HEALTHY LITTLE VITTLES is a food blog created by certified health coach and published author, Gina Fontana, that focuses on gluten-free + vegan + plant-based recipes that anyone can make and everyone will enjoy! All eaters are welcome!
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Keeping it simple but definitely not lacking in yumminess, this easy Vegan Vanilla Bean Custard Tart is the best refined sugar-free dessert that makes you feel like you’re cheating (and like you baked for hours in the kitchen but definitely didn’t)! This delicious Vanilla Bean Custard tart is made with a gluten-free, vegan, grain-free shortbread crust, filled with a creamy vegan vanilla bean custard made with coconut milk and cashews and topped with roasted strawberries for the perfect naturally sweetened, healthy dessert.
I’m gonna be honest with y’all, sometimes, and when I say sometimes I mean most always, I just want to keep things simple. This phase of my life is quite chaotic with a 3 year old boy (boy moms… you rock! lol) and a 10 month old baby girl. Mom life is definitely everything but simple, so when it comes to my recipes, I try to keep them easy and healthy, but still flavorful. This Vegan Vanilla Bean Custard Tart is the epitome of that. It’s creamy without the cream, it’s sweet without the refined sugar, it’s indulgent without the guilt, and it’s decadent without hours spent baking.
The gluten-free, vegan, grain-free “shortbread” crust is made with my new favorite flour… cassava flour! It’s sweetened with date sugar and made flaky with a combination of plant-butter and coconut oil. It’s very easy to make as you just press it into your 9-inch tart pan and bake for 20 minutes!
The creamy vegan custard filling is made with coconut milk, cashews, vanilla bean paste, maple syrup and agar agar powder (a vegan gelatin substitute to help it set up). There’s no need to bake the filling, you just fill your baked tart shell and then chill the tart in the fridge 4 hours to overnight!
This Vanilla Bean Custard Tart is great on it’s own, but I highly suggest serving with roasted strawberries, which are also easy to make! You simply wash and slice your strawberries, stir them with a little maple syrup and agar agar and then bake them in the oven for 20 minutes! YUM.
This Vanilla Bean Custard tart was created to be a delicious dessert, but I’ll be the first to admit that I enjoyed it for breakfast too! What?! It has strawberries on it! LOL This dessert-for-breakfast also took me a couple of tried to get it just right. In the first recipe, the crust was so hard I literally scooped out the filling and threw it away, ugh- y’all know I hate to throw away food! The second recipe, the filling didn’t quite set up right and it tasted… meh. The third attempt, however, was magical. Perfect flaky crust, creamy perfectly sweet custard filling, phew! I did it.
So I hope you enjoy this well-tested recipe, and if you’re into dessert for breakfast like me, be sure to also check out my BANANAS FOSTER CHIA PUDDING or my CRAN-APPLE GOJI CRISP! And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Facebook if you make this Vanilla Bean Custard Tart with Roasted Strawberries!
P.s. my go to vanilla extract that gives this tart all those gorgeous flecks is Taylor & Colledge Organic Vanilla Bean Paste!
This Vegan Vanilla Bean Custard Tart is the best refined sugar-free dessert that makes you feel like you're cheating (and like you baked for hours in the kitchen but definitely didn't). Top this creamy "custard" vanilla bean tart with roasted strawberries for the perfect naturally sweet garnish. This tart is vegan, gluten-free, and grain-free!
* I used Taylor & Colledge Vanilla Bean Paste and Almond Extract Paste
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This looks really good.! i was wondering why is agar added to the roasted berries? to thicken it?
Hi! Thank you 🙂 Yes, the agar is used to thicken the strawberries so they aren’t too runny when you put them on top of the tart. It’s not essential, but I do require it. Hope you enjoy! 🙂