Peanut Butter Paradise: A Guilt-Free Vegan Chocolate Tart

Peanut Butter Paradise: A Guilt-Free Vegan Chocolate Tart

11 March 2025

Peanut Butter Paradise: A Guilt-Free Vegan Chocolate Tart

Hey there, fellow foodies! As the festive season approaches, I've been experimenting in the kitchen, and boy, do I have a treat for you! Forget those heavy, sugar-laden desserts; this Vegan Chocolate Tart with Peanut Caramel is here to steal the show—and it's guilt-free!

Imagine this: a flaky, melt-in-your-mouth vegan crust, layered with sticky, sweet and salty peanut caramel, topped with a luscious, dark chocolate ganache, and finished with a satisfying crunch of roasted nuts. Sounds heavenly, right? Well, it is! It’s also surprisingly easy to make, perfect for impressing your guests without spending hours in the kitchen.

A Funny Little Peanut Butter Story

Now, let's talk about peanut butter. It's funny how something so simple can have such a hold on us. I remember trying it for the first time and being completely underwhelmed! I mean, who knew that such a humble paste could become such a sensation? The history of peanut butter is quite interesting. Did you know that while a Canadian bloke is often credited for it, it turns out that a version of peanut butter has been used in African communities for centuries? And it was an African American chemist who actually made it mainstream – how interesting is that!

Nowadays, I'm completely hooked. My go-to breakfast is a wholemeal bagel with banana, peanut butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon. It's that good! And when you combine it with raspberry jam or chocolate, magic happens! That's why this recipe is a must-try for all the peanut butter aficionados out there (and those who are about to become one).

Allergy-Friendly Swaps!

If you're not a fan of peanuts or have an allergy, don't worry. Almonds and almond butter, or sesame seeds and tahini, work wonderfully as substitutes. Just make sure to use the same proportions to ensure the consistency is perfect.

Ready to Bake?

This recipe will give you a 25cm/10" tart and needs around 45 minutes prep and 30 minutes cooking time and you will be rewarded with a truly amazing, yet surprisingly healthy, dessert.

Ingredients

For the Pastry:

  • 210 g / 1¾ cups white all-purpose flour or GF plain flour mix
  • 25 g / 2 tbsp icing/fine sugar OR maple syrup
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • ½ tsp xanthan gum
  • 100 g / ½ cup solid vegan butter or refined coconut oil
  • 45-60 ml / 3-4 tbsp ice-cold water

For the Peanut Caramel:

  • 180 ml / ¾ cup maple syrup or other liquid sweetener
  • 180 g / ¾ cup peanut butter
  • 80 ml / 1/3 cup vegan single cream (I use Oatly)
  • ½ tsp salt, adjust to taste
  • 75 g / ½ cup roasted peanuts, chopped

For the Chocolate Ganache:

  • 170 g / 6 oz 70% dark vegan chocolate
  • 180 ml / ¾ cup vegan single cream

Method

Pastry:

  1. Combine the flour, icing sugar, salt, and xanthan gum in a large bowl. If using maple syrup, wait until step 4.
  2. Add the vegan butter in small pieces and mix into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter until it looks like breadcrumbs. You can also use a food processor.
  3. If you're using maple syrup, mix it with 1 tbsp of water and add it now. If using icing sugar, add cold water gradually and mix it in gently until the dough forms a ball.
  4. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  5. Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking paper and line your tart case.
  6. Pierce the bottom of the pastry with a fork and chill again for 60 minutes.
  7. Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F and blind bake the pastry for 15 minutes. Remove the baking paper and beads and bake for another 15 minutes until golden.

Peanut Caramel:

  1. Place maple syrup in a small pot on a low heat and gently simmer until it darkens a little.
  2. Whisk in the peanut butter followed by the vegan cream until smooth. Let the mixture bubble until it thickens.
  3. Add salt to taste when the mixture is cool.

Chocolate Ganache:

  1. Melt chocolate and vegan cream in a bain marie (water bath).
  2. Whisk the melted mixture together until smooth.

Assembly:

  1. Fill the cooled pastry case with the peanut caramel.
  2. Top with chocolate ganache and chopped peanuts.
  3. Place in the fridge to set.

Notes

  • Use any other nut or seed butter if you have an allergy, like almond butter.
  • For vegan single cream, full-fat coconut milk works well too.
  • For a simple pastry, try this recipe

Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed this recipe. If you decide to make it please tag me on Instagram using the #lazycatkitchen hashtag and @lazycatkitchen. I love seeing your takes on my recipes!

Happy Baking! x Bella