Vegan Chocolate Tart
This vegan chocolate tart is rich, decadent and creamy. A chocolate shortcrust pastry filled with dairy-free chocolate ganache that makes for the perfect after dinner dessert.
This dairy-free chocolate tart was one of the first posts I ever made on Baked by Clo. I’m revamping it today because although the recipe was tasty, my photos were hilariously bad.
I even made this post private for a long time because I was so embarrassed of my pictures. It looked more like a pancake than a tart, LOL. I’m sure after another few years have passed I’ll be looking at these pictures wanting to retake them but they are 100% much better than they were before!
More vegan sweet tart recipes:
The idea for this recipe came to me when I tried Zizzi’s vegan chocolate torte. It had honeycomb pieces on top and came served with dairy-free ice cream. The pizza and starters we had were amazing but the dessert was on a whole ‘nother level. It was seriously incredible.
I went home and tried to replicate it immediately and was happy with how it turned out. I prefer a pastry tart base for the extra texture so when I first made it, I used a shortcrust pastry base.
This time I used a chocolate shortcrust pastry instead. I just think it looks (and tastes) much better paired with the chocolatey filling. You can use whichever one you prefer though of course!
I also used semi-sweet chocolate this time instead of the dark chocolate that I originally used. The ganache sets just as nicely with dark chocolate but it’s just a tad bitter for me now. I used 44% chocolate which has a bit of depth in flavour but is still quite sweet. All in all, it turned out to be a delicious dairy-free chocolate tart!
This makes a great date night dessert and is perfect for sharing.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Plain flour. Creates structure for the shortcrust pastry.
- Vegan margarine. I recommend using the soft, spreadable kind of vegan ‘butter’ that comes in a tub. The pastry will end up too dry if you use the blocky type.
- Cocoa powder. To add the chocolate flavour to the pastry.
- Icing sugar. Gives the pastry a touch of sweetness.
- Semi-sweet vegan chocolate. As I mentioned above, I used 44% chocolate for a slightly sweeter dairy-free chocolate tart filling.
- Soya cream. I used Alpro. You can use full-fat coconut milk instead if you prefer.
- Extra chocolate for decoration. You can use chocolate curls, shavings, chips… whatever you prefer! I used a mix of vegan semi-sweet and white chocolate shavings.
How to make vegan chocolate tart
First, we’ll make the chocolate shortcrust pastry.
Step 1:
Add 200g of plain flour to a large bowl. Rub in 145g of vegan margarine until you end up with a mixture that looks like large breadcrumbs.
Step 2:
Stir in 30g of icing sugar and 15g of cocoa powder.
Use your hands to press everything together into a ball of dough. You shouldn’t need to add any water but if the dough won’t come together, add 1/2 teaspoon at a time until it does. Be careful not to add too much water as the pastry will become tough and chewy.
Step 3:
Cover your bowl of chocolate pastry dough and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes. This will prevent it from shrinking so much while it’s baking.
While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C for fan ovens).
Step 4:
After the 30 minutes are up, roll the dough out on a floured surface until it’s slightly larger than a 9-inch tart or flan tin.
Use your rolling pin to carefully drape the dough into the tin, then use your fingers to set it into place. Cut any excess off with a knife.
Step 5:
Dock the dough by poking small holes all over the bottom using a fork. This will stop the pastry from rising as it bakes.
Step 6:
Cover the dough with some baking paper then pour in some baking beans to weigh it down. If you don’t have baking beans you can use uncooked rice or lentils instead (like I did).
Bake the tart for 15 minutes, remove the baking paper and beans, then bake for a further 15 minutes. This process is called blind-baking.
Leave the tart to cool completely before gently removing it from the tin.
Next, the creamy chocolate ganache filling!
Step 1:
Finely chop 300g of semi-sweet dark chocolate. The best chocolate to use is 35-45%, otherwise the ganache will be quite bitter. I used Lovett’s.
Make sure the chocolate is chopped finely to help it melt easier.
Step 2:
In a pot, heat 280ml of soya cream until it starts to bubble at the edges. As soon as it’s bubbling, remove it from the heat and pour it over the chopped chocolate pieces. Gently mix the two together until the chocolate has completely melted.
Step 3:
Pour the ganache into your chocolate shortcrust pastry case and spread it out evenly. Let it sit at room temperature to set for around 30 minutes then add some chocolate shavings to decorate the top.
Leave the tart to sit, uncovered, at room temperature for a further 5-6 hours until it’s firm to the touch. This vegan chocolate tart can be put in the fridge to speed up the setting time but leaving it at room temperature will help to keep it shiny!
Once it’s set, just cut into slices and enjoy!
FAQ
Keep it covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. After this time, the pastry will begin to soften.
Yes. If you don’t think you’ll eat it all within 4 days, you can freeze the leftovers. Just pop slices into an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month. Alternatively, wrap the whole thing in tin foil.
To defrost, simply transfer it to the fridge the night before you plan to eat it. Do not refreeze.
I hope you enjoy this dairy-free chocolate tart. If you make it at home, please let me know what you think by leaving a rating and comment below. Happy baking! xo
Vegan Chocolate Tart
Dairy-free chocolate tart. Rich, creamy ganache inside chocolate shortcrust pastry.
Ingredients
For the pastry:
- 200 g Plain flour
- 145 g Vegan margarine (the soft, spreadable style)
- 30 g Icing sugar
- 15 g Cocoa powder
For the filling:
- 300 g Vegan semi-sweet chocolate (35-40%. I used Lovett's)
- 280 ml Soya cream (can be subbed for full-fat coconut milk)
To top (optional):
- Extra Chocolate shavings
Instructions
For the chocolate shortcrust pastry:
-
Add the flour to a large bowl and rub in the margarine.
-
Stir in the icing sugar and cocoa powder then use your hands to press it all together into a ball of dough.
-
Cover the dough and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
-
While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C for fan ovens) and have a 9-inch tart tin to hand.
-
After the 30 minutes are up, roll the dough out on a floured surface until it's slightly larger than your tart tin. Use your rolling pin to drape the dough into the tin then use your fingers to gently press it into place.
-
Dock the pastry by poking small holes all over the bottom with a fork.
-
Put some baking paper over the pastry and cover with baking beans. This will act as a weight to stop the pastry from rising. If you don't have baking beans, you can use uncooked rice or lentils instead.
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Bake the pastry for 15 minutes. Remove the baking paper and beans then bake for 15 more minutes.
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Let it cool completely before carefully removing it from the tin.
For the chocolate ganache filling:
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Finely chop the chocolate.
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In a pot over the stove, gently heat the soya cream. When it starts to bubble at the edges, immediately remove it from the heat and pour it over the chopped chocolate. Mix the two together until the chocolate has melted and you have a smooth, glossy mixture.
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Spoon the chocolate mixture into the pastry case and spread it out evenly.
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Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes then add chocolate shavings on top. Leave to set at room temperature for 5-6 hours, until firm to the touch. You can put it in the fridge to speed things up if you prefer but this will take away the shine on the chocolate.
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Once set, cut into slices and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Store covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Emy
Tuesday 2nd of January 2024
It turned out well!
Chloe
Wednesday 3rd of January 2024
Thanks Emy!