Update 2017: I’ve made quite a few changes to my original recipe, especially to the crust. In the 2017 version, I use Wasa Rye Crispbread crackers instead of a nut-based (and hence, gluten-free) crust. The original recipe is below the revised version.
The standard pastry crust makes me feel kinda guilty. Me, the one who snarfed down the cinnamon-sugar coated scraps that my mom baked up after completing an apple pie. Me, the one who carefully ate around the thick and nubby, crusty rim of a pie and saved it for very last. I’m the one who always preferred a little bit of filling with a whole lotta flaky crust. But, I just can’t feel good about doing that any more.
My first non-crust crust consisted of Grape-Nuts and apple juice and baked. Not bad, but… And then I discovered raw crusts which changed the whole pie-making world for me. And raw crusts are great – they’re quick and delicious and I when I’m eating some I don’t imagine plaque lining my arteries – but sometimes I just don’t want raw. So I came up with a hybrid – some elements of a raw crust, but baked up so that it gets crispy around the edges. Plum and mango work beautifully together, but this could be filled with any fresh seasonal or frozen fruit.
Vegan Plum & Mango Tart
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 60
- Yield: 1 1x
Description
Bursting with sweet & juicy summer flavor, this easy fruit tart makes the ideal warm weather dessert.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup (about 8 crackers) rye crispbreads
- 1/2 cup chopped dates
- 3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp. tahini
- 1 Tbsp. flaxseed meal
- 1-inch piece of ginger, grated or chopped
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
Filling
- ½ a large mango, peeled and sliced
- 3–4 plums, pitted and sliced
- 2 Tbsp. water
- 1 Tbsp. tapioca or corn starch
Glaze
- 2 Tbsp. water
- 1 Tbsp. fruit-sweetened jam, any flavor
Instructions
Make the crust
- Preheat the oven to 350-degree F and line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment, or lightly oil bottom and sides. Set aside.
- In a food processor, grind the crackers until fine, then add the dates and pulse a few times. Add the remaining ingredients and process until dough is uniform and holds together when pressed. Scrape dough out of the bowl and pat evenly into the pan and a bit up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes.
Make the filling & glaze
- Meanwhile, prepare the mango and plums as directed. In a small bowl, whisk together the starch and the water. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the fruit jam and the water. Set aside.
- Remove the crust from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Then arrange the fruit slices on the crust as nicely as you like. Carefully pour the water-starch mixture over the fruit. Bake for about 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, remove the tart from the oven and brush the glaze over the fruit. Return tart to the oven for about 10 more minutes.
- Let the tart cool in the pan until ready to serve. The liquid will firm as the tart cools.
Notes
- Top with whipped coconut cream for extra deliciousness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 208
- Sugar: 24
- Sodium: 87
- Fat: 7
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Unsaturated Fat: 6
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 36
- Protein: 3
- Cholesterol: 0
(Original Recipe) Plum & Mango Tart with Gluten-free Crust
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 50
Description
Piles of sweet mangoes and plums nestled inside a gluten-free crust. Oil- and sugar-free.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1/4 cup flaxseed meal
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, soaked in water for ~30 minutes & drained
- 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup dates, chopped
- 4-ounces unsweetened applesauce
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1-inch nubbin of ginger, grated
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. cardamom
Filling
- 1 large mango, peeled and chopped
- 5–6 plums, pitted and chopped or sliced
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
Glaze
- 1 Tbsp. fruit-sweetened jam, any flavor
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
Make the crust
- Preheat the oven to 350-degree F and dig out your 9″-10″ springform pan.
- In a food processor, process the pecans and dates until finely chopped. Add them to a big bowl with the remaining ingredients. Stir well to combine. Pat the dough into the pan – you’ll have enough to bring some up the sides. Pop into the oven for 10 minutes.
Make the filling
- While the crust bakes, combine the mango and plums in a bowl. Stir the cornstarch into the water and then add this to the fruit. Stir. When the crust is ready. gently pour the fruit into the pan and put back into the oven for about 25 minutes.
Make the glaze
- Whisk together the jam and water. When the tart is done, brush the glaze over the fruit and return to the oven for a few more minutes. Let the tart cool in the pan until ready to serve.
Notes
- Top with sweet ricotta cream, if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 20
- Sodium: 8
- Fat: 19
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 10
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 29
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 0
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A non-crust crust like this is fantastic 🙂
And what a delicious filling!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Ha -yes, a non-crust crust! The anti-crust ;-)??
Stunning. 🙂
Awww! Thanks!
I know what you mean, I adore raw desserts but sometimes you need something with a little crispiness (and I don’t have a dehydrator 🙁 ) I love the sound of your crust- all delicious, wholesome ingredients.
Thank you! Sometimes you just want something homey!
I love the sound of that crust!
Wow – does this sound like an incredible gluten-free crust. Thank you SO much for the hybrid. And the spices promise to make it uniquely flavorful. Glad you found something to curb your addiction to the flour/fat beauty of crust 😉
It’s helped, but sometimes…only a “real” crust will do!
I’ll bring the coffee, you supply the tart? I hope you have some left…!
