No-Bake Chocolate Cream Tart {vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free}
With a grain-free press-in crust, vegan cashew cream filling, and maple sweetened coconut whip, this no-bake chocolate cream tart is as nourishing as it is delicious.
Prep Time: 30 minutesminutes
Chilling time: 4 hourshours
Total: 30 minutesminutes
Servings: 10to 12 servings, one 9-inch round tart or one 13x5-inch rectangular tart
Ingredients
Crust:
2cups(230 g) sliced or whole almonds (or other nuts such as walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts), raw or lightly toasted and cooled
½cup(50 g) cocoa powder (I usually use raw cacao powder, but natural or dutch-process cocoa will work too)
1/4teaspoonfine sea salt
¼cup(60 ml) maple syrup
Filling:
1 ½cups(225 g) raw cashews, soaked in cool water for 4-12 hours (or covered in boiling water and soaked 1-2 hours)
¾cup(75 g) cocoa powder (preferably natural) or raw cacao powder
2tablespoons(10 g) finely ground chia seed
½cup+ 2 tablespoons (145 ml) maple syrup (or more to taste)
Finely grind the almonds, cacao powder and salt in a food processor. Drizzle the maple syrup over the mixture, then process until the mixture begins to clump together. If the mixture is dry, add a drizzle more of maple syrup. (No need to wash the food processor, just scrape it out.) Dump about half of the crumbs into a 5x13-inch rectangular loose-bottom tart pan (or 9-inch round tart pan) and press evenly into the sides of the pan. Add the remaining crumbs and press evenly into the bottom – it usually takes me about 10 minutes to make it look pretty.
Make the filling:
In the bowl of the blender (preferably high-speed) or food processor, combine the soaked and drained cashews, cocoa powder, ground chia seed, maple syrup, water, salt, and vanilla. Blend until very smooth, starting on low and gradually increasing to high, about 2 or 3 minutes in a high-speed blender and longer if needed. Add the coconut oil and blend briefly until smooth. Taste, adding more maple syrup if you feel it needs it. Pour the filling into the crust; you’ll have about a cup left over to chill and eat as pudding. Chill the tart until firm, at least 4 hours and up to a day or two.
Make the topping:
When ready to serve, remove the sides from the tart pan and place the tart on a serving board or platter. Without tilting or shaking the can, remove the coconut cream from the refrigerator and carefully open. Scoop the hardened cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment (or into a large bowl with an electric beater), leaving behind and discarding the clear liquid. Whip on high speed until fluffy and mounded like softly whipped cream, then beat in the maple syrup and vanilla to incorporate.
Spread the coconut cream over the chilled tart and sprinkle with the chocolate shavings and pomegranate, if using. Optionally chill again to firm the cream, half an hour or up to 1 day. To serve, use a large, sharp chef’s knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean between cuts to cut the tart into slices or wedges and serve. The tart will keep, refrigerated airtight, for up to several days.
Notes
The filling and topping of this recipe are the same as this chocolate cream tart, which uses a baked gluten-free vegan crust. I prefer the taste and texture of the original version, but this no-bake option is delicious in its own right, and a boon to those in need of grain-free desserts.The chia seed in the filling helps it emulsify and thicken; if you don't have access to chia seed, flaxseed will *probably* work, it will just have a more pronounced flavor. I buy whole chia seeds and grind them finely in a coffee grinder, then measure out 2 tablespoons of ground seeds.Be sure to allow at least 4 hours for the tart filling to set up (you can pop it in the freezer to speed up this process if you like).The whole thing is minimally sweet, so feel free to add a tablespoon or two more maple syrup to the filling if you feel it needs it.Nutritional values are based on one of ten servings.