There are foods that come and go from my diet, but chocolate is something that always manages to find its way back into my life. I adore dark chocolate, and although I try to stay as far away from sugar as I can, I try to find new ways of indulging without feeling guilty or putting a big burden on my digestive system. When I first discovered raw cacao powder, it was like a miracle. Its intense flavor could turn any insipid vegan dessert into a delicious treat. I add it to porridges, puddings, raw energy balls, smoothies, or healthy desserts and it always reveals a new dimension to any of these – the one of chocolate!
Raw cacao is not a superfood only because it tastes amazing, but also for its exceptional nutritional benefits. When you read in glossy magazines that chocolate is good for your health, you should always think of raw cacao and not the roasted and chemically processed chocolate that we buy from the supermarket.
Also, craving chocolate doesn’t mean that your body needs the sugar it’s made of, but the minerals that abound in raw cacao. Our bodies have a special sense for nutrients, and we should always listen when they’re trying to tell us something.
The action of the nutrients in raw cacao is very extensive: regulates blood pressure, lowers the bad cholesterol, improves heart function, heals diarrhea, diminishes appetite, prevents wrinkles and more. Raw cacao beans are loaded with minerals like magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, and potassium, but also with essential monounsaturated fat (oleic acid), fiber, and B-complex vitamins. They also contain more antioxidants than blueberries, acai, or goji berries, helping us to fight disease and reduce oxidative stress.
Serotonin, a primary neurotransmitter in our bodies, which helps us deal with stress, is another compound of raw cacao. Most of these nutrients are lost during processing raw cacao; that’s why I always recommend adding raw cacao powder in desserts and breakfast meals, rather than eating products that contain processed chocolate or refined cocoa powder.
For me, this tart is the ultimate treat, because it contains all my favorite dessert ingredients: raw cacao, virgin coconut butter, homemade hazelnut butter, and almond flour. I don’t prepare it too often, because I rarely make sweets, but it will definitely find its way on our Easter table again. I was craving its deliciousness while I was making it, so I didn’t have enough patience to wait until the filling thickened, which is why it looks a little runny in the pictures. Keeping it in the refrigerator for at least an hour will do the trick and your tart will look just perfect.
Rich Chocolate Tart, Vegan and Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- For crust
- 1 &1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp coconut butter
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3-4 tbsp pure water very cold
- For filling
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 tbsp raw cacao powder
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp hazelnut butter
- For garnish
- Almond flakes pecan nuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 180ºC/356ºF.
- Add all crust ingredients in a food processor and pulse to obtain a dough. Cover with plastic foil and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- Grease a tart tin win coconut oil, add the almond dough, press and spread with your fingers onto the whole tin.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown, remove and let cool.
- In a large bowl add coconut milk, coconut oil, cacao powder, maple syrup and hazelnut butter and mix to obtain a smooth cream.
- Fill the crust with the cream, top with almond flakes and pecan nuts, cover with foil and cool in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
Hannah Siegmund @ ThisVeganWhimsy says
This recipe is so beautiful. The tart just jumps out of the photos. I’ve been looking for something to use cacao powder in, so this is perfect!
Ana says
Hannah, I’m sure you’ll love this!
Amy @ Thoroughly Nourished Life says
Ana, this tart is beautiful! Its only lunchtime here and I’m already craving chocolate. I bet this dessert will be most welcome at our Easter table 🙂
I hope Spring is finding her way to you quickly!
Ana says
Thanks, Amy! 🙂
Lane | Green Spirit Adventures says
This tart looks incredible! I love desserts like this; not too sweet but still absolutely delicious and full of nutrients – and the pairing of cacao and hazelnut butter is so perfect! The photos are stunning as well!! 🙂
Ana says
Thank you, Lane! I used homemade hazelnut butter – more natural, no hydrogenated fats, and intense flavor Nutella-like. It really was delicious!
Rosemary Barnett says
What is coconut butter ?
Ana says
It’s actually coconut oil – when it’s solid it reminds me of butter, that’s why I named it so 🙂
The Kiwi Fruit says
YUM this looks so awesome!! You have some amazing recipe’s I can’t wait to try them all, though this may take some time! I have stumbled over your blog a few times and get some amazing inspiration from you! Thanks for making such awesome things!
Ana says
Thank you Stef for your lovely words!
Liesel says
Hi Ana
This is gorgeous! I’d love to try it.
Do you know what can be used to replace the maple syrup?
Ana says
Hi Liesel, you can use the same quantity of agave nectar for the vegan version or, organic raw honey, but it won’t be vegan anymore.
Ida says
Hi!
I was wondering if the “cup” in your recipes is american cup or english cup? Thank your for sharing amazing recipes!
Ana says
Thank you Ida, I’m using the american cups.
Phillie says
Hi, this tart looks fantastic! I am excited to try out a vegan pie dough. I am wondering if you could please tell me what size tart tin you use for this?
Cheers
I'm kelci says
Is the coconut milk a canned (full fat or light?) coconut milk, or one that is used more for cereal/smoothies? Thanks!
Ana says
I’m using light coconut milk from can. Using the full fat will give it a richer texture, but I only wanted to keep the calories low.
Amaryllis @ The Tasty Other says
Hey Ana! This is so beautiful- indulgent and elegant all at once. Thanks so much for sharing it, along with your beautiful photos and all the information on cacao and its benefits (it’s one of the things I enjoy most about your posts). xo
Ana says
Oh Amaryllis, thank you so much, you made my day! 🙂
Hema says
Hi I was wondering if I use coconut milk, for the filling will it set to almost hard consistency in an hour.
Some recipes I tried with coconut milk I had to almost keep it overnight in the freezer to get the right consistency. Else it stayed runny.
Ana says
If the coconut milk has at least 70 % fat, it will thicken quite quick, as the mixture also has coconut oil which thickens in minutes. If not, it would be a good idea to let it thicken overnight.