These sugar and gluten free berry tarts are a great quick and easy early summer dessert, with a seed and oat base topped with coconut cream and fresh berries. They're perfect for picnics and events like baby and bridal showers.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Vegan
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 15 minutesminutes
Total Time 25 minutesminutes
Servings 12tarts
Ingredients
Oat and Seed Base
1cuprolled oats
½cupsunflower seeds
8soft medjool datesabout 1/2 cup packed*
2tablespoonscoconut oil
1tablespooncoconut milk
½teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoonvanilla powder
Coconut cream
1cupcoconut creamscooped from the top of a chilled can of coconut milk**
2tablespoonsmaple syrup or honey
½teaspoonagar powder***
¼teaspoonvanilla powder
Zest of a lemon
Instructions
Oat and Seed Base
Preheat the oven to 350F/180C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add the oats and sunflower seeds to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until a coarse meal forms, then add the dates, coconut oil, coconut milk, salt, and vanilla. Blend again until the dates are incorporated and the mixture sticks when you pinch some between your fingers.
Place a square of parchment paper on a flat surface. Pat the dough into a disc and then roll it out on the parchment paper (it will stick to the counter) to about 1.5 cm thick. Cut the dough into rounds with an 8 cm cookie cutter. Place the tart rounds onto the prepared baking sheet, and keeping rolling and cutting the remaining dough until it's all been used. It makes just enough for a dozen tarts.
Bake at 350F/180C for 13-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden. Let them cool on the baking sheet for five minutes before removing and cooling fully on a rack.
Coconut cream
Place the cold coconut cream, maple syrup, agar, vanilla, and lemon zest in a bowl. Whip at high speed with an electric hand mixer for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture increases in volume and everything has been incorporated.
To assemble, top the cooled tarts with coconut cream (you won't need all of it) and add fresh berries or fruit. Serve immediately to keep the tart base crisp. If you're not planning on eating them right away, keep the tart rounds in a sealed container and the coconut cream in the fridge for a day or two.
Notes
* If your dates aren't very soft, soak them in hot water for an hour beforehand. ** Look for coconut milk that doesn't have any added gums in the ingredient list, as that can cause problems with whipping it (and for your stomach health). *** I haven't tried this with agar flakes. You can find agar powder online and in health food stores. It's cheap, ethical, and lasts a long time.