Vegan Coconut Lemon Tart (Gluten-free)

I wonder if other countries get carried away with national flag-themed food the way we do in the U.S. Do a search for “Fourth of July desserts” on Pinterest and you’ll get a smorgasbord of inventive red, white and blue creations. I’m gonna take a wild guess and assume we do this better than anyone else.

Because we are obnoxious Americans. We are loud and proud. We love our flag. And we love food. So what’s better than food that resembles our flag? (The answer is a lot of things are better than that, but let’s go with it for today.)

Vegan Coconut Lemon Tart (Gluten-free)

The raspberries and blueberries on this Coconut Lemon Tart are a subtle nod to Old Glory. A simple, understated reflection of our national colors that doesn’t require layering vanilla ice cream, raspberry sorbet and blue cake. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Vegan Coconut Lemon Tart (Gluten-free)
Vegan Coconut Lemon Tart (Gluten-free)

I got to use two new kitchen gadgets for this recipe, both of which involve lemons. First up, the Microplane 40020 Classic Zester/Grater. This thing is so cool it has its own zip code. I have no idea why I lived with such a crappy zester for so long. My old one doesn’t even begin to compare to the new one.

It’s all about the right tool for the job, and I’m tellin’ ya—this is it. Effortless piles of lemon zest. People say I’m hard to shop for. I’m not. Simple things like this zester absolutely make my day.

Same goes for the Chef’n FreshForce Citrus Juicer. Love this thing. It’s not perfect—you’ll spray lemon juice everywhere if you go too fast. But if you press nice and slow, it works like a gem. The compound leverage makes easy work of squeezing out every last drop.

*** UPDATE:  Okay, so I’m an idiot. On Pinterest, someone commented on this photo of the juicer and said, “Works even better if you flip the lemon the other way.” Sure enough. I was doing it wrong. No wonder juice was spraying everywhere when I did it this way! Well hey, I bet I’ll like it even MORE now ;) ***

Vegan Coconut Lemon Tart (Gluten-free)
Vegan Coconut Lemon Tart (Gluten-free)

If you like lemon bars, you will love this dessert. If you’re a fan of coconut AND lemon bars, then you’ll REALLY love this dessert. This flavor combo rocks. It’s even better when topped with homemade whipped coconut cream, which is worth the extra effort, trust me.

Vegan Coconut Lemon Tart (Gluten-free)

If you have tofu-phobia and this recipe freaks you out because it has tofu in it—stop freaking out. It’s no big deal. I promise. It’s more or less a flavorless filler that takes on the flavors of the other ingredients like lemon, sugar, and coconut.

This is about the easiest way to use tofu. No pressing required. Just open the package, drain off the liquid and dump it in the blender.

I doubt I’ll squeeze in another post before Friday, so Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans. Hope you have a safe and happy Fourth!

Coconut Lemon Tart

Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free, American
Serves: 8

Ingredients


Crust Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups millet flour
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup

Filling Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. silken tofu, drained
  • 1 cup vegan natural cane sugar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 2 Tbsp lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp coconut extract
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 cup arrowroot starch/flour
  • a few drops of yellow food coloring (optional)
  • 1-2 Tbsp vegan powdered sugar
  • 20 blueberries and 13 raspberries for garnish (optional)


Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350. To make the crust, add millet flour, almond flour and salt to food processor; pulse to combine. Over a low flame, heat coconut oil and maple syrup; stir to combine. Add coconut oil and maple syrup mixture to flour; pulse until combined.
  2. Spread dough in a 9 1/2 inch oiled tart pan. Press down and fill sides to form a crust. Pierce crust with a fork several times and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
  3. To make the filling, add all filling ingredients except powdered sugar and berries to a blender; blend until combined. Pour mixture into crust, being careful to not overfill. Place pan back in the oven until the filling sets, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
  4. Once cool, sift powdered sugar over the filling. Garnish with berries (see photo) if desired.

Notes

Optional Bonus: Serve the tart with WHIPPED COCONUT CREAM (so good). You’ll need one can of full-fat coconut milk that has been refrigerated for 24 hours or more. Open the can and scoop the top layer of solidified coconut milk into a medium bowl, leaving the liquid part behind.

Using a hand mixer, blend the solidified coconut milk on high speed for 15 seconds, just until the mixture turns to liquid. Sift in 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar; stir to combine. Add 1/2 teaspoon of coconut extract and blend on high speed for several minutes, until light and creamy. Serve immediately.

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