Halloween week without chocolate is simply a crime. We must fill our quota! Luckily, I have the perfect solution..
After teasing you with this dessert the other week (and seeing you lose your mind over it) I figured I better deliver the goods. I set a lofty goal of making this chocolate pie as friendly to as many different dietary needs as I could. I always love a good challenge in the kitchen; it keeps me on the brink of crazy town.
In addition to being vegan, this pie is also gluten-free, grain-free, and nut-free. A Halloween miracle if you ask me!
It’s also free of self-control because it’s impossible to have any when this pie is near. Obviously.
Halloween chocolate quota fulfilled. Check, check, GULP.
After drowning myself in chocolate, I’m absolutely thrilled with the final result. Plus, now I have a freezer full of chocolate pie for a couple parties we’re hosting this week. [Eric said, “Well that’s if I don’t eat it all first!”]
And of course, let’s not forget HALLOWEEN. Adriana is going as a carrot to balance out the chocolate. I know…she’s going to hate me. But come on, a newborn carrot bunting costume? JUST STOP.
Tip: I had major trouble with the pie crust sticking to the dish in an early trial. Eric saved the day with his genius solution. It involves three strips of parchment paper placed on the base of the dish, and then you cover it with a piece of plastic wrap on top. This way you can pull out the entire pie using the parchment paper. It still takes some wiggling to pop it out, but this worked so much better than my other attempt. Thanks Eric for letting me sleep at night. Note: The pictures below don’t show the parchment strips because it was an earlier trial.
Ok enough chit chat. I’d say there’s still time to whip up a crazy decadent, show-stealing, rich chocolate pie. And it’s no-bake to boot. Thirty minutes of prep and a few hours in the freezer is all that stands in your way. Nothing scary about that!
PS- Don’t mind the long recipe – I learned a lot of tips as I made this pie so I wanted to be as helpful as I could when writing up the recipe.
Double Dark Chocolate Coconut Macaroon Tart
Yield
9-12 servings
Prep time
Cook time
Chill time
3 hours
Total time
Calling all chocolate macaroon lovers! That's everyone, right? This tart combines two of my favourite flavours - dark chocolate and coconut. The velvety filling is made up of 70% dark chocolate and rich coconut milk while the coconut, date, and cocoa crust tastes just like a chocolate macaroon. Be sure to read the entire recipe before you begin to pick up my helpful hints.
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 1/4 cups packed pitted Medjool dates (see note)
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 1/2 tablespoons ground flax seed
- 2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon water (if needed to bind the dough)
For the filling:
- 3 (70%) good-quality dark chocolate bars (300 grams total)
- 1 (400ml) can full-fat coconut milk, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of choice)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- small pinch fine grain sea salt
Coconut whipped cream (optional):
- 1 (400ml) can full-fat coconut milk, chilled overnight
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of choice)
For the garnish:
- 1/2 cup toasted large flake coconut, flaked sea salt, leftover coconut whipped cream (optional)
Directions
- Toast the coconut (optional step, but recommended): Preheat oven to 325°F. Place shredded coconut and large flake coconut (if using for garnish) on baking sheet. Keep separate on baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 5-10 minutes, until lightly golden but not brown. Set aside to cool.
- Line a 9-inch glass pie dish with 3 (2-inch wide) strips of parchment paper, one going each direction, with overhang. Now place a large piece of plastic wrap on top and press down (see this photo for a visual). The parchment strips will allow you to lift the pie out after freezing. I highly recommend doing this or the crust will stick miserably to the dish.
- Prepare the crust: In a heavy duty food processor, add the pitted dates and process until finely chopped. A big ball will form. Add in the rest of the crust ingredients (including the toasted shredded coconut - but not the large flake coconut) and process until everything is combined. The dough should stick together when pressed between your fingers. If it doesn’t, add optional water and process again.
- Spoon the crust mixture into the prepared pie dish. Spread out evenly. Starting at the centre, press down firmly moving outward and up the sides of the pie dish. Place dish in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
- Prepare the filling: Break up chocolate bars into chunks and place into a medium-sized pot. Melt the chocolate over the lowest heat setting (or use double boiler). When the chocolate is 2/3 of the way melted, remove from heat and stir until completely melted and smooth.
- Shake the can of room temperature coconut milk. Open it and measure out 1/4 cup of milk. Save the 1/4 cup of milk for another use (such as a smoothie) and pour the rest into the pot with the melted chocolate. Whisk vigorously until completely smooth. Finally, whisk in the maple syrup, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Set aside.
- For the whipped cream (optional): Open the can of chilled coconut milk and scoop off the cream portion only. Discard the water or save for a smoothie. Place the cream into a bowl along with one tablespoon of pure maple syrup. With electric beaters, whip the cream until smooth.
- With a spatula, scoop the chocolate filling into the pie crust until almost full (to avoid overfilling, you might want to refrain from using all the filling- see my note below).
- Drop a few tablespoons of whipped cream all over the chocolate filling and swirl it all around with a knife. Carefully transfer the pie dish into the freezer on a level surface for approx. 3 hours, or until firm throughout.
