Fruit Tarts with Vanilla Bean Custard

Fruit tarts are an old-school bakery favourite, and my simple and healthy versions are 100% plant-based, and free of dairy, eggs, refined-sugar and flour!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword be good organics, cruelty free, dairy free, easy, egg free, gluten free, plant based, quick, raw, refined sugar free, summer fruit tart, treat, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Servings tarts

Calories 454kcal

Author Buffy Ellen Gill

Equipment

Muffin tin

Ingredients

Base

1 1/2 c raw almonds
1/2 c desiccated coconut
Zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 tsp himalayan pink salt
1/2 c medjoul dates
2 tbsp coconut oil melted but cool

Vanilla Bean Custard Filling

400 ml coconut cream* 18% fat content
1 vanilla bean scraped
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp coconut nectar
3 tbsp cornflour or arrowroot
pinch turmeric optional
2 tbsp coconut oil

Toppings

Fresh fruit e.g. kiwifruit, strawberries, peaches, grapes, bananas

Instructions

Blend cornflour with a small amount of coconut cream until a smooth paste is formed with no lumps.
Add the remaining filling ingredients (except the coconut oil) to a pot, and heat stirring until the mixture thickens for around 10 minutes. Stir through the coconut oil at the very end. Set the custard aside to cool in the fridge, stirring occasionally so it doesn't form a skin.
Blend the base ingredients (except the dates and coconut oil) in a food processor until fine, then add dates while the processor is running one by one until a dough-like mixture forms. Add the melted coconut oil at the very end.
Press into lightly greased muffin tins with rounds of baking paper in the base of each, then pop in the freezer for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight. Once the bases are very firm, tip them upside down to remove them (you may need to use a fine knife to scrape around the edge of each case so they fall out easily).
Pour in cooled custard, arrange fruit on top, and keep in fridge until serving.

Notes

Make it nut-free: replace the almonds in the base with sunflower or watermelon seeds.
I use Trade Aid's organic fair trade coconut milk in all my recipes (you can order it here). Unlike some coconut milks/creams which separate, it has a beautiful thick even consistency due to the inclusion of a natural plant-based emulsifier called guar gum. It's labelled "coconut milk" but is much more like a coconut cream in consistency and has an 18% fat content. The only difference between coconut milks and creams is the amount of water added - however some creams have lower fat contents than milks! I always recommend going for a cream-like product, as you can always water it down yourself if you like.

Nutrition