A Millionaire’s Tart is basically a fancy name for a giant Twix pie — and I’m here for it. The traditional version has a rich, shortbread crust, a creamy caramel filling, and a thin, chocolate top. We’ve recreated it to make it dairy and grain-free and I promise — the result is just as good.
We start with an almond flour base, then cover it with a salty caramel layer, and top it all off with dark chocolate and just a hint of cashew butter.
And to save you from caramel that’s made totally from scratch, we use sweetened condensed coconut milk. It’s not as easy to find as normal sweetened condensed milk but is sold at many grocers, including Whole Foods and Thrive Market. If you’re buying it in-store, it will be near the regular sweetened condensed milk cans. And I know it can be intimidating to work with caramel, which is essentially liquid sugar, but I can assure you if you can boil water and whisk, you can do this too!
The tart lasts really well in the freezer or fridge and is great to make ahead a few days in advance of a holiday party. Make sure to store it in the fridge, regardless of when you serve it. This helps the caramel stay set!
I promise this is worth the prep and time it takes to make — most of it is chilling time anyway — so get to baking this for the holiday season or whenever you need to satisfy your sweet tooth!
Grain-Free and Dairy-Free Millionaire’s Tart
Ingredients
- coconut oil cooking spray
For the Crust:
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
- 1 ½ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup arrowroot starch
- 3 Tbsp. coconut sugar
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- 1 large egg yolk
For the Caramel:
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 2 7.4 oz. cans sweetened condensed coconut milk , shaken well (I used Let’s Do Organic brand)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp ghee *can sub butter, or sub vegan butter (for dairy-free)
- ¼ cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp kosher salt
For the Ganache:
- ¼ cup full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips - I used Enjoy Life Foods
- 2 tbsp cashew butter - or sub creamy almond butter or nut butter of your choice
- Flaky salt, I use Maldon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9” tart pan with a removable bottom, or 8x8 pan, with coconut oil cooking spray and set aside. If you are not using a tart pan with a bottom that you can lift out, add a parchment paper sling to the pan to help with easy removal.
Prepare the Crust:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted coconut oil, almond flour, arrowroot starch, coconut sugar, salt, and egg yolk. Stir vigorously until well combined. The texture should be sandy and crumbly, similar to what a graham cracker crust would feel like.
- Tip the crust into the prepared tart pan. Using the bottom of a measuring cup, pack the crust into the tin, pressing it into an even layer and up the sides. If your crust is sticking to the bottom of the cup, coat it with a bit of cooking spray.
- Transfer it to the oven on the middle rack. Cook for 18-20 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Since the crust is nut based, it can burn if you aren’t watching it. Once cooked, remove from the oven, and cool completely before adding the filling.
Make the Caramel:
- In a large saucepan or pot over medium heat, add the coconut sugar, sweetened condensed milk, maple syrup, ghee, and coconut milk. Whisk and cook until the mixture is smooth and the sugar crystals have started to dissolve, about 3 minutes.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Whisk constantly, cooking for 8-10 minutes to thicken the caramel. Since the coconut sugar is dark, it will be harder to tell when the caramel is done. To test the caramel, use an instant read or candy thermometer and continue whisking and stirring the caramel until it reaches about 235 degrees. It is important you cook the caramel to this temperature and until it has thickened, or your tart will not set.
- Remove from the heat, add the vanilla and salt, and stir to combine. Immediately pour it into the cooled tart shell. Transfer to the fridge and allow the caramel to fully set for at least 2 hours or overnight. If you are in a pinch for time, set it in the freezer for one hour.
- Once the caramel is fully set, start the ganache.
Make the Ganache:
- In a small saucepan, add the coconut milk, chocolate chips, and cashew butter. Heat over medium-low, whisking intermittently. Stir until the chocolate mixture is smooth and glossy.
- Pour over the chilled tart, and using an offset spatula, spread the ganache atop the caramel, swirling the chocolate to the edges of the pie. Top with a generous pinch of flaky salt. Allow to set at room temperature for about an hour and then transfer to the fridge. Chill until you’re ready to serve.
- To serve, cut into 12 slices and enjoy!
Food Photography and Styling by Modern Food Stories.
25 Comments
Erica
December 26, 2022 at 3:17 pmI live at altitude so didn’t get the caramel to 235 but instead to 225 (per Google guidance on candy at altitude). My caramel was soft and gooey – almost too gooey. And the chocolate separated. I used the Enjoy Life chips but wondering if it’s due to the chips not melting well. I used it anyway. Everyone loved it the tart even with these small issues.
