Vegan Chocolate Ganache Turtle Tart, A Party Favorite!
A VEGAN CHOCOLATE GANACHE RECIPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Turn your family and friends onto veganism with this fantastic vegan chocolate ganache turtle tart! This elegant dessert is deceptively simple to make and requires no baking. This festive dessert is made on the stovetop with only a few ingredients and takes very little time to complete. It is perfect for the upcoming holiday festivities. Learn how to make it on #LunchBreakLive with Chef Linda, cookbook author and Director of Culinary Arts, from Catskill Animal Sanctuary.
FULL OF COMPASSION AND COOKING SECRETS
Linda Soper-Kolton came to Catskill Animal Sanctuary in 2012 as a guest chef, intending to teach Compassionate Cuisine cooking classes for a season and then return to her vegetarian and vegan café in Fairfield, Connecticut. Lured by the magic of the sanctuary and the urgency of the mission, Linda stayed to lead and grow the culinary program, inspiring and educating with love, patience, and delicious food. Six years later, she continues to cook, teach, write, and kiss pigs.
Unlike many chefs, Linda did not grow up at the knee of a family matriarch in the kitchen. Instead, her early memories of mealtime included mashed potatoes made with milk powder and potato flakes, Friday’s clean-out-the-fridge “spaghetti surprise,” and a lot of liver. Linda learned to cook out of sheer necessity. In the humble kitchen of her first apartment, Linda spent nights baking, roasting, and simmering for roommates, co-workers, and anyone else she could find. With “food is love” as her mantra, cooking and feeding became her way of nurturing and connecting with others.
In midlife, she fulfilled a lifelong dream of becoming a chef when she graduated from the Natural Gourmet Institute chef’s training program. Combining her chef’s training with certification as a holistic health coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and certification in plant-based nutrition from the Center for Nutrition Studies and eCornell, Linda is driven to love and influence others through compassionate, plant-based eating. When she’s not in the kitchen creating, she’s probably looking for her glasses. Check out her cookbook for more great plant-based recipes.
LET’S MAKE VEGAN CHOCOLATE GANACHE MAGIC
This dessert is super simple to make, requiring no baking at all. The crust is made from fruit and nuts so not only is it delicious, but it’s healthy and gluten-free. The ganache filling is rich, bittersweet, and impossibly smooth. Made on the stovetop with only 4 ingredients, it just doesn’t get much easier than this. And the caramel sauce adds not only a little extra decadence but just enough sweetness to put this dessert over the top.
Vegan Chocolate Ganache Turtle Tart
Equipment
- Special Equipment: Food processor, 9-inch round or 4x14-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom is recommended or substitute 9-inch pie plate
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 1 cup room temperature pitted Medjool dates about 10
- 2 cups roasted pecans or walnuts
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup non-dairy dark 70% cacao or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Filling:
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
- 12 ounces dark 70% cacao or semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Caramel Sauce:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons vegan butter
- ½ cup coconut cream
- ¼ cup smooth salted peanut butter
Instructions
- To make the crust, pulse the dates in a food processor until roughly chopped. Add the pecans, cranberries, chocolate chips, and salt. Pulse until finely ground and moist enough to hold together when pinched. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the crust mixture then transfer the rest to the tart pan. Use your hands to press the crust evenly into the pan and up the sides: Lightly moistened hands will prevent sticking. Set aside.
- To make the chocolate ganache, heat the coconut milk in a small pot over medium heat until small bubbles form. Turn the heat off and add the chocolate, butter, and vanilla. Let sit for a few minutes then stir until smooth and glossy. Pour the ganache into the crust. Crumble the reserved crust onto the top of the ganache. Refrigerate for several hours until cool.
- To make the caramel sauce, heat the sugar in a small, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Once the sugar starts to look damp after several minutes, stir constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon as it melts. Sugar will eventually melt into a thick, amber-colored liquid. At this point, carefully stir in the butter. Keep stirring and cooking for about 4 minutes or until the butter and sugar are completely combined. Slowly stir in the coconut cream and allow the mixture to come to a gentle boil for about a minute. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter. Allow to slightly cool down before using. Cover tightly and store for up to 3 months in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove to desired consistency. To serve, lift the tart out of the tart pan and slide onto a platter. Drizzle with caramel sauce. Slice enjoy!
THE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING. GET READY WITH THIS VEGAN DESSERT!
What a delicious and fun episode of #LunchBreakLIVE. A simple and totally delicious vegan chocolate ganache turtle tart dessert that is sure to be a hit with all your vegan and non-vegan friends and family. You just can’t go wrong with this decadent recipe, so go ahead and give it a try. Looking for other easy plant-based recipes to try? Hop on over to the #LunchBreakLIVE page, where we have a ton to choose from. Until next time…keep cookin’!
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