Oh perfect w/ coffee!
Gorgeous! This sounds divine!
Thanks, Cadry! With Ashlee’s vegan ricotta…it feels very decadent.
Now this is the kind of dessert I should be making! This looks yummy and I love that it’s so healthy. I’ve been backsliding into sugar and oil lately – I’ve got to catch myself. Celeste 🙂
Honey…I backslide, too.
Mango and plum sound like a fantastic combination!
It really works – especially when there’s a pile of them on your counter and you NEED to eat them ;-)!
This looks so great! I love cardamom in a dessert.
Me, too – just adds that little something.
i like the raw crusts too. takes the effort out of cutting the butter into flour and all that elbow grease work. fruits+crust+ricotta. yes!
I was just saying over at Veganista how much I love Plums. Mangos I’ve fought with for years trying to get more than a few slices out of a fresh one but this beauty is certainly worth another try at using them fresh. I’ve been using raw crusts for about 2 years and they’re so yummy. I get a kick out of hiding Flax meal in mine too 😉
I’ve never tried coconut flakes in a crust and I’m sure that add a nice chew to it.
It’s hit or miss for me on mangoes. I buy them by the box at our Asian market and sometimes every one is perfect – and sometimes every one is stringy. When they’re good they’re hard to beat, which I guess is why I keep buying them! I’ll bet frozen would work…
I think I’ll try frozen. It’s such a great combination with the plums and I have them on hand for smoothies. I hate to miss the juices from fresh though in this. 🙂
I could like going halfway between raw and baked – I’ll admit I got spoiled by raw crusts. They taste so good but they are not cheap to make!
Wow! This is one helluva dessert, lady! Rustic, nourishing, and beautiful. You’re like the effortlessly elegant French exchange student who whips this up out of thin air for a school potluck. And I’m the angsty pale kid in the back of class wishing I’d brought that, but instead, I brought that vegan ricotta. 😀 Well done! And thanks for topping with the ricotta. You’re sweet just like it is.
Please. I played the trumpet in the marching band. No elegance here, my dear. Your ricotta made the tart sing!
Oh and I was captain of the debate team. Nerds unite!
Hey, I was grateful for the introduction to the vegan ricotta…
<3
PS – Why do I feel like I’ll make this crust, with every intention of filling it with something delish, and then I’ll just camp out on it? Mmmm.
Perfectly understandable reaction.
Wow it’s so amazing how you can make anything this delicious without fat and without sugar!! I have to try, it looks fantastic!
Thank You!
Love those whole foods, Anne :-).
Ooh, it’s grain free! Excellent! I have a lot of apricots at the moment…I will try this! Thanks, Annie!
I made something grain-free – the world has gone mad, I tell ya!
Apricots would be yummy!
Mad, just crazy mad! And delicious…
I just ate my 1st slice of this incredible pie with a dollop of sweet vegan ricotta. I may have to have a second piece, it’s so good! I used peaches because that’s the fruit I had on hand. I did have to cook it a little longer because it seemed too juicy in the time specified in recipe. Otherwise followed as written. Delicious!
Did you make this – – wow!! I’ll bet peaches were wonderful! Thank you so much for letting me know that it worked for you and you liked it.
I did make this. The crust is incredible. And I’m visiting friends in Cape Cod next weekend who are interested in what I eat (just started to eat vegan) and this will be on the menu!
I think yours has been the best comment EVER on my blog :-).
Beautiful! What a treat 🙂
What a brilliant idea, I’m also one who savours the crust and prefers extra crust to extra filling. As delicious as your filling looks I’m thinking that if I made this I’d have to put some of the crust into a little dish of its own and when it comes out of the oven eat it as it is, sort of like a flapjack. I do like the idea of making it into a fruit tart though, or perhaps even a savoury one? I have a feeling this could be a very versatile alternative to pastry. I’d really like to try making it some time, thank you for such an inspiring recipe. 🙂
I’m recently gluten-free and vegan for digestive reasons. While most of the time it isn’t hard for me, there are times when I long for decadent dishes…like when I see other people eating them so happily! This recipe makes me want to make it for my family right now! It looks like a crowd pleaser. Plus, I rarely see mango in a dessert like this! Lovin’ this ingredient list.
I’m so glad you stopped by and commented! Sounds as if you have some challenges – but there are SO many wonderful options, too. I’m relatively new to GF cooking so I was very pleased with this creation.
I was never a big pie person and when I was, it was all about the filling! But you do need a crust to reign in all the ooey gooey fruit so I love the idea of a raw hybrid crust!! And the filling is so perfectly seasonal 🙂
Once again, you’re proving that good, delicious food doesn’t need sugar or oil. Let fruits be the center of desserts, duly noted!
It’s almost (almost!) too pretty to eat! love everything about it!
I hear what you say & mean. I am lately also into raw tarts.Your creation looks divine & just wonderful! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!
Mmmmm I love the mango part, not sure about the plum! I love how the crust is gluten-free! Amazing that is also sugar-free and oil-free…..crazy!
I’m not a fan of plums straight up, but something wonderful happens when you bake them. But – any other fruit would do nicely.
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