‘Can’t stop eating’ Millet Chocolate fudgy tart- no bake, vegan, gluten free.

‘Can’t stop eating’ Millet Chocolate fudgy tart- no bake, vegan, gluten free.
Spread the taste

‘Stressed’ spelled backwards is desserts and I think with the pandemic the stressful times seem to have no expiry date. It’s a natural human tendency to look for hope, reasons to celebrate and find joy in the little things in life, especially during tough times. Desserts, of course, are perfect foods that can elevate the mood. And finding a dessert that you can eat responsibly is a challenge. I am glad that this yummy creation hits all the points in my book- plant-based, easy to make (even older kids could do it), no refined sugar, and indulging.

My favorite part about this recipe is that this no-bake, hands down the best fudgy chocolate tart, made with no added refined sugar, is plant-based. The exciting component is that it also includes millets ( that you won’t know until told so) to not compromise on the nutrition profile.

Add a crunchy sweet puffed millet brittle to top the tart with fruits, and one bite will fix your dessert cravings, for sure. Although, you can’t stop it after that one bite:), per the kids verdict in my house, who named this recipe as well.

‘Can’t stop eating’ Millet chocolate fudgy tart- vegan, gluten free, no bake

Fudgy, nutty, chocolate goodness , super easily made and a no doubt family favorite.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 5 people

Equipment

  • blender or food processor

Ingredients
  

For the crust

  • 1/2 cup lightly toasted almonds
  • 1/2 cup lightly toasted almond flour
  • 1/2 cup pitted dates
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1 tsp nut butter or tahini
  • 2 Tbsp dutch cacao- which is darker in color can use regular cacao as well but color will be lighter
  • 1/4 tsp salt

For the filling

  • 1/2 cup hulled millet – I used proso millet found in grocery stores widely can use other varieties as well,
  • 2 cups plant based milk- I used soy milk
  • 7-8 pitted dates- chopped
  • 2 Tbsp cacao powder
  • 1 Tbsp almond butter
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or bean paste
  • 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips of your choice optional- dark chocolate preferred

Puffed millet brittle- for topping- optional for kids

  • 1 cup toasted puffed millet
  • 2 Tbsp jaggery powder can use 3 Tbsp brown sugar instead
  • 1/2 Tbsp water

Instructions
 

For the crust

  • Soften the dates by immersing them in hot water for 15 min. Drain the water completely out. Now, add the lightly toasted almonds, almond flour, dates, oats, tahini, salt, cacao powder to the blender /food processor jar and grind into fine crumbled mixture.
  • Use your hands to press and line the tart shells with this mixture. Put them in the fridge to set a bit, while you make the filling.

Tart filling

  • Lightly toast the millet in a deep pan for 2-3 min on medium high. To the same pan, add the plant based milk, chopped dates. Keep stirring and let the mixture cook on medium low for 15 min. Cover with a lid during this process. The idea is to let the millet absorb the sweetness of dates while cooking.
  • Once you see that millet is almost cooked, add the cacao powder, chocolate chips, nutmeg powder and keep stirring for another 3-4 min. Turn off the stove. Add the vanilla extract, almond butter .
  • Take the contents of the pan into the food processor and blend into a smooth paste. If needed blend it 2-3 times, to ensure a better texture.
    If the mixture appears thick and doesn't drip at all from the spoon, add little additional plant based milk. You should be able to use a spoon and add the filling to the shells with no force or effort.

Assembly

  • Now take the tart pans with shells made from the fridge, and pour the millet chocolate filling.
    Put them in the fridge for 4-6 hours to completely set.
    Top them with fruits, nuts, puffed millet brittle, edible flowers, oat cream, hemp seeds, etc and just dig in..

Puffed millet brittle topping- optional

  • In a skillet ,add 2 Tbsp jaggery powder and 1/2Tbsp water. On medium heat, in 3 min you will see the jaggery melt and become bubbly with stringiness. Add 1 cup toasted puffed millet to the jaggery. Mix well and take the mixture on to a flat surface. Spread it evenly. Let it cool for 10 min. Later, use your hands to break some yummy puffed millet brittle and add to your tart.

Notes

Toasting almonds and almond flour before blending with dates , adds more nuttiness. 
You can just use almonds alone and skip the almond flour, but the texture will be little coarse for the shell mixture. My kids preferred the softer texture, to add to the fudginess of the tart filling. 
Dutch cacao gives a striking dark shade to the shell and a dark flavor that contrasts with the lighter colored normal cacao in the filling.
Store these tarts in the fridge for 2-3 days.
The above measurements yield 5 medium tarts shown in picture (4 inch pans). These are nutrition wise dense, so be conscious of portions.