Chocolate Espresso Tart

This gorgeous Chocolate Espresso Tart is such a beauty, I’ve made it so many times I can virtually do it by heart. If you want to create something special for the grown-ups in your life, this is it.

by Buffy Ellen Gill · updated 10/09/23 · 2 comments

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Today I’m sharing one final free recipe with you from my book Be Good – this gorgeous Chocolate Espresso Tart.

I tell you what – it sure was hard choosing only four recipes from the book to share. People ask me regularly which are my favourite book recipes, and in all honesty, I really struggle to pick! I actually submitted near 200 recipes when we first drafted the publication, so the 100 that made it through, truly are the cream of the crop.

In case you missed them, here’s the ones that made my top four, that I’ve shared with you here on the blog:

1. Glorious Greek Moussaka

A savoury main that is super flavoursome, filling, and will please everyone in your family. From the vegos to the carnivores, this Glorious Greek Moussaka hearty, packed with spices, and delicious. It’s also a great one to make ahead, and save for leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day. I first made this recipe about 5 years ago, but perfected it for the book, and it’s such a crowd-pleaser I highly recommend you try it.

2. Lemon Apricot Slice

A sweet treat that’s not chocolate? That was my goal here. This is a healthy reincarnation of the classic Citrus Slice you often see at the bakery – crushed wine biscuits, butter, sugar, and apricots in the base; icing sugar, lemon, and butter on top. The ingredients in my one are vastly different, but I’m happy to say the end-result – flavour and texture wise, is pretty close to the real thing. I served this Lemon Apricot Slice throughout my book tour, at workshops and also at hundreds of book stores. Everyone from 5 year old children to elderly men said they loved it, and were even more surprised when they found out it was made with 100% plant-based whole foods. Give it a try yourself!

3. Tempeh Walnut Roast

Another savoury main but this one with a Christmassy twist. This is another recipe I’ve been making for years, and am glad to say the final book version is a 10/10 slice of perfection. It’s the perfect one to share with a group, because whilst it’s vegetarian, you can’t quite pick exactly what’s in it. Mushrooms, tempeh, nutritional yeast, miso, brown rice – all of these ingredients meld together to create meatloaf-y deliciousness, without you really being about to taste any one of them. So if you’ve got guests that “don’t like mushrooms” or “aren’t sure about tempeh”, don’t worry. This Tempeh Walnut Roast is a must make for your next celebration meal.

4. Chocolate Espresso Tart

And so we get to our finale. A lush dessert? Of course. Rich chocolate? Absolutely. If I had to pick one favourite sweet treat from my book, it would be this. She’s creamy, indulgent, show-stopping, whilst still being super easy to make. That’s my ideal love match right there! As for the espresso factor, if you’re not a coffee drinker, I’d still recommend trying it – it’s not overly strong and the espresso more serves to enrich the deep chocolate flavours. You can also swap out the espresso for a dandelion or chicory tea if you prefer too.

I hope you love all four of these recipes from my book, and if you do – why not treat yourself to a copy of the real thing. For yourself, or as a gift for a loved one, I hope it inspires you to get more plants on your plate this coming year.

How to make this Chocolate Espresso Tart

What is a chocolate and coffee tart normally made of?

Chocolate tart, also sometimes called chocolate cream pie, is a dessert made from dark chocolate, cream, and eggs – beaten together, poured into a sweet pastry case, and baked until firm. The word tart meanwhile comes from the French ‘tarte’, which means a type of pie or flan where the filling is left open. Here’s a typical line up of ingredients for a standard choccy tart:

Dark chocolate, heavy cream, espresso beans, white flour, dutch-processed cocoa powder, butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and sometime some mascarpone cheese.

Our tart achieves the same end result – a rich thick creamy chocolate espresso ganache, set inside a chocolate biscuity crumb, but is made virtually entirely from whole food plant-based ingredients. Just how we like it.

Ingredients for this no-bake chocolate espresso tart recipe

The great thing about this tart is, if you’ve got your pantry kitted out with my recommended plant-based staples (I’ve got a list inside my book Be Good, which you can also download a free printable version of), you literally should not have to leave the house to make this recipe. Which means – you can make it tonight! Here’s what you’ll need from your pantry:

Dates
Almonds
Cashews
Rolled oats
Cacao powder
Cacao butter
Cacao nibs
Espresso
Brown rice syrup (or another liquid sweetener)
Plant-based milk
Coconut oil
Vanilla extract

See what I mean? All legit pantry staples, no supermarket shop needed.

