My husband and I celebrated 13 years of marriage a few weeks ago. I feel very old writing that… where did the time go?! We got married very young so our anniversaries are really quite extraordinary numbers compared to our peers. Bragging rights for us I suppose? Anyways, we did go out on a date night, but I have to say I preferred the meal we had at home, enjoyed with our kiddos, followed by a viewing of our wedding DVD I had unearthed from a moving box. It was hilarious how invested the kids were in watching it, I had no idea they would find it so enthralling. What a sweet trip down memory lane for us as well, we hadn’t watched it since we first got it (maybe a dozen years ago?). Ah, we were just babes.
This tart was the show-stopping finale to our wonderful meal, which included pan seared rib-eye steaks, boiled new potatoes with lemon and herb butter, and roasted broccoli. You see why eating out has lost its appeal? The downsides of good homecoming…
Back to the tart. It’s a dessert I’ve been making since before we had kids. Originally it began with a Jamie Oliver recipe (“Fifteen Chocolate Tart”, in the Cook with Jamie cookbook), that I’ve slowly adapted over the years to be the perfect dairy, gluten, and refined sugar free indulgence. I took the Jamie Oliver tart filling and swapped out heavy cream and milk for full fat coconut milk and coconut sugar for refined sugar. I added some espresso powder and a pinch of sea salt to really intensify the chocolate flavours, something I do in basically every chocolate recipe I make because it always takes it to the next level. For the crust, I slightly modified a Bon Appetit recipe by swapping almond flour for whole wheat flour, and maple syrup for agave syrup. I know I say this with all my baking recipes (because it’s true!), but NO ONE is going to know this is “healthy”.
The filling in this tart is an incredible texture. It’s silky smooth, delicate and rich at the same time. Somewhere between a rich chocolate custard and a ganache. The recipe always ends up with a little extra filling, which secretly delights me because I bake it on its own in a ramekin and enjoy a little here and there with a sprinkle of the salted oat topping… it’s absolutely delicious. In fact, if you are looking for a low carb treat you could skip the crust altogether and bake the filling in greased muffin tins or ramekins, served with the oat topping (such a small amount is not going to factor in carb wise).
Let’s talk about the crust. Gluten free crusts can be notorious for being too crumbly, oily, or just not holding their shape. This one is nice and sturdy, like a firm cookie, with a delightful nuttiness from the oats as they toast. A hint of cinnamon and sea salt really makes the flavours sing and it is the perfect shell for our rich, silky chocolate filling. If you’re questioning the point of making the salted oat topping, let me just tell you that for a few minutes of your time, it is absolutely essential! It provides a delicious crunchy texture to contrast with the smooth chocolate filling. Trust me, I’m not one for extra steps, but this time it is 100% worth it. I found myself snacking on these as they sat out on the counter. They are addictively good on their own or on top of a yogurt parfait should you have any leftover.
This tart really captures what I love about home cooking. Making memorable food to enjoy with the ones you love. I have a feeling this is one of those recipes my kids will look back fondly on and request continually for special occasions. I’m happy to oblige!
Salted Oat Dark Chocolate Tart
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats certified GF if necessary
- 3/4 cup almond flour blanched
- 1/3 cup coconut oil melted
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or honey
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Salted Oat topping:
- 2 tbsp old-fashioned oats certified GF if necessary
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- pinch sea salt to taste
- pinch cinnamon to taste
Filling:
- 1 400ml can full fat coconut milk
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 8 ounces 70% dairy free dark chocolate (I used half unsweetened chocolate, half semi-sweet chocoate chips) chopped
- 1 tsp espresso powder
- pinch sea salt
- 2 large eggs whisked
Instructions
Crust:
- Greaste a 9" tart pan with a removable bottom. Preheat oven to 350F.
- Pulse all ingredients together in a food processor until oats are coarsley ground and and the mixture starts to come together like wet sand. If you do not have a food processor, I would reccomend substituting quick oats for old-fashioned oats. Combine filling in a mixing bowl.
- Press crust mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan until you have an even crust.
- Bake on a sheet pan for 15-20 minutes minutes until firm and lightly browned. The crust will finish cooking with the filling. Cool on wire rack. Lower oven temperature to 325F.
Salted Oat Topping:
- Melt the coconut oil in a small sauce pan. Add the oats and cook over medium low heat for 3 minutes until toasted.
- Add the sugar, stirring constantly until the sugar 'melts' and sticks to the oats.
- Remove from the heat and add the salt and cinnamon to taste. Set aside to cool.
Filling:
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over low heat, bring the coconut milk, coconut sugar, salt, and espresso powder to a gentle boil.
- Remove from heat and gently whisk in the chocolate until smooth and glossy. Do not add the chocolate over heat or it will seize up, also be careful to keep any water away from the chocolate which can also cause it to buckle. Let cool slightly.
- To prevent scambling, temper the whisked eggs by adding a very slow drizzle of the chocolate mixture (a tbsp or two), whisking constantly.
- Slowly whisk the tempered egg mixture into the chocolate mixture, whisking constantly until complety combined and slightly thickened.
- Pour chocolate filling into crust until just under the top of the sides of the crust. Any remaining filling can be baked in an oven safe ramekin for an extra chocolate treat (delicious with the salted oat topping). Bake the tart and ramekin on a sheet tray (easier for transporting in and out of the oven without disturbing the bottom of the tart pan) at 325F for 15-20 minutes until the filling has a slight wobble to it (it will set fully as it cools). Do not overbake!
- Cool completely before serving. Lift bottom of tart pan up and out to slice the tart. Garnish with the salted oat topping. Whipped coconut cream (or regular whipped cream if you aren't dairy free) would be a fantastic accompianment, but not necessary (we didn't miss it).
- Keep tart wrapped, or in an airtight container, stored in the fridge. Salted oat topping will keep for at least a week in an airtight container at room temperature (it's a fantastic topping on yogurt parfaits should you have any leftovers!).
Featured in this Post*:
9 inch tart pan with removable bottom – I actually found mine at Winner’s years ago, but this pan serves as a great addition to my kitchen. I can make beautiful quiche and show-stopping tarts and not worry about the crust sticking in the bottom or corners of the pan since the bottom pops up and out with ease. It makes for a beautiful fluted crust shape.
Set of 4 oven safe Ramekins – These are such versatile dishes to have. They are oven safe so they are perfect for baking soufflés, chocolate lava cakes, extra chocolate tart filling, even french onion soup! They also double as handy small dishes for dips and sides. They are microwave, dishwasher, and oven safe.
Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk– This is my go to brand for making whipped coconut cream. The other brands just don’t seem to be as creamy or solidify when refrigerated – such a disappointment when you open the can in the morning ready to whip up some cream. This brand has never failed me!
Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips– I love the Kirkland chocolate chips because they are dairy free and they taste just as good (if not better) than the most popular brand. If I’m making a small batch of something or really want to watch my sugar I’ll spring for a more expensive dark chocolate chip or 70-85% dark chocolate chopped up, but for my everyday baking I prefer something affordable like these.
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