No-Bake Date-Almond Tart
A vegan whole-food tart with a toasted almond crust and silky date-almond caramel, no oven required.
Best for Fiber- and healthy-fat-rich whole-food dessert with no added refined sugar
This is the dessert I reach for when I want something that tastes like caramel and shortbread but leaves me feeling good. The crust is nothing but toasted almonds and dates pressed into a pan, and the filling is a glossy date caramel blended smooth with almond butter and a whisper of sea salt. It's rich, sliceable, and built entirely on fruit and nuts — no refined sugar, no baking, just chill and slice.
Ingredients
- 200 g raw almonds , for the crust
- 120 g soft Medjool dates , pitted, for the crust (about 6)
- 40 g rolled oats , certified gluten-free if needed
- 2 g fine sea salt , divided
- 240 g soft Medjool dates , pitted, for the filling (about 12)
- 90 g smooth natural almond butter , unsweetened
- 90 ml unsweetened almond milk , plus more as needed
- 5 ml pure vanilla extract
- 30 g dark chocolate , melted, to drizzle (optional – can be omitted)
- 15 g toasted almond slivers , to garnish (optional – can be omitted)
Instructions
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1
Line a 23 cm loose-bottomed tart pan with parchment. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the 200 g raw almonds, tossing often, until fragrant and lightly golden, then let cool for a few minutes.
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2
Add the toasted almonds and oats to a food processor and pulse to a coarse meal. Add the 120 g crust dates and 1 g of the salt; process until the mixture clumps when pressed between your fingers. Tip into the pan and press firmly and evenly across the base and up the sides with the back of a spoon. Chill while you make the filling.
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3
Put the 240 g filling dates, almond butter, almond milk, vanilla, and remaining 1 g salt in the processor and blend until completely smooth and glossy, scraping down and adding almond milk a splash at a time until it moves like thick caramel. Spread evenly over the chilled crust and smooth the top.
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4
Drizzle with the melted dark chocolate and scatter over the toasted almond slivers, if using. Chill until set and sliceable, then release from the pan and cut into slices with a warm knife.