Who doesn't love the combination of chocolate and pistachio? For me, it's a match made in heaven, just like this creamy pistachio tart.
I was originally inspired to make it after seeing one of Martha Stewart's milk chocolate pistachio tart.
I knew I had to make a vegan version!
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🔪 Recipe Overview
Taste: Rich dark chocolate and fragrant sweet pistachio and a nutty crust.
Texture: Creamy, smooth chocolate ganache filling with a raw brownie consistency no-bake base.
Level of Ease: Super easy to make. You just need a little bit of patience to make the pistachio paste and crust. But one of the best things is it can be made in advance so you don't need to worry about running around the kitchen on the day of your gathering or celebration.
Best Served: It's a popular holiday dessert with readers during Christmas and Thanksgiving.
Free-From: Eggless, dairy-free, and gluten-free. it's also made using wholefoods (mostly!).
Aubrey says: "I love this recipe! The pistachio chocolate combination is just sweet enough to be delicious but not over the top. I will definitely be making this again." ★★★★★
🧾 Ingredients Needed
Here's everything you need to make this no-bake chocolate tart recipe from scratch:
If you're nuts about pistachios make sure you check out my white chocolate pistachio tart, no-bake pistachio cheesecake, pistachio tiramisu, pistachio donuts, and pistachio ice cream too!
Ingredient Notes
There are under 10 ingredients in this chocolate pistachio tart (7 ingredients if you leave out the optional ones!)
- Pistachios. Either raw pistachios or roasted unsalted pistachios work great here. Both will give a slightly different color and flavor to the pistachio paste.
- Dark chocolate. Use good quality vegan dark chocolate with a minimum of 70% cocoa content.
- Full-fat coconut milk. The filling is made with full-fat coconut milk from a can. You can use straight-up coconut cream instead, either way, we're only using the thick cream and not the watery part from the end of the can.
- Pure maple syrup. This is the natural sweetener used for each element of the tart. You can also use agave syrup.
- Matcha powder. This is completely optional, but it adds a beautiful pop of vibrant green color to homemade pistachio paste, especially if you're using roasted pistachios.
- Pecans. The crust for this tart is no-bake and made using wholesome ingredients, including pecans. These can easily be interchanged for other nuts. Almonds, walnuts, or cashews will all work here too.
- Vanilla bean paste. This is optional, but adds another layer of flavor and really brings out the sweet nutty flavor of the pistachios in the paste.
🥣 How To Make No-Bake Chocolate Tart
Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
This easy chocolate tart comes together in 3 simple stages; no-bake brownie base, pistachio paste, and chocolate ganache filling.
- Blitz the pecans, sea salt, and cocoa powder in a food processor until they have the consistency of rough sand.
- Add the maple syrup and blend again until combined (the mixture should stick together when pressed between your fingers).
- Press the crust into the base of a tart tin, using your fingers first and then a spoon to smooth and compact it down firmly.
The pistachio paste can be processed in a high-speed blender or food processor:
- Process the soaked pistachios, maple syrup, matcha, and vanilla until smooth.
- Smooth the pistachio paste on top of the crust, using an offset spatula to spread it in an even layer.
📝 Recipe Tips
If your no-bake crust isn't sticking between your fingers, add a little more sweetener or a dash of water and blend it again.
Make sure the crust is firm before adding the pistachio paste to ensure you get nice clean layers.
If you want to skip the nuts in the crust, you can swap the base for a cookie crust like the one in this raspberry chocolate tart.
Make this no-bake tart ahead either the day/night before you plan on serving it to ensure it sets up nicely and to save time.
Roasted pistachios are generally more affordable than raw pistachios, in case you want to save a few bob, both work beautifully!
Remove the skins from the pistachios! Pistachio skins are usually brown in color and they can mess with the appearance of your pistachio paste.
💬 FAQs
Yes absolutely. This tart freezes really well. Simply wrap any leftover chocolate tart in plastic wrap or place it into an airtight container.
