Gluten free M&M’s salted caramel tart recipe – 100% no-bake, which means no oven or gluten-free flour required. Best of all, nobody would ever know this beautiful rainbow dessert was gf at all!
Gluten free M&M’s salted caramel tart, anyone? Yep, in the UK, certain types of M&M’s are gluten-free, so I’ve dedicated an entire dessert to that fact using just 7 simple ingredients – here it is…
When eating out, a gluten-free dessert can be a little hit and miss…
(especially when it can mean anything from fruit salad, right up to a cheesecake. Who knows which one you’ll end up with?!)
But when an epic gluten-free dessert can be so incredibly simple to make, what’s the excuse for serving us a fruit salad?
And that’s what my gluten-free M&M’s salted caramel tart instantly proves. It’s no-bake, so there’s no need to bake it, it’s indulgent and chocolatey and even muggles will eat this.
Why make my gluten-free M&M’s salted caramel tart recipe?
- This recipe is completely no-bake – no need to turn the oven on or for any gluten-free flour.
- You only need 7 simple ingredients.
- No xanthan gum required.
- No need to make pastry – the base is simply made from crushed biscuits.
- No need to make your own caramel – a tin of carnation caramel is perfect for this recipe.
- In the UK, regular.salted caramel M&M’s are gluten-free, so you’ll get a lovely rainbow finish!
- It’s the perfect gluten-free dessert we all deserve, yet NOBODY would ever know it’s gf.
So what does my gluten free M&M’s salted caramel tart recipe taste like?
Firstly, the ‘pastry case’ is actually a biscuit base, adding a lovely crumbly, buttery texture. Throw on a layer of gooey, sticky salted caramel and then top it with a deep, rich chocolate ganache.
THEN top that with tons of caramel M&M’s for added crunch and sweetness… and you’ve got a dessert that no gluten-free person would turn down.
Best of all, anyone can make this! You certainly don’t need to be an expert at all.
Here’s everything you’ll need for this recipe, keep scrolling until you see the recipe card for the measurements and method ??
Gluten free M&M’s salted caramel tart recipe: Ingredients
For the base:
- gluten free digestive biscuits (shortbread would work too)
- butter, melted
For the filling:
- tin of caramel (I use a tin of Carnation caramel which is 397g – but also making your own using one of my recipes is fab if time allows!)
- pinch of salt to add to the caramel (optional)
- dark chocolate
- milk chocolate
- butter
- double cream
For the topping:
- M&M’s – I used a mix of the salted caramel ones and the chocolate ones
Ok, here’s a few tips and frequently asked questions about my gluten free M&M’s salted caramel tart recipe.
I strongly urge you to at least scan read these just in case any are relevant to you as they’ll ensure you don’t end up wasting a whole load of ingredients! It also includes info on what products to use.
Gluten free M&M’s salted caramel tart recipe: Frequently asked questions
Can I make this recipe gluten free?
It is gluten free, though nobody would know just by tasting it – trust me!
Bear in mind that minimising cross-contamination is hugely important if you’re Coeliac or making this for someone who is. Here’s some tips from Coeliac UK on minimising the risk of cross contamination.
Also, make sure that all ingredients used don’t have any gluten-containing ingredients. Then make that that they also don’t have a ‘may contain’ warning for gluten, wheat, rye, barley, oats (which aren’t gf), spelt and khorasan wheat (aka Kamut).
Here’s some more info from Coeliac UK on identifying safe gluten free products.
Can I make your gluten free M&M’s salted caramel tart recipe dairy free?
Most of my recipes are really easy to make dairy free with a few simple swaps. But unfortunately, by the time I adapted everything to be dairy-free, it would basically be an entirely different recipe!
I do have a similar recipe here which is a little easier to adapt to be dairy free – simply look for this frequently asked question over on that post on what products to use instead.
Can I make your gluten free M&M’s salted caramel tart recipe vegan?
Again, because of the dairy required in the caramel and the fact that this uses M&M’s, this isn’t an easy one to make vegan.
I do have a similar recipe here which is a little easier to adapt to be vegan – simply look for this frequently asked question over on that post on what products to use instead.
