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Mint and chocolate is a combination we love year ‘round, but during the holidays, it really hits the spot. Particularly when you score it in the form of an almost no-bake, 9 ingredient dessert that impresses the heck out of your guests. And that’s before they even learn it’s gluten-free and dairy-free.
At this time of year, we love how most social commitments are built around sharing and eating delicious food. It’s fun getting together with friends and family, seeing and tasting what everyone contributed to the meal. But at the same time, it can be a wee bit stressful cooking a dish that can be brought over to feed the crowd. If you’re like us and have the (bad) habit of waiting until the last minute to decide what to bring - or simply want that wow factor without a bunch of work - then this chocolate tart is your answer. It’s devastatingly easy to pull together; and makes for a decadent and delicious way to cap off any meal. And, since it’s free of gluten, eggs and dairy, this treat is something everyone can enjoy.
This recipe was inspired by our coconut cream pie, but streamlined for faster assembly. Almond flour makes the crust tender, and mixing in oat flour gives the base heft to hold up to the filling. Pairing them together is not only delicious, but also more budget friendly, since almond flour is quite pricey on its own. The creamy filling is simplified down to just four ingredients. Starting with chopped chocolate gives you a head-start when it comes to a filling that’ll firm up. There’s no need to use arrowroot powder or cornstarch for thickening, because the cacao butter in chocolate is solid at room temperature. So, the chocolate will do all the work of thickening, when put in the fridge. The end result is a creamy chocolate filling that’s neither too soft or too hard. But perhaps our favorite things about this recipe is that it calls for a can of room temperature coconut milk, no advance refrigerating required! Often times, for desserts like this, you need to chill the canned coconut milk in the fridge for 24+ hours, so that you can scoop out the solidified coconut cream. Since that lead-time is often the difference between making the dish or not, we opted against this. So if you’re eyeing this tart, there’s no stopping you. You can make this vegan chocolate peppermint tart right now!
All it takes is 20 minutes in the kitchen. The first step is to mix together the ingredients for the crust. It’s a simple press-in dough, which means there’s no finicky pastry or rolling pin necessary (you’re welcome!). While the crust gets a quick 12-minute bake in the oven, you’ll then warm up the chocolate filling on the stove. The creamy filling consists of just four simple ingredients: canned coconut milk, chopped chocolate, salt and mint extract. How simple is that?! By the time your crust is out of the oven, your filling is melted to perfection. Pour the filling into the tart shell, let it set in the fridge, and you’re ready to go. The pie firms up in less than 2 hours, so even if you leave this dish until the absolute last minute, you can just let it set in the fridge while you enjoy dinner.
To take this dessert totally over the top, we recommend garnishing it with whipped coconut cream and crushed candy canes for a bit of festive cheer. Both are entirely optional and it still tastes great without. If you are going to be topping the whipped cream with candy cane pieces, hold off on adding those until just before serving. When left over time, the candy cane pieces will fade into the whipped cream. It’ll look less cute, but still taste delicious.
If you’re looking to streamline the process even further, then you can buy oat flour rather than giving the oats a whiz in the blender. We usually just blend our own because it saves us one more jar in our pantry, but do whatever works best for you! You can also opt for store-bought whipped cream as well. And lastly, if for some reason mint is not your thing, you can easily turn this into a plain chocolate tart instead by swapping mint for vanilla extract.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Tart
Ingredients
Chocolate Crust
- 1 cup oat flour (see note 1)
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Chocolate Peppermint Filling
- 1 (14 fl oz/398 ml) can full-fat coconut milk (or coconut cream)
- 10.6 oz chopped dark chocolate
- 1½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Toppings (optional)
- Coconut whipped cream
- Crushed candy canes (see note 2)
- Fresh mint
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Mix crust: In a medium bowl, mix together oat flour, almond flour, and cocoa powder. Add maple syrup, stir to mix. Add coconut oil and salt, stir to mix.
- Bake crust: Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch (23 cm) tart pan (see note 3). Use your fingertips to press the mixture firmly into the bottom and sides of pan, distributing the mixture evenly to fill in any thin spots.(If dough sticks to your fingers, wet your hands with cold water). Bake until crust no longer looks wet, about 12 minutes.
- Make filling: Meanwhile, warm coconut milk in a small saucepan over low heat. Once simmering, remove from heat. Whisk in chocolate until melted. Add mint extract and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Combine: Let the crust cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then re-whisk chocolate filling for 30 seconds (or until smooth). Pour filling into cooled crust. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.
- Serve: If garnishing, spoon coconut whipped cream over tart and top with candy canes and/or mint (optional). Slice and serve. Cover and refrigerate extras.
Notes
- Oat flour: You can make your own oat flour by adding rolled oats to a blender and blending until a fine powder. Measure after blending.
