Vegan strawberry and cream tart with a cookie-like base, cashew cream filling, strawberry jam and fresh berries. Delightful and easy!
This tart combines a shortbread like base, a zesty lemon cashew cream and the delicate sweetness of strawberries. It's perfect for Easter, a Summery evening or any time of the year!
Every bite reminds me of the strawberry and cream lollies I enjoyed as a kid! However, this tart is much more sophisticated and not a sugar hit thanks to the tangy lemon and no refined sugar.
Table of contents
Making the vegan shortcrust pastry
The shortcrust pastry is simple and made with:
- Flour
- Vegan butter or margarine or coconut oil
- Powdered or icing sugar (granulated sugar doesn't always dissolve very well in pastry)
- A dash of water.
To make the pastry dough, mix all ingredients in a food processor or bowl. And to assemble it, you can either:
- Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and transfer it to your tart tin. This ensures a consistent thickness for your whole pastry.
- Press it in directly (kind of easier)
Making a gluten free pie crust
To make the tart gluten free, I used almond flour/meal instead of regular flour. As almond flour and gluten-free flours (not blends) don't naturally 'stick' together, I also added used ground flax seeds and a sticky liquid sweetener (rice malt syrup).
The gluten-free base will work with vegan butter, margarine or coconut oil.
This vegan gluten free pie crust is quite delicate so can't easily be rolled out and transferred to a pie tin like normal crusts. Instead, place the mixture directly in your tart tin and press it against the bottom and sides.
I pricked the bottom of my tart crust so it doesn't puff up too much when we bake it.
Making the cashew-based filling for the vegan strawberry tart
The filling is a breeze to make. You'll need to throw all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. You will need:
Raw cashews, as the main solid filling. Cashews are softer than other nuts so can easily be broken down into a smooth cream.
Canned coconut cream, as the main liquid and helps the cashews turn into a smooth cream. I used solid instead of liquid cream as the natural fats help set the tart filling.
Coconut oil to ensure the filling sets.
Rice malt syrup, as a sweetener. You can substitute this with any other liquid sweetener, or even cane sugar.
Lemon juice and zest to add flavour and cut through the sweetness and creaminess of the cashews.
For added flavour, I spread store-bought strawberry jam on my tart crust. Then I poured the cashew cream on top!
The strawberry jam adds little bursts of sweetness, colour and texture in the final tart.
Serving the vegan strawberry and cream tart
The tart is wonderful with stewed and/or fresh strawberries on top. I'd recommend adding them just before serving as cut strawberries tend to leak.
For extra wow, if you use fresh strawberries, you can experiment with different shapes and styles like below.
I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Alternatively, check out my other vegan strawberry recipes!
Vegan strawberry and cream tart
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ¼ cups (155g) all-purpose plain flour, see notes for gluten-free*
- ⅓ cup (75g) vegan butter or margarine, or solid coconut oil (use refined for no coconut flavour)
- 3 tablespoons (35g) powdered sugar / icing sugar, or coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15g) cold water
Filling
- ¼ cup (80g) strawberry jam, optional
- 1 ¾ cups (230g) raw cashews, soaked for 4 hours then drained
- ½ cup (120g) thick scoopable canned coconut cream
- ½ cup (120g) coconut oil
- ¼ cup (100g) any light-coloured sweetener, such as rice malt syrup or maple syrup, to taste
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
To decorate
- ½-1 cup (60-120g) strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F). Line the bottom of a 20 cm (8 inch) loose bottom tart tin
To make the crust:
- Add all the crust ingredients to a food processor or large bowl. Mix until well combined. Press the mixture into the tart tin to form a crust.
- Bake the crust in the oven for 10 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden. If you're making it gluten free, watch the crust closely as almond meal burns quickly!
- Allow the crust to cool in the tart tin.
To make the filling:
- Optional: When the crust has cooled, spread the jam inside the crust on the bottom and sides
- Add the remaining filling ingredients to a blender and blend until as smooth as possible. Pour the filling mixture into the tart.
- Place the tart in an airtight container and set it aside in the fridge to set for at least 4 hours.
To serve:
- Slice the strawberries as desired and use them to decorate the tart. Serve the tart immediately.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container the fridge for up to 3 days. The tart without the strawberries can be frozen for up to 1 month.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in September 2018 and updated in March 2021.
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What a lovely recipe! Can you suggest anything else I could use for the crust.i am allergic to coconut and would like to use the crust for an alternative recipe. Thanks
Thanks so much Nina!! You can use butter instead of coconut oil in the crust :).