Vegan Chocolate Gingerbread Tart recipe

A quick and easy tart, with a gingerbread base, cookie butter layer topped with a lightly spiced ginger chocolate ganache. I think I’ve created my dream, festive dessert! Chocolate mixed with gingerbread… am I in heaven?

With only 7 days to go until Christmas, I wanted to bring you a delicious and easy Christmas dessert that is perfect for making ahead of time before the big day.

I was originally going to make an oaty base for this dessert, but thought as I’m making the ganache with a spicy, ginger kick, why not make the base gingerbread? So, I baked it as a crust for this tart and it worked out better than I imagined. It makes for a really festive and extremely delicious crust for this tart. You get a little bit of Christmas flavour in each bite- it’s truly scrumptious!

What chocolate is best for the ganache?

For the ganache, any chocolate about 70% + works best. Other chocolates do work but may not be the right consistency. You’re looking at using a small amount of chocolate but want that punch of flavour and richness, which only comes from a high cocoa-based or pure chocolate.

This is one of those recipes which doesn’t need much to say about it as it speaks for itself.

It’s boomin’ DELICIOUS. You gotta try it and find out for yourself!

Preparation: 3 hours
Baking time: 12-14 minutes
Serves: 10+
Level: Easy

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Ingredients for the crust

75g of dairy-free butter/margarine
55g of light brown sugar
25g of blackstrap molasses
50g of golden syrup
1/4 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons of ground ginger
1/4 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
200g of plain flour

Ingredients for the fillings

150g of Biscoff spread (cookie butter)
200g of dairy-free dark chocolate
100g of dairy-free cream (any dairy-free cream eg: Coconut cream, Elmlea plant-based vegan cream)
1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger

Decorations

3 mini gingerbread men
Gingerbread man sprinkles
20g of dairy-free white chocolate
20g of Biscoff spread (melted)
Star anise
1 Biscoff biscuit (crumbled)

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Method (Gingerbread crust)

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees c fan and grease a 9″ / 23cm loose base fluted tart tin with dairy-free butter.

2. Place the butter/margarine, light brown sugar, molasses and golden syrup into a medium-sized saucepan and place onto the hob over medium heat and melt together. Stir to combine.

3. In a separate bowl, add in the bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, nutmeg and plain flour. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine.

4. Pour in the melted mixture and stir to combine.

It will be very sticky so roll it up in some greaseproof paper and pop into the freezer for 20 minutes. This makes it easier for handling the dough.

5. Press the dough into the greased tin (all over the base and up the sides), prick the base with a fork and pop into the oven to bake for 12-14 minutes.

Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a cooling rack.

Allow to cool fully before filling.

Method (filling)

1. When the base is cool to the touch, spread the Biscoff spread/cookie butter all over it in an even layer.

Set aside.

2. Using a bain-marie, fill a saucepan ¾ full with water and place a heatproof bowl on top. Add in the chocolate, dairy-free cream and ground ginger and melt together until smooth and combined.

3. Pour and spread the ganache all over the cookie butter layer and smooth with a spoon or pallet knife. Place into the fridge to chill until set (approximately 1-2 hours)

4. To decorate, separately melt some dairy-free white chocolate and Biscoff spread using the bain-marie method (above), add them into two separate piping bags or using two different spoons so you don’t mix up the colours/flavours, drizzle them both over the tart in a zig, zag motion.

5. Crumble up a Biscoff cookie over the drizzled chocolate and Biscoff, press on some mini gingerbread men, sprinkles and star anise (for decoration only).

6. Using a knife briefly dipped into boiling water and then dried, cut and serve.

Store in a sealed container in the fridge and best eaten within a few days.