The amazing combination of dark chocolate and pumpkin in this dreamy Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Tart gives traditional pumpkin pie a run for its title as fall’s favorite dessert!
Chocolate + Pumpkin Spice
Fall needs more chocolate desserts! Am I right, or am I right?! ;)) Every year, when we start planning our Thanksgiving menu, my mom will ask us which desserts we each want to finish off the feast. Pecan pie and pumpkin pie are a given, but the majority of us will say “something with chocolate as well, please!”
Watch Me Make a Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Tart
Join me in the kitchen as I make a dark chocolate pumpkin tart for Thanksgiving!
This Tart is a Show-Stopper
So this year, we’ll kill two birds with one stone and I’ll make this show-stopping, scrumptious dark chocolate pumpkin tart.
A rich dark chocolate crust holds the creamy pumpkin filling for a pumpkin-chocolate match made in heaven.
It’s one of those desserts you won’t be able to put your fork down once you first dig in. The dark chocolate crust compliments the perfectly sweet and spiced pumpkin filling so well. Topped with a dollop of whipped cream and I’m not kidding y’all, this tart is a dream!
This has to be one of the easiest of the easy tarts you could bake, much easier than pie. We’re talking 5 ingredients for the crust and 5 ingredients for the filling. No food processor, no boiling. The crust comes together in minutes, no refrigerating or rolling. Just stir the ingredients together.
More Fall Baking
No need to wait for the leaves to start dropping to enjoy My Favorite Recipes for Fall Baking! From perfectly-spiced pumpkin bread to pecan pie bites and savory corn bread, you’re sure to fall for these autumn treats!
What Do I Need to Make a Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Tart?
- All-purpose flour
- Dark cocoa powder
- Granulated sugar
- Kosher salt
- Unsalted butter, melted
- pure pumpkin
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Egg
- Pumpkin pie spice
How to Make a Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Tart
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt. Make a well in the center of the crumbs and add the melted butter. Stir chocolate mixture into a crumbly dough.
- Press dough into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake crust for 10 minutes. The crust will bubble just a bit as it bakes. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes while you make the filling.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, egg, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Pour into crust.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 425°F. Reduce oven to 350°F and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until filling is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool on a wire rack at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.
Chocolate lovers rejoice! You can have your pumpkin and your chocolate too!
More Thanksgiving Recipes You’ll Love
Let’s get you ready for the big feast with these festive, delicious and easy Thanksgiving recipes everyone is sure to be thankful for!
A fabulous fall dessert without a lot of fuss. If you do make this Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Chart, be sure to snap a picture and share it with me or tag me on Instagram @thebakermama so I can see. 
I love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the recipes I share. Enjoy!
xoxo,
Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Tart
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8-10
- Category: Dessert
Description
The amazing combination of dark chocolate and pumpkin in this dreamy dark chocolate pumpkin tart gives traditional pumpkin pie a run for its title as fall’s favorite dessert!
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
- 1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt. Make a well in the center and add the melted butter. Stir into a crumbly dough.
- Press dough into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake crust for 10 minutes. The crust will bubble just a bit as it bakes. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes while you make the filling.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, egg, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Pour into crust.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 425°F. Reduce oven to 350°F and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until filling is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.
Notes
Store in the refrigerator.
I love the recipe! Love it!. But my crust was to hard someone give feedback how to fixed or adjust the crust. Thank you
Hi, Marimer! It sounds like maybe you refrigerated the tart after baking? The butter in the crust will harden in the refrigerator. You’d have to let it come to room temperature before serving. Hope this helps! Enjoy!
Was a big hit last year so I had to make it twice. This year I will make the pumpkin puree! Topped with a sugarless vanilla whipped cream i made.
Hi, Soleil! Oh wow! That’s so ambitious. I can’t wait to hear how it turns out with your own puree. I am so happy you love it. Happy Thanksgiving!
What kind of dark cocoa powder did you use? Would dutch process cocoa work?
Hi, Lucy! Absolutely! I used a regular dark cocoa powder but dutch process will make for an even richer, deeper flavor. Hope this helps! Enjoy!
