I can’t quite believe I’m writing this but it’s that time of year – Christmas is fast approaching so I thought it time to roll out a few festive delights, starting with these delicious, easy to whip-up Rich Chocolate Tarts. Who doesn’t love a rich chocolate tart?!
This is a great make-ahead dessert for Christmas day as you can prepare all the components in advance and then assemble just prior to serving. The buckwheat flour makes for a really simple, biscuity pastry crust. I love to use it in gluten-free baking because it is such a cost effective flour. I hope you love it!
Health benefits
This dessert is packed with wholesome ingredients, including buckwheat flour, a gluten-free alternative rich in fibre and nutrients. The cashew cream provides healthy fats, while cacao is a great source of antioxidants. Sweetened naturally with rice malt syrup or maple syrup, these tarts offer a refined sugar-free option.
Ingredients
This recipe includes ingredients such as raw cashews, coconut water, maple syrup or rice malt syrup, and cacao powder, which come together to create a creamy, smooth filling. The chocolate pastry is made with buckwheat flour, butter, coconut sugar, and cacao powder, resulting in a rich, gluten-free base. Fresh fruit like berries or cherries adds a fresh flavour to balance the richness of the chocolate.
How to make these healthy chocolate tarts
To make these tarts, start by preparing the chocolate cashew cream. Blend the soaked cashews with cacao powder, coconut water, and a natural sweetener until smooth and creamy, then set the mixture aside in a bowl. For the pastry, combine buckwheat flour, butter, coconut sugar, and cacao powder to form a dough. After chilling the dough, roll it out and bake it in tart tins. Once the pastry has cooled, assemble the tarts by filling the shells with the chocolate cashew cream. Finish by garnishing with fruit and shaved dark chocolate (optional).
Serving suggestions and how to store
Serve these tarts chilled, garnished with fresh fruit (my favourites are fresh raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and cherries) and shaved dark chocolate (optional). Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Any leftover pastry dough can be refrigerated or frozen for future use.
Vary rich chocolate tarts to suit your dietary needs
This recipe can be adapted to suit different dietary preferences. For a nut-free version of the chocolate filling, replace the cashew cream with whipped cream, crème fraîche, or coconut yoghurt. For a vegan option, use maple syrup as the sweetener, replace the egg with a chia egg, and substitute the butter in the pastry with coconut oil. If you’re short on time, you can use pre-made chocolate shortcrust pastry and fill it with the chocolate cashew cream, crème fraîche or coconut yoghurt for a quick and easy version.
This adaptable dessert is perfect for a variety of dietary needs, ensuring everyone can enjoy this decadent treat!\
For more easy to make, delicious healthy dessert recipes, click HERE.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cashew Cream
- 125 g raw cashew nuts (approx. 1 cup) soaked 3-4 hours, or overnight
- 60 ml coconut water (¼ cup)
- 85 g rice malt syrup or maple syrup (¼ cup)
- 2-3 tbsp cacao powder (unsweetened Dutch process or raw)
Chocolate Pastry
- 280 g buckwheat flour
- 125 g butter room temperature
- 80-100 g coconut sugar or rapadura (approx. ½ cup)
- 2 tbsp cacao powder (unsweetened Dutch process or raw)
- 1 egg/s
Fruit
- 1 cup/s fruit -of your choice. I love fresh berries or cherries (think Black-forest flavours)
Method
Chocolate Cashew cream
- Start with the cashew cream. It can be made a day or so ahead, up to you. Soak the cashews for 3-4 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse.
- To make the chocolate cream, blend the soaked cashews in a powerful food processor or high speed blender until a coarse texture. If using a Thermomix 20 seconds speed 4.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and blend again until a silky smooth cream is formed. If using a Thermomix 30 seconds, speed 4-5 (you may need to scrape the sides once or twice).
- Set it aside until you're ready to serve.
Chocolate Pastry
- Pre-heat your oven to 180℃ (fan forced) and grease one large or four small springform tart tins.
- In a food processor, combine the butter and buckwheat flour until a crumb like texture forms. If using a Thermomix 20 seconds, speed 4.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and mix until the dough forms a disc. If using a Thermomix 30-40 seconds, speed 4. As you mix it it should come together.
- Wrap the dough in baking paper and pop in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Cut the dough in half (you have enough for two large tarts or 8 small tarts - see tip below). Any leftover dough can be refrigerated or frozen until needed.
