No Fuss Healthy Coconut Tart.
This No Fuss Healthy Coconut Tart is that go-to dessert…super easy, delicious, pretty, and just so happens to be vegan and gluten-free. The filling is made with four base ingredients, coconut cream, honey, lemon, vanilla extract, and white chocolate…only if you’d like. The crust is a mix of salty cashews, sweet coconut, dates, and a touch of warming cinnamon. The creamy coconut filling, when combined with the crunchy, salty crust, creates a mouthwateringly delicious tart. Top with an assortment of berries and fresh figs for the perfect late summer tart!
I am holding onto summer in every possible way. BUT, I’m also so happy about all this late summer fruit. Mid-August is the best time for summer produce. I’m finding so much inspiration right now with the markets fuller than ever. The peaches, plums, berries, and figs are at their best. And since I’ve bought way more produce than my stomach could ever handle, I’ve had to get creative with new recipes.
The plum recipes are coming, but today, it’s all about this coconut tart with fresh figs and sweet raspberries on top.
I LOVE this tart. It’s SUPER SIMPLE, so creamy, and has flavors of coconut, vanilla, and warming cinnamon. And of course, it has a delicious sweet late summer fruit topping. Nothing not to love here! I will say that I was nervous to share this recipe because I know figs are often a fruit that many people think they hate. I say think because I feel like a lot of people just haven’t tried figs…
If you happen to be one of those people, I’m begging you to try them. Of course, if you just do not like them I understand. But as the saying goes, “don’t knock it till you try it”.
Anyway, that’s my rant on figs. I just had to put that all out there. With that said, I will also say, you can top this coconut tart with any fruit you choose. Use all berries if that’s your thing. Or mix and match with berries and figs, as I’ve done here.
Either way, this tart is the BEST.
Do you guys remember my No Fuss Lemon Tart?
If you haven’t made it, you should, it delicious, and the inspiration behind this recipe. So many of you requested a dairy-free version and after a few attempts, I think I finally nailed the recipe. I’m so excited to share!
First things first, the crust. I decided if that since I’m making this tart dairy-free, I might at well go for gluten-free too. It’s a delicious mix of salted roasted cashews, flaked coconut, sweet dates, and cinnamon. It’s NO BAKE, made all in the food processor, and kind of tastes like raw cookie dough.
Again, delicious.
Once you’ve pressed the crust into a baking pan, work on that creamy coconut filling.
Before you start, you’ll need to find some high-quality coconut milk. This is my favorite brand, as there is always coconut cream on top, which is exactly what you need for this tart. Alternately, you can buy cans of coconut cream, but these are a bit more money. Personally, I buy canned full fat coconut milk, scoop the cream off the top, and save the water for another use.
Either way, you only need the coconut cream, don’t use any coconut water.
The next step is to boil the coconut cream over high heat with honey, then add in the lemon juice, vanilla, and white chocolate. The boiling of the cream and the acid from the lemon will help to firm the cream up in the fridge. I don’t understand how it works, but it works, and it is a magical thing. Quite literally.
For the white chocolate, I love the flavor it adds, but you can omit this from the tart if white chocolate isn’t your thing.
Once the creamy coconut cream has been poured on to the crust, you’ll need to let the tart chill at least 2 hours until firm. Once firm, simply top with your favorite fruits, cut and enjoy!
It’s important to keep these bars chilled. When they’re chilled, they’re easy to work with. But once they sit out, the crust softens and they become a little flimsy. Just keep in the fridge and all will be great. Other than that, this is the simplest, easiest, and truly one of the most delicious tarts. You’d never guess it’s vegan or gluten-free!!
Perfect healthy…ish dessert to make over the weekend, and then snack on all week long. Because really, all these ingredients are GOOD ingredients, which makes this tart healthy enough for any day of the week.
One last thing, what are you going to top your tart with? Will you go for the figs…or are you all about the berries?
If you make this No Fuss Healthy Coconut Tart, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
No Fuss Healthy Coconut Tart
Super easy, delicious, pretty, and vegan and gluten-free. When combined, the creamy coconut filling and the crunchy, salty crust create a mouthwateringly delicious tart.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups roasted salted cashews
- 1 cup raw unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 cup Medjool dates, pitted (about 16 dates)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 cups canned full-fat coconut cream
- 1/3 -1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ounces high-quality white chocolate, chopped (optional)
- 2 cups mixed fresh berries
- 8-10 fresh figs, thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
-
1. To make the crust. Line a rectangular baking pan with parchment paper. In a food processor, combine the cashews, coconut, dates, and cinnamon. Pulse until finely ground and the mix forms a ball, about 2-3 minutes. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, making sure to pack it in tightly. Chill in the fridge
2. Combine the coconut and honey in a large pot, bigger than you think you'll need. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, boil 10 minutes and then remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Stir in the white chocolate, if using, until melted and smooth.
