No-Bake Chocolate Berry Tart (Gluten Free & Vegan!)

No-Bake Chocolate Berry Tart – This vegan chocolate tart tastes so fresh and luscious! It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free and really makes a statement!

It’s almost Valentine’s Day!

I always love doing a simple but fun Valentine’s Day dinner for our family, and everyone’s favorite part is definitely dessert.

While most of our desserts are pretty basic–things like cookies, brownies, or really good chocolate pudding, I wanted to make something that LOOKED really fancy, even if it was easy-peasy to put together.

This no-bake chocolate tart won All The Things. It’s easy (check!), delicious (check, check!), and looks GORGEOUS (super extra check!).

An easy cocoa crust loaded with a luscious chocolate filling and topped with bright, beautiful fresh berries makes this gluten-free chocolate berry tart the PERFECT (easy!) fancy dessert. No eggs, flour, butter, cream or oven needed!

You’d never guess it’s this easy…

Start With Your Ingredients:

This gluten-free chocolate berry tart really might be the prettiest thing I’ve ever made or photographed on my blog. Fresh berries are like that! Honestly, I think they make everything look lovelier!

• A QUICK NO-BAKE CRUST. This chocolate crust is made from gluten-free oats, cocoa powder, pure maple syrup, coconut oil, and a tiny pinch of salt. You’ll blend it all together, then pat it out into a tart pan. Easy-peasy!
• UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER. Cacao and chocolate (especially when not overloaded with sugar) can be part of a healthful diet because of its antioxidant properties. Raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder and added it to both the crust and the chocolate filling. It’s AMAZING.
• PURE MAPLE SYRUP. It’s amazing that this tart can be naturally sweetened!
• COCONUT MILK. You can use any kind of milk for this vegan chocolate tart recipe. For the most luscious texture, I choose canned coconut milk for its richness, but you can also sub cashew, almond, dairy milk, etc. Know that using a lighter milk (like soy, almond, or cashew) will make the filling slightly less thick and creamy. Reduce the milk by 1-2 Tablespoons to start with if you use a thinner milk.
• COCONUT OIL. Using coconut oil gives this crust a gorgeous, velvety texture that’s almost like chocolate ganache. I don’t recommend any substitutes here, but using refined coconut oil can cut down on the coconut flavor.
• VANILLA EXTRACT & SALT. Vanilla plays up the chocolate notes and salt balances the flavors beautifully.
• FRESH BERRIES – Berries are a nutrient powerhouse. They’re loaded with antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C and more. You can use any favorite berries for this yummy tart–raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries are all yummy!
• MAYBE SOME FRESH MINT. To make this tart extra pretty, you can add a few sprigs of fresh mint (or just leave the leaves on your strawberries–they’re edible, or people can cut around them if they’d rather not eat them).

How To Make This Tart, Step By Step:

Start With The Crust

1. Break Up The Oats. Put the oats in a food processor and pulse to break up a bit.
2. Mix In The Rest. Add cocoa powder, syrup, coconut oil, and salt. Process until mixture starts to come together and it sticks together when you pinch it between your fingers. If your mixture is too dry, you can add more coconut oil 1/2 teaspoon at a time until it comes together. 
3. Pat Crust Into The Pan. Transfer dough to a tart pan (preferably one with a removable bottom) and pat out using fingers or the bottom of a cup until crust is spread evenly. Refrigerate the crust while you make the filling.

Then, Make The Chocolate Filling

1. Add Ingredients To The Food Processor. Pour syrup, coconut oil, coconut milk, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt in a food processor (or blender)
2. Pulse To Combine. Blend, puree, or pulse until the filling is well combined. Give the filling a stir to make sure there are no lumps remaining. (You want it totally smooth)
3. Spread filling over the crust and smooth out with a spatula or knife. If desired, use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to make gentle swoops in the filling. 

Finish With Toppings

1. If serving within a few (4-5) hours, place the berries on top of the chocolate filling in any design you like, and chill for at least 30-40 minutes in the refrigerator to allow filling and crust to set. Store tart in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
2. If you are making this ahead of time (more than 4-5 hours before eating), refrigerate the tart (crust and filling). When ready to serve, top with berries. Store tart in the refrigerator.
3. If you are making this far in advance, you can make and freeze the tart without the berry topping and store in the freezer in an airtight bag up to 2-3 weeks. Thaw in the refrigerator before adding berries and serving.

FAQ + Tips For The Best Chocolate Berry Tart:

A TIP FOR GETTING PRETTY CHOCOLATE SWIRLS. If you want to make chocolate swirls in the filling like I did, I love using an icing spatula (sometimes called an offset spatula). They’re specifically designed to be light and flexible, and make spreading frostings and fillings SUPER easy. (You can also see it in action in my chocolate zucchini cake)

HOW LONG WILL THIS TART KEEP? Just a few days, unfortunately, since the fresh berries will start to deteriorate if you’ve kept them ON the tart. If you want to make it ahead of time, simply wash and add the berries right before serving.

CAN I MAKE THIS CHOCOLATE BERRY TART IN ADVANCE? Other than the berries on top, the rest of the chocolate berry tart (crust and chocolate filling) will keep well covered in the refrigerator up to 4-5 days total, or the freezer up to 2-3 weeks. Just add the fresh berries on top right before serving. (If you’ve frozen your tart, you can thaw the pre-made tart and top it with berries right before serving.)

WHAT KIND OF TART PAN DO YOU USE? Tart pans are admittedly a fairly specialty piece of equipment. I use this one, but you can also make this in a 9-inch springform pan, or make mini tarts in a silicone muffin pan (we have this one) that you can just pop right out.

⭐ Don’t forget to leave a star review and comment below when you make this No-Bake Chocolate Berry Tart recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!

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Originally posted in February 2017. Fully updated in January 2023.