Clean Chocolate Tarts

I've been seeing lots of vegan recipes calling for avocado in replacement of the usual creamy ingredients we reach for when making a mousse or cheesecake. I just couldn't quite wrap my head around the thought of avocado as a sweet treat, despite all the raving reviews of its dessert potential.

Getting creative one afternoon, I was raiding my fridge and pantry to see what skinny sweet I could whip up. I had some walnuts, cream cheese and an avocado, and using my beloved Vitamix I decided to give avocado a chance! What I came up with tasted EXACTLY like chocolate mousse and I put that in a shell of toasted walnut and cinnamon. The hype about avocado in desserts is warranted, it works beautifully! Not avocado-tasting, the fruit just adds a rich and creamy texture. To make this dessert vegan, replace the cream cheese with firm coconut cream.


Clean Chocolate Tarts

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1 cup of walnut, hazelnuts or almonds
• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Filling

• 150 grams of low-fat cream cheese, vegan cream cheese or chilled coconut cream 
• 1 ripe avocado - one that is not too avocadoey tasting.. if you know what I mean!
• 3 - 4 tablespoons of cacao powder 
• 2 teaspoons of stevia powder
• 2 tablespoons of real maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 pinch of sea salt

Method:

1. In a food processor or high-speed blender, pulse the raw nuts until it begins to form a dough. Add in the coconut oil and cinnamon to combine.
2. Line a muffin tin with foil patty cases. Press a tablespoon of mixture into each and press down to make a crust.
3. Bake in a moderate oven for 10 minutes or until toasted. Be careful not to burn.
4. To make the filling, process or blend together the cream cheese, avocado, cacao powder, stevia powder, maple strip, vanilla and salt until creamy. 
5. When the tart shells are cool, spoon in the chocolate mixture. 
6. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.