3. Carefully pour the coconut cream on to the crust. Cover and chill 2 hours or until set. Before serving, remove the tart from the pan and top with sliced figs, if using, and fresh berries. Keep these bars well chilled. They will soften and be hard to pick up if left out too long.
Recipe Notes
Coconut Cream: this is the cream that sits at the top of the canned coconut. You do not want to use any coconut water, just the cream.
Vegan Chocolate: I use Ritual Chocolate bars.
Our Favorite Recipes
Instant Pot Chipotle Cheddar Corn Chowder.
Fine with the figs; it’s the dates that must be replaced. Tart looks yummy, love coconut.
Thank you so much Joyce! xTieghan
I have been all about coconut flavour in the last few weeks – totally trying this. The crust sounds amazing!!! Thanks for sharing yet another amazing recipe Teighan 🙂
I hope you love this! So glad it sounds good to you, Sheenam! xTieghan
I will definitely try this as it sounds divine! I would love to see a picture of it sideways to view the crust and the cream.
Thank you so much Bonnie! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
Could you substitute almonds or another nut for the cashews? I’m highly allergic to cashews, but can tolerate all other nuts. I’d love to try this. Thanks!
Hey Susan! Yes, you can use any roasted nut you love. I would recommend roast pecans or roasted almonds. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Looks winderful….would amply syrup work as a substitute for the honey? Some car And don’t use honey. Thanks.
Hi Maureen! You can use maple syrup. It is listed within the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
These tart bars are absolutely gorgeous! A perfect way to use up summer berries 🙂
Yes agreed! Thank you so much Sarah! xTieghan
This looks absolutely amazing buuuut my daughter is deathly allergic to nuts! Coconut is fine, but cashews and most other nuts are not. Do you have any suggestions for substitutions?
Hey Rebecca! Can she eat pumpkin seeds? If so, I would recommend using roasted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds) in place of the cashews. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Most white chocolate is not vegan. What brand do you use that is?
Hi Sara! I like Ritual chocolate. Linked below. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
https://www.ritualchocolate.com/shop/vanilla-blend
another beautiful dish, or tart (in the best sense of the word) and really fun flavor with coconut, very creative and of course wonderful photos
Thank you so much Sabrina! xTieghan
This sounds fantastic!! What are the dimensions of the pan you used for this? Thanks!
Hi there! I use a 9×13 inch baking dish. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
This looks amazing! Do you think it would be ok to put the fruit in the coconut mixture before letting it set? I might make these for a get together this weekend and want them to stay together as much as possible. Love all your recipes!
Hey Sarah, yes that will work. The fruit will not be as visable, but I am sure it will still taste great. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
This looks so delicious. One question: I have so many different baking pans. Can you tell me for what size this recipe will work?
Thanks a lot, Carla
Hey Carla, I like to use a 9×13 inch baking pan or one just slightly smaller. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
These were so good!! Even without white chocolate and honey or any other sweetener besides dates. I added a little lemon zest since I didn’t have the extra flavors. I was curious if there was a way I could do it without the lemon and with cacao? I would love to try a chocolate version but I know you said the lemon plays a part in solidifying the coconut cream. Thanks!
Hey Siarra! Yes, you need the lemon to help the base set up, so I would always leave the lemon juice in the coconut mix. You can add 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup cacao powder to the coconut cream mix. I am sure that will be delicious! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Hi Teagan. This recipe sounds easy and delish! What size baking pan are you using for the no bake coconut tart?
Thanks!
Hi Tanis! I like to use a 9×13 inch baking dish or one just slightly smaller. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Aww amazing!!! I’ve loved following your blog – your amazing recipes (many of which I’ve tried and loved!), beautiful photos and refreshing writing! I’m looking forward to your new cookbook – what an awesome work! Congratulations!
Thank you so much! I hope you love the new cookbook when it arrives! xTieghan
Hi there,
I made this yesterday but my coconut cream never solidified. Did I not cook it long enough?
