Spider Web Chocolate Strawberry Tart
Celebrate Halloween naturally with this Spider Web Chocolate Strawberry Tart that's spooky good! Chocolate graham cracker crust is filled with a homemade strawberry compote and chocolate ganache topping. I use a simple decorating technique to create a spider web design using white chocolate. Decorate this scary good dessert with some plastic spiders and it's the perfect Halloween party dessert!
If you're looking for more Halloween inspired recipes, be sure to check out other favorites like Halloween Dessert Board, Peanut Butter Cup Brownies, Healthy Almond Joy Bars, Organic Halloween Cookies With Sprinkles, Vegan Snickers Bars, or Homemade Twix Bars.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Spider Web Chocolate Strawberry Tart
- Ready In: 30 minutes
- Makes: 8 servings
- Main Ingredients: butter, graham crackers, chocolate, strawberries
- Flavor Profile: rich chocolate with sweet strawberry compote
- Dietary Info: eggless
- Difficulty: Easy
- Why You’ll Love It: spooky Halloween dessert without any artificial colors!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Halloween Dessert: This is a super fun Halloween party dessert idea that fits the theme but doesn't include any artificial colors!
- Easy: This chocolate ganache tart only takes about 30 minutes and you have a delicious homemade tart.
- Chocolate + Strawberry: Everyone loves chocolate and strawberry together, it's a classic pairing. So, this tart is sure to be a crowd pleaser!
- Eggless: This is a naturally eggless dessert, making it allergy friendly!
If you love Halloween, but want to decorate naturally, then this Spider Web Chocolate Strawberry Tart is such an easy and spooky dessert! I love making fun and decorated desserts that use natural ingredients, just like Spooky Rose Cake for Halloween, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake, and Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies With Caramel.
I partnered with my friends at Stahlbush Island Farms to create this Spider Web Chocolate Strawberry Tart using their amazing organic frozen strawberries. This chocolate strawberry tart uses a simple chocolate ganache along with white chocolate to make a spider web design. While it looks super cool, it’s really easy to make! I even have a full video tutorial below so you can see exactly how to make it!
Ingredients
- Graham Crackers: I use my classic recipe for How to Make Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust from Scratch for the crust for this. This recipe was the one we made daily at my bakery, so it's tried and true.
- Butter: I use organic salted butter for the graham cracker crust. Ensure your butter is soft, not melted! Many people tell you to use melted butter for graham cracker crust, but softened butter is much better as it binds to the graham crackers more and it doesn't result in a greasy crust. Not only that, but it stays together much better when sliced, this was something I tested at my bakery!
- Strawberries: We're using Stahalbush Island Farms organic frozen strawberries for ease. Making a compote is so simple, and using frozen fruit makes it much easier as the prep work is already done, you just add them in!
- Dark Chocolate: I use organic mini dark chocolate chips for the ganache as it eliminates having to chop up chocolate. But, if you want to use a dark chocolate bar, just chop into small pieces.
- White Chocolate: You'll also need white chocolate as the contrast here is what creates the spider web design.
*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.
Baker's Tips for Spider Web Chocolate Strawberry Tart
- Always weigh ingredients using a kitchen scale for the best results.
- If you prefer to do a regular graham cracker crust instead of chocolate, you can. Visit my post The Best Homemade Graham Cracker Crust for that recipe.
- Feel free to use another fruit for the compote, if you prefer. Raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries all work!
- This is a great make ahead dessert, just store it in the fridge if you want to make this a day in advance.
- You can add a couple plastic spiders on top if you are serving this on a Halloween dessert table!
How to Make a Spider Web Chocolate Strawberry Tart
- To make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a food processor, add half the graham crackers and softened butter. Then add the sugar and cocoa powder right on top of the butter. Top with the remaining graham crackers. This method helps ensure that the butter doesn’t stick to the sides of the food processor, making it blend up better and faster!
- Food processor on high until you have a uniform mixture with no big pieces of graham crackers. If you do notice the butter is stuck to the sides, use a spatula to scrape it down and continue to process until uniform.
- Transfer the crust to a 9.5-inch tart pan and spread it out evenly using your hand. Then form the crust to the sides of the pan first, going all the way around the pan. Last, press the remaining crust into the center of the tart pan.
- Bake for 5 minutes.
- To make the compote: In a 2-quart pot add the frozen strawberries, cane sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and water.
- Put over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves and the berries begin to release their juices. Then simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, gently mashing up some of the strawberries. The mixture will look noticeably thicker when it's done. Remove from the heat.
- Transfer the strawberry compote to the crust and spread it out evenly. Transfer to the fridge to chill.
- To make the chocolate ganache: Add the dark chocolate and heavy cream into a large heatproof box.
- Microwave, doing 30 second intervals to prevent burning, until the chocolate and cream are completely combined and you have a smooth ganache.
- Remove the tart from the fridge and transfer the chocolate ganache to it and spread over the top of the strawberry compote.
- Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl, doing 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring between each one. Transfer to a piping bag and cut a small hole. Pipe circle onto the chocolate ganache, starting in the center and working your way out, spacing them about 1-inch apart.
- Using a butter knife, start at the center of the circles and pull towards the edge of the tart. This will create the spider web pattern! Watch the video, it really helps see how easy it is!
Recipe FAQ's
Yes, if you prefer to use a regular graham cracker crust, you can. Visit my post The Best Homemade Graham Cracker Crust for that recipe.
