Sinful but healthy dark chocolate tart {low carb, keto, non-dairy, vegan option}

Dark chocolate tart with almonds and sea salt is a sinful but healthy treat that no one will suspect of being gluten free, paleo and low carb! Filled with a coconut milk ganache, this easy almond chocolate tart is a chocolate lover’s dream. 

The Easy Chocolate Tart that Made my Husband Fall in Love With Me

When my then-boyfriend first tasted this dark chocolate tart, an involuntary moan escaped his lips. The whole table turned to look and stare.

Though you couldn’t tell on his olive-toned skin, I felt the blush creep up to his ears. He squeezed my hand, leaned in and said, “I want you to make me this chocolate tart again and again.”

And true to his word, he has been asking for this chocolate ganache tart ever since.

NOTE: I originally made this dark chocolate tart with a white paleo tart crust. You can do this too - see the variations section for the recipe!

When to serve this Chocolate Ganache Tart?

This sinful but healthy chocolate ganache tart would be at home on any table! It’s quite easy to do, so it makes for a great weekend treat.

But my favorite way of serving this chocolate tart is for Valentine’s Day dessert, or for Rosh Hashana.

Easy Rosh Hashana Dessert

Though chocolate is hardly a traditional Rosh Hashana component, I first made this easy chocolate tart a Rosh Hashana dessert - and it’s been a mandatory component on our Rosh Hashana table ever since.

It’s a great Rosh Hashana dessert because the chocolate helps round up a very rich, fall-themed meal. When made with dark chocolate, this dairy-free chocolate tart is also not an issue after a meat meal!

Allergen-Friendly Chocolate Ganache Tart

The main reason I love this chocolate ganache tart is because it is very allergen-friendly: it is gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo and low carb.

It answers to most allergies that my friends and family members exhibit, and is a great solution for when you need an allergen-friendly dessert.

The perfect chocolate gluten free tart crust

As you know, I am a big fan of gluten free tarts and gluten free desserts.

This chocolate gluten free tart crust is grain-free and made entirely with almond meal. It is sweetened solely with maple syrup and is darkened with high-quality cocoa powder. 
I adapted this chocolate almond tart based on the recipe of Jenni Hulet from My Paleo Patisserie. If you love paleo baking, I highly recommend you check out the My Paleo Patisserie cookbook! It’s full of beautiful photos, French-inspired techniques and truly healthy but sinful-looking recipes.

The perfect vegan chocolate ganache

This filling for this sinfully delicious dark chocolate tart is a smooth, rich coconut milk ganache.

This chocolate ganache with coconut milk contains only two ingredients: good quality dark chocolate, and coconut milk.

That makes this vegan chocolate ganache vegan, dairy free and added sugar free!

I also add a touch of flaky sea salt to counteract with the sweetness of the rich chocolate filling.

Why I love this salted dark chocolate tart recipe

This is by far the easiest and tastiest dark chocolate tart recipe I’ve tried over the years - and I’ve tried many! 

• Easy - I swear that this is the easiest dark chocolate tart recipe ever! With a 2-ingredient chocolate filling and a simple chocolate crust, it’s ready in less than 15 minutes of active work.
• Healthy - With a grain free almond crust, maple syrup as a sweetener, and no additives or starches, this chocolate tart is truly healthy.
• Adaptable - this chocolate ganache tart is the starting point. You can then play around with the toppings as much as you like!
• Gluten-free - The crust and filling are completely free of starches and flour except ground almonds.
• Tasty - silky chocolate, crunchy almonds and a touch of flaky sea salt make for one helluva tasty tart. 
• Freezer-friendly - I make a couple of these in one go and freeze the extras - and then it’s ready for the next time I have impromptu guests, or my chocoholic son wants ‘postre’
• Can be made ahead - You can make the vegan chocolate ganache and the chocolate tart crust separately, and then combine them when ready. Read more on this in the FAQ section. 
• Elegant - with its simple topping of almonds, this chocolate almond tart is an elegant dessert for a special occasion, but it’s simple enough for everyday eating.
• Kid friendly dessert - have I mentioned my son is a chocoholic? As is my brother in law? Adults and kids alike love this easy dark chocolate tart.