Pau
December 23, 2022 at 2:58 pmMy caramel is rock solid 🙁 I cry
Jennifer
December 2, 2022 at 2:52 amThe flavors were great but my caramel was super hard. Is it possible to cook it too long. Not sure how to get a better consistency?
Alex
December 7, 2022 at 1:06 amYes, if you find your caramel gets too hard– try adding a couple tablespoons of water or coconut milk and stirring until the thermometer reads about 235 degrees F.
Meredith
January 3, 2022 at 2:28 amAbsolutely delicious!
Kayla
December 28, 2021 at 12:28 pmI loved this so much I made it twice before Christmas! The one issue I had is some separation in the chocolate…some white from the coconut milk I assume? sits on the surface and creates a swirled white haze. The second time I prepared it, I melted the chocolate and ingredients in a double boiler but it didn’t fix the issue. Tips?
Ashley
December 27, 2021 at 6:53 pmGosh darn it, this totally flopped for me as the caramel ended up being rock hard. I can’t decide yet if my candy thermometer is to blame, or the sweetened condensed coconut milk (brand I tried was Nature’s Charm), but I’m going to try again and figure it out. 🙂 I scraped off the chocolate to eat with the crust, it was so good! I’m positive this will be on repeat for me once I get it dialed in. I usually don’t end up loving GF crusts but this one was phenomenal!
KO
December 26, 2021 at 2:57 amMy first foray with caramel and it was 100% worth the effort. Worth using a candy thermometer – I otherwise wouldn’t have cooked the caramel long enough. I found the coconut condensed milk at H-E-B and used a spring form pan with perfect results.
Mo
December 23, 2021 at 9:01 pmCan’t wait to make this for Christmas! How far in advance do you recommend that I can make it?
Alex
December 23, 2021 at 10:11 pmYou can make this 1-2 days before your dinner then keep it covered and stored in the fridge until you are ready to eat it!
SK
December 22, 2021 at 11:41 pmIf you accidentally did the whole egg instead of just the yolk will that be problematic? 😬
Ashley
December 19, 2021 at 11:11 pmI’ve been to 3 grocery stores, including Whole Foods, and canny find sweetened condensed coconut milk! Will regular sweetened condensed milk work?
Alex
December 20, 2021 at 12:33 pmyes!
Teresa Brimer
December 24, 2021 at 7:22 pmI surprisingly found it at my local Walmart! I would never have thought to look there.
Sally
December 19, 2021 at 8:56 pmI just made this. It is rich and so delicious! Made my caramel dreams come true. Will definitely be making again in the future!
Heather
December 19, 2021 at 5:59 pmMy husband cannot do almonds due to kidney stones, is there another nut flour or other paelo flour that could be an option? Cashew?
Alex
December 20, 2021 at 12:43 pmHi Heather, I am so sorry I haven’t tested this recipe out with other paleo flours yet so I am not 100% if it will turn out for you; however, I do think that Cashew flour would be a good substitute.
Heather
December 21, 2021 at 2:03 amThank you! I’m thinking it would too, I’m trying it for Christmas and will report back 🙂
Mary Jean
December 16, 2021 at 5:54 pmCan you freeze this and take out the day you are serving it?
M
December 16, 2021 at 3:54 pmDo it taste the coconut milk? I want to make this for Christmas but have family who don’t like the taste of coconut.
Alex
December 16, 2021 at 7:12 pmI don’t taste the coconut milk but I do taste thee coconut oil in this recipe!! If coconut is an issue definitely swap in melted butter (+ will just be even more delicious!)
Renata
December 16, 2021 at 1:24 amCan I use normal sugar to sub for coconut sugar?
Alex
December 20, 2021 at 10:25 pmI haven’t tested regular sugar but I do think it would work! Just note that the caramel most likely won’t be quite as dark and may harden more quickly!
Nicole
December 14, 2021 at 9:48 pmHi!
I have a nut allergy, is there any way I sub for normal flour?
Alex
December 15, 2021 at 11:38 pmHi Nicole– I don’t recommend swapping out all-purpose for almond flour– the ratios would be different and I worry it won’t turn out right for you. You could use a more traditional short bread crust recipe from someone else, then build on that!