This vegan caramel nut tart combines walnuts, macadamias, and peanuts with buttery caramel in a crisp shortcrust pastry shell. The walnuts bring a little earthiness, the macadamias add a mellow richness, and the peanuts give it that familiar peanut-and-caramel flavor.
The pastry is unsweetened, which balances the rich filling, and blind baking gives the shell a head start before the caramel and nuts go in.Serve it at room temperature for soft, sticky caramel, with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream if you fancy it.
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🌱 Ingredient Notes
You’ll find the full quantities in the recipe card below. Here are the details that make a difference when choosing your ingredients:
- All-purpose flour (plain flour): Regular all-purpose flour is all you need for the shortcrust pastry. If using cups, spoon the flour into the cup and level it off rather than scooping directly from the bag.
- Vegan butter: Choose a firm block or stick suitable for baking. Keep the butter for the pastry cold and cubed; the butter for the caramel can be at room temperature.
- Granulated sugar: White granulated sugar makes it easier to see the caramel change color as it cooks.
- Full-fat canned coconut milk: Stir the contents of the can together before measuring so you get both the cream and liquid. Avoid coconut milk from a beverage carton, which is much thinner.
- Walnuts, macadamias, and peanuts: Chop them roughly so you get a mix of nuts in each slice without losing their texture. Unsalted nuts give you more control over the seasoning; salted peanuts will add a sweet-and-salty contrast.
- Vanilla extract: Stir this into the caramel at the end for a little extra warmth.
For more help with the pastry, take a look at my vegan tart base recipe.
🥄 Getting the Caramel JUST Right
Measure everything before you start cooking the sugar. Once it begins to color, it can go from amber to burnt quickly, so this is the part where you’ll want to stay by the stove.
Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan with a light-colored interior so you can see the color clearly. Stir the sugar and water gently while the sugar dissolves, then stop stirring once it boils. If it colors unevenly, gently swirl the pan.
Look for an even amber color before taking it off the heat. The broad temperature range in a caramel recipe isn’t a substitute for watching the sugar itself.
Add the butter carefully, then gradually whisk in the coconut milk. The mixture will bubble up, so use a saucepan with plenty of room. If any caramel hardens into lumps, return it to low heat and stir gently until smooth.
🍽️ Cooling and Serving
Allow approximately 2 hours for the tart to cool completely in its pan before slicing. The caramel thickens as it cools, helping the filling hold together. If it’s still too soft to cut neatly, pop the cooled tart in the refrigerator until firmer.
Serve at room temperature for softer caramel, with a scoop of vegan ice cream or lightly whipped coconut cream.
❄️ Making Ahead and Storing
You can make definitely this tart the day before serving. Once completely cool, cover and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
Let it sit at room temperature before serving to soften the caramel. There’s no need to reheat the whole tart - warming it too much can make the filling runny again.
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🍰 More Vegan Dessert Recipes
If you’re here for the caramel, try my vegan caramel sauce for drizzling over ice cream, pancakes, or your next cozy dessert.
Did you make this recipe? If so, will you do me a huge favor and leave a review and star rating & let me know how you liked this recipe? THANK YOU! ❤️
Here's a handy recipe card that you can print out and keep in your kitchen for easy reference:
📖 Recipe Card
Vegan Caramel Nut Tart Recipe
Equipment
- 8-inch (20 cm) tart pan, preferably with a removable bottom
- mixing bowl
- Rolling Pin
- heavy-bottomed saucepan with a light-colored interior
- heatproof whisk
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
For the pastry:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour 180g, plus extra for rolling,
- ½ cup cold vegan butter 110g, cubed
- 2-3 tablespoons ice-cold water 30-45 ml
For the caramel:
- 1 cup 200 g granulated sugar 200g
- ¼ cup 60 ml water 60 ml
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter approx. 30g, unsalted
- ½ cup full-fat canned coconut milk 120 ml, stirred well and brought to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the nut filling:
- ½ cup walnuts 60g, chopped
- ½ cup macadamia nuts 75g, measured before roughly chopping
- ½ cup peanuts 75g, measured before roughly chopping
Instructions
- Prepare the oven and pan. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C conventional / 170°C fan). Place your tart pan on a baking sheet.
- Make the pastry. Add the flour and cold vegan butter to a mixing bowl. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 2 tablespoons of ice water and gently bring the dough together, adding the remaining tablespoon a little at a time only if needed. Stop mixing once the dough holds together.
- Line the pan. Roll out the pastry and gently ease it into the tart pan, pressing it into the corners without stretching it. Trim the excess, then refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes, until firm.
- Blind bake the shell. Line the chilled pastry with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried baking beans, making sure they support the sides. Bake at 375°F (190°C conventional / 170°C fan) for approximately 15-20 minutes, until the edges are set. Carefully lift out the parchment and weights, then bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the base looks dry and lightly golden. Let the shell cool slightly while you prepare the caramel.
- Caramelize the sugar. Add the sugar and water to a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir gently until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, then stop stirring and cook until the syrup turns an even amber color. Gently swirl the pan if needed to help it color evenly.
- Finish the caramel. Remove the pan from the heat. Carefully stir in the vegan butter, then gradually whisk in the coconut milk - the mixture will bubble vigorously. Stir in the vanilla. If any lumps remain, return the pan to low heat and stir until smooth. Let the caramel stand briefly, keeping it pourable.
- Fill the tart. Spread the chopped nuts evenly over the pastry shell. Pour the caramel over the nuts, using a heatproof spatula to distribute it evenly. Keep the filling below the pastry rim.
- Bake. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the exposed pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling. The caramel will still be soft while hot.
- Cool completely and slice. Let the tart cool completely in its pan on a wire rack, allowing approximately 2 hours. The caramel will thicken as it cools. If the filling is still too soft to slice neatly, refrigerate until firmer before removing the tart from the pan and cutting with a sharp knife.
Notes
- Cup measurements are approximate, especially for nuts. Use the gram weights for the most consistent results.
- Use firm vegan baking butter for the pastry.
- Stir the canned coconut milk thoroughly before measuring.
- Store the cooled tart covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring toward room temperature before serving for softer caramel.
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