Since I made my chocolate avocado tortes (see no bake version and cooked crust version), they quickly became a favourite warm weather dessert – cold, decadent, and also two of the 21 most popular dessert recipes on the blog in 2011. The avocado is masked by the chocolate and creates a cream-like texture, richness, and body as a great base for all that chocolate goodness.
I’ve had a few requests to make an avocado-free version due to allergies. For this version, I ended up making a no-bake almond-oat-date-coconut oil crust (instead of this raw chocolate crust) and I used a can of coconut milk and medjool dates as main ingredients in the chocolate cream part. The can of full fat coconut milk replaces the creamy avocado and the medjool dates replace the maple syrup. I replaced the maple syrup because I thought medjool dates would add thickness to the mixture since the coconut milk isn’t as thick as pureed avocado. I’m not saying that it’s not possible to make one with a liquid sweetener, but this was my first attempt. I’m sure there will be others too!
I love how this version turned out. It’s still decadent like the last version, but also a bit lighter because I left out the cup of chocolate chips. The chocolate filling reminds me a lot of chocolate coconut milk ice cream. Because of this, the torte doesn’t get quite as firm as the original because it has more of an ice cream texture. Originally, I tried chilling this version in the fridge overnight, but it never got firm enough. Once I transferred it to the freezer it was cold enough to set. The original torte firms up more because the chocolate chips harden as it chills. Either way, both versions need to be chilled and I like that this version is a bit lighter. Treat it like an ice cream cake and you are good to go!
Oh, and feel free to add sliced strawberries or other seasonal berries on top just before serving. A homemade berry sauce – just puree some berries with a touch of sweetener – would also be nice drizzled over top. Don’t make the same mistake that I did and freeze the strawberries along with the torte. Add them just before serving, and you’ll be in much better shape for slicing and eating.
Frozen strawberries, are also a pain in the butt to photograph!
As you can see:
I got fed up with photographing frozen strawberries (they turn pale and icy), so I added fresh ones on top.
Problem solved. :)
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No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream Torte
Yield
16 squares or triangles
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Chill time
2 hours
Total time
No-bake. All-natural. Vegan. Gluten-free option. Soy-free. Refined sugar-free. Chocolate Coconut Ice cream. Lovely almond-oat-date-coconut oil base. Fresh, seasonal berries on top. It’s light enough for summer, but rich enough for a special treat.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 cup whole raw almonds
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats*
- 150 grams medjool dates (about 10), pitted*
- 1/4-1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt, to taste
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
For the chocolate torte
- 300 grams medjool dates (about 22-24), pitted*, to taste
- One can (398 ml) full-fat coconut milk
- 4 tbsp cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
- 2 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder
- 2 tbsp cashew nut butter (or other nut butter)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener), or to taste
- 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt, or to taste
- Fresh strawberries or other berries, for garnish
Directions
- Grease a 10 inch springform cake pan with coconut oil very well. I used a springform pan so it would be easy to slice and get out of the pan. Set aside.
- In a food processor, process the crust ingredients together until crumbly and sticky. You want it to look a bit coarser than sand. Press this mixture into the prepared cake pan, evenly and firm.
- In the processor (give it a quick wipe!), add all the torte ingredients except the agave, salt, and strawberries. Process until super smooth. Add the agave and salt to taste. Adjust sweetness if necessary. Pour this mixture on top of the prepared crust and smooth out.
- Carefully place the torte in the freezer (uncovered is fine) for several hours until firm. I’m not entirely sure how long it will take to set since I started mine in the fridge. When it’s ready and firm enough, place on the counter for about 10 minutes to soften up a bit. Slice, garnish with berries, and serve immediately. Will melt quickly! I sliced my pieces into squares/triangles and made about 16 pieces.
Tip:
I weighed the medjool dates with the pits still in them. I suggest weighing them if possible since medjool dates vary in size so much. For gluten-free version, use certified GF oats and check all other ingredients.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Yup, I’d say it’s a winner…
Enjoy!
The looks delish! Vegan desserts are the best, you get to really indulge and you feel no guilt afterwards :)
Ah it’s only 7:15 am & I’m craving this dessert! Looks amazing & can’t wait to try this recipe.
Maybe I can make it when we visit!
I love no bake desserts, and chocolate and coconut! Angela, this is the perfect summer treat!
Yummy! Is there a difference between Medjool Dates and any other kind of dates? I was at the grocery store last week and found “Pitted Dates” but I didn’t see Medjool anywhere.
Yup, there are many kinds of dates. Medjool dates are soft, plump, sweet, and have a lovely maple flavour that works well in desserts. You might be able to use other dates, but the key is to make sure they are very soft before using. Soak them in water if need be.
Coolio. Thanks! :-)
First I thought: Oh no, not again a delicious cake with avocado! I tried the no bake chocolate avocado tortes and I really liked it, but I can’t eat more than a few bites due to my allergy!
Did you ever think of agar-agar to firm the coconut mixture?
I’ve tried agar-agar once, but I try to stay away from using too many uncommon ingredients whenever possible. Personally the fact that it’s an ice cream texture was an added bonus to me! If you try it out let me know.
I just made this with agar agar. It turned out great! Beautiful, tastful and firm!
Thanks for letting me know! So glad it worked out well for you. :)
Looks yummy. Definately one bookmark and try!
What an amazing-looking and healthy dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan dessert! Thank you so much for sharing.