- Remove pie dish from freezer and let sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes. Grab the parchment paper and lift the pie out of the dish (I had to grab the strips of paper and wiggle it back and forth several times before it popped out).
- Slice and garnish with toasted coconut flakes, leftover coconut cream, and flaked sea salt, if desired. Serve immediately as pie will soften quickly.
Tip:
- If your dates are firm, soak dates in a bowl of water for 30 minutes prior to starting. Drain well.
- You can totally skip the coconut whipped cream if you prefer.
- The chocolate filling makes almost too much filling for the pie and it nearly overflows. If you prefer, you can leave out 1/4-1/2 cup of filling. You can place leftover filling in a small dish and freeze it, then cut into "freezer fudge" - just an idea!
- For how to make coconut whipped cream, see this tutorial.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
PS – Looking for other Halloween recipes? You’re in luck – I have 3 pages of recipes
PPS – Don’t forget there is still time to enter The Oh She Glows Tea Shoppe giveaway!
Just made this for a gathering tomorrow! The only think I changed was: I didn’t have shredded unsweetened coconut, only flaked/chips, SO, after toasting, I food processed the portion for the crust into smaller pieces before carrying on with the dates (I took the coconut out of the food pro, put the dates in, and then re-added everything for the crust back into the food pro). Also, FYI: shredded coconut weight=3oz/cup and flaked=1.5oz/cup. So, 1 1/4 cups flaked coconut = 1.875oz, I just rounded up to 2oz :) Can’t wait to eat this tomorrow! But lets be real here, I already tasted the filling and crust while making this…so…yeah…thanks Angela :) :)
I made this for an evening of wine and dessert with friends and it turned out absolutely amazing! The only very small issue was that the dollops of coconut cream that you are supposed to swirl in didn’t work out, they just ended up blended into the coconut custard. But it didn’t detract at all from the flavor or the lovely look of the tart. A very small amount of toasted coconut sprinkled on top just prior to serving elicited oohs and aahs. This recipe is easy, delicious and had my non-vegan friends marveling.
My partner has severe allergies to dairy, nuts and eggs and his sister has newly discovered food intolerances to gluten, rice, oats, corn, and dairy… I’ve been trying to think of a dessert I could bring to her birthday party that they both could eat, while also being totally delicious, decadent, and birthday party worthy! You’ve saved the day, once again! haha I’m so excited to make this!
Aw, I hope the recipe’s a hit, Ali!! So glad you came across it. :)
This recipe is just “THE BEST”, I have made this pie/tart sooo many times now and it is ALWAYS a hit :)). I have also made it into cup cake size portions and I often just make the base/crust add freshly grated nutmeg,ginger and cinnamon roll them into small golf ball size ( taste like Christmas pudding)and keep them in the fridge as a healthy snack treat.
Thank-you Angela for your wonderful website, I am so glad I found you :))).
Thanks so much for the kind words, Rachel! I’m so happy you enjoy this recipe — and those variations on it sound awesome!
So delicious even though I misread the instructions and had to add more coconut milk after I put the filling in the crust (it set a bit)
The crust itself is amazing and the filling was beautiful and forgiving in my case. It was a hit!
I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
I’m so glad to hear that!! I hope you enjoy whatever you try next.
Where didn’t u get these plates?!! I see them quite often in ur picture. and I am in love with them.
Can this be made ahead of time and frozen?
Hi Monika, It can! I’ve frozen it successfully for up to 1.5-2 weeks, then thawed it mostly on the counter and transferred to the fridge before serving.
Thanks so much!
I love so many of your recipes, Angela. Your two cookbooks are the most dog-eared and smudged in my kitchen and have brought us many special meals as well as our weekly staples. I refer back to your blog archives on a regular basis and love when I find an old favorite or a new treasure. If I had to pick the one recipe that most represents OSG to me, it would have to be THIS one. It is creative, healthy, and holy smokes, so delicious. I have probably made this at least two dozen times in the last few years. It is my go-to pot-luck dessert, surprise gift for new homes and new babies, and my favorite late-night indulgence (a half-recipe fits perfectly in a bread pan!). Friends ask for “that amazing dark chocolate fudgy date thing” regularly. I am getting my dates out now to make yet another batch for our family’s xmas party this weekend and I will dropping off some more to my daughter’s daycare on Monday. So in the hope that it never gets old to hear – THANK YOU for bringing your love our good food to my kitchen. You’ve brought so many smiles and contented sighs to my friends and family with your recipes and I truly appreciate it. Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday season!! xo – Janelle
Hi Angela,
I am making this for the first time today and am curious whether you’ve tried it in a 10-in. fluted tart pan? I’m wondering if it will be too difficult to remove with all the ridges. Thanks!
I made this for my team last week and it was a huge hit! I did substitute 1/4 cup of the coconut milk with coconut cream and according to a colleague who makes this recipe regularly, this tart was creamier and a bit firmer. Thanks Angela!
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit, Shabari! And thanks for the tip about the coconut cream. :)
What kind of vegan dark chocolate bars do you use?
This is a beautiful, delicious recipe. But recommending plastic wrap is not cool. If you care enough to make a vegan dessert, care enough NOT to use single-use plastic!
