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Chia Almond Tart

Marisa
Aug 6, 2015
3 min read

Chia seeds have become one of my favorite foods and they are all the rage these days due to their many health benefits. Native to South America, these itty bitty “superfoods” were a major energy source of both the Mayan and Aztecs. In fact, the word “chia” means strength in the ancient Mayan language. Chia seeds pack a pretty impressive punch, especially for their size. They have a decent amount of protein (4g per 1 oz serving), they are loaded with Omega 3s, antioxidants, and a great source of calcium.

Even with all their fame, I have yet to see chia seeds cross over to the sweet side, as they rarely make an appearance in dessert recipes. The first time I had chia pudding I fell in complete and utter love with their slimy, chewy, gelatinous texture; reminiscent of those mysterious tapioca balls in boba tea drinks. At the time, I had recently added a vegan tapioca pudding tart to my dessert menu and I could not wait to start adding chia seeds to my pudding and custard recipes. As I suspected, this new improved version of my tart is even better and I am super excited to be sharing this recipe with you. In fact, chia seeds are a fantastic addition to any pudding, mousse, or pie filling so I highly suggest adding them to any custard recipe you make in the future.

This fruit tart is incredibly easy to make and only requires a handful of ingredients, a food processor, and either a tart mold or a muffin pan. I chose to use raspberries and blueberries because they are what I picked up at the market this week but any seasonal fresh fruit works beautifully. The recipe below makes 2-3 individual tarts or 1/2 dozen mini tartlets.

Recipe:

1 cup almond milk

1/4 cup chia seeds

1 tbs maple syrup

1/2 vanilla bean (optional)

1 cup pitted dates

1 cup pecans

pinch of cinnamon

handful of berries (or any seasonal fresh fruit)

pinch of desiccated coconut for garnish

Instructions:

1. Combine chia seeds, maple syrup, and almond milk, whisking to combine. Depending on how sweet you like things you may want a little less or more syrup so taste as you go. Let the pudding sit for a few minutes before whisking again. Do this one more time, making sure to whisk out any clumps of seeds in the milk. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

2. Add the pitted dates, pecans, and cinnamon to a food processor. Pulse for roughly 30 seconds, or until they start to visibly clump together.

3. Depending on the size of your mold, grab a large ball of dates and begin to flatten the date filling in the tart mold with your fingers to create the crust. I like to first “grease” the mold with raw coconut oil to ensure it doesn’t stick when I go to unmold them. Be sure to press down firmly so the crust is well combined. Place in fridge until pudding is ready.

4. Once the pudding is ready, remove the crust from the fridge and spoon the chia pudding into the tart shells. Be sure not to over fill the tart or the berries will not stay nicely on top.

5. Arrange the berries on top of the pudding and sprinkle the desiccated coconut to garnish. If you do not intend on enjoying these right away, place the tarts in the fridge until you are ready to serve.