Hey Amy, how long did you cook food? Did you use ONLY the coconut cream or did you use the water too? I am sorry you had trouble. Was there anything you did differently at all? Any info will be helpful to help me problem solve and figure out what might be happening for you. It’s hard to know without knowing any details. Hope I can help you! xTieghan
Guys! I made this tonight and can’t tell you how amazing it is. Make this right now!
Thank you so much Torrey! xTieghan
I made this and was SO good 🙂 Major hit.
Thank you Jess! xTieghan
PSA: Do not use Trader Joe’s coconut cream. It is not thick enough.I didn’t know until I opened it that it wasn’t the solid coconut cream that I was expecting. It was liquid to begin with so it didn’t thicken up enough even after boiling and chilling. Still delicious but SUPER soft and gooey. Five stars for deliciousness though! Next time I just won’t risk it on another type of cream
Hi Sarah! I am so glad you loved this recipe and thank you for letting everyone know! I hope you try this again! xTieghan
Thank you for this amazing recipe. My question is the following: Can i mix coconut cream with something else (like milk cream) to reach the sufficient amount?
Hi there, I do not understand what you are asking. Can you please clarify? Thanks!
I agree with Sarah’s tip- do NOT use Trader Joe’s coconut cream! Wish I’d seen her comment before I made these! I followed the recipe closely, but the filling never set firm enough to cut these up as bars. Very rich and delicious, but must be served with a spoon.
So glad you loved this Tara, but I hope it turns out better with a different kind of coconut cream! Thank you! xTieghan
The crust is great, but my filling never set… going to use the crust part again for some other recipes though.
Are there any questions I could help you with Jennie? Please let me know! xTieghan
These are SO good. I am not even a massive coconut fan, but these are just super delicious and unique. Even my coworkers, most of whom were VERY skeptical of some combination of the figs/dates/coconut loved them and went back for seconds!
As a note, I made them a few weeks ago with Thai Kitchen coconut milk (which was almost $4 a can), and opened the cans to find that the “cream” had solidified at room temperature and was partially cream and a lot of coconut oil. This didn’t seem right to me, so I also added the coconut water and the bars never set up. However, the flavor was super delicious so I decided to try them again. This time, I bought my coconut cream from the Asian market nearby (less than $2 a can!) and the day I made the recipe, I put the cans in the fridge so they would separate. When I opened them, the cream was very thick, but still liquid, and there was some water at the bottom. I scraped the cream only off the top, and left the water behind. They turned out to be the PERFECT consistency. I will definitely be making them again!
Yes I love to hear that! I am sure this comment will be so helpful to others! Thank you so much Ceci! xTieghan
Nice
Thanks! xTieghan
My tart never solidified!! I ended up sticking it in the freezer in hopes but overall was disappointed. I also found it had a very strong lemon taste.
Hi Madeline! Is there anything that could have gone wrong in the making? Please let me know and let me know if you have any questions! xTieghan
How many tins of coconut milk do you use to get 3 cups usually? I’m imagining quite a few?!
Hi Katie! I use 3 cans to get 3 cups of cream. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I made this bc it was gluten free and dairy free (practically vegan), and so i omitted the white chocolate from this recipe since it said it was optional. I took it to a work brunch and everyone loved the flavor. One thing i will mention is that based on the photos, you can tell that there is white chocolate melted into the tart, and it is actually looks like it’s the key to making the tart more solid. Mine was completely runny from start to finish (i even put it in the fridge overnight). It didn’t look pretty but it still tasted great. So for those wanting to try the recipe, if you want it to look like the pictures above, put in white chocolate 🙂 if you’re omitting it because you’re vegan/dairy free, expect it to be liquidy (almost like honey).
Hi Shuka! I am glad these still tasted amazing for you! Please let me know if there is anything I can help you with! xTieghan
The taste is there but the cream never set. It was very liquid, even after 4 hours… I froze it to become a good frozen cake…
I used Aroy-D coconut cream, the cream was so thick it was hard to scoop it… but that still didn’t work for this cake.
Hi Audrey! Are there any questions I can help you with? Would love to make this better! xTieghan
Hi, I was wondering about substituting the coconut cream… Would something else work as well if I added agar agar to keep the same consistency?
HI! You can use heavy cream. I am not familiar with agar agar, so I am not sure how that would turn out. Is that a sweetener? I would recommend using maple or honey. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Hi Teighan! I’m just going through your recipes and was thinking of making this for a BBQ i’m going to this coming weekend as one of my friends is vegan so this recipe is perfect! I just wanted to ask, can I make the tart a day in advance or would you recommend making it on the day itself?