- Roll the dough to about 5mm thickness. It's important to work quickly, especially in a hot kitchen - as the dough softens, it's harder to work with. Cut the pastry to suit the tin you are using. You may need to bring the pastry back together and re-roll to use it all up. You can mend any tears or thin areas by pushing the dough into the tin with your fingers.
- Any leftover you can cut into shapes to decorate or just enjoy as biscuits.
- Cover the tarts with a sheet of baking paper and weight it to blind bake the shells.
- Cook for just 7 minutes for a small tart, 10 for a larger one. Remove from the oven and cool in the tins for a few minutes, then, when cool enough to handle, carefully push out of the base and cool completely on a wire wrack.
- Keep in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer until ready to serve.
To serve
- Top the shells with the cashew cream and garnish with fruit and shaved dark chocolate (optional, as pictured).
Tip
- Individual tarts are most fool proof as the larger tarts can crack when cutting (unless the pastry is cooked perfectly).
Store
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Variations
Cheats version
Use the Careme Chocolate Shortcrust for the quickest dessert ever! You can even fill the cases with creme fraiche and fresh fruit for an even quicker dessert (if dairy-free is not a concern).Nut-free
Fill the cases with whipped cream or creme fraiche or coconut yoghurt (if dairy and nut-free)Vegan, dairy-free and egg-free options
Choose maple syrup as your sweetener for vegan and replace the egg with chia-egg. Replace the butter in the pastry with coconut oil (this will produce a tougher shell once it cools).I hope you love this dessert. I'd love to hear what you think, feel free to post a comment below.
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Nicole K says
Just put an order in for buckwheat flour with The Wholefood Collective this afternoon. Now I know the first thing I will be using it for!!
Gemma says
Yum I want to make too!
Georgia Harding says
Perfect timing – enjoy G x
Rachel says
I think my rice layer for blind-baking was a little thick, so after the 7 minutes the base of the tart (I did 1 big one) wasn’t cooked. I took the blind baking rice out and cooked for a few more minutes to get the base properly cooked. Doesn’t help that my oven isn’t the greatest!
The dough is just so delicious! I was naughty and ate some plus the kids did too – so oops – none saved for the second large tart!!!
Just waiting on the cashews to finish their soaking time… I’ll report back in the morning on the final product!!
Georgia Harding says
Cant wait to hear what you think Rach. I’m going to make biscuits today with a batch of the pastry dough I have in the fridge too. G x
Tarla says
Hi Georgia, made these last night and I put some coconut oil in the filling because i wasn’t sure what would make it set otherwise to enable slicing (i was making one big tart)- would it work to replace the coconut water with coconut oil?
Georgia Harding says
Yes it would definitely set firmer Tarla with the coconut oil. It is a pretty thick cream, but you’d get a neater slice with the coconut oil. Enjoy G x
Debbie says
I had the same problem with the base not cooking. I made one large tart, cooked for 7 mins and it wasn’t done so i took the weight off and cooked for another 7 mins. I don’t have any small tins but next time I’m thinking of making into biscuits and then using them as a base in the bottom of each bowl and top with berries and cashew cream.
Georgia Harding says
Hi Debbie. Strange, I tested a big tart and it did take longer but cooked through like a regular pastry. It’s also a good idea to bake pastry on the very bottom shelf of the oven to get the best results blind baking. Hope it was delicious G x
Naomi says
Could I use ghee instead of butter?
Georgia Harding says
I haven’t receive tested it Naomi but it should be fine. You may just need to adjust the flour a little G x
Susannah says
I have a friend with a coconut allergy, could you recommend a coconut water substitute?
Thank you kindly
Georgia Harding says
Yes just water would be fine Susannah, enjoy G x
akashocd says
this recipe is looking so delicious thank you for sharing this recipe
Georgia Harding says
You’re very welcome. Thanks for taking the time to post feedback and rate the recipe too G x
Christine says
Once blind-baked, do you know if the tart shells are freezer stable? Or indeed if the uncooked dough can be frozen for later use? These were really tasty, by the way!
Georgia Harding says
The shells will keep for sure and yes they are freezer stable. Glad you enjoyed them G x
Nicole Barrett says
I made this twice and the second time it was much better. The difference was I soaked the cashews in boiling water for an hour, instead of cold water overnight. The filling was much creamier to whizz up in the Thermomix and it filled the base much better. I made a big tart and the pastry is so easy and delicious!! This is such a great recipe G and it’s awesome it makes 2 batches- one to make and one for the freezer ?.
Georgia Harding says
Great tips, thanks for sharing Nicole. So glad you love them G x