Chocolate Tart Shell

Oct 13, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

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Baking Pies tarts Vanilla: Extract Medium

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A baked, empty chocolate tart shell in a fluted tart pan on a marble counter, golden and crisp

A cocoa pastry shell with a crisp snap, for ganache, caramel, peanut butter and raspberry fillings.

Prep 20 min

Cook 25 min

Cooling 1 hr 30 min

Total 2 hr 15 min

Yield 8 slices

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

slices

1 ¼ cups (160.0 g)all-purpose flour
⅓ cup (30.0 g)unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup (60.0 g)powdered sugar
¼ tsp (1.5 g)fine sea salt
½ cup (113.0 g)cold unsalted butter, cubed
1.0 (50.0 g)large egg
1.0 tsp (5.0 ml)pure vanilla extract

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Instructions

Pulse the flour, cocoa, powdered sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse to coarse crumbs.
Beat the egg with the vanilla, add and pulse until the dough clumps. Press into a disk, wrap and chill 1 hour.
Roll between parchment to 11 inches and fit into a 9-inch tart pan; trim and prick. Freeze 30 minutes.
Bake at 375°F (190°C) with parchment and weights for 18 minutes, then 8 minutes more uncovered. The shell is done when it smells toasty and looks dry; cocoa hides browning.

Tips

Cocoa dough dries out fast; wrap scraps while you work.
Cool completely before filling or a warm ganache will soften the shell.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make chocolate tart shell?

Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking, plus 1 hour 30 minutes to chill. The recipe makes one 9-inch tart shell.

How should I store chocolate tart shell?

The baked shell keeps 2 days at room temperature in an airtight container; raw dough freezes 2 months.

Can I make chocolate tart shell ahead?

Bake the shell a day ahead; fill it the day you serve.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (5 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

A cocoa pastry shell with a crisp snap, for ganache, caramel, peanut butter and raspberry fillings.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 8 servings this recipe makes.

222 Calories / serving

12.8g Fat

25.0g Carbs

3.7g Protein

7.6g Sugar

Whole recipe (8 servings): ~1776 cal · 102g fat · 200g carbs · 30g protein · 61g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.