Winter Wreath Chocolate Tart

About this Chocolate Wreath Tart

This festive Chocolate Wreath Tart is a perfect dessert recipe to make for the Winter season.  It’s simple to make and quick to prepare.  It can be made the day before you need to serve it, ensuring you have it ready in time for your occasion.

It’s made from only 6 ingredients for the tart crust and filling.  The topping ingredients can be altered completely to what is in season or what you have available at the time – the possibilities for decorating the top are endless so have fun choosing and take your time decorating because the decorating is almost as much fun as the eating!

A simple and easy to make chocolate tart using healthy ingredients.

If you like this tart, you might want to try my Almond Biscuit Base Tart with Creamy Chocolate Filling recipe or my Raspberry Topped Chocolate Tart with Almond Biscuit recipe which are similar to to this Chocolate tart.

If I were to do a survey on the most popular dessert choice, chocolate would most probably be a firm favourite! Chocolate in any form will do! And that’s why, this Chocolate Wreath Tart is a recipe you can rely on to provide that decadent, luxurious, chocolate fix when you need one.

This tart is easy to make and, providing you have all the ingredients to hand, it can be read in a short time. In fact, the tart spends more time chilling in the fridge than you do making it.

Tarts are one of my favourite desserts to make. Why? Because they are quick and easy to make but look pretty and taste delicious. They can be made with healthier, wholefood ingredients such as nuts and seeds. They can be sweetened with more natural sweetness of dates and a drizzle pure Maple syrup.  The luxury chocolate ganache can be made from a variety of ingredients such as coconut cream, thick Greek yoghurt, tofu, sweet potato or legumes!

You don’t need to stop at chocolate for the filling either, KEY LIME PIE, LEMON CITRON or BLUEBERRY are a few fruit examples to try too.

Use any mixture of nuts for the crust.  You can choose one single type of nut or use a combination of 2, 3 or 4! Buying mixed nuts (unsalted and unflavoured) is a more economical way of making the crust so I will often choose these but if you are looking for a particular flavour, such as the sweetness of almonds, choose whole almonds or ground almonds which combine particularly well with a good quality butter to make the crust for a lovely flavour and golden coloured pie crust.

Top tip! It is helpful to press the crust into the tart tin using the back of a spoon which has been dipped in water to prevent the mixture sticking to it.  You can use clean fingers to press the mixture in place too.

Why you will love this recipe

• A tart recipe that uses store cupboard ingredients – needs only 6 ingredients you may already have in your pantry.
• A tart which will look beautiful as the centre piece of your dinner table and the topping can be swapped to suit the season. Decorate with fruits, sprinkles, shavings, sprigs of fresh herbs – the possibilities are endless!
• It uses healthier ingredients of nuts, coconut cream, dark chocolate and pure Maple syrup compared to traditional pastry which uses white flour, granulated white sugar, baking spread and heavy whipping cream.
• It can be made a day ahead of the serving time, freeing you up and enabling you to be prepared ahead of time.

Equipment

• 23cm loose bottom tart / flan tin
• Food processor
• Small saucepan
• Glass bowl
• Spoon
• Oven 180 degrees

Ingredients

A short list of ingredients needed for this Chocolate Wreath Tart.  Just 6 ingredients for the crust and the filling.

It really helps things to go smoothly if you get everything together before you start, including the equipment needed too.  So here is a list of everything you need to have a stress-free baking experience;

Base

• 400g Nuts
• 8 Soft medjool Dates
• 1 TBSP Coconut oil
• 2 TBSP water

Filling

• 125g Dark chocolate
• 2 TBSP Pure Maple syrup
• 350mls Coconut cream – thick cream only from a can – discard the water

Nuts – you can use a single type of nut or a mixture of 2, 3 or more!  There is no need to dry roast the nuts for this recipe because you will be blind baking it in the oven once it has been assembled

Dates – the stickiness of the dates, really help to hold this crust together and they also give it a lovely sweet flavour.  If your dates are not soft and gooey, try placing them in a bowl and covering with freshly boiled water and allowing them to soak for 10mins, drain and Sicard the water.  This will help them to soften and make it easier to blend together in the food processor with the nuts to form a lovely, sticky pie crust dough, ready for pressing into the tin.

Dark chocolate – I prefer to use a good quality dark chocolate with 85% minimum cocoa solids.  If you use a 70% dark chocolate, please bear in mind that this will contain more sugar so it will be sweeter.  You may prefer this level of sweetness to please feel free to choose to your preference.  Anything more than 85%, I feel is too bitter and would require more sweetness adding to offset this bitterness.  However, it depends on your quality of dark chocolate used because there are some 90% chocolate brands which taste sublime! I will eave this to your discretion, your pallet and your wallet!

Cream Filling – now this is where is gets interesting! You have a few different options when it comes to choosing your filling. It depends on eating preferences such as are you vegan? Dairy intolerant, calorie counting, allergic to soya, low-carb, keto…..! Each filling idea really does impact on these dietary requirements. My personal requirements are that I try and use minimally processed, healthier, optimum quality ingredients as much as I can. It would be impossible to cater for every persons different dietary eating patterns in one recipe, so my suggestion is that you mix and match from my different tart recipes, a crust and a filling and a topping which you can combine, which caters for your requirements, tastes and budget.  Once you find a tart combination that works for you, stick with it and just alter the toppings and you will have a fool proof tart recipe which you can bring to the table, again and again but it will fresh and new every time with seasonal toppings!

Variations

Nuts – Try alternating the nuts for different varieties and see which flavour you prefer. An almond based pie crust will taste quite different to a walnut one for example.

