These raw vegan tarts are a great healthy dessert option that is free of refined sugars and gluten. I’ve used dates and coconut nectar to add sweetness, which contain a number of nutrients and minerals, and is lower GI than traditional cane sugar that can spike your blood sugars and leave you crashing. The polysaturated and monosaturated fats from the nuts, avocado and coconut oil also lower the overall GI of this snack, leaving you to feel satisfied and sustained.

The tarts also provide an excellent source of calcium from the avocado and almonds which support bone, nerve and muscle health as well as the magnesium from the cacao to help with muscle relaxation.

(makes 12 mini tarts)

Ingredients

Tart shells:

1 cup almond meal or any nut of choice
½ cup cacao powder
Pinch of salt
½ cup medjool dates
2 tablespoons hazelnut butter or ABC spread

Mousse:

1 medium ripe avocado
2 medjool dates
2 tablespoon sweetener of choice (I like to use coconut nectar.  You can use maple syrup, raw honey or rice malt syrup).
2 tablespoon cacao powder
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon coconut mylk
1 ½ tablespoons hazelnut butter or 2 tablespoons raw hazelnuts
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
Raspberries to decorate

Method

Start by making the mousse:

Simply add all of the mousse ingredients minus the coconut oil into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.

Add the coconut oil and blend again.

Pour mousse into a piping bag with the desired nozzle (I just used a sandwich bag and snipped a small hole in the corner to add the nozzle), and place in the fridge for an hour or so to firm up.

To make the tarts:

Blitz the nuts/nut meal, cacao powder and salt in a food processor until combined and a powder-like consistency is achieved.

Whilst the processor is still going, add in the dates and nut butter.  Process until a doughy mixture is achieved.  If it is too dry, try adding in a small amount of water until the mixture is soft enough to mould.

Divide the mixture into 12 and using your hands, mould into small hollow tart shells. This can be the fiddly part, but I find it therapeutic.

Place in the fridge to firm up whilst the mousse thickens. After an hour or two, the tarts will be ready to pipe the mousse mixture into. 

Add raspberries to decorate.

Devour!