- Crushed candy canes: You can roughly chop the candy cakes with a knife. Or, to prevent the candy canes from scattering, add them to a freezer bag and crush them with the bottom of a heavy skillet or pot.
- Tart pan: A 9-inch (23 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom is recommended. Otherwise, use a 8-inch (20 cm) pie plate (not deep dish).
Sara D says
OMG this tart is outrageously good! I made it for a holiday office party today and everyone loved it.
bri says
So happy to hear you made this for your office! And even better that everyone loved it:) Thanks Sara!
Deanna says
OMG this tart is incredible! Loved it. Saved the candy cane sprinkle until the last minute, based on other reviews.
bri says
Hi Deanna! So happy to hear you loved this Peppermint Tart! Thank you for taking the time to write in. Happy holidays!
Rachel says
This was a hit on Christmas Day since a bunch of people in the family don’t eat dairy. Thank you for the recipe!
Note: The red color in candy canes bleed after a while so sprinkle immediately before serving. I learned the hard way, but it makes sense. Don’t know why I didn’t think of that haha.
bri says
Hi Rachel! Thank you so much for sharing this Chocolate Peppermint Tart with your family on Christmas! That's so special:) And yes, great call out on the candy canes! We always garnish at the last minute because we're usually running behind at family dinners haha. But we'll add this to the notes in the recipe, just in case! Wishing you a happy and healthy new year. Thank you for taking the time to review!
Laura says
How do I make the coconut whipped cream?
bri says
Hi Laura! For coconut whipped cream, you can either use store bought or make your own. For homemade coconut whipped cream, you'll want to start with cans of full fat coconut milk or cream. Refrigerate them overnight (or 24+ hours ideally), so that the thick coconut solids separate from the liquids. Then, scoop out just the solids from the cans, and whip them using electric beaters. You can then flavor and sweeten with vanilla extract and either icing/powdered sugar or maple syrup. This Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie recipe uses this process. Hope this helps and let us know if you have any other questions!
Emily says
can you use 2 cups regular flour instead of the 1 cup oat flour and 1 cup almond flour?
bri says
Hi Emily! Happy holidays! We haven't tested the recipe that way, so unfortunately cannot recommend that substitute. The press-in crust is baked for so little time (mostly to "dry" it out and firm it up slightly), so I don't think it would be long enough to cook the flour. Also, AP flour hydrates much differently. If you don't want to use oat and almond flour, I'd suggest going with an entirely different crust (perhaps there's a flour crust recipe you like?). Then, you could make the filling and add it to the other crust. We've just tested the recipe as written, so can confirm the oat flour and almond flour will work well! Is there an allergy you're trying to tailor to? Let us know if we can help further!
Elizabeth Schmidt says
A lovely and super easy tart to make. Thank you!
bri says
So happy to hear you loved the tart! Thanks for leaving a review Elizabeth, we really appreciate it!
Sarah says
Could you sub the coconut milk for almond milk?
bri says
Hi Sarah! We haven't tested this substitute so cannot recommend it. The fat in the coconut milk will help the tart firm up in the fridge, while maintaining a creamy texture. With almond milk, because it's much thinner, we'd be worried the filling wouldn't set properly and wouldn't want you to waste ingredients! If you can consume coconut milk, we'd highly recommend using it:) Hope this helps and happy holidays!
carolyn says
Hi! Made this in advance for Christmas for vegan and gluten free fam. My plan was to freeze it until needed. It's not setting in the fridge though. I subbed the chocolate with cocoa powder as someone else commented they did with great results - maybe that's why it's not solidifying without the chocolate?? Since I had planned on freezing it anyways do you think it would be okay to serve slightly frozen so it keeps the filling solid (not soupy)? I'm afraid that there will be pooling of liquid around the edges/on top happening if I do that though. Not sure what to do now!
bri says
Hi Carolyn — I would not recommend using cocoa powder instead of chocolate! The post goes into more detail, but its the cacao butter (in the chocolate) is what thickens the tart. Cacao butter is solid at room temp (and when cold). So as the chocolate (and cocoa butter) cools, the filling will firm up without becoming super hard. If you remove this key element, I'm not sure the filling will set. Unfortunately I haven't tested the method you describe, so I don't know if it'll work out:( Maybe if you used pure solid coconut cream and cocoa powder it could work(?!). But I really don't think the texture/taste would be as good as the original recipe with actual chocolate. But, at this point, maybe it's worth a shot to try freezing what you have? The filling won't be the same as the recipe intended (likely icier/harder/less creamy) but it might be your only option to try to get it to firm up. If you happen to try this again, we definitely recommend making it with the chocolate. The results are awesome. Either way, hope you have a lovely Christmas with your family!
