This is my kind of dessert recipe! An impressive end product for very little effort! This vegan chocolate tart flavoured with toasted almonds is perfect for entertaining, gifting, or taking to your next holiday party.
A maximum of 30 minutes prep time
No baking required
Make ahead & freezer friendly
Decadent
And downright delicious
How To Make A No Bake Vegan Chocolate Tart
There are two parts to this simple vegan chocolate tart.
- The crust
- And the filling
The crust will take you about 5 minutes to blend in your food processor. Then you simply press the dough into your tart pan and pop it in the fridge.
While your crust hangs out in the fridge, make the quick filling by melting chocolate chips into warm coconut milk. Pour the quick dairy-free chocolate ganache into the crust and return the tart to the fridge.
Let the chocolate filling partially set in the fridge for 30 minutes, then add any toppings so they stick to the top of the tart.
Allow the tart to set for an additional hour and a half until fully set!
Crust Ingredients
This vegan chocolate tart has a delicious toasted almond flavour but could be easily customizable to the ingredients you have in your pantry.
My crust is made by blending:
- Quick oats
- Almond flour
- Cocoa powder
- Espresso powder (optional)
- And salt
Then adding:
- Soft pitted dates
- Applesauce
- Almond butter
- And a pinch of vanilla extract
Finally:
- Toasted almonds are added and coarsely ground to add a bit of crunch to the crust
Making this crust with a combination of oats and nuts is what makes it safe for a no bake recipe. If you need to avoid nuts you could make this crust using all oats and possibly adding shredded coconut or even some dried fruit to diversify the flavour.
Filling Ingredients
The decadent chocolate filling is made so simply with just:
- Full fat canned coconut milk
- Dairy-free chocolate chips
- And a pinch of vanilla extract
Simply warm 1 cup canned full fat coconut milk just until it is warm enough to melt the chocolate chips. Stir in the chocolate chips until they are fully melted and pour the chocolate filling into the prepared crust.
In just 2 hours the chocolate ganache will have set and you can slice through your decadent tart!
Recipe Cost For This Vegan Chocolate Tart
This vegan chocolate tart serves 12 and costs me under $10 CAD to make!
Before I started cooking and baking the way I do now, I would have thought it impossible to make a dessert like this for less than a dessert may cost from my grocery store.
This vegan chocolate tart is made entirely from ingredients that are always in my pantry. I am able to utilize these ingredients to make so many snacks, breakfasts, and even main dishes. If you're new to my blog, make sure to click on my Pantry page to see what ingredients I keep on hand to make cooking and baking convenient and cost effective.
Substitutions
Another reason I want to inspire you to stock simple and versatile ingredients in your pantry is that you can easily substitute ingredients in a recipe for what you have on hand. Once you know what you have and how these ingredients work together, you can get really creative!
If you don't have almonds but you do have other nuts, make this vegan chocolate tart a toasted walnut tart. Or a pecan tart. Or chocolate hazelnut! If you only have peanut butter, make this tart a chocolate peanut butter tart!
Don't have dates? You can sweeten this tart with a liquid sweetener like maple syrup. If using a granulated sugar I would recommend melting it into a little bit of filtered water to make a sugary syrup that will spread evenly through the crust.
No applesauce? Try using another fruit or vegetable puree. Mashed banana, sweet potato or pumpkin could all work! You could even use some jam like strawberry or raspberry and reduce the sweetener as necessary.
And as mentioned above, if you need a nut-free option try making the crust from just oats. A combination of oats, shredded coconut, and even dried fruit can add a bit more flavour. A substitute for the nut butter? I would add in extra fruit or vegetable puree like the ones listed above. You could also add in some neutral oil of choice to replace some of the oils and fats in the nut butter that help the crust to stabilize and have a rich flavour.
Let me know in the comments below how you like this vegan chocolate tart and if you make any substitutions that you love!
I have a feeling you will love my no bake Brownie Energy Balls and these 10 minute Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars too!
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Vegan Chocolate Almond Tart (No Bake & Gluten-Free)
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 12 1x
Description
A stunning vegan chocolate tart in just 30 min prep time! An easy gluten-free crust with a quick dairy-free chocolate filling. Sinfully easy!
Ingredients
The Crust:
- 1 cup quick oats (can use rolled oats)
- 1 cup almond flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ cup cocoa powder, spooned and leveled
- ½ tsp espresso powder (optional)
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ cup deglet noor dates (about 10 dates soaked in warm water)
- ⅓ cup applesauce
- ⅓ cup almond butter
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract (see note if using almond extract)
- ½ cup toasted almonds
- 2 tbsp date water (or maple syrup for more sweetness)
The Filling:
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk (not 1 can!)
- 1 ¼ cup chocolate chips, dairy-free (220 g)
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
*All the ingredients for this recipe are from our pantry and freezer tips!
Instructions
*Before getting started, make sure your almonds are toasted and your dates are soft. Toast whole raw almonds for 7-10 minutes at 350 degrees F or until fragrant. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. To soften dates if they have been in the fridge, soak them in warm water for 5 minutes (medjool dates are larger and softer than deglet noor, see notes if using medjool).
- To make the crust, add the oats, almond flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt to a food processor and pulse to break down the oats into a fine crumble.
- Remove the dates from the soaking water (reserving the water) and add them to the food processor. Pulse again to break down the dates. Check the mixture and make sure the dates are fully broken down before continuing.
- Add the applesauce, almond butter, and vanilla extract. Pulse the mixture until it starts clumping up.
- Add the cooled toasted almonds and pulse to break them down into smaller pieces. I like keeping them a little bigger so they add some texture to the crust.
