Description
This Vegan Gingerbread Chocolate Tart combines a crisp, spiced gingerbread crust with a smooth, rich dark chocolate and coconut cream ganache filling. Perfect for holiday gatherings or any special occasion, this dairy-free and vegan dessert is beautifully topped with crunchy vegan gingerbread cookies and optional pomegranate seeds for a burst of freshness.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 150 g (1 ¼ cups) plain flour (use gluten-free all-purpose flour if required)
- 100 g (3.5 oz) vegan butter, block style (use nut-free brand if needed, e.g. Violife)
- 60 g (3 tablespoons) molasses (or half molasses and half maple syrup for subtler flavor)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon orange zest (optional)
Filling
- 250 g (8.8 oz) dark chocolate (use 170 g for a softer, mousse-like consistency)
- 350 g (12.4 oz) coconut cream (or chilled full-fat coconut milk cream)
- 60 g (3 tablespoons) pure maple syrup
- 20 g (1 tablespoon) molasses
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch sea salt
Toppings
- ¼ batch vegan gingerbread cookies
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare tart tin: Preheat your oven to fan-forced 160°C/320°F or conventional 180°C/356°F. Lightly grease the base and sides of a 9″ round tart tin with oil or vegan butter and dust lightly with flour. Optionally, line the base with parchment paper.
- Mix and chill the dough: Combine flour, vegan butter, molasses, spices, and salt in a food processor. Blitz until the mixture forms a loose dough, then gather it into a ball and flatten into a disc. Wrap in clingfilm or place in an airtight container and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Roll out the dough: Roll the chilled dough so it extends about an inch larger than your tart tin. Carefully lift and fit the dough into the tin, pressing gently to line the sides. Trim the edges to rise slightly above the tin’s sides and prick the base several times with a fork.
- Blind bake the crust: Cut parchment paper into a circle slightly larger than the tart shell, place over the dough, and fill with dried beans, rice, lentils, or baking beads. Bake for 12 minutes, then remove the weights and parchment paper. Return the tart shell to the oven and bake another 10-12 minutes until crisp and lightly browned.
- Prepare the filling: Finely chop the dark chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl. Heat coconut cream in a saucepan until it simmers (do not boil), then pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes before whisking smooth. Stir in maple syrup, molasses, ground ginger, and a pinch of sea salt until fully combined.
- Fill and chill the tart: Pour the chocolate ganache into the baked tart shell, gently tap the tin to release air bubbles. Let it cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to set for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight.
- Make the vegan gingerbread cookies: Prepare cookies as desired to garnish the tart.
- Garnish and serve: Once set, carefully remove the tart from the tin and place on a serving dish. Decorate with vegan gingerbread cookies, pomegranate seeds, and fresh rosemary if desired. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
- Use vegan butter suitable for dietary needs, such as a nut-free brand like Violife.
- Molasses can be replaced partially or entirely with maple syrup for a milder sweetness.
- Adjust the amount of dark chocolate to change filling texture: 250g for more set but creamy, 170g for softer and mousse-like consistency.
- Coconut cream can be substituted with chilled full-fat coconut milk cream from the top of cans.
- For a quicker crust method, press dough directly into the tart tin, prick with a fork, bake for 12-16 minutes until golden, and cool before filling.
- The pomegranate seeds and orange zest are optional but add freshness and a bright contrast to the rich tart.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of tart)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