Carolyn says
This is what I thought! Thank you! Going to remake remake filling. Just checking, do you use the whole can of coconut milk, not just the part on top that solidifes when placed in the fridge?
bri says
For this recipe, you use the whole can of coconut milk for the filling. You don't need to chill it in the fridge to get it to separate. But definitely use a can of either full fat coconut milk or coconut cream (not lite!). We hope you have a great holiday Carolyn! Let us know how it all turns out, we'd love to hear from you!
Taylor Fontaine says
Do you think this would be good with added shredded coconut?
Mary says
Could I substitute vegan chocolate chips for the chopped chocolate? If not, what type of chocolate do you recommend, and how best to "chop" it? Just break it into pieces?
THANKS! Looks delicious.
Bri says
Hi Mary! You can if you wish, but I usually recommend a bar/block of chocolate! Chocolate chips usually contain stabilizers in them to help prevent them from totally melting fully when used in chocolate chip cookies. A high quality chocolate (70% or so) is usually naturally vegan, just be sure to check the label. We usually find that the dark chocolate that isn't marketed as "vegan" to be higher quality chocolate...but that's just our personal experience! Some brands you might want to use is Guittard - or if you can find a fair trade option like Tony's Chocolonely that would work too. Or substitute in chocolate chips. You don't need to chop them as they're already really small. If you go with a bar, you can break it into pieces or just roughly chop them. Hope this helps and let us know how it goes!
Sara says
Is dark chocolate vegan? Just wondering where to get it. I wasn't sure if it is vegan.
Bri says
Hi Sara! High quality dark chocolate (around 70%+) is usually naturally vegan, even if it isn't marketed that way! Just check the label to see if there's any dairy added. We find that dark chocolate that isn't sold as "vegan" is usually higher quality and cheaper than the stuff that's marketed as a vegan product. But do check the label to confirm if that's what you're looking for. For example, Guittard sells their chocolate in blocks in the bulk aisle of our local grocery store (plus other baking/cooking stores), so that's what we use. There's no dairy in it. Hope this helps!
Nathan says
Hi,
We have to avoid almonds due to a nut allergy. Can this be substituted?
Thanks
Bri says
Hi Nathan! Can you use another type of nut, besides almonds? Or are you looking for a nut-free substitute? Let me know so I can think about/recommend the right thing! Cheers xx
Nathan says
Hey Bri.
No nuts for us unfortunately Sona nut free sub. Would be great.
Thanks
Bri says
Got it! Does it need to be gf as well?
Nathan says
No, just nut free. 😊
Bri says
Hi Nathan! Reporting back with a nut free (& gluten free) substitute for the almond in the crust!! You can use sunflower seeds instead (raw, unsalted). What you'll need to do is put the sunflower seeds into a blender and blend them until they're the texture of fine sand. Make sure you go far enough so there aren't any large bits of seeds left, but stop before it turns into sunflower seed butter. Substitute the same amount of sunflower seed "flour" for the almond flour (volume/weight is both the same for sunflower and almond). I tried this variation yesterday and I did find the crust to be a bit stickier pre-bake, so it'll take a bit of patience to pat down the dough. A bowl of water for dipping fingers will help. Baked up well and tasted great! Hope you enjoy! Happy holidays
Nathan says
Amazing.
Thank you
Bri says
You're so welcome! Hope you enjoy!
Laura Lion says
Do you think this would keep well in freezer and thaw to serve? Possibly a good make ahead for the holidays?
Bri says
Hi Laura! We haven't tested it this way, but I don't see why not! I'd recommend freezing the tart uncovered, just until the top is firm enough...then wrap it tightly (or put it in a ziplock bag). If you wrap the top before it is set, it'll mark up the top of the tart filling. It won't change the taste, but will look less pretty. And would save garnishing with whipped cream / peppermint until just before serving (i.e. don't do this part in advance). Thawing would probably be best done from freezer to fridge overnight. Hope this works out for you! Let me us know how it goes - and happy holidays
Carmen says
I substituted the dark chocolate with 2 tbs cocoa powder and wow, set beautifully and was absolutely delic'!
Saunya says
Do you have any nutrition facts for this recipe?
Bri says
Hi Saunya - We don't calculate the nutritional facts ourselves, but you're more than welcome to enter the recipe into an online calculator if that's something you're looking for!
Erica says
My daughter is allergic to oats (along with dairy, soy and eggs so thank you for this recipe!!!) would it be possible to substitute coconut flour or wheat flour instead of oat?
bri says
Hi Erica! Replacing the oat flour with almond flour might be your best bet (for full disclosure, I haven't tested it this way, so if you do, please let us know how it works)! Or alternatively, if there's a chocolate crust recipe that works with your daughters allergies, then you could make the crust and just follow the filling recipe here! I find coconut flour to be much more absorbent, so it wouldn't be my first choice in a recipe that wasn't tested with it. You'd probably need to adjust the dry/wet ratio with coconut flour. With wheat flour, I'd be hesitant because the crust isn't baked that long. Hope this helps! Wishing you and your family a happy holiday season!