This looks insanely good…surprise. (dripping with sarcasm)
Another hit!
Oh Me oh my! If I were Not On vacation I would make this today! Another winner
Oh wow… isn’t it too early in the morning for food porn?! :)
Question: I read the other day that adding a teeny bit of vodka to ice cream will make it less icy. Have you ever heard that or tried it?
really? hah…that’s interesting.
I’ve tried this! I make my own ice cream and when I put it in the freezer normally it loses some of its creaminess so I tried the vodka trick and it worked! I think it’s because that tiny bit of alcohol keeps it from freezing as much.
Good to know! Thanks Katie! :)
vodka also helps with pie dough because it prevents gluten formation = more tender crusts!
My momt taught me that! It does wonders for keeping the moisture in a getting that good flakiness.
Ive heard that one before…im always so scared to try it even though I know the alcohol cooks off!
These are so beautiful Ange! I had the same frozen fruit problem with pineapple recently. Those ice crystals just aren’t very photogenic! Now I’m hungry :)
Definitely a winner…wow! I love the fresh strawberries on top and I am a fan of anything chocolate and coconut!! uhhh huh! :)
Angela, you’ve done it again! I envision myself eating this while sitting out on the porch later tonight. I better get to work making it!
This looks amaaaaazing!
Just in time, was thinking of making a coconut ice cream cake for my 3 year olds birthday this weekend. Is this recipe volumous enough to put in a cheesecake pan and serve to a crowd by the slice or should I double it?
How big is your cheesecake pan? I used a 10-inch springform cake pan.
Hey Angela,
Looks yum-tastic! However, FYI: you may want to keep in mind that, despite all the health hype, coconut oil may not very good for you. 90% of coconut oil is saturated fats, which is higher than butter and even lard. It raises so-called “bad”cholesterol, which is one of the markers associated with heart disease. However, people justified it as a health food because it raised HDL or “good”cholesterol. However, the hypothesis that HDL protects you against heart disease has been recently challenged with a study conducted at Harvard University: (http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(12)60312-2/fulltext).
Thus, according to the chair of Harvard’s nutrition dept, people should use coconut oil sparingly.
In health,
Monique
Hi Monique, I agree with you that coconut should be consumed in moderation, like other fats. However, due to being plant-based instead of animal-based, it’s reportedly not as harmful as animal based sat fats and has many health benefits. Do you have the full-text for that article? I didn’t see any conclusions about coconut oil in the summary and would like to read up on it. Thanks!
Hi Angela,
Unfortunately most of the studies are under a paywall so I cannot give you the link to the full articles. However, what I can suggest is these links:
1) this video by Dr Michael Greger (who is a strong advocate for a plant-based diet):
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/is-coconut-oil-good-for-you/
2) the link to the Harvard Health Letter which recommends using coconut oil sparingly (and more so now that Dr Willett´s statement about the potential benefit of coconut oil in raising HDL is put into question by the Lancet article I posted previously, here is a news article about it: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57436495-10391704/good-hdl-cholesterol-may-not-protect-heart-after-all-study-suggests/
3) a recent editorial on coconut oil came out in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association but is also frustratingly under paywall (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&cmd=search&term=21515127). Dr Greger states that the conclusion of the paper was ¨to avoid tropical oils, including coconut oil”.
4) of course, Drs Calwell Esselstyn and T. Colin Campbell will also tell you that oil (any oil) injures the endothelial cells of your blood vessels (http://www.heartattackproof.com/qanda.htm)
Anyway, some ¨food¨ for thought! If I can get my hands on copies of the papers, I will send them to you.
Monique
Actually, saturated fat is really not bad for you. There’s a lot of research to back this up. Neither is cholesterol the primary cause of heart disease.
If you want, take a look at these links to MD Chris Kresser’s posts. He has done a lot of research, and as I said, is hardly the only one.
http://chriskresser.com/heartdisease
Quote from the above link:
“In the following articles, I review over fifty years of research demonstrating that:
– High cholesterol is not the primary cause of heart disease.
– Diets high in saturated fat and cholesterol don’t cause heart disease.
– Consumption of so-called “heart healthy” vegetable oils is linked to heart disease, cancer and many other conditions.
– Statin drugs don’t reduce the risk of death for most people, and have dangerous side effects and complications.
I also discuss the latest theories on what causes heart disease and a truly “heart healthy” approach to diet and lifestyle that is supported by both modern science and centuries of traditional wisdom.”
A more humorous take:
http://chriskresser.com/the-saturated-fat-myth-debunked-in-two-minutes-and-thirty-five-seconds
I am not saying that you should eat a boat oad of coconut oil, just that conventional “wisdom” is sometimes anything but, and that nutritional recommendations are not always the truth :) I think we are all individuals, and we all know what suits us best, if we just take the time to listen to our bodies.
Cheers Maria, I will take a look.
Oh, yum! This looks like the perfect summer dessert. Mmm…
I love the original tort recipe so I’m excited to try this ice cream version! I LOVE coconut ice cream so I think it will really like it and its perfect for a frozen summer treat.
I need to make that crust and just experiment with all different kinds of things on top- it just looks/sounds so good!
And all over, Oh She Glows devotees are running out to buy these ingredients to make this! All the best words are in the title: No Bake, Chocolate, Coconut. Yup, this is gonna be good.
heh well, I’d be honoured! Thanks Michelle.