Rich cacao and zesty orange oil combine in this 9-ingredient chocolate orange tart. Vegan, gluten free and refined sugar free!
There are some food combinations that just work perfectly. Chocolate and orange is one of them. I don't remember the first time I ate them together but I know I've loved them ever since.
And this Chocolate Orange Tart is no exception! Rich and silky smooth, it's made with 9 simple ingredients and is completely vegan, gluten free and refined sugar free (depending on the chocolate you use).
I made this vegan dessert in the run up to Christmas this year and I guarantee I'll be making it again before the year is out. It's that good.
So, if you're looking for a simple (but impressive-looking) vegan holiday dessert that will wow your friends or family, look no further. This is the one.
More gluten free sugar free holiday desserts
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS CHOCOLATE ORANGE TART
Perfect for Christmas. If you're sick of candy cane-flavoured everything but still want something festive and seasonal, this tart has all the feels.
Filling requires no baking. The ingredients need gently heating on the stove, but don't need to be baked.
Vegan and gluten free. Coconut milk and vegan chocolate makes the tart incredibly smooth and creamy.
It looks way fancier than it is. The chocolate ganache tart is pretty easy to make - the fanciness is all in the decorating (if you choose to)!
INGREDIENT NOTES
Almonds - You can use another type of nut or seed for the crust if almonds don't work for you. I'd recommend sunflower seeds or peanuts. Be wary of using softer nuts like walnuts as this may change the texture of the pastry.
Arrowroot Powder - I don't recommend omitting this from the recipe, as it helps to bind the pastry. If you're really stuck, you could try using cornstarch instead but I haven't tested it.
Coconut Oil - If you're not a fan of the taste, feel free to use vegan butter instead.
Maple Syrup - You can use any liquid sweetener here. Agave syrup or coconut nectar work would give similar results.
Coconut Milk - It's important to use full fat coconut milk for this recipe, as otherwise the milk won't separate into the hardened cream and water properly. Not all coconut milks are created equal! I love Native Forest.
Edible Orange Oil - Most supermarkets sell this now. I buy Simply Organic from my local Whole Foods. (P.S. If you really hate orange you can omit the orange oil to just have a regular chocolate tart, or you could use peppermint oil instead.)
FAQs
Yes! It freezes well - just be sure to store it in the fridge once thawed, or the filling will soften.
Possibly because your blender isn't powerful enough. In a lower speed blender it can take longer for the oats/almonds to break down and they may not get as fine as in a high speed blender. Keep blending, and loosen the mixture in the jug with a wooden spoon between blends to stop it getting stuck at the bottom.
Yes! This pastry is crumbly because it's gluten free, and the parchment paper REALLY helps it stay together until it's in the dish. Trust me.
Nothing! The pastry for this recipe is a bit 'rustic' and delicate to work with, and you won't always get a perfectly smooth crust (see my images!). Don't worry about it: your pie will still look - and taste - delicious.
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Chocolate Orange Tart (vegan, gluten free)
Special Equipment
- High speed blender
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup oats (gluten free if needed)
- ¼ cup almonds
- 3 tablespoon arrowroot powder
- 2 tablespoon cacao or cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ cup unmelted coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 3 tbsp water
Filling
- 2 400ml cans full fat coconut milk, chilled in the fridge overnight
- 1 100g bar vegan dark chocolate
- ¼ cup maple syrup (at room temperature) or date paste
- ¼ cup cacao or cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon edible orange oil
- Pinch of salt
To decorate
- Orange slices
- Shaved dark chocolate
- Fresh herbs
Instructions
To make crust
- Preheat your oven to 350F/175°C. Line bottom of an 8-inch pie or flan dish with parchment paper and grease sides with coconut oil.
- In a blender, blend oats on high power until they form a smooth flour (about 30 seconds). Keep blending until flour is as fine as possible. Pour into large mixing bowl.
- Add almonds to blender and blitz on high power until they too form a smooth flour (you won't be able to get it as fine as the oats, but aim for as smooth as possible). Pour into large mixing bowl.
- Add cacao, sea salt and arrowroot to bowl. Mix with a metal spoon to combine ingredients.
- Using your hands, quickly rub coconut oil into flour mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs (we're doing this quickly so oil melts as little as possible).
- Add maple syrup and water to bowl and mix using a metal spoon to combine.
- Use your hands to quickly shape mixture into a ball of dough.
- Here's the fiddly bit! Place a sheet of parchment paper on a flat surface, and place dough on top. Place another sheet of parchment paper on top of dough.
- Using a rolling pin, roll dough out until it is about an inch wider than circumference of pie/flan dish and roughly 6mm thick.
- Remove top layer of parchment paper from pastry and place pie dish upside down on top of it. Quickly flip it over so pastry is on top of dish! (Be careful during this part, pastry can be crumbly. If it breaks, don't worry - it should be fixable in next step!)
- Carefully remove remaining layer of parchment paper, and very gently push pastry into pie dish, pressing it into corners of dish. If you get any cracks at this point, simply use a piece of excess pastry to plug them.
- Using a flat knife cut edge of pastry around rim of dish or just below, so you have a clean crust. (You will likely end up with a little spare pastry - feel free to use this as you wish! I like making cookies from it.)
- Bake in the oven 15-20 minutes, until crust is just starting to firm up.
- Remove and allow to 'rest' in pie dish for 10 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. (Do not remove crust from dish before this! It will be soft and likely break.)
To make filling
- Open can of coconut milk. You will see that cream and water have separated. Scrape out hardened coconut cream and place in a heatproof bowl. (Use leftover coconut water as you wish).
- Break chocolate into small pieces and add to bowl with coconut.
- Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until chocolate is completely melted and coconut is liquid (you are not aiming to cook ingredients, just to melt them).
- Add maple syrup, cacao powder, orange oil and salt and whisk mixture to thoroughly combine until there are no lumps. Remove bowl from heat.
- Pour filling evenly into cooled crust, and refrigerate (covered) for 1 hour or until filling is completely set.
To decorate (optional)
- To decorate, arrange orange slices, shaved dark chocolate and fresh herbs in any patten you like on the surface of the tart.
- Store in fridge.
Notes
If you’ve tried this recipe, please leave a comment or tip for others below. I'd love to know how you’ve made it your own!
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