Vegan Hazelnut Tart
There are some desserts that you just don’t make often enough. But when they finally hit the table, you think every time: why not? That’s exactly the case with a chocolate tart. And because we couldn’t resist, we combined it with hazelnuts – basically a chocolate-hazelnut spread, just in tart form. The hazelnut didn’t just make it into the filling, but also into the crust and the cream! So, really all in. The result? Crunchy, creamy, chocolatey, nutty – all at once and perfect for gray autumn days.
Originally, we wanted to top the tart with a meringue. But after our test bake, it was clear: we’re sticking with a cream cheese-hazelnut cream. And honestly? Best decision. And no, it’s not because we can’t make vegan meringue – Isa’s Pavlova proves otherwise. For us, the cream just worked better flavor-wise. But of course, you can still top it with vegan meringue if you want to go the extra mile.
And if you’re not really team hazelnut: no problem! Just use peanut butter for a chocolate-peanut tart. Or cashew-chocolate. Or almond-chocolate. As you can see, it’s never boring.
Vegan Hazelnut Tart
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 185 g wheat flour (type 405)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 50 g sugar
- 100 g ground hazelnuts
- 40 g hazelnut butter
- 80 g vegan butter
- 30 g chopped hazelnuts
- 45 ml cold water
For the ganache:
- 300 g dark chocolate
- 215 ml coconut milk
- 115 g hazelnut butter
- 2 tbsp agave syrup
- 1 pinch of salt
For the cream:
- 150 g vegan white chocolate
- 75 g hazelnut butter
- 450 g vegan cream cheese
- 1 tbsp agave syrup
Instructions
- Grease the tart pan. Preheat the oven to 175 °C (top/bottom heat).
- Add flour, salt, sugar, ground hazelnuts, hazelnut butter, vegan butter, and chopped hazelnuts to a food processor. Pulse briefly until the mixture resembles fine sand. While the machine is running, gradually add the cold water until the dough just comes together but isn’t sticky – better a little too dry than too wet.
- Transfer the dough to a work surface and gently press it together – don’t knead, otherwise it will turn tough. Shape into a flat disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour until firm.
- Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface into a circle about 3–4 mm thick. To transfer, roll it around the rolling pin and carefully unroll it over the tart pan. Small cracks can easily be patched by pressing with your fingers. Press the dough into the pan, trim excess edges, and prick the bottom several times with a fork to prevent bubbles while baking.
- Bake the crust for about 30 minutes at 175 °C (top/bottom heat), then let it cool completely.
- For the ganache, heat coconut milk in a small saucepan over medium heat – just until hot, not boiling. Meanwhile, finely chop the dark chocolate. Pour the hot coconut milk over the chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes to start melting. Then stir in hazelnut butter, agave syrup, and a pinch of salt until smooth and creamy. If you like, fold in some chopped hazelnuts here for extra crunch.
- Pour the ganache into the cooled tart crust and smooth out. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until set.