Hi Claire,
You can absolutely make a day in advance, just keep it in the fridge! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
How many cans of coconut milk do you usually need to get the 3 cups of cream?
Hey Kris,
I would highly recommend buying cans of actual coconut cream. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Ho does the fruit just sit on top or does it stick well to the tart, was curious if I should top with fruit before chilling ?
Hey Tracy,
It sticks to the tart, I would recommend adding after it has chilled. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
My coconut cream turned to caramel. Was it bc my honey had started to harden???
Hey Emily,
So sorry to hear this! I am wondering if you boiled for longer than 10 minutes? You really want to set a timer and make sure you do not boil for longer as this will affect the recipe. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
What size pan did you use? It is not listed.
Hi Mary,
I used a rectangular baking sheet for this recipe! I hope you love the tart, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi! I made this, this week and after 24 hours the cream was still having a hard time setting up in the middle it was gooey/running. I ended up freezing it and it finally did but I had to keep them in the freezer or it would separate again. The taste is delicious, I’d love to give another go at these. Do you have any advice or suggestions? I used everything exactly except the optional white chocolate chips
Hey Caroline! So sorry you had some trouble! I am wondering if you boiled the full 10 minutes? You really want to set a timer and make sure you do not boil 10 minutes. This is key to getting the tart to set up. I hope this helps for next time!Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
I accidentally made these with 3 cans of coconut cream instead of 3 cups. Big mistake obviously BUT they still taste wonderful!!! I had to put them in the freezer as they won’t set, but still delicious frozen. Thanks for such a wonderful and light summer recipe! The sweetness was just perfect
I am really glad these still turned out so well for you, Leah! Thank you so much for trying this! xTieghan
Mine didn’t set quite enough in the fridge so I put it in the freezer and it was still delightful. A perfect summer treat.
Amazing! I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Amy! xTieghan
So incredibly delicious! Ours didn’t set but we froze it and it was amazing. I actually refer it frozen so it’s the best summer treat!
Thank you so much Tahirah! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Hi Teighan, what size pan did you use? I think my rectangular pan was too big and got very thin layers. Thanks
Hey Liz,
I used a 9×13 baking dish. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
Hi! I want to make this tonight for my parents who are vegans, but my mom is allergic to cashews and pecans. Can you recommend a nut I should use instead?
Hey Kitty,
You could try using walnuts, or you could do graham crackers. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi, I’ve made this in July and it was absolutely amazing!!! I was so excited to make it agin today, but for some reason, it seems to me that while the cicinut cream is setting. The oil is separating and forming a hard layer on top. I did I twice today! I’m wondering what I may have done wrong now. Or maybe something else is the problem???
Would love if you can help me figure Since I really want to do these again (since it went over so well the first time I made them)
Thank you!
Sarah T
Hey Sarah,
So sorry you are having issues with the tart. I am wondering if you are adjusting the recipe at all? I am not sure what could be causing this!! Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Can you substitute the cashew for something else?
Hey Ray,
You can use almonds or pecans in place of the cashews. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if I can help in any other way! xTieghan
These are delicious! A little confused about the coconut cream. I used full fat coconut cream. My mixture was very runny so I thickened with cornstarch. Was I supposed to use only the thick cream at the top of the can? Seems you’d need a bunch of cans to make enough. Please advise for when I make again.
Hey Barb,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you enjoyed! You were correct to use the whole can, the coconut cream doesn’t set as well as regular cream, so popping in the freezer usually helps with that! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Way, way, way too sweet. I don’t know how it could be considered healthy. Never really jelled enough to keep it from running.
Hey Marsha,
So sorry you did not enjoy the recipe, please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
So excited I finally got to try this. My food processor did not tolerate the nuts well so much in fact it broke! But my blender worked great!! I added pecans to the base because I couldn’t find coconut flakes. Super tasty!
Hey Lauren,
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for trying it out!! xTieghan
Am on FODMAP diet and cannot eat dates. What could I use as a replacement?
Hey Ann,
Sorry I have not tested this recipe without the dates, maybe try following the base for this tart:
https://dev.halfbakedharvest.com/no-fuss-lemon-tart/
I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi! Instead of white chocolate, can I substitute dark chocolate?
Hey Angela,
I have not tried this with dark chocolate, just note it will change the flavor and color of the tart. xTieghan