- Finally, splash in 2 tablespoon of the water the dates soaked in (or liquid sweetener) and pulse a few more times until the dough starts to form a ball and can stick together when pressed between your fingers.
- Press the dough into a 9” tart pan with removable sides. Press it evenly along the bottom of the pan, up the sides, and create a nice 1⁄2 inch flat crust. See notes if using a different sized pan.
- Refrigerate the crust while you make the filling.
- To make the filling, add 1 cup full fat canned coconut milk (make sure you use 1 cup not 1 full can!) and 1 cup chocolate chips to a small pot. Turn the heat on low and allow the chocolate chips to gently melt into the warming milk. The milk just needs to be warm enough to melt the chips, it shouldn’t boil. Stir frequently to encourage the chips to melt and ensure they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. *Alternatively, use your microwave making sure to not overheat the milk.
- When most of the chocolate chips are melted but there are still a few chunks of unmelted chips, take the pot off the heat and add in the remaining 1⁄4 cup solid chocolate chips and vanilla extract. Stir the mixture and use that heat in the pot to melt the cold chocolate chips. Adding these cold pieces can help cool your milk mixture down a bit.
- When all the chocolate pieces are fully melted, remove the crust from the fridge and carefully pour the chocolate mixture into the center of the tart. Gently tap the tart on the counter to encourage any little bubbles to pop and return the tart to the fridge to set.
- After 30 minutes the tart will be set enough that you can garnish the top with some more chopped toasted almonds, a drizzle of almond butter or even fresh fruit. Because the tart won’t be fully set you can gently press the toppings into the chocolate filling to make sure they stick. Return the decorated tart to the fridge until fully set, another 1 and a half hours.
- Store the finished tart in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
Approximate Cost: $9.98 CAD. Using full fat coconut milk vs. heavy cream in this recipe actually saves me over $1.
I prefer to not use almond extract in this recipe because I find it overpowers the natural almond flavour. If you prefer to use it, I would suggest using only ⅛ teaspoon and choose to add it to either the crust or the filling but not to both.
To make a sweeter crust you can omit the deglet noor dates (and the date water) and use ¼ cup maple syrup.
If using medjool dates, they are larger than deglet noor so you will not need 10. You will likely only need 3 or 4 and make sure to remove their pits!
This recipe makes enough crust that you could fill an 11 inch tart pan but I would suggest making a bit more of the chocolate filling. If you have a smaller tart pan and too much crust you can roll the leftover crust into balls and enjoy them as energy balls! Also try making this recipe in silicone muffin tins, a metal muffin tin with parchment paper tabs under each mini tart to help you remove them after they are set, or make the tarts in individual ramekins.
See my blog post for substitution ideas if you need a nut free option or do not have one of the ingredients listed, I give you lots of ideas to experiment with!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Setting Time: 2 hours
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
Heidi
Incredible recipe. My GF friend who normally does not eat desserts ended up taking a second piece for tomorrow!
The tart is extremely rich so I could only eat half a piece but it was amazing.
Kathryn Alexandre
Oh that's fantastic to hear! I only eat half a piece as well and kind of love that it fulfills that dessert craving with just a small piece (and lasts longer that way too!) I'm so glad that you're friend loved it and was able to take some home. That's the best news. Thank you for letting me know and for the lovely star rating!
Natalie
Made this recipe for company we had over this past weekend for an Easter party and it was honestly the best dessert I have ever had in my entire life. Everyone was taking pictures of it! That's how good it was!! It was so easy to make and so delicious. I can't wait to make it again!
Kathryn Alexandre
Wohoo! I'm so glad it was picture worthy and everyone loved it too! That's the best. Thank you so much for giving it a try Natalie and for letting me know it was a hit!
Jodie Chyoweth
I made this delicious chocolate tart for my non-vegan Australian family this Christmas (2024) and it was a massive hit!! Everyone loved it. It is so creamy and the base is the perfect balance. I used dark chocolate and decorated with a few raspberries for a pop of Christmas red, which was also a nice tart flavour contrast to the chocolate. Definitely going to add this to my 'favourite' recipes. Thanks Kathryn & Bryan, appreciate you putting these recipes through the tests so we don't have to.
Kathryn Alexandre
Thank you so much for letting us know this was such a hit Jodie! I really love how simple this recipe is so I'm glad you love the balance of all the elements. I love that you added raspberries for Christmas! We hope you had a very Merry Christmas and all the best in 2025 for you and your family!
Susan
I made this for a birthday dessert for a friend and it is so delicious. I substituted peanut butter and mashed banana in the recipe. Everyone just loved it and it is so decadent, rich and chocolatey. I will definitely make it again.
Kathryn Alexandre
This is so great to know! I'm glad everyone loved it and you'll make this one again! This is one of our favourites to make for friends. We really appreciate you trying it and taking the time to leave a star review!
Henri
Hey Kathryn, wonderful recipe! 👍
About the Coconut Milk Can, do you use both solid and liquid part or only chilled top thick part (cream)?
Please let me know..
Many thanks!
Henri 🙂
Kathryn Alexandre
Hi Henri! Yes you can use both the solid and liquid part. I use full fat canned coconut milk but I shake the can to evenly combine the cream and the water. You could probably use just the cream but I haven’t tried that yet. My guess is that it will set even more quickly but it might be too thick to pour into the crust. I like that with this recipe you don’t even have to worry about refrigerating the milk to separate the cream from the water 👍🏼 I hope you enjoy it!!
Maya
Kathryn, BEST dessert ever! Thanks for showing me this.
Kathryn Alexandre
I'm so glad you love it Maya! Thank you for sharing it with your work colleagues this week!