Freeze for up to 3 months, and defrost in the fridge the night before serving.
It will keep in the fridge in a sealed container, or on a plate covered with plastic wrap for up to 5 days.
Yes, you can use Pistachio cream (crema al pistacchio) just make sure it does not contain any added dairy or honey.
Pistachio butter is also fine to use, but it usually has a runner consistency so be prepared for the filling to ooze out when you slice into the tart!
🍫 More Chocolate Tart Recipes
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ★★★★★ rating in the recipe card below and consider leaving a comment as well, thanks!
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Description
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 200 g (2 cups) pecans, or hazelnuts, walnuts, or cashews
- 70 g (⅘ cup) cacao powder, raw cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 50 ml (⅕ cups) pure maple syrup, or agave syrup, plus 1-2 tbsp more if needed
Pistachio paste
- 150 g (1 ¼ cups) shelled pistachios, raw or roasted and unsalted, *see note 1
- 50 ml (⅕ cup) pure maple syrup, or agave syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon matcha powder, optional, for color
Chocolate ganache
- 350 g (1 ½ cups) chilled full-fat canned coconut milk (cream from roughly 2x 400ml cans), or coconut cream, *see notes
- 170 g (6 oz) vegan dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 60 g (⅕ cup) pure maple syrup, or agave syrup
- ¼ teaspoon (1 g) sea salt
- 50 g (⅓ cup) chopped pistachios, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare: Soak the shelled pistachios in a bowl of water for 4 hours, or quick-soak them in boiled water for 30 minutes to an hour). Rinse the pistachios with clean water and remove as much of the skins as possible using your fingers. They should come off easily if soaked properly.Line the base of a 9" tart tin with a piece of parchment paper and set aside.
- Make the base: Add the walnuts, cacao powder, and salt to a food processor and blitz until they form a fine crumb consistency. Add the maple syrup and blend again to combine. The mixture should stick between your fingers like dough. If the mixture doesn't stick, add a little more maple syrup or water (1 tablespoon at a time) and blend again until it does.Press the dough into the bottom and sides of the tart tin using your fingers first, and then use a spoon or spatula to compact it down really well. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes until firm.
- Make the pistachio paste: Place the peeled soaked pistachios, maple syrup, vanilla, and matcha in a high-speed blender or food processor and blitz for 5-10 minutes until really smooth. Scrape down the sides of the jug every minute or so in between blends. Check that the tart base is solid. Then spread the pistachio paste on top of the crust using an offset spatula to smooth it out in an even layer. Place in the fridge while you make the ganache.
- Make the ganache: Add the coconut milk to a saucepan and heat up to a simmer, but do not boil.Add the finely chopped chocolate to a heat-resistant bowl and pour the heated coconut milk over it. Allow it to sit uncovered for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. If the chocolate hasn't melted through, place the bowl on a double boiler to heat it through. Whisk in the maple syrup and salt. Pour the ganache into the tart shell. Gently tap the tart on the counter to knock out any air bubbles and smooth out the top with a spatula if needed. Chill for a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight.
- Garnish the tart: Carefully remove the tart from the tin and place it on a serving plate. Sprinkle chopped pistachios around the outer edges.
- Storage: Refrigerate in a sealed container, or on a plate covered with plastic wrap for up to 5 days.Freeze for up to 3 months, and defrost in the fridge the night before serving.
Notes
- Chilled coconut milk: Refrigerate the cans of coconut milk overnight, then only use the thick cream from the top of the cans. You will need 2x 400ml cans for this recipe.
- You can use Pistachio cream (crema al pistachio) instead of homemade paste, just make sure it does not contain any added dairy or honey.
- Pistachio butter is also fine to use, but it usually has a runner consistency so be prepared for the filling to ooze out.
- Make sure the crust is firm before adding the pistachio paste to ensure you get nice clean layers.
Nutrition
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*This recipe was originally published in December 2018. The recipe has since been improved and updated to minimize the ingredients used and simplify the instructions.
