walnut Tart – Cooking Tips and FAQs

    What is walnut tart?

    A tart is basically a baked dish that has a firm pastry or biscuit base that holds a filling. This walnut tart recipe uses a biscuit base and a walnut filling that binds together with the orange-infused salted caramel. 

    How long does walnut tart take to make?

    • Prep time: 45 minutes
    • Cook time: 45 minutes
    • Refrigeration time: 1-hour minimum
    • Total time: 2 hours, 30 minutes. 

    How to store walnut tart?

    Store any leftover walnut tart in a container with a loose-fitting lid in the fridge. Walnut tart will keep up to 2 days when refrigerated. 

    Can you freeze walnut tart?

    Yes, walnut tart can be frozen and will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer. To freeze your walnut tart, first, bake it and allow it to cool, then wrap it in cling film and use a freezer bag. Lay flat in the freezer to preserve the shape of the tart. 

    Is walnut tart gluten-free?

    Nuts such as walnuts in the pure form do not contain gluten. The only ingredient in this walnut tart recipe that contains gluten is the biscuits used in the base. Check on the packet of biscuits if they contain any gluten before making the base. Common plain biscuits like digestives (what we used in this tart base) do contain gluten, but there are plenty of excellent gluten-free biscuit varieties available. 

    Is walnut tart vegan?

    This recipe uses eggs as a thickening agent for the tart, but you could use a plant-based thickening agent to make this recipe vegan-friendly. When making the salted caramel, switch out the heavy cream and replace it with a plant-based cream (e.g. cashew cream or pureed tofu).

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