Favorite dessert to make – always a crowd pleaser
Hi, Mackenzie! It’s soooo good, right? I’m happy to hear that you enjoy it!
Will fresh puree pumpkin still work in this?
Hi, Sue! It should! I haven’t tried it in this particular recipe, but you can substitute in a 1:1 ratio. Let me know how it turns out!
can you freeze the tart?
Hi Traci! Absolutely! Just let it cool completely and then wrap tightly in plastic wrap several times before freezing for up to 1 month. When you’re ready to defrost it, place it in the refrigerator to defrost completely. When ready to serve, let set at room temperature for an hour or serve cold. I hope this helps. Enjoy!
This was so good! Not sickly sweet like most pumpkin pies. The salt in the crust is spot on. Will be making this again – thank you!
I just made this and it was so good! I do have a question though. The crust on this was very hard, like difficult to cut with a fork. Did I do something wrong?
Hi Stephanie! So glad you made and enjoyed it! It sounds like the crust might have been baked a little too much. If it’s overbaked it will be dried out and harder in texture. How long did you end up baking it? Did you use the same ingredients called for in the recipe?
I did use the same ingredients but I think I did end up baking it a little longer than the recipe said because the filling didn’t seem done! I also used a glass pie dish because I couldn’t not find a tart pan so I think that may also have something to do with it.
Thanks so much for this recipe, It has become our staple at thanksgiving and Christmas. MUCH better than normal pumpkin pie.
Quick question.. When I bake the crust, the sides always slide down and I have to use a spoon and reshape the crust again. Would you think it would be ok to skip the prebake step? Or do you have any idea how I can avoid the crust from sliding down the sides?
Thanks again for this delicious recipe/
Hi Fredau! So happy to hear you enjoy this tart as much as we do! That’s interesting that the crust slides down the side as it bakes. What type of tart pan are you using? If it’s a non-stick pan, I would recommend not greasing it then. Otherwise, I think it would be just fine to skip pre-baking the crust. It just might be a little softer than it should be. Hope this helps. Continue to enjoy!
So simple to make and turned out great. My daughter said it was so good she could cry and gave me a hug (she is 11). I am so glad that I found this recipe.
Dying to try this! Wondering how you get the entire thing out of the pan since it looks so pretty without the pan!
Hi Arianna! The bottom of traditional tart pan is actually removable which makes removing the tart from the pan easy and results in a gorgeous tart. Here’s the tart pan I use: https://amzn.to/32dHZrS. I hope this helps. Enjoy!
I have made this several times and it is great! Pumpkin and chocolate is such a classic combination.
Can you please tell me how long to bake and at what temperature if I do these in a muffin tin? Thanks!
Hi Natalie! I haven’t tested the recipe in a muffin tin so I couldn’t say for sure. So sorry. It’s a great idea though!
I had high hopes for this tart and wanted to like it a lot more than I did. Firstly, I loved how easy it was to make.. very simple ingredients that requires very low effort. I really liked the crust, however, I found it to be too thick. It not only was difficult to cut through on the edges because of how thick it was, it also seemed to overpower the pumpkin flavor. I love all things pumpkin, but for some reason I didn’t love the filling of this tart. I think maybe it was the condensed milk, but it left a bit of a weird aftertaste in my mouth. It was definitely worth trying, but I’m not sure I’ll make it again.
The depth of your 9 inch tartvpan will make a big difference. The one I have is shallow, and I realized while mixing the crust that I needed a something bigger. I switched to an 11 inch and it worked fine. You definitely need to pick the crust prior to baking. When writing a recipe you need to be really careful about the measurements of the baking vessel. Depth as well as length and width are important. In this case a 9 inch springform would have worked too. Overall good flavor although I decided that using the special dark chocolate was too much as it overpowered the delicate pumpkin flavor. Also, I used 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.
Great tip on the pan! Thank you. I’ll take note of the pan depth in the future. I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor–I’ll have to try it your way some time!
Hi, could you please let me know what is the size of the pan you use?
Hi Vesnna! I use a 9-inch tart pan. Enjoy!
