Tart with a Twist

Easy, gluten-free, nut-free, refined-sugar free, vegan dessert

Since the 4th of July is right around the corner, I wanted to come up with a fun, allergy friendly treat for any summer time get together. I am one of those people who absolutely loves fresh fruit tarts and I wanted to be able to truly enjoy one knowing I would still feel great after eating it.

I was a little apprehensive when I first made this dish because it is definitely not your typical tart, but I am so glad I tried it. This was a crowd pleaser with my family. They always give me a hard time when I use the words vegan because they expect it to be weird, but they were pleasantly surprised by how much they actually liked it.

Another bonus, all the ingredients required for this tart are ones I usually keep on hand, so it is also perfect for those last minute dessert demands. The oatmeal cookie crust is topped with a lightly sweet cashew cream, an abundance of fresh fruit, and a small drizzle of maple syrup. The balance of sweet to tangy is perfect and every flavor is subtly noticeable. You can even taste the banana and coconut used in the crust.

Now for the recipe:

Tart with a Twist

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 cup quick oats

1/2 cup oat flour (or ground oats)

1/2 cup coconut, shredded or flaked

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 banana

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons coconut oil, solid

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the cream:

1 cup cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight in 2 cups of filtered water

1/2 cup filtered water

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Zest of one large lemon (no juice)

For the topping:

Fresh fruit (I used strawberries, blueberries, and kiwi)

2-4 tablespoons maple syrup (optional, to taste)

Directions:

For the crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 inch pie pan with coconut oil and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, oat flour, coconut flakes, salt, and baking powder. In a medium bowl, mash together the banana, vanilla, maple syrup and cinnamon with a fork. Add wet mixture to the dry mixture along with the solid coconut oil, and combine with a fork until a dough ball forms.

Press dough ball into prepared pie pan to form a thin, even crust. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool at room temperature and then place in the fridge while preparing the cream.

For the cream:

Drain the cashews and place in a blender with the maple syrup, salt, vanilla, water, and lemon zest. Blend on high until smooth and thick. If the cream seems a little watery, pour into a shallow pan and heat on low for 2-4 minutes, stirring continuously until desired consistency is achieved. Pour mixture into prepared crust and place in the fridge for 1 hour.

Final touches:

If using strawberries and kiwi, thinly slice. Remove tart from fridge and distribute fruit on top of the cream. Drizzle with extra maple syrup and keep in the fridge until ready to be served. Enjoy for up to three days after assembly!

I'd love to hear how yours turned out, so comment below and let me know what you think!