chocolate peanut butter tart (healthier!)
Chocolate + Peanut Butter = a match made in heaven!
I love chocolate. And I love peanut butter. And I love them even more when they’re together! I was inspired by Kristan from - A Broken Bread - when I saw her peanut butter tart! I’ve often made a peanut butter pie which is quite thick, and had never thought about making it a bit smaller! It’s such a rich, decadent dessert, so the tart is such a perfect fit for it. I also love that the chocolate peanut butter ratio is even more balanced compared. If you’ve ever made a chilled or frozen peanut butter pie you may know that the recipes usually call for cool whip or heavy whipping cream as a main ingredient. Which is delicious…but also can be super heavy. I decided to replace it with plain icelandic yogurt (or greek yogurt!), and love that it cuts some of the fat and adds even more protein! So it’s still a decadent dessert, but isn’t quite as heavy as usual.
Things to note:
I use Skyr - icelandic yogurt for this recipe and my brand is very very thick, and quite mild. I’ve tried it with greek yogurt, but I find that it tends to be a bit softer, and can be a stronger/tarter taste. If you tip your yogurt container and it runs, then it may be a little soft to use, and you may want to strain it a bit for this recipe! Otherwise the filling will be pretty soft, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but just a heads up!
Adding a little salt on top really takes this tart over the top! The little bit of saltiness really complements the chocolate, and cuts the sweetness just the right amount. Plus it looks really pretty!
I like to use a tart/quiche pan with a removable bottom, but you can definitely make it in a regular pie dish! A spring-form pan would also work, the tart would just be very low on the sides. You could also simply use an 8x8 baking dish too - this recipe isn’t fussy!
You can use a 9 or 10 inch tart pan for this recipe depending what you have in your kitchen! It will just cause your layers to be a slightly different thickness, which isn’t a big deal. So don’t feel the need to run out and buy a new pan!
As always, be sure to read through the recipe a couple times before starting! And assemble all your ingredients beforehand so that everything runs smoothly. There is a bit of baking and then chilling, so this is a great recipe to make ahead of time, not so much right before you have guests over!
This recipe is on the small side, so I found that using a hand mixer was easier than a stand mixer to get the batter super smooth unless you have a stand mixer with a small bowl!
(healthier) chocolate peanut butter tart
adapted from: Kristan - the broken bread blog
yields: one 9-inch tart (or 10 inch tart)
ingredients
Crust
1 1/2 cups oreo crumbs
6 tbs unsalted butter, melted
Peanut Butter Filling
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup plain icelandic skyr yogurt (can use plain greek yogurt here as long as it’s thick!)
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
1 cup bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped (I like to use high quality Belgian chocolate - but chocolate chips work fine too!)
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbs unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
flaked sea salt (I usually use Maldon!)
to make
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
First assemble the crust. In a small bowl, stir together the oreo crumbs and melted butter. Press firmly into a 9 inch (or 10 inch) tart pan, and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until fragrant. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool as you mix together the filling.
Next make the filling. In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to mix together the peanut butter and softened cream cheese until completely smooth. Add in the skyr yogurt, and mix on medium until incorporated. Add in the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla, and mix on low until mixture is completely smooth.
Add the peanut butter filling to the cooled crust, using an offset spatula or butter knife to smooth the top, and place in the fridge to set.
Finally, make the chocolate ganache. Chop the bittersweet chocolate if needed, if using chocolate chips this step is unnecessary. Place into a small, heatproof bowl.
In a small saucepan, gently bring the heavy whipping cream to a gentle simmer - we don’t want an aggressive boil here otherwise the cream may scald. Once the cream has come to a simmer, shut off the heat, remove the cream from the burner, and pour over the chocolate. Add in the cubes of room temperature butter, and vanilla extract. Do NOT stir yet! Let everything sit for about 3 minutes so the chocolate can start melting. Start whisking the chocolate until a smooth and shiny ganache forms! If the chocolate isn’t quite melted, place back on low heat for a minute or until chocolate is totally melted. Pour ganache on top of the chilled peanut butter filling, and use an offset spatula to smooth the ganache. Place in the fridge to set. Let chill for at least an hour.
Once tart is firm, remove from the tart pan, and sprinkle with flaked salt, and serve!
Keep in an airtight container if not using right away - leftovers also freeze well.
Happy Tart Making!