Healthy Chocolate Ganache Tart – Grain Free, (Refined) Sugar Free, Gluten Free & Vegan!

Happy Monday! I have been baking non stop this week trying to learn some brand new health conscious recipes to share with you. Of course, I tweak them so that they’re suitable for all diets and food allergies. Keeping your desserts and snacks healthy and wholesome can be delicious and fun! That way, you won’t feel bad about “accidentally cheating” or your healthy lifestyle diet is maintained and consistent.

Over the long weekend, Toronto finally had some yummy weather. The sun was out, the skies were bright blue and you could smell spring awakening. I adore the outdoors and when the sun is out, I’m out! So I invited my friends over for an outdoor Sunday brunch to take advantage of the weather. I prepared healthy dishes that we all enjoyed but for dessert, I wanted to make something that was satisfying and didn’t taste like ”cardboard” to them. Most of my friends have major sweet tooths so I definitely had to step my game up and prove to them that decadent sweets can be healthy too! So I decided to make a healthy chocolate tart. It was so good that we ate right out of the pan. Who needs plates anyway? With the perfect amount of sweet and crumbles, you definitely won’t feel like you’re missing out anything!

Crust

1.5 cups of almond meal (I like Bob’s Red Mill almond flour)

1/2 cup of organic coconut flour (I like Let’s Do Organic coconut flour)

2 tablespoons of flax seed meal (make sure it’s ground!)

1/4 teaspoon of baking soda

4 tablespoons of melted organic virgin coconut oil

1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

Optional: 2 teaspoons of cacao powder or a dash of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9 or 10 inch tart pan with coconut oil. In a large bowl, add all of the crust ingredients and mix well. Make sure it’s combined well. To test, grab a handful of batter and squeeze together. It should hold together and feel moist. If it’s falling apart completely, you can add a tiny bit more of melted coconut oil but the batter shouldn’t be super oily. Pour the crust mix into the tart pan and with your fingers, press down firmly into the pan and distribute evenly making your way to the edges. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

Ganache Filling

1/2 cup of unsweetened canned coconut milk (full fat not light)

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

2-3 packets of stevia extract (or to your liking)

8 ounces of unsweetened, non dairy chocolate, finely chopped (I like stevia sweetened pure chocolate like Lily’s Sweets or Dante’s Confections or you can make your own like the recipe below! Don’t buy a marked “sugar free” chocolate because they usually contain a lot of artificial sweeteners like malitol or aspartame!)

Put chopped chocolate in a large bowl. In a saucepan, bring coconut milk to a boil. Add vanilla extract and stevia sweetener. Pour hot milk into bowl of chocolate and let sit for one minute until chocolate has melted. Stir until smooth and creamy. Pour chocolate mixture into prepared cooled crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until fully set. Once firm, top with fresh cut fruit and lightly sprinkle 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut shredding and 1/4 of sliced almond flakes. Serve and enjoy!

Want to make your own chocolate like I did for this tart? Here’s how:

This recipe makes 1 bar. Make sure you have enough for your chocolate ganache filling.

1/4 cup of melted extra virgin organic coconut oil (cold pressed)

1/4 cup of organic raw cacao powder (Make sure you use raw cacao powder and not highly processed, low grade cocoa. I LOVE Marche Organics Raw Cacao Powder and use it for most of my chocolate baking and as a super food!)

*Can add 2 tablespoons of pure coconut/cacao butter or coconut cream for a creamier chocolate texture.

1/4 teaspoon of alcohol free stevia drops (NuNaturals brand makes a great one with vanilla flavouring or you can use a few packets of pure stevia extract. Adjust to your sweet tooth but a little stevia goes a long way)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Place the mixture in a silicon muffin tin or glass square container lined with parchment/wax paper or plastic wrap. Freeze until solid – about one hour or so. Store in freezer. If left out, the chocolate will melt as coconut oil has a low melting point.

Best part about making your own chocolate is that you can control what’s in it by adding tasty options like organic sprouted crispy brown rice, unsweetened shredded coconut, nuts, etc.

Raw cacao is rich in natural anti oxidants and contain many health benefits. It has more than 300 nutritional compounds and helps to neutralize free radical buildup from the pollution, sun exposure, smoking, etc. It is considered to be one of the most natural foods with the highest antioxidant value. This dubbed “superfood” is also packed with sulfur which is associated with strong nails, shiny hair and a healthy liver and pancreas. It can be a guilt free treat that’s packed with powerful benefits. Of course, you can’t have too much of a good thing. Use raw cacao to complement your meals in moderation. It is high in caffeine and theobromine which are both stimulant compounds naturally found in cacao beans. Cacao can be addictive (as many of us know from over eating Halloween chocolates!) Overusing it may lead to insomnia, anxiety disorders, migraines, leaky guts, extreme energy shifts and toxicity.