Is your gluten free M&M’s salted caramel tart recipe nut free?
Sadly not – caramel M&M’s contain nuts. Feel free to check out my chocolate and salted caramel no-bake tart if you fancy making a nut-free version.
Is your gluten free M&M’s salted caramel tart recipe low FODMAP?
Sadly, because of the high dairy content, this recipe isn’t suitable for the elimination phase of the low FODMAP diet.
So this recipe might be best attempted once the elimination phase of the diet is over and you’ve successfully reintroduced lactose/dairy products.
Are M&M’s gluten-free?
Yes, in the UK, M&M’s are gluten-free! But don’t take my word for it (you never know when things might change after all), here’s a link to it so you can check it for yourself.
And here’s a link to the salted caramel M&M’s – I used a mix of both.
According to Coeliac UK, if a product has no gluten-containing ingredients and no ‘may contain’ warning for gluten, wheat etc. then that makes it safe for Coeliacs and those on a gluten-free diet.
Bear in mind that not ALL variations of M&M’s are gluten-free – I believe the ones with crispy bits in the middle (in the blue packet) contain barley, so be sure to avoid those. I won’t link those here in case anyone gets confused!
Can I make your gluten free M&M’s salted caramel tart in a food processor or standing mixer?
You actually don’t need a stand mixer for this recipe at all. But what would really help is a food processor!
I used my food processor to blitz the biscuits into a fine consistency so that it will be nice and easy to shape into my pastry tin.
Can I make your gluten free M&M’s salted caramel tart without any kind of electric mixer/appliance at all?
You can, of course, make this without any assistance from any appliance – you just need a little extra elbow grease.
You’ll need to smash up your biscuits into a fine dust so that they’re easily shaped into the pastry tin. To do this will take a lot of bashing!
So just grab a zip-lock bag and a rolling pin and go ham on them until they’re really nice and fine – it is definitely possible.
Then, you’re good to continue making this recipe without any other appliances needed – just a fridge for chilling.
Do I need any special equipment to make your gluten free M&M’s salted caramel tart recipe?
You won’t need anything in particular apart from a good 23cm (9 inch) pastry tin with a loose bottom like this one.
I wouldn’t really recommend trying this in a tin without a loose bottom, otherwise it can be very hard to remove from the tin when you want to serve it up.
(especially as the biscuit base is more delicate than pastry is)
Using a tin smaller than mine will mean that each slice will be thicker and take longer to set, so bear that in mind! A bigger tin will result in a flatter tart and potentially a thinner base which may not hold the filling as well.
Can I make this recipe without xanthan gum?
There’s no added xanthan gum in this recipe at all.
You’ll see xanthan gum in a lot of my recipes as it’s an essential ingredient in gluten free baking – in cakes and biscuits, it helps to replace gluten by binding the texture together.
Otherwise you can end up with a very crumbly bake. Fortunately, that doesn’t apply here!
What gluten free biscuits should I use for the base?
In the photos I used some gluten-free digestive biscuits from Tesco’s free from aisle. However, you can actually use whatever biscuits you fancy! Gluten-free Hob Nobs would work well here too.
Do I need weighing scales to make your gluten free M&M’s salted caramel tart?
In short… yes, yes and yes! And I wouldn’t advise attempting any my recipes without them.
A lot of work went into fine tuning ratios and quantities and for me, baking is all about consistency and precision. I want you to make this recipe and for it to turn out EXACTLY like mine did.
I’d recommending using digital cooking scales like these so you know you’re getting an accurate measurement and replicating my recipe as accurately as poss.
Can I make your gluten free M&M’s salted caramel tart without sugar or with less sugar?
I can understand the need to reduce sugar in our foods, but this recipe is one where I wouldn’t recommend it!
For starters, the base is made purely from biscuits, which will always contain sugar. Caramel, of course, contains sugar. As I’m sure you can guess… you can’t make caramel without sugar!
So if you’re trying to dodge sugar, you might want to dodge this recipe entirely. You can happily give my 4-ingredient choc chip banana bars a go, however!
How long can I keep your gluten free M&M’s salted caramel tart for?
