Paleo-friendly Baked Chocolate Custard Tarts feature a smooth and dense chocolate filling with a nutty crust.
When there’s a single lonely avocado that’s about to be on its last legs in the fridge, guacamole is typically on the menu. But then there are those times when I get creative and dream up chocolate indulgences to make a little healthier with avocado (like my Fudgy Blueberry-Orange Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Avocado Ganache and 5-Minute Classic Chocolate Avocado Mousse).
For this recipe, I was aiming for lusciously smooth chocolate tarts with a nutty crust. I went all out when I served these up because I had whipped cream on hand (coconut “whipped cream” would also be yummy and will keep this recipe paleo-friendly), and as well as my homemade salted coconut caramel sauce. Additionally, I toasted up some pumpkin seeds and added those on top for both flavor and textural contrast, but any nut you like will work.
Full of healthy fats and a decent source of protein and fiber (as far as desserts go!), this is one tart I wouldn’t mind indulging in for breakfast. ;)
- Crust:
- ¼ cup raw walnuts
- ¼ cup unsweetened flaked coconut
- 3 Medjool dates, soaked in boiling water for 3 minutes and drained well
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 pinch sea salt
- Filling:
- 1 medium avocado, pitted and peel removed
- 6 Medjool dates, soaked in boiling water for 3 minutes and drained well, reserving the water
- 2 ½ tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon instant espresso powder, dissolved in ½ teaspoon hot water
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 60 g good-quality dark chocolate, melted (I used 72% cacao; see Note)
- Optional Toppings:
- Salted Coconut Caramel Sauce
- Whipped cream or coconut “whipped cream”
- Nuts or seeds
- Preheat the oven to 350F; line 4 wells of a muffin tray with paper liners.
- Add all crust ingredients to a food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped. Press this mixture into the bottom of the 4 lined muffin wells.
- Add all filling ingredients to a high-speed blender and process until smooth and creamy, adding a little of the reserved water from soaking the dates if necessary (I needed 2 tablespoons of the water, but this could vary).
- Pour the filling into the 4 wells and tap down on the counter to help get rid of any bubbles.
- Bake until the custard is set along the edge, but still a little wobbly in the center, about 15 minutes.
- Cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate until fully chilled, at least 4 hours, but up to 3 days.
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