I don’t have a tart pan, do you think a pie pan would work ok?
It’s thanksgiving today here in Canada 🙂
Hi Alisha! I apologize I’m just seeing your comment. I hope you used the pie pan and that it turned out great! Happy Thanksgiving!
I would like to make this soon- do you think the egg is integral? Do you think I can remove it or substitute it with something else?
Hi Rekha! I would recommend replacing the egg with an additional 1/4 cup pure pumpkin or 1/4 cup mashed banana or 1/4 cup applesauce. Hope this helps. Enjoy!
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Hi Vanessa! It keeps great when stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Enjoy!
THis looks so good! What a great way to enjoy 2 amazing fall flavors!
Could I use a springform pan?
Hi Lisa! Yes, a springform pan will work great. Enjoy!
I personally don’t like condensed milk what is substitute for the condensed milk?
Hi Carly! You could use Cream of Coconut in place of the condensed milk: https://amzn.to/3l5Oh0M. Just substitute with a 1:1 ratio. Enjoy!
Cant rate this yet as we haven’t tasted it. I didnt have a tart pan with removable bottom so we will see how well it comes out of tart pan. I had to bake it little longer than suggested. Will update when we try it..hopefully it will be awesome as I’m taking it to a dinner party.
Hi Maegan, this looks so wonderful! I’m wondering it you can make a week ahead and freeze and then thaw in the refrigerator? Thanks!
Hi Sherie! Absolutely, just let it cool completely and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap then foil before freezing. When you’re ready to defrost it, just cover it loosely in plastic wrap so too much moisture doesn’t get trapped in and let it defrost in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. Enjoy!
I’d love to make this for thanksgiving!! Do you think I could make this ahead of time? Maybe 2 days prior and just leave it in the fridge?
Or should I make the dough (bake it) and then assemble the filling, and the day of put it together/bake?
Hi Nina! So sorry, I’m just seeing your message. You could definitely bake this tart completely ahead of time and cover it tightly with plastic wrap to store in the refrigerator for a few days until ready to serve.
If I wanted to make this Keto, would I be able to sub Monk fruit sweetener for the sugar, and evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed? It looks amazing!
Hi Ashly! I’m not familiar baking with monk fruit sweetener so I couldn’t say for sure. Sorry!
Hey, over in the UK canned pumpkin is hard to come by. Would you advise roasting actual pumpkin? Haven’t ever made pumpkin pie but desperate to try. Xx
Hi Yvonne! You could definitely roast an actual pumpkin and use it for this tart. Just make sure you let it cool completely before using it. It’s sure to be delicious!
I used home made pumpkin purée and unfortunately had to bake, and bake, and bake it! I’d say nearly a total time of an hour in the oven! Lesson for me: strain the pumpkin to remove any excess liquid. It tastes fine, despite the lengthy bake time. The crust is maybe a touch burnt in places, but like I said, fine!
Regardless I’ll definitely make the super simple, yet decedent, tart again! Than you!!
Do you wait for it to cool the full hour before you take it out of the tart pan?
Hi Julie! Yes, let it cool for at least an hour in the pan before removing or serving. Enjoy!
Hi Maegan! Can you confirm that it’s sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated milk? It kinda looked like evaporated milk in the picture, so I wanted to be sure.
Thanks!
Hi Mary! It’s definitely sweetened condensed milk. Evaporated milk looks similar but doesn’t have any sweetener in it. Hope this helps. Enjoy!
I love your recipes but this one is my favorite! I’m making this…
At first glance, I thought this must be an Oreo crust. Have you ever tried (or tasted) an Oreo/pumpkin combo?
Hi Marcie! Yes, pumpkin and Oreos make a great combo. I haven’t tried an Oreo crust with this recipe though, but I’m sure it would be amazing!
EXCEPT for the fact that Oreos are one of the WORST processed cookies to feed people. The unsweetened cocoa with 2/3 cup sugar is way better–and actually has some nutrition to it.
I also do wonder how coconut milk would work instead of sweetened condensed milk. But I used the recipe except only had a 1/2 cup flour, so put in a 1/2 cup oats and about an 1/8 almond flour. Worked great.
