Exotic Escape: The Ultimate Vegan Tropical Fruit Coconut Tart Recipe

Recent days have brought a mixed bag of weather, from gloriously warm sunshine to quite wet and dreary spells. As I write this, however, our back garden is basking in beautiful sunlight, offering a perfect view – if only it weren’t so tremendously overgrown! The plants have truly exploded in growth, reaching a point where even our small dog struggles to navigate beyond the patio, swallowed by towering weeds. It’s a garden that desperately calls for attention, demanding extensive weeding, leveling, the removal of a couple of trees, patio expansion, path laying, vegetable bed construction, and fence mending, among other tasks. The thought of tackling such a monumental project felt daunting the other day. Instead of facing the garden’s wild abandon, I sought solace and satisfaction in the kitchen, creating this exquisite tropical fruit coconut tart. It proved to be a far more rewarding use of my time, transforming a desire for a delicious treat into a culinary masterpiece.

The inviting warmth of the sun-drenched days had sparked an undeniable craving for the bright, zesty flavors of tropical fruits. What better way to celebrate these vibrant treasures than by combining them with a perfectly crisp coconut pastry and a sumptuously creamy coconut milk crème patissière? This vegan tropical tart truly transports you to a sunny paradise with every bite. To achieve the distinctive base, I incorporated coconut flour into the pastry dough. This not only infuses the crust with a delicate, aromatic coconut essence but also contributes to an extraordinarily crisp and crunchy texture that holds up beautifully against the creamy filling and fresh fruit.

For those who might not have coconut flour readily available, desiccated coconut can serve as an alternative. If opting for desiccated coconut, remember that it is less absorbent than coconut flour, so you will likely need to adjust the amount of ice water added to your pastry dough. The key is to add the water gradually, a spoonful at a time, until the dough just comes together to form a cohesive ball. This careful approach ensures your coconut pastry maintains its desired texture and flakiness, providing the ideal foundation for this refreshing dessert.

The heart of this tropical delight is the coconut crème patissière, a velvety smooth and rich custard that mirrors the traditional pastry cream but with a delightful vegan twist. I achieved its incredible creaminess and distinct coconut flavor by substituting conventional dairy milk with full-fat coconut milk. The result is a custard that is utterly silky, lusciously smooth, and intensely coconutty, providing a luxurious contrast to the crisp pastry shell. This dairy-free version of crème patissière is a testament to how easily vegan ingredients can replicate and even elevate classic dessert components, making this tart accessible to more palates.

To crown this spectacular tart, I meticulously arranged a vibrant medley of fresh tropical fruits. Ripe mango, sweet pineapple, and tangy kiwi formed the primary topping. For an extra touch of whimsy, I used a small pastry cutter to transform some of the kiwi slices into charming star shapes – a completely optional step, but one that adds a playful elegance to the presentation. The final flourish came from the luscious, aromatic pulp of fresh passion fruit, drizzled generously over the other fruits. Initially, I felt the tart leaned a little too heavily into yellow tones, so I decided to scatter some freeze-dried raspberry pieces across the surface. While I didn’t have fresh raspberries on hand, these provided a welcome splash of contrasting color. This addition was purely for aesthetic appeal rather than a significant flavor alteration, although a handful of fresh, tart raspberries would undoubtedly complement the sweet tropical notes beautifully. The harmonious blend of fresh, juicy tropical fruits, the intensely creamy coconut crème patissière, and the impeccably crispy coconut pastry creates a dessert that is truly divine. This tropical fruit coconut tart isn’t just a dessert; it’s an experience, an ideal treat to serve on a warm, sunny day, and undeniably more gratifying than a day spent battling weeds in the garden.

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Tropical Fruit Coconut Tart (Vegan)

Serves 8

Course Dessert

Cuisine baking

Keyword tart

Author Domestic Gothess

Ingredients

Coconut Pastry Cream:

• 60 g (½ cup) cornflour (cornstarch)
• 100 ml soya milk
• 400 ml can full fat coconut milk
• 100 g (½ cup) caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 60 g (¼ cup) vegan block butter

Coconut Pastry:

• 200 g (1 + ⅔ cup) plain flour
• 30 g (1oz) coconut flour
• 30 g (⅓ cup) icing sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 100 g (1 stick) cold vegan block butter, diced
• 3-5 Tablespoons ice water

To Finish:

• 1 large, ripe but firm mango diced
• ½ small ripe pineapple diced
• 3 kiwis peeled and sliced
• 2 passion fruit
• raspberries/freeze dried raspberries

Instructions

Pastry Cream:

• To make the pastry cream, place the cornflour in a pan and gradually whisk in the soya milk followed by the coconut milk, sugar and vanilla extract.
• Place the pan over a low-medium heat and stir constantly until it comes up to the boil and thickens. Once it starts to thicken, whisk it vigorously for about a minute, making sure that you get right into the edges of the pan. When you stop for a few seconds, a few big bubbles should rise to the surface and pop.
• Remove from the heat, add the butter and stir until melted and fully combined. Pour into a bowl, cover with clingfilm directly on the surface then refrigerate until cold (or overnight, or up to a couple of days).

Coconut Pastry:

• Place the plain flour, coconut flour, icing sugar, salt and butter in a food processor and blitz until it resembles sand. With the motor running, gradually add the ice water until it comes together into a ball. Shape the pastry into a disc, wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
• Roll out the chilled pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface and use to line a 25cm tart tin, trim off the excess, prick the base with a fork and place the pastry case in the freezer for 15 minutes while you pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
• Line the tart case with greaseproof paper or a double layer of good quality clingfilm, going right into the corners, edges and up the sides then fill with baking beans or dried rice making sure that the sides are propped up.
• Bake for about 25 minutes then remove the paper and beans, reduce the oven temperature to 170C/325F/gas mark 3 and return the tart case to the oven for about 15 minutes more, or until golden and crisp. If the edges start to colour before the middle is done then you can cover them with strips of tin foil.
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes then remove the tart case from the tin, transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. If you are making the case the day before serving the tart then keep in an airtight container once cool.

To Assemble:

• Give the pastry cream a good whisk with a balloon whisk electric mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until it becomes smooth and creamy again. (it will be very thick at first).
• Place the tart case on a serving platter. Spread the pastry cream evenly over the tart base. Scatter over the mango, pineapple and kiwi then drizzle with the passion fruit. Top with fresh or freeze dried raspberries. Best eaten on the same day as it is assembled. Keep refrigerated.