We, as humans, are creatures of habit. We get used to certain things. As an example, the general human population believes that crusts should be comprised of butter and flour. Pastries and cheesecake should contain some kind of cheese. What if I told you that it’s possible to make a pastry with none of those things, AND have it taste just as good?
I’m not vegan, but I love exploring everything that the natural world has to offer, and have had quite a few pies and cheesecakes in my day. The dairy and flour is cool and all, but sometimes I crave something different, and am definitely up for a challenge.
For this recipe, you will need some special equipment – tart shells. These are the ones I use:
They are 4.75 inches wide, and perfect for this application!
While these tarts will vary slightly from what you’re used to, they celebrate plant-based ingredients like figs, almonds, coconut oil & butter, and cashews. The crust is both crunchy, crumbly and chewy from the dried figs, almonds, and coconut oil, and the cashew filling rivals its cheese counterpart. The blistered goldenberries provide a sweet and tart counterpoint to the rich nutty crust and filling – the icing on the cake!
Enjoy!
- For The Crust
- 1 1/3 Cup Almond Flour
- 2/3 Cup Dried Figs, diced
- 3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Water
- For The Filling
- 1 Cup Cashews Soaked for at least 2 hours, or up to 6 hours
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 2 Tablespoons Almond Milk
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 1/2 Cup Coconut Butter
- 1/4 Cup Honey
- For The Topping
- 1 Pint Goldenberries
- 3 Tablespoons Water
- 1 Teaspoon Honey
- Special Equipment
- Four 4 3/4 Inch Tart Pans
- Pre-heat the oven to 350F, and arrange tart shellsCombine everything in a food processor, and turn on for about 10 seconds, or until the figs and almond flour(meal) are well combined.
- Divide filling among the 4 tart pans, and press up along the sides and bottom.
- Place the tart shells on the cookie tray, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tart shells are golden brown and set.
- Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- It is paramount that you soak the cashews for at least two hours.
- Once the cashews have soaked, add them and the remaining filling ingredients to a blender and blend until very smooth.
- The filling is fairly dense, so if the blender stops blending because the filling isn’t falling back down towards the blades, turn the blender off, and push the filling down, so it can blend again. Repeat until the mixture is very smooth and no longer grainy.
- Divide among the 4 tart shells, and spread out so it’s even.
- At this point, you can cover the tarts with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for a day or two, until you’re ready to serve them. Once ready to serve, to remove the chill from the outer ring of the tart pan, place in a 250F oven for a minute or two. This should be enough time to warm up the outermost edge of the tart pan for easy removal.
- Remove husks from the goldenberries, and wash.
- Add the goldenberries, water, and honey to a small pot, and heat over medium-high heat, until the goldenberries burst, about 3-5 minutes. You can use a fork to help them burst.
- Spoon the sauce over the tarts, and enjoy!
*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Melissa’s Produce sent me goldenberries, but I was not obligated by them to write about them. All opinions are my own.
Goldenberries are my favorite fruit. Love this recipe and can’t wait to try it. I love that your crust has dried figs instead of dates.
Cathy, I haven’t ever had Goldenberries before, but they sure are amazing! I hear the season in pretty short, so I’m going to keep my eyes peeled!
Tasty tasty tsaty
Indeedy!
Having tasted this in person, these were phenomenal. The bright acid of the golden berries balances against the rich filling and toasty crust. Not too sweet, and so satisfying in a way that I didn’t expect from a Vegan dessert. Yum!
I’m so glad you liked them Rich!! Definitely worth a share after seeing the calorie content. Still healthier though! 😉
This looks so good, such a creative recipe! He goldenberries make a great salad vinaigrette too, with a little maple syrup!
I’m definitely going to have to try that vinaigrette!!! Sounds fantastic!
I must try that vinaigrette, Sue! Sounds fabulous!
Natalie! This is soon fabulous!!! I am a partial vegan 🙂 And anytime I can try a precious little tart that is dairy free…count me in!!! Gorgeous!
Thank you SO much Mila! I hope you enjoy it!
CommentHi I want to try this recipe,
But I did not pie shell,
What can I do to replace it?
Hello Harpreet! Thanks for stopping by! If you don’t have the tart pans, you can use a regular pie pan or 9×9 cake pan. Just use the same method, and cut into wedges or squares before serving.