This looks delicious! I’m wondering if I could use egg in place of the flax? (I’m allergic to flax). If you think that would work, how long would you suggest baking it for?
Thanks!!
Hey Jennifer, The flax in this recipe doesn’t technically replace a real egg, since it’s not “gelled” together with water beforehand. But I’m sure it still has a bit of binding quality in there. I would suggest swapping the ground flax for ground chia. You may be able to leave it out all together, but I’m not certain. If you try anything please let us know how it goes!
First, I wish there was a separate place for comments so that “reviews” actually had reviews. I had to wade through hundreds of “yums” and “this looks good” before I could find someone who really made it. I like to read reviews to see if something is really good and any modifications.
So second, this was awesome! I made it exactly as written except I didn’t really know what “dark” chocolate meant. So I used one 4 oz bar of unsweetened chocolate and one and a hlaf cups of guittard semi sweet chips. I think the coconut swirl through the filling adds a lot in terms of visual appeal and maybe even taste. I’m not sure the flakes on top and extra coconut cream are worth it though in part because they actually partially hide the coconut swirl.
My cousin made it for us when we visited in New Jersey recently. She’s not vegan but wanted to impress. Wow!!! It was incredible! She printed off the recipe and, when my wife went to make it, we realized it was an Oh She Glows recipe. Of course, it is…All your recipes that we’ve made (and we’ve made a lot!) are simply brilliant!
Aww thank you so much! Your story made me smile so much…that’s the biggest compliment ever :)
Hi Angela. I’m having people over on a weeknight and would like to make this dessert. Would it be possible to make the night before? Would I leave it in the freezer all night and the entire next day until ready to serve in the evening? Or should I only freeze it for the 3 hrs as recommended and then transfer to the fridge overnight and for the next day?
Hey Kaitlin, You can definitely make it the day before! I would probably keep it in the freezer (once the filling is solid I would cover it with tinfoil). Remove it from the freezer roughly 10 minutes before you’d like to serve it (this timing will depend on how cold your freezer is and the room temp), and then slice it up and serve. It may need more or less time on the counter before it’s soft enough to slice…just play it by ear. I hope this helps and have a wonderful party!! I’d love to hear how it goes.
Thanks Angela – that is super helpful! I’m going to get all of the ingredients tonight and make it tomorrow! I will let you know how it goes! :)
Oh great! I can’t wait to hear how it goes :) yum
Havd you ever tried this with your hazelnut crust from your cook book- or would that be too rich in flavours? I haven’t tried the hazelnut crust yet but really like the chocolate cream in this recipe
Hey Gwen, I don’t think I have tried that crust with this filling, but I think it could be delicious! I love anything chocolate hazelnut. :) If you try anything out I’d love to hear how it goes.
This pie is AMAZING! I could eat the pie crust by itself it’s so yummy. ?
Thanks Emily :) SO happy to hear that!
I’m not even vegan or vegetarian or gluten-free, but when I made this to bring to Thanksgiving dinner, *I* couldn’t get enough of it! Absolutely delicious. The dates are a bit of a challenge for the food processor, though! And I couldn’t figure out the point of the flax seeds, in such a small quantity, and I couldn’t find them ground anyway. And they didn’t really grind in the mortar or the spice grinder. Hmmm.
Anyway, I’m bringing this to the next office potluck. I’m going to double the recipe and make it in a sheet pan and cut it into squares.
Hi Jordan, I’m so happy you love the tart! The flax was originally intended for a bit of binding help, but I do think the crust will work fine without it all together. What a great idea to make it in a sheet pan and cut into squares! I hope everyone loves it.
Hi, Angela, I’m writing to follow up on the office potluck. I doubled the recipe and made it in a 13″ x 9″ sheet pan. Cutting it into squares worked beautifully, and I served the whipped coconut cream along the side so people could help themselves. I heard several raves and two people so far have asked me to point them to your recipe.
A couple more notes:
1. The first time I made this, I found that Trader Joe’s coconut milk simply didn’t have the fat content to allow me to make the whipped topping. I had to run out and buy Coco Lopez instead. This time I bought whatever Whole Foods had on the shelf and that worked fine too.
2. Instead of trying to process the dates, in two batches, I packed them tight on a large cutting board and pressed them fairly flat, sliced them into narrow strips, and then sliced through the strips crosswise. A whole lot easier than using the food processor, I thought. Then I put them in a large bowl, poured in the remaining ingredients, and kneaded it all together in the bowl.
3. I did find ground flax seed this time. I did see the benefit. :-)
Thanks again, and regards.
Hey Jordan, Thanks so much for following up with how it went! I’m so glad it worked out so well. :)
I made this pie a few months back and couldn’t believe how delicious it was! I’m vegan and was making this for a vegan friend who also eats a gf, soy-free diet. This tart was so easy to make and everyone was wildly impressed by it. I liked that I could eat just a small piece and be totally satisfied by it, so one pie goes a long way. Thanks for your awesome recipes and blog. I’m a huge fan!
Thanks for your feedback Donna! I’m so glad it was enjoyed by all. :)