Substitution ideas for this raw chocolate-espresso tart

If you’re missing a few of the above, here are a couple of subs you can make with it still turning out delicious:

Dates – use sultanas, raisins, or a mix of both. At a pinch you could try figs, but I wouldn’t go further than that in the dried fruit department.
Almonds – you can use any nut really – brazil nuts and walnuts work great, or you can also use sunflower or pumpkin seeds for a nut-free option.
Cashews – macadamias work nicely if you have them (I normally don’t, they’re an expensive luxury), or for a nut free option, I recommend hemp seeds to get as close to creamy as you can.
Rolled oats – sub for more nuts or desiccated coconut, or some buckwheat for a fully gluten free option.
Cacao powder – I like raw cacao powder, as it’s much higher in antioxidants than regular dutch-processed (heat treated) cocoa, but if you only have cocoa, it’ll still taste amazing.
Cacao butter – I highly recommend using this (and always having it in the pantry) for two reasons – it gives a more authentic chocolate flavour to your chocolate recipes, and, it helps things to set harder than coconut. If you don’t have it though, you can use coconut oil for now (but next pantry staples shop, get yourself a bag).
Cacao nibs – I really only add these for texture, so if you don’t have them – just skip them.
Espresso – I use freshly brewed espresso in mine, but you can also use a strong batch of plunger coffee, or at a pinch, some water with a few teaspoons of instant coffee dissolved in.
Brown rice syrup – this is typically my go to liquid sweetener for my recipes, as it’s fairly cheap, has a neutral flavour, and is light in colour. But you could also use coconut nectar, agave, or yacon. Maple syrup will work, as will honey too, but both with give a stronger flavour which I don’t think is the best for a chocolate coffee combo.
Plant-based milk – any will do – I recommend something creamy normally, i.e. oat milk or soy milk, rather than the watery store-bought almond stuff. Coconut milk is not a goer here as we don’t want to compromise our flavour.

There you go – have you got enough to make it, without stepping foot outside the house? If so – goal achieved.

Tips for making the best dark chocolate tart with espresso

Here’s how to make the best chocolate espresso tart in the world (literally, after making this, you’re going to agree):

Food processor and blender – I know, two loads of clean up, but trust me if you’ve got them, it’s worth it. Use your food processor for your base as it gets that chunky textured finish. Use your blender for your filling for the ultimate creamy ganache. If you don’t have two machines, you can still make do with one, but it might not be quite that $10 raw food café slice you’re goaling for.
Good quality espresso – I know I said you can make this with instant coffee, but for the best most luxurious result, use a good quality espresso freshly brewed. Or a fresh batch of nice plunger coffee.
Blend for a full minute – I always say this, but make sure you blend your tart fillings (or anything when you’re blending cashews to a cream) for a full minute. Anything less, and no matter how outstanding your blender is, you’ll end up with a few cheeky chunks of cashews in there. Go the full hog (even if the mix warms up a little).
Cacao butter – I’ve said it before, but honestly this is what takes this from homemade to raw café quality. It’ll give you that beautifully silky set finish, along with that authentic rich dark chocolate flavour. So worth getting this in your pantry stocks.
Always add salt – I think to all your sweet recipes, it helps bring out the sweetness so you actually can get away with adding less sweetener. But especially in your chocolate recipes, it helps bring out the chocolate flavours and gives the whole dessert great balance.
Whole coffee beans on top – make sure you add these, it gives each slice gorgeous bitter crunch, which beautifully offsets the silky smooth sweet ganache.

A slice of Chocolate Espresso Tart placed on a pink plate with a fork.

How to store your choc espresso ganache tart

This one can be stored in either the fridge for a softer more tender ganache, or the freezer for a harder chew. I typically will keep a piece or two in the fridge, but the rest will slice up and store in the fridge for easy desserts. It’ll happily keep in the fridge for 5-7 days, in the freezer for 2 months (just make sure it’s in an air tight container to avoid unwanted icicles).

Want more decadent tart recipes? Try these next:

If you make this Chocolate Espresso Tart, I’d love to hear from you! Leave me a comment and rating below (it helps others find this recipe too), and if you want to go the extra mile, tag me in your version @begoodorganics on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. I can’t wait to hear from you.

V GF NF SF