February 13, 2013
(last updated September 3, 2020) 
I’m kind of proud of myself tonight. After five years of making and experimenting with raw foods, I have finally made my very first high raw, vegan tart. Tartelette, to be precise. And it was worth waiting, because this rich, indulgent, chocolate creation is absolutely dreamy.
What is a tart, anyway? Let’s see:
Tart, adj.
1. agreeably sharp or acid to the taste (a tart apple)
2. marked by a biting, acrimonious, or cutting quality (a tart rejoinder)Tart, noun
1. a dish baked in a pastry shell : pie: as a) a small pie or pastry shell without a top containing jelly, custard, or fruit, or b) a small pie made of pastry folded over a filling
2. [earlier slang, girlfriend, probably short for jam tart, rhyming slang for sweetheart]
I love all of these definitions, except for the last one—or at least its present day suggestion of promiscuity. I’ve got a special penchant for tart foods (I’m often accused of adding too much lemon to recipes), and I certainly love a good, biting rejoinder. Now that I’ve finally made my first ever tart at home, I think I can safely say that “small pie or pastry shells with a top containing jelly, custard, or fruit” is yet another meaning of the word “tart” that I love.
These tartelettes were made possible by the simple investment in a set of two mini tart shells on Amazon. Well worth it, since I’m far more likely to make and eat two smaller tartelettes on my own than polish off an entire tart before it starts to lose its freshness. The recipe makes enough for four 4-inch tartelettes or 2 6-inch tartelettes. And there will definitely be ganache leftover. Poor you 
Raw desserts that go above and beyond chocomole have always intimidated me a bit. Whenever I get around to making one, though, I’m reminded of how easy it really is to create incredible raw desserts without a lot of work. I find it a lot easier than baking, and often a lot more creative and fun. For this recipe, you’ll need only some straightforward ingredients (cocoa or cacao powder, cashews, walnuts, rolled oats, vanilla, and coconut oil) as well as the patience to let the tartelettes cool in the fridge till they’re set. Good luck with that.
These guys really did come together quickly, and fabulously.
Note that, if you’re a strict raw foods eater, you can certainly use a crust of 1 1/2 cups walnuts, and no rolled oats. I like the texture that some oat flour lends, but it’s totally up to you. And if you don’t have a high speed blender, you can definitely still make the ganache in a food processor, but note that soaking the cashews is really essential! Or else you’ll have an uneven ganache. Smoothness is what you’re going for.
These tartelettes, in spite of their diminutive size, are very rich and very filling. So you’ll likely be able to split one with a friend, a family member, or even a Valentine. I dare you to show off how delicious raw and vegan desserts can be!
Wherever you are, and whatever you’re doing, I wish you a happy Valentine’s Day tomorrow. Mine will involve…studying. And some more studying. Kind of like last year. But if I play my cards right, a viewing of Manhattan may be in order as an end-of-day reward. With a generous helping of chocolate, of course.
xo
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Cutting back on the maple syrup… Would that work?
Hi Kira,
It really depends how much. The syrup isn’t a big part of the texture, so I don’t think you have much to risk — but if you cut too much, you may not get nice, sweet results! I hope the modification is a success.
Gena
Hi!
I’ve made these quite a few times. They are absolutely fantastic! Everyone who has tried them loves Loves LOVES them and literally begs me to make them again soon. Thank you so much!
These look incredible! I’m hoping to make them for a birthday shindig this weekend but have one question… will they keep their texture if left out at room temperature for a few hours? Or should they be kept refrigerated?
Gena, I just made these as four mini tartlets for my man and I…they were supposed to be for Friday, but we “accidentally” polished one off tonight. Amazing!! Just as good as any cooked tart and a million times healthier. I am already dreaming of leftover ganache in some banana ice cream. THANKS!!!!
I made this for my dinner party and it was AMAZING!!! Thank you so much! The best!
HI there i want to make for 10 – 11 people would you suggest doubling and using the 8 small tins or using one big tart tin. its for a dinner party. thank you so much.
Oh man, tough question! I would think that it’s safest to double and do the 8 small tins, because I know it’ll work, and also, each is kind of rich enough to make 2 servings. But I would imagine 1 big one will be fine (I just haven’t tried it). Good luck — I hope you love!
I was hoping to make these for my sisters surprise dinner party but in mini tarts. Do you think it’ll still be as amazing?