Technically you do not have to. However, as a former bakery owner, I can tell you that baking the graham cracker crust will result in a tastier crust that also holds together much better than if you don't bake it. It only takes 5 minutes to bake, so it's definitely worth it as you'll have a richer flavor and your slices won't crumble when cut.
Yes, fresh strawberries also work too. Just be sure to de-stem them. I just prefer to use frozen here as it's easier because they are already prepped. Plus, outside of strawberry season you can still get a really good tasting strawberry when you use frozen as fruit is frozen at its peak, versus getting lackluster strawberries in the fall.
Yes, you can use any other kind of berry, or even a mix. Blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries all work!
The strawberries will no longer be whole and the mixture will have thickened noticeably.
I use mini organic dark chocolate chips as they are great for melting since the ones I use have no stabilizers. So, I love them for ease! You can use chocolate chips like this or even a dark chocolate bar that's chopped, either works. Just ensure you are small pieces of chocolate so it melts easily.
Yes, you can use either one. I just think the dark chocolate tastes better with the strawberry and provides a better contrast with the spider web.
You can use a zip top bag and just cut the corner off!
Yes, you can use some natural orange food dye to color the white chocolate if you want it orange. I recommend India Tree Nature's Colors Orange, I find this one works best!
Because this is made with chocolate ganache, it does need to be store in the refrigerator until serving time.
Yes, this is a great dessert to bake in advance of a Halloween party. You can make this a day in advance, just store it in the fridge until you're ready to serve it.
This will stay good for about 5 days in the fridge. But, it's best eaten within the first few days.
Halloween Party Inspiration
Serve this Spider Web Chocolate Strawberry Tart alongside these other fall desserts that will be perfect for a Halloween party!
- These Organic Halloween Cookies With Sprinkles are always a crowd pleaser and super festive with orange and black!
- This Halloween Dessert Board is so festive and perfect for a party!
- Brown Butter Pumpkin Cookies With Caramel are a fun festive cookie that's also naturally eggless.
- Skip store-bought candy and make Vegan Dark Chocolate Mini Peanut Butter Cups, Vegan Snickers Bars, Homemade Twix Bars, Healthy Almond Joy Bars, or Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.
- These Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows Without Corn Syrup were always such a crowd pleaser at my bakery during the fall season!
- Try Caramel Lollipops for a delicious homemade caramel candy that always goes first!
- My Organic Caramel Corn Without Corn Syrup is always so popular at parties and perfect for fall!
- Serve with drinks like Sparkling Apple Cider Bourbon or Boozy Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate.
More Halloween Party Recipes
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Spider Web Chocolate Strawberry Tart
Equipment
- Digital Food Scale
- Food Processor
- 9.5-inch Tart Pan
- 2-quart Pot
- Spatula
- Heatproof Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Crust
- 204 grams honey graham crackers (crushed)
- 113 grams salted butter (softened)
- 57 grams cane sugar
- 21 grams Dutch cocoa powder
Strawberry Compote
- 226 grams frozen strawberries
- 57 grams cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
Chocolate Ganache
- 170 grams mini dark chocolate chips (or a chopped dark chocolate bar)
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
Topping
- 85 grams mini white chocolate chips (or a chopped white chocolate bar)
- Plastic spiders (optional)
Instructions
- To make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a food processor, add half the graham crackers and softened butter. Then add the sugar and cocoa powder right on top of the butter. Top with the remaining graham crackers. This method helps ensure that the butter doesn’t stick to the sides of the food processor, making it blend up better and faster!
- Food processor on high until you have a uniform mixture with no big pieces of graham crackers. If you do notice the butter is stuck to the sides, use a spatula to scrape it down and continue to process until uniform.
- Transfer the crust to a 9.5-inch tart pan and spread it out evenly using your hand. Then form the crust to the sides of the pan first, going all the way around the pan. Last, press the remaining crust into the center of the tart pan.
- Bake for 5 minutes.
- To make the compote: In a 2-quart pot add the frozen strawberries, cane sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and water.
- Put over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves and the berries begin to release their juices. Then simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, gently mashing up some of the strawberries. The mixture will look noticeably thicker when it's done. Remove from the heat.
- Transfer the strawberry compote to the crust and spread it out evenly. Transfer to the fridge to chill.
- To make the chocolate ganache: Add the dark chocolate and heavy cream into a large heatproof box.
- Microwave, doing 30 second intervals to prevent burning, until the chocolate and cream are completely combined and you have a smooth ganache.
- Remove the tart from the fridge and transfer the chocolate ganache to it and spread over the top of the strawberry compote.
- Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl, doing 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring between each one. Transfer to a piping bag and cut a small hole.
- Pipe circle onto the chocolate ganache, starting in the center and working your way out, spacing them about 1-inch apart.
- Using a butter knife, start at the center of the circles and pull towards the edge of the tart. This will create the spider web pattern! Watch the video, it really helps see how easy it is!
- Store the tart in the fridge until ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- Always weigh ingredients using a kitchen scale for the best results.
- If you prefer to do a regular graham cracker crust instead of chocolate, you can. Visit my post The Best Homemade Graham Cracker Crust for that recipe.
- Feel free to use another fruit for the compote, if you prefer. Raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries all work!
- This is a great make ahead dessert, just store it in the fridge if you want to make this a day in advance.
- You can add a couple plastic spiders on top if you are serving this on a Halloween dessert table!
Nutrition
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