Easy Dark Chocolate Tart Recipe (Vegan Options)

Vegan or not, I can confidently say you’re going to love this delicious, melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate tart recipe! Made with just a handful of ingredients and a no-bake filling, it’s incredibly easy to make and customize to your liking.

You can make this chocolate tart using the included graham cracker crust recipe, your favorite pre-made pie crust, or another tart shell recipe – and then top it with fresh fruit, nuts, chocolate chunks, shredded coconut… whatever your heart desires.

We prefer to make vegan chocolate tart (I love the flavor that coconut milks adds) but you can make it non-vegan by using butter and heavy whipping cream instead. You could also use lighter milk chocolate if that’s what you prefer!

Once upon a time, our friend Leila brought a beautiful strawberry-topped vegan chocolate tart to a garden gathering we hosted. After the first bite, I was like “I need to make this for my mom!” who loves chocolate but is allergic to dairy. Turns out she got the recipe from her neighbor – a retired baker that was generous enough to let us share it with you here! (Thank you Aileen!) So we tweaked and personalized it some, and it’s quickly become a go-to for special occasions.

You can also adapt the recipe to make several personal-size mini chocolate tarts. It should make about two to three mini tarts when using 3 or 4-inch mini tart pans, or scale up as needed to make more.

Timing

This chocolate tart is very easy to make, though it does require some patience – so plan your schedule accordingly!

The filling will need a short period of cooling (which you can expedite in the refrigerator) before adding fruit or other toppings, plus an additional chilling time (several hours or overnight in the fridge) is recommended before serving for it to finish setting up. Therefore, we usually like to make the tart in the morning to enjoy that evening, or even the day before.

Supplies

• 9-inch tart pan – like this popular nontoxic, nonstick tart pan with a removable bottom for easy serving
• medium saucepan
• measuring cups and spoons
• food processor OR ziplock bag and rolling pin, for crushing the graham crackers into crumbs

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

• 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs. This should take about 11 to 12 full graham crackers though it can vary by brand. For an extra-decant twist, we like to mix 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs and 3/4 cup crushed shortbread cookies! YUM.
• 1/3 cup coconut oil or butter, melted
• 2 Tbsp sugar – white cane sugar, light brown sugar, date sugar, or coconut sugar is fine
• 1/8 tsp salt (skip if using salted butter)
• Optional: 1/4 tsp almond extract, which we already have in the pantry since we love it in our sourdough granola recipe.

NOTES: This makes just enough crust to line a 9 inch tart pan or pie pan, so scale up if using a larger pan. You can also make the crust ahead of time: simply keep it covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze until ready to use and thaw before baking and filling.

Chocolate Filling

• 1 cup of full fat coconut milk (from the can) or heavy whipping cream
• 12 ounces bittersweet and/or semi-sweet chocolate chips. Since the brand of organic chocolate chips we like comes in 10 oz packages, we usually get one bag of 70% cocao (bittersweet) and one 55% cacao (semi-sweet) to mix some of each.
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Toppings

• Berries of choice such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or small strawberries (cut in half)
• You could also top your vegan chocolate tart with other fresh fruit, nuts (e.g. sliced almonds, pecan halves, pistachios, peanuts), coconut flakes, chocolate chunks, flakey sea salt, crumbled cookies, powdered sugar, and more.

Directions

Make and Bake Crust

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
  
  
• To turn the graham crackers into crumbs, you can either pulse them in a food processor or the old-school ziplock bag trick. To use a bag, break the graham crackers into large pieces, place them in a sturdy ziplock bag, and then use a rolling pin to crush the crackers until they’re the consistency of coarse sand. If using a food processor, work in batches and use caution to not over-process them into fine powder. (We do the same to crush the optional shortbread cookies.)
  
  
• Combine the crust ingredients (crumbs, melted coconut oil or butter, sugar and optional almond extract) in a medium bowl and mix well.
  
  
• Add the crust mixture to an ungreased 9-inch tart pan and press evenly into the bottom and sides.
  
  
• Bake 7 to 10 minutes, until the edges turn golden brown. Cool completely before filling.

Add Chocolate Tart Filling

• In a medium saucepan, heat the coconut milk or cream over medium-low heat until it’s hot but not boiling. (Especially avoid boiling if using whipping cream – it will curdle!)
  
  
• Remove the hot coconut milk from heat and add the chocolate to the pot, stirring until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract.
  
  
• Pour the chocolate filling into the tart shell, smoothing out the surface with the back of a spatula if needed.
  
  
• Set aside until cool but not completely firm. I usually let ours sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes after pouring, then move it to the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so before adding the toppings.

Add Toppings

• Once the chocolate filling has cooled slightly (but is still semi-soft), gently arrange the berries or other toppings of choice on top of the tart as desired.
  
  
• If using strawberries, we like to cut the tops off and then cut them in half, placing them cut-side down.
  
  
• Have fun and get creative! You can cover the entire top of the tart in berries (if you have enough), arrange them in a ring around the crust so every slice has some, or cover only a portion – such as a half-moon shape like mine. I love the pretty berry “bullseye” pattern used in this recipe. A spiral would also be fun!
  
  
• Feel free to add a sprinkle of powdered sugar, nuts, shredded coconut, or drizzle of melted chocolate over the berries too.

Chill and Serve

Now, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for!

• After topping, return the chocolate tart to the refrigerator and chill until firm (a few hours or overnight) before cutting or removing the tart pan ring. I’ve helped speed up chilling by popping it in the freezer for about 20 to 30 minutes, but be careful not to fully freeze it!
  
  
• If possible, remove the tart from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes before serving. Allowing the filing to slightly soften makes it much more creamy and flavorful! We’ve also enjoyed it straight from the fridge with zero complaints.
  
  
• I like to offer or plate extra berries with each slice too, especially for those pieces that didn’t have many (or any) toppings.
  
  
• Store leftovers in the refrigerator (covered or in an airtight container) and enjoy within 5 days.

Enjoy!

Well friends, I hope you love this chocolate tart recipe as much as we do! Please come back to leave a review once you give it a try! Every one helps our site and small business more than people know. Feel free to ask any questions you have in the comments, or let us know what delicious toppings you try on yours!

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