Hello,
can I make the dough the day before, line the tart pan and leave it in the fridge overnight, like regular pie dough?
The ingredients in your crust recipe look similar to a pâte sucrée, but without the egg added.
Thank you
Absolutely, EMV! Enjoy!
Amazing flavors. Everyone I’ve baked this for loves it! I did have a bit of extra filling, but I just popped it in the microwave for a little snack.
Yum…….I’m going to make this for halloween on Weds!
Silly question, but love the “pie” fork! Where did you get it? I have the perfect gift recipient for it.
Yay! I hope you enjoy and Happy Halloween! A friend of mine made the fork for me several years ago and she no longer makes them. I think there are several sellers on Etsy that make them and will customize to your liking. It’s so cute!
Dark chocolate pumpkin tart: What type of cocoa powder can I use? Hershey’s unsweetened, Droste or baking cocoa that is processed with alkali?
Hi Karen! I use Hershey’s Special Dark, but you could certainly use your favorite cocoa powder. Regular Hershey’s unsweetened would work great. Enjoy!
Made this for friendsgiving and it was a HIT!
I didn’t end up using all the dough for the tart crust and it also helped to poke the crust with a fork. my first attempted bubbled up way too much.
It was a hit! I was glad I made two!
Thank you for the delicious new take on pumpkin pie!
Hi Jennifer! Thanks so much for sharing! I’m so happy you made it and that it was enjoyed by all. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! 🙂
Hey there. I am looking forward to trying this. I would like to make individual tarts. Is that possible? Could I use a muffin pan?
Hi Rebecca! Absolutely, I would recommend using a muffin liner in each one so you can easily lift them out of the muffin cups. Enjoy!
I am so looking foreword to trying this. Does it do well refrigerated? I will make it the day before I need it. Thank you!
Hi Linda! Yes, it refrigerates great and I actually recommend storing it in the fridge. Enjoy!
Hi Maegan,
It’s ok no worries. I’ll try it with almond flour as I just baked a cake with it. Thank you for the response. It’s greatly appreciated.
This looks delicious though can I use coconut flour and unsweetened coconut milk or condensed milk. I want this gluten-free. Thanks!
Hi Heidi! I haven’t baked with coconut flour so I couldn’t say for sure how it would turn out. Sorry I couldn’t be of help.
Hi! I used Bobs Red Mill 1:1 gluten free mix and it turned out perfect!
Looks amazing.
Can you put the ingredients in metric measurement?
Thank you!
Hi Manolo! I don’t provide metric measurements on my blog, but there are several free online convertors that you could use to easily convert them. Just google “online metric measurement convertor”. Hope this helps. Enjoy!
Is it bad that I want to eat this right now for lunch?! Looks fabulous!! I’m in charge of a dessert for Thanksgiving and was looking for a unique twist on something pumpkin. This is perfect 🙂
I think I ate it for lunch three days in a row! 😉 Haha! It’s just soooo good! Thanks, Amelia! xoxo
Gorgeous “fusion” at work here! A perfect alternative to the classic pumpkin pie.
Thanks Jessie! 🙂
We always have French Silk Pie for Thanksgiving to mix it up but this looks like another fabulous option!
Mmmm, yes, French Silk Pie is one of my faves! Gotta have something chocolate! 🙂
What if I make mini tarts. About how long should I bake them for individual portions? About the same amount of time or take 5 or so mins off baking time?
Hi Hope! I haven’t made this recipe into mini tarts, but that sounds amazing! I think that’s a good plan to watch them closely and plan for them to bake about 5-10 minutes quicker. I hope they turn out just as great! Enjoy!
This looks delicious ant wait to make it 🎃If you don’t have a tart pan what is a good option ? Thank you
Hi Ann! You could use a pie pan or a spring-form pan. Enjoy!
can you use a tart pan without removeable bottom & line bottom with parchment paper instead?
Hi Karen! It’s certainly worth a try. I think if you let the parchment hang over the sides, you could remove it easily or just slice it right out of the pan. Enjoy!