Another week... another chocolate tart! This time the star of this rich chocolatey treat is sunflower seed butter and sunflower seeds, which make for a lovely rich and flavorful nut-free dessert alternative.
As you can see from the photo above, the tart came out super lush and creamy, and absolutely delicious. And so easy to put together -- a big win! The filling here tastes something like a chocolate fudgesicle....so good and so creamy.
I topped it with cacao nibs and rose petals, but in retrospect I should have used sunflower seed petals to keep the theme going! I had a big facepalm moment when I put this one in the freezer (after making several versions of it while tweaking the recipe), when I suddenly remembered my bag of sunflower petals in the cupboard. Doh!
If you wanted to go that route, you can see what they look like on this raw orange caramel tart. You can find lots of people selling them on Etsy. Nonetheless, rose petals are always super pretty and tend to brighten up any dessert, so I can't complain about the final result -- but just giving you options, as always :)
Sunflower Seed Chocolate Tart
This sunflower seed-based chocolate tart is a delicious no-bake fudge-like dessert with a rich chocolatey flavor. This recipe is gluten-free, vegan, and paleo.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 7" tart
- Category: Tart
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1¼ cup raw sunflower seeds, shelled*
- ½ cup honey dates, pitted
- 2 tbsp sunflower seed butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Filling:
- 9 tbsp natural sunflower seed butter
- 9 tbsp plant milk**
- 9 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp cacao butter, melted but not hot***
- 1 tbsp + 1 teaspoon cocoa powder (I recommend using alkalized)
- just over 1 tsp unsulphured blackstrap molasses
- just over ½ tsp salt
Optional Toppings:
Instructions
- Process all crust ingredients in a food processor into a fine sticky crumble. Transfer into a 7" springform pan with a removable bottom (or a dish of a similar size, lined with parchment paper) and press down into a thin crust along the base and edges. Freeze while working on the next step.
- Blend all filling ingredients in a power blender until completely smooth. Pour this mixture into the prepared crust. Sprinkle with toppings, if using.
- Freeze for 5-6 hours or overnight. Slice and enjoy!****
Notes
*Can also use toasted, but unsalted.
**I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk here, but if you're looking for a nut-free option can use rice milk, soy milk, pumpkin seed milk, etc.
***If you have the Unconventional Treats book & video series, check out the video on the best way to melt raw cacao as well as the chapter on how to work with it if you need any assistance.
****Storage notes: keep the tart frozen until ready to eat. It softens quickly, so no need to thaw out ahead of time (or for more than 5-10 mins).
Chris says
Wonderful tart! I modified the recipe slightly (1.5 cups sunflower seeds, 2/3 cup dates, 1 extra teaspoon each sunflower seed butter & maple syrup for the crust; only 8 tablespoons maple syrup & less salt) for a pie pan. It was a hit!
Audrey says
Sounds great, Chris! :) Glad you enjoyed this one.
Tisarah McGowan says
Can I keep this cake refrigerator , for restaurant . When a grab and go refrigerator . I was wondering if this cake would hold .
Audrey says
Hi Tisarah. It's best kept frozen until close to serving time. It will hold up in the fridge for maybe an hour or so, but then will begin to thaw out and melt back into the consistency it was in your blender. You can play around with adding more cacao butter, which will result in a firmer texture and a longer thaw-out time.
Cassie Thuvan Tran says
What a beautiful tart! Sunflower seeds are amazing and they pair splendidly with chocolate and maple. But with honey dates? Oh my gosh, I can imagine how delicious they would taste with tahini! Anyways, I am always awestruck by how gorgeous your tarts are! I say, YOU are the Queen of Tarts, dear!
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Cassie! You're too kind :)
Natalia says
What a beauty, Audrey! Have discovered sunflower seed butter last year in Bulgaria and since that moment I have been searching for it here too, but couldn't find such a delicious version though. Maybe i should make it home ;); No that I see this gorgeous tart, i have a reason more to try it!
Audrey says
Thanks so much Natalia. I hope some delicious sunflower seed butter comes your way one way or another :)