Obviously keep this in the fridge at all times – it should last around 4-5 days. Also try to keep it in an airtight container, or covered with clingfilm.
Can I freeze my gluten free M&M’s salted caramel tart?
Yep! You can freeze it for up to 2-3 months without a problem – just make sure you put it in an airtight plastic container. It’s probably a good idea to slice it first so you can defrost a slice at a time.
If you want to defrost the whole thing at once, you can leave it at room temperature to thaw for around 12 hours. A single slice will probably take about 2-3 hours to thaw, so get it out ahead of time!
Can I bake my gluten free M&M’s salted caramel tart in the oven?
No, please don’t! This is a no-bake tart, meaning that it’s made to be chilled in the fridge and that’s it.
I can guarantee that if you try and bake this in the oven, you’ll just end up with a big mess to clear up ?
Can I print your recipe?
Of course! Just hit the print button located on the recipe below (otherwise you might end up printing this entire post which would probably make your printer go into early retirement)
Gluten free M&M’s salted caramel tart recipe: Method
Oh and here’s a printable version of my gluten free M&M’s salted caramel tart recipe. Please remember to give it 5 stars if you tried it and enjoyed it as it helps people know it’s worth trying too! ⭐️
Gluten-free M&M’s Salted Caramel Tart Recipe – No-bake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the base:
- 350 g gluten free digestive biscuits shortbread would work too
- 165 g butter melted
For the filling:
- 1 tin of caramel I use a tin of Carnation caramel which is 397g – but also making your own using one of my recipes is fab if time allows!
- pinch of salt to add to the caramel optional
- 115 g dark chocolate
- 110 g milk chocolate
- 40 g butter
- 270 ml double cream
For the topping:
- M&M’s – I used a mix of the salted caramel ones and the chocolate ones
Instructions
- Firstly make your base. In a food processor, blitz your biscuits into a crumb-like texture. If you don’t have a food processor you can bash them with a rolling pin as well! You do want quite a fine consistency for this though.
- Pour your melted butter into your crushed biscuits and mix together in a bowl.
- Spoon your mixture into a loose bottom fluted tart tin (mine was 23cm across) and then using the back of a spoon and also your hands, press the mixture into the tin – both the base and up the sides. Try to get it as even and flat as you can – using a jar can make this easier.
- Chill this in the fridge for around 30 minutes – 1 hour. Whilst this is happening you can sort out your filling.
- On top of the caramel is a chocolate ganache – let’s make this first. To make this, slice your dark and milk chocolate finely with a sharp knife – this helps it melt quicker when you pour the cream onto it. Place it in a heat-proof bowl.
- In a small saucepan, heat your cream and butter – do this gently so the butter is fully melted and the cream is just about to reach boiling point (I stir mine a little so it doesn’t stick to the bottom as it heats up).
- Once heated, pour your cream mixture on top of your chopped chocolate (in its bowl) and leave it for about 5 minutes without stirring. After 5 minutes mix it all together so that it is combined, smooth and fully melted.
- Remove your tart tin from the fridge. Mix your caramel briefly in the tin (or a small bowl) to loosen it – you can optionally add a pinch of salt here to make it salted caramel. Then pour it into your tart base and spread evenly.
- Pour over your chocolate ganache mixture and spread evenly with a spatula or palette knife. Pop this back into the fridge for around 20-30 minutes – this will stop the M&M’s sinking/disappearing into the ganache!
- Next, add your M&Ms to the top.
- Chill in the fridge for a 3-5 to allow the ganache to fully set.
- Remove from the fridge a little earlier than you want to eat it (around 20 minutes) if the chocolate is quite firm – especially if you’ve left it in the fridge overnight. It might not need it though.
- Slice up (the caramel does come out the sides a little bit as it’s not a set caramel!) Enjoy with some vanilla ice cream!
Video
Thanks for reading how to make my gluten free M&M’s salted caramel tart recipe! If you make it, I’d love to see how it turned out so don’t forget to take a snap of your creation and tag me on Instagram!
Any questions about the recipe? Please do let me know by following me on Instagram and leaving me a comment!
Thanks for reading,
Becky xxx
Oh and don’t forget to pin this for later!