I just made this and it is amazing!! I didn’t have tart pans so I used a regular pie pan and it turned out great!!! YUM
Hi Gena, I’ve been eyeing this recipe since you posted it and plan to make it today for my birthday. It looks PERFECT!! And yes, I love to make my own birthday dessert or cake so that I know what ingredients went into it 🙂 My only question is I do not have any sort of tart pan, mini or regular. Do you think this would fill a pie plate ok or should I pick up some mini tart pans? Thanks, Leslie
I ended up making it in my springform pan. It fit perfectly and I can’t wait to dig in after dinner!
Just wondering if the filling runs out if you make the tart in a large spirngform tin and then cut it into slices?
Thanks,
Alex
Alex, if you make them that way, just be sure to put them in the fridge right away so that the filling sets! Then it should be fine. Leslie, glad it worked!
Those look so good! I just made my first high raw vegan cheesecake, too 😉 So good and so easy!
Crystal,
I was confused about the almonds too since the ingredients listed walnuts and everywhere else it said almonds. I see that has since been changed and everything now says walnuts, Oh well, I went with almonds and it was a hit. This was AMAZING!! My sad-(standard American diet)-eating husband said it was a “Grand slam.” This one was “OUT OF THE BALLPARK AWESOME”! I agree! It was FABULOUS!!
Sorry for the confusion! I hope it’s clear now 🙂
I am a bit confused about the almonds? They are not mentioned as far as I can see in the ingredients but only in the instructions? Or am I blind haha!
Oopsie, See my reply below. Meant to post it in reply to your comment but messed up. 8-\
Happy Valentine’s Day Gena! Thanks for all the love you pour into this site.
I love pouring love into the site 🙂 Thank YOU for reading.
I’ve been waiting for these since you posted the instagram photo. They look amazing! Definitely a weekend project 🙂
Yay! I hope you enjoyed them.
These look soooo amazing, Gena! I need to get some mini tart pans so I can make these soon! Happy Valentine’s Day! 🙂
gena these look amazing!! love making raw tarts 🙂
Happy Valentines Day sweetie!
xoxo
gena, this is BEAUTIFUL! *almost* too pretty to eat! definitely bookmarked! enjoy some raw dark chocolate 🙂 and happy studying!
Oh so beautiful! Gosh, raspberries make everything so pretty. I am with you on the ease and creativity of raw/no bake desserts. Whipped two up for Galentine’s day this week… and they’re pretty darn foolproof. As long as you taste as you go 🙂 Don’t mind if I do!
Happy Valentine’s day, Gena!!
I’m wondering if there is a nut that can be substituted for cashews? So many of the yummy raw recipes use cashews but I can’t eat them.
Macadamias.
These tarts look absolutely amazing & I can’t wait to try them. I did however notice you mentioned almonds but they are not listed amongst the ingrediants. I presume you meant walnuts since they were not mentioned until later in your part. Thanks Gena for shaping yet another fantastic recipe.
absolutely beautiful! a tip for the ganache: if you add the coconut oil last, it helps make a smooth texture.
xoxo
(ps spring is coming if you’re still looking for a getaway.. just sayin)
Gina, great tip about adding the coconut oil last!! I used the vita mix and it came out extremely smooth.
These look amazing, I will be trying them soon! I made some raw vegan strawberry pies yesterday, with a similar base.
These look and sound absolutely fantastic!!! Gorgeous photos, especially the first one. 🙂
Simply gorgeous! Ironically, I went with something tart-tasting-but-not-at-all-chocolatey (nor a tart!) for my Valentine’s Day dessert on the blog this year, but I do love me a good raw chocolate tartlet, especially with a scattering of cheeky raspberries on top.
Happy Valentine’s Day! These look fab.
P.S. I finally watched Manhattan after getting Netflix a few weeks ago. Totally my kind of movie–witty, intelligent, and moving. But it makes me want to be in NYC that much more 😉
beautiful food styling and photos! looks like it’s straight from a glossy mag. Happy Valentines Day!
that looks utterly incredible! im gluten free and oats are not my friend either.. what else would you suggest? something to make it an all nut crust? peanut butter and other nuts, coconut cream to bind?? 🙂
I bet you could use quinoa flakes too! I use them all the time in place of oats in recipes.
dried shredded coconut does the job too (see Brenda Davis – my hero!)
I put a note in saying you could use all walnuts (1.5 cups) but it’s kind of buried in the post! That should work. It may also be less dry, so the maple syrup may not be necessary 🙂
How many does this recipe make? Did I miss that? 🙂
It was buried in the post! Four 3 or 4 inch tartelettes, or two 6 inch tartelettes
Thank you! They look great.