Nicole Maree’s Vegan Pumpkin Pecan Tart

Don’t be fooled by its decadent looking allure – this vegan pumpkin pecan tart is dairy-free, gluten-free and filled with goodness.

Ingredients
For the base:
• 20g raw sunflower kernels
• 30g raw almonds
• 100g gluten-free plain flour
• 1/4 teaspoon psyllium husk powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 65g coconut oil, solid
• 30g coconut sugar
• 40g coconut yoghurt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:
• 2 teaspoons chia seeds
• 50g pumpkin pureé (see note)
• 150g soft medjool dates, pitted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 20g coconut oil, softened
• 165g pecans, roughly chopped

Method
1 Pulse the sunflower kernels and almonds in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the flour, psyllium husk powder, ground cinnamon, cold coconut oil and coconut sugar. Process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2 Add the coconut yoghurt and vanilla. Process until the mixture starts to come together to form a smooth dough. Turn the mixture out onto a large piece of plastic wrap, shape into a disc and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour to rest.
3 In a small bowl, thoroughly mix the chia seeds and 30 ml of water. Set aside to become gelatinous.
4 In a clean food processor, blend the pumpkin purée, chia mixture, dates, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, coconut oil and 125 ml water until a thick purée forms. Transfer to a large bowl and fold in three-quarters of the chopped pecans. Set aside.
5 Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan forced).
6 Lightly brush a shallow 20 cm round loose-base fluted flan (tart) tin with coconut oil. Evenly press the base into the tart tin, covering the bottom and sides.
7 Fill the pastry case with the filling. Smooth the surface and garnish with the remaining chopped pecans. Bake for 45 minutes or until the tart is golden and set.
8 Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for 2 hours to further set.
9 Best served with a dollop of coconut yoghurt. The tart will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Recipe courtesy of Nicole Maree, extracted from The Healthy Convert