Make a chocolate tart crust by adding 2 TBSP of raw cacao powder to your crust mixture.

Chocolate – if you find 85% dark chocolate too bitter, try a 70% version or substitute some of the dark chocolate for milk chocolate.

Topping – once you’ve perfected your tart – go crazy with the toppings! Set aside some time to devote to your decoration. It’s a calming activity which is really rewarding at the end of it once you see the beautiful dessert you have created.

How to Make Chocolate Tart

There’s just 3 steps to making this Chocolate Wreath Tart.

Step 1 – make the crust by placing the crust ingredients into a food processor, pulsing the ingredients until they form a sticky, dough type consistency which you can press together between your thumb and fingers.

Tip – If you don’t have a food processor, you can chop the nuts and dates on a chopping board with a knife.  This will take some time and patience to get it to the small, finely chopped consistency needed for the crust to stick together, but it is possible, if required.  A food processor will take a matter of seconds to do the same job, so it is a worthwhile investment if you have the kitchen space and finances.

Press the crust mixture into the tart tin using the back of a spoon or clean hands. 

Bake the tart crust in the oven at 180 degrees for 10-15minutes.  This baking will help to release the oils from the nuts, giving them a wonderful flavour and the cooling process, once removed from the oven will help to firm up the crust.

Step 2 – make the filling by melting the chocolate over a Bain-marie and then folding in your cream filling and sweetener of pure Maple syrup.

Gently pouring this luxurious, melted creamy chocolate mixture onto the cooled tart crust, ensuring an even layer of deliciousness!

Cool in the fridge – an important step to ensure the filling forms a solid, creamy texture.  This will take a minimum of 2hours and can be left overnight if needed.

Step 3 – create your topping design using the seasonal ingredients you choose. You can use my photos for inspiration but be guided by the ingredients you choose and what is pleasing to your eye and your occasion – this is the fun part before the eating!

How to Serve

Remove the completed chocolate tart from the fridge 30 minutes before serving to take off the chill from the refrigerator and this will allow it to soften slightly and the ganache filling will become easier to sink your fork and teeth into!

If your tart is not decorated, it’s an ideal time to do it now so it’s fresh and ready for serving. Start your decoration with the largest items first and finish with dotting a few fresh herbs and a sprinkling of seeds or chocolate powder. An extra drizzle of melted chocolate is lovely too!

This recipe is perfect for any occasion over the Holiday season – Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years!

Recipe Tips!

Use the cream from a can of coconut milk – not the water – you want to have thick, cream, not a milk consistency because it will not set.  If you live in a cold climate, the cream will naturally rise to the top of the can.  If not, you will need to place the can in the fridge before using and scoop out the cream.  Depending on the brand you use, there will be differing amounts of cream available in the can.  You need roughly 200mls of cream so may need 2 cans.

Dates – if your dates are quite hard or more tough, simply place them in a bowl with boiled water from the kettle and leave them to soak for 10minsutes.  Discard the water and then they will be soft enough to blitz in your food processor.

Make a chocolate tart crust by adding 2 TBSP of raw cacao powder to your crust mixture.

Chocolate – if you find 85% dark chocolate too bitter, try a 70% version or substitute some of the dark chocolate for milk chocolate.

Topping – once you’ve perfected your tart – go crazy with the toppings! Set aside some time to devote to your decoration. It’s a calming activity which is really rewarding at the end of it once you see the beautiful dessert you have created.

FAQ’s

Why did my tart filling not set?

You may have used coconut milk instead of coconut cream? Only use the thick cream from a can of coconut milk and discard the water or reserve for another use.

Did you leave it in the fridge to set for 2hours or more? The chocolate needs time to set after being melted and this will take time once it has been mixed with the cream.

Can I make this tart ahead of time?

Yes- you can make this tart the day before you need to eat it.  The minimum amount of time you need is around 3hours which will give you time to prepare the tart, chill and set in the refrigerator and decorate.

Can I freeze this tart?

This tart recipe is best made and eaten either on the day of serving or within 24hrs.  It can be frozen at either of 2 points, once the crust has been made or once the rust AND the filling have been made and assembled. Do not freeze with the topping in place because it will not thaw in a presentable manner! Freeze the crust or crust & filling together by placing the tart tin in a zip lock bag and placing flat on a freezer shelf. Remove from the freezer and thaw in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.  Please note, the crust after freezing and thawing will have more moisture in it so will not be as crunchy as when it was made fresh.  If you want to prevent this, freeze the crust separately and place it in the oven to firm for 10 mins once it has been thawed.  The you can add the filling once the crust has cooled.

Notes

STEP BY STEP PHOTOS – My recipe blog post includes step-by-step photos to make this recipe easy to read and follow.

YEILD – this recipe makes one tart 23cm diameter and will cater for 8-10 servings.

TO STORE – This tart is best eaten on the day of making or the day following that. It can be stored in the fridge in a suitable, airtight container for up to 3 days.  It is advisable to place of kitchen roll under the tart crust within the container as this will stop of becoming too moist.

TO FREEZE – Do not re-freeze once the tart has been frozen and thawed.  You can freeze the tart once it has been made but remove the topping. To thaw, place the tart in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for 30minutes or more until defrosted in the centre.

TIPS

• Use the cream from a can of coconut milk – not the water.
• Dates – to soften the dates – place them in a bowl with boiled water from the kettle and leave them to soak for 10minsutes.  Discard the water.
• Make a chocolate tart crust by adding 2 TBSP of raw cacao powder to your crust mixture.
• Chocolate – if you find 85% dark chocolate too bitter, try a 70% version or substitute some of the dark chocolate for milk chocolate.