Chai-Spiced Cashew Custard Fruit Tarts

You know when you walk into a cute little cafe and see those pastries and desserts arranged perfectly in the glass cases? Now you can make a healthier and animal product free version yourself! Fortunately, they don’t run $6 a piece either 😛

Yup, this recipe is entirely raw, vegan, and Jain. No oven necessary. It’s all natural.

Best of all, you’ll look like a professional pastry chef 😛

Chai-Spiced Cashew Custard Fruit Tarts

makes 8-10 four inch tarts

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 2 cups oats (rolled oats work great since they are extra chewy)
• 2 cups chopped prunes, dried figs, or dates (I used prunes here. Maybe try a mixture? Or even throw in some raisins, dried apricots, or dried mango!)

Creamy Custard Filling:

• 200 grams unsalted cashews, soaked for 30 minutes (maybe try other types of nuts too, like marcona almonds or macadamia nuts)
• 2 whole ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1 tsp vanilla + vanilla pod seeds if you like
• 1/2 cup brewed chai tea (I used 2 tea chai tea bags)
• 2 chai tea bags’ filling or 2 tbsp chai masala + 1 tbsp black tea
• Optional: 2 tbsp coconut oil (I didn’t use this but add if you like more of a coconut flavor)

Topping Options:

• sliced fresh or dried fruit of your choice (berries, mango, peaches, and kiwi work great with the flavors of the cream)
• coconut powder or shredded coconut

How?

Having moved down to Argentina, I obviously couldn’t bring a kitchen with me. So, I did not have a tart mold and had to get creative. I used the lid of the plastic container the dates came in to form the crust…but honestly, you can use anything that will allow you to make a shallow dish for the crust!

First, chop your choice of (sticky) dried fruit into large chunks, and make sure there are no seeds in the pit. Combine oats and dried fruit in a food processor and pulse until it starts to stick together and is well mixed. Empty crust mixture into a large bowl, and knead with your hands so that all oats stick together–be prepared for some really sticky fingers! Press the mixture into your mold to form the tart dish, and stick them into a freezer for at least 1-2 hours.

For the filling, blend all the ingredients together in a blender or food processor until it is completely smooth and pasty. The filling should be pretty thick once it is ready. If it seems really thin, don’t sweat it. Simply add in another banana or more soaked nuts. It will also thicken once it sets in the fridge/freezer.

Spoon the filling into your tart crusts and place in the freezer for a few hours until it has set.

Finally, decorate your professional pastry with freshly sliced fruit and sprinkle on some coconut powder. You can store your tarts in a freezer or fridge for later too if you have any left over–but I highly doubt you will 🙂

There are several ways you can customize this recipe to your taste preferences, so be creative and experiment with it! Also, if you have any left over filling, use it as a fruit dip, toss it into a fruit smoothie, or into your breakfast oatmeal–it tastes great!