Chocolate Tart with Orange Marmalade and Pistachios
This vegan and gluten-free chocolate tart with orange marmalade and pistachios is the perfect no-bake holiday dessert — rich, elegant, healthy, and guaranteed to impress at Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Servings 12 slices
Calories 403kcal
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 ½ cups pecans
- 1 ½ cups pitted dates soaked in hot water for 5 minutes, drained
- 2 tablespoons Dutch cocoa powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Orange Marmalade + Pistachios
- 9 oz. orange marmalade (store bought or homemade) room temperature
- 1 cup roasted salted pistachios roughly chopped
Chocolate Filling
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch rounded
- 1 cup soy milk divided
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter
- 16 ounces firm tofu pressed with paper towels until all water is released then blended until very smooth
- 3 tablespoons Dutch cocoa powder
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Toppings (Optional)
- fresh orange slices 1-2 Navel or orange of choice
- roasted and salted pistachios whole and roughly chopped
- finishing salt like Sel de Gris or Maldon
Instructions
Crust
- Grease a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
- In a blender or food processor, blend the pecans until fine crumbs form. Add the drained pitted dates, cocoa powder, and salt and blend until combined. Add a splash of water into the blender or food pro if you need some help getting the mixture to blend. Once the mixture sticks together when pinched between two fingers, it’s ready to use.
- Press the mixture into the greased tart pan.
Marmalade + Toasted Pistachios
- Using a spoon, scoop and spread the orange marmalade onto the bottom of the crust, avoiding the sides. Sprinkle the pistachios evenly over the marmalade and very gently press them down. Place tart crust into the freezer.
Chocolate Filling
- In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and ¼ cup of the soy milk until there are no lumps. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the vegan butter on medium heat. Once melted, add ¾ cup soy milk, blended tofu, cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Whisk until combined.
- Whisk the cornstarch mixture a little before pouring into the saucepan. Continue to whisk gently until the filling begins to thicken and becomes thick pudding. Turn off the heat and remove from the cooktop. Whisk slowly until the mixture cools, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract and whisk one last time until incorporated.
- Remove the crust from the freezer and carefully pour in the filling, using a spatula to smooth the top. Place in the fridge at least 4 hours or overnight until set.
Toppings (OPTIONAL)
- Once the tart has set, slice oranges thinly through the equator, either with a sharp knife or with a mandoline. If you’d like to make a splayed twisted orange, place the tip of your knife in the center of the orange and slice straight towards one edge. Twist and place on top of the tart.
- Sprinkle pistachios and salt to taste.
- Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Adding vanilla extract after letting the filling cool slightly helps to ensure the flavor is maintained, especially in a custard based recipe. If you put the vanilla extract in the beginning of the cooking process, the vanilla flavor will degrade and lose intensity.
- How to prevent greasy, oily, or split custard (tart filling): This recipe uses Dutch cocoa powder, vegan butter, and powdered sugar vs. semi-sweet chocolate chips because it is a better way to control the fat content. If there is too much cocoa butter, there could be a possibility for the fat to separate and create a greasy custard.
- We used firm tofu for this recipe in order to achieve a thicker and firmer texture.
- We add finishing salt on the top of this chocolate orange tart to balance out the sweetness and add even more crunch. A little goes a long way so use it sparingly.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To freeze, wrap in plastic wrap first, making sure the plastic covers the entire top part of the tart. Wrap in foil and freeze up to 3 months.
Variations
- Frozen: This tart freezes very well, so if you like a firmer texture, place it in the freezer instead of the fridge for at least 4 hours.
- Tartlets: You can make smaller personal-sized tarts instead. We recommend splitting the crust and filling between 4-6 tartlet molds.
You'll Need These Supplies:
- various mixing bowls
- blender
- knife
- cutting board
- medium sauce pan
- whisk
- spatula
- 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom
Nutrition
Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 71mg | Potassium: 380mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 280IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 2mg