Description
This Vegan Vanilla Bean Custard Tart is the best refined sugar-free dessert that makes you feel like you're cheating (and like you baked for hours in the kitchen but definitely didn't). Top this creamy "custard" vanilla bean tart with roasted strawberries for the perfect naturally sweet garnish. This tart is vegan, gluten-free, and grain-free!
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 3 cups cassava flour
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) plant-butter
- 1/2 cup date sugar
- 1/3 cup coconut oil (softened, but not melted), plus more if needed
- 1 teaspoons pure almond extract/paste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Filling
- 1 cans full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup raw cashews, softened
- 2.5 teaspoons pure vanilla bean paste/extract
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons agar agar powder
- pinch salt
Roasted Strawberries (make right before serving)
- 32 ounces fresh strawberries, washed and trimmed (some I left whole, some I cut in half and some in 4ths)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste/extract
- 1/2 teaspoon agar agar powder
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- First, place the cashews in a medium saucepan and cover the cashews with water. Boil your cashews for about 15 minutes until most of the water is absorbed and the cashews are softened. Let them cool while you prepare the crust.
- In a large bowl, whisk all the dry crust ingredients together, then add in the almond extract paste. Then “knead” in the plant-butter and coconut oil with your hands until your dough forms. The dough should be slightly crumbly, but should stick together between your fingers if you squeeze it. If it doesn’t, add more coconut oil 1 tablespoon at a time until that happens. Spray a 9-inch tart pan with coconut oil and then press the crust into the tart pan.
*NOTE: You may have leftover crust, which you can make cookies out of (it’s delicious!) Be sure not to fill the tart pan too much with dough, to leave room for the filling. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges start to turn slightly golden. DO NOT OVER BAKE (gluten-free crust doesn’t turn the lovely golden brown to signal that it’s done, so I wouldn’t cook longer than 25 minute.**NOTE: you may need to press down the crust lightly after your take it out of the oven with the back of a bowl or spoon to make a deeper well for the filling.
- While the crust is baking, make your tart filling. In a medium saucepan, heat the coconut milk over medium-high heat. Whisk in the maple syrup, and salt and let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla bean paste and agar agar. Let the mixture cool while your crust finishes baking.
- In a high speed blender or food processor, blend the (drained and rinsed) cashews with the rest of the tart filling on high until smooth and creamy.
- Let everything cool slightly and then pour the filling into the crust. Very carefully, chill the tart in the fridge at least 4 hours or overnight.
Roasted Strawberries:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add all strawberries, maple syrup, vanilla, agar agar, and salt in a large bowl and stir. Pour onto a sprayed baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Let them cool before adding onto the tart. Add the strawberries to the tart and serve! Store leftover tart/slices in the fridge.
Notes
* I used Taylor & Colledge Vanilla Bean Paste and Almond Extract Paste
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Additional Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American