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED to make this easy chocolate tart

• almond flour - this crust relies on almond flour for the structure. Use any commercial almond flour you like, or grind your own almonds.
• cocoa powder - use high quality Dutch cocoa powder for the best taste and color.
• maple syrup or liquid sweetener of your choice - using maple syrup will keep this tart crust paleo, while if you’re looking for a low carb or sugar free dessert, use a liquid sweetener of your choice.
• egg yolk - 1 egg yolk helps bind this crust. For a vegan alternative, use a flax egg. 
• coconut oil - I love coconut oil for the texture and delicate fragrance it gives to this chocolate tart crust.
• full-fat coconut milk - for the chocolate ganache tart filling, use regular full-fat coconut milk. We will mainly use the fattier coconut cream part, so to make it easier for yourself to separate the two, you can place it in the fridge to cool for a few hours before baking.
• dark chocolate - use a high quality dark chocolate in this dark chocolate tart, as that’s going to give the majority of the flavor! You can use vegan or dairy-free chocolate to keep this a dairy-free chocolate tart.
• Flaky sea salt - sea salt is beautiful in making chocolate more rich, sweet and sinful. Sea salt truly highlights and elevates all the best qualities of chocolate - but make sure you use a good, flaky sea salt like Maldon sea salt.
• Sliced almonds - for topping this tart, use sliced almonds

Equipment

• Oven
• Tart pan
• Mixing bowls
• Spatulas

How To Make Almond Chocolate Tart with Flaky Sea Salt

Prepare the paleo chocolate tart crust:

Preheat oven to 325F. Oil a tart pan with a removable bottom.

In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, sweetener, and salt. Add remaining ingredients and mix until you get a soft dough.

Wrap dough in plastic, and chill for at least 10 minutes.

Working between two sheets of parchment paper, roll out the dough into a ⅛-inch thick round. Transfer to the fridge to cool for another 10 minutes, until the top sheet of parchment paper can be peeled off easily.

Transfer rolled out dough to tart pan. Peel off the remaining sheet of parchment paper, and use your fingers to shape the dough around the tart pan.

Transfer to 325F oven and bake for 22-25 minutes. Let cool fully before removing from pan. 

To make vegan chocolate ganache:

Open coconut milk without shaking. Remove the coconut creamy part up top, then top with enough of the coconut water to get to 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) in total volume. Microwave the coconut milk in 30 second batches until it is hot and simmering, about 1 ½ minutes in total.

Transfer chocolate to a heatproof bowl. Top with heated milk and set aside for 5 minutes until chocolate has fully melted.

Gently whisk the vegan ganache, working in small circles from the center and spreading outwards, until the whole ganache is glossy and dark. Do not rush or whisk overly vigorously, or your ganache will not be evenly tempered.

To assemble gluten free salted dark chocolate tart:

Pour ganache into coolled chocolate tart crust. Transfer to the fridge to cool completely, at least 2 hours.

Top with sliced almonds and flaky sea salt. Serve.

Storage 

Freshly made, this easy gluten free chocolate tart recipe will keep in the fridge for 4 days.

It can also be frozen for up to 6 months. 

Top Tips for the Best French Chocolate Tart

• This almond chocolate tart relies on good quality chocolate. Don’t skimp on this! You can also use good quality chocolate chips.
• If making this vegan, make sure your dark chocolate is vegan and completely devoid of milk. 
• To make it easier to extract the creamy part of coconut milk, put your coconut milk can in the fridge for a few hours or even overnight prior to baking.
• To roll out the chocolate tart crust more easily, place it between two pieces of parchment paper. This will make it easier to transfer into the tart pan.
• If you don’t have a tart pan with a removable bottom, use a cake pan with a removable bottom, or a quiche pan - but then you likely won’t be able to remove it from the pan. 

Variations on this Dark Chocolate Tart

This recipe is for a gluten free, paleo and dairy-free dark chocolate tart. 

• Vegan chocolate tart - the egg yolk from the crust (you may need to use a chia egg, or add a touch more coconut oil), or use this vegan pie crust with 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder added to the mix.. Use vegan chocolate in the coconut milk ganache.
• Almond chocolate tart - use a white paleo pie crust when making the filling, instead of a chocolate tart crust. You can use this pie crust for a regular flour option, this pecan pie crust for a paleo option, or this olive oil galette crust.
• You can substitute the almonds on top for pistachios for a pistachio chocolate tart, or pecans for pecan chocolate tart. 

Products 

With few ingredients, it really matters what products you use in making this easy salted chocolate tart!

I love this tart pan with a removable bottom. I also have these mini tart forms, and this rectangular tart form. This will make baking tarts a breeze!

For the chocolate filling, I recommend a high quality dark baking chocolate like this one.

When I need to be sure my coconut milk ganache is vegan, I use these vegan chocolate chips.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Accompanying Dishes

You can serve this healthy chocolate tart with the following dishes:

• The best fall salad {GF, Veg}
• Berry salad with red onions, arugula, nuts and pomegranate arils {V, GF, Paleo}
• Pan seared duck breast with berry apple compote and kale apple slaw
• Oven-Baked Buttermilk Chicken and Potatoes
• Cast-iron pan-fried Sockeye salmon recipe with mustard, honey and wild herbs, or how to do camping at home

If you are looking for another chocolate dessert, try these chocolate recipes:

Recipe