I wanted to create a smooth chocolate dessert because I love chocolate and if there’s one flavor I love with chocolate, it’s got to be hazelnuts (have you tried my double chocolate hazelnut cookies?) The three-ingredient shortbread crust comes together in a food processor and takes barely five minutes to make, if that. All I really had to do for the filling was blitz up some hazelnuts and water to make a hazelnut cream, and then pass it through the strainer. The only other ingredients required were maple syrup, semisweet chocolate, and a touch of vanilla. Oh, and some pink Himalayan salt, although sea salt would do just as nicely. This tart made for a very happy Saturday dessert for us, after Desi had shot the photos. In the meantime, I pretty much mauled the tart every which way I could: I tried carrying it to the refrigerator before the chocolate had set, sploshing some of the filling over the side. I tried covering it up with cling wrap when it was only half set, and the wrap pulled up part of the glossy-smooth chocolate. Finally, as I carried the tart to the table, I pressed down on the crust because I was lost in conversation, chipping away part of the crust. Despite all that it survived and managed to look elegant enough to make my little critic – and the big one – happy. Check to get new recipe updates by email.
Because of how easy this tart is to make, and how beautiful it looks, and how great it tastes, it would be the perfect dessert to impress your vegan Thanksgiving guests. Or just make it for yourself, curl up on the couch with a glass of wine or a cup of coffee, and dig in.
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