Before we get to this heavenly Banana Cream Tart, we’re going to squeeze in a quick word about our very first vegan/vegetarian retreat in Italy that we are seriously excited about! The retreat is going to take place at the end of September/beginning of October of 2018 in Abruzzo, which is the Italian region sprawling to the East of Rome. We are collaborating with an Abruzzo local (Anna from Abruzzo with Gusto), who will guide us to all the secret places, where we’ll do all the dreamy Italian things. Think truffle hunting, foraging for local mountain herbs and brewing tea with them, olive oil and wine tastings, hiking and visiting the most remote mountain villages, as well cooking classes, plus devouring all the seasonal foods, native to the region. The accommodations are crazy amazing: Sextantio, a unique and stunning hotel in the medieval village of Santo Stefano, as well as Pietrantica, a converted farmhouse guesthouse with an organic garden, in the small village of Decontra. We are excited to offer both a vegan and vegetarian menus, based on your preference, and the price is beyond reasonable, thanks to our local contact. We are looking to fill a few more spots in the retreat. If you’d like to join us, you can find all the details + reserve your spot by following this link :)
Now on to the tart! It comes from Alternative Baker, a beautiful cookbook by Alanna Taylor-Tobin of The Bojon Gourmet.
Alanna’s book is a love letter to baking with gluten-free flours, and it does the most amazing job of showing the versatility and wealth of the gluten-free grain world. Any notions about gluten-free baking being tough, bland, or boring, can be done away with by flipping through Alternative Baker and seeing the sheer variety of recipes and flours used. The chapters are as follows: Desserts for Breakfast, Cake, Pie, Tarts, Rustic Fruit Desserts, Custards, Puddings, and Spoon Desserts, Cookies and Bars, Basics and Accompaniments. Each recipe is accompanied by a stunning photo done in Alanna’s distinctly magical style, and the instructions are super clear and helpful (Alanna is a classically trained pastry chef). For those wondering, it’s not a vegan book, but I’ve been having tons of fun figuring out how to make some of the recipes vegan, like this dreamy Banana Tart.
The tart has everything you would ever want in a banana pie: a buttery, crispy crust, chocolate, layers of fresh banana, cloud-like vanilla pudding, whipped cream, and yes, salty caramel. Since this is a vegan interpretation, I used coconut products instead of dairy, so this version also has some coconut notes that fit in really well. The tart is so SO good! All of the elements are perfectly balanced, and the flavor is just right. Check out Alternative Baker for more creative gluten-free baking and general inspiration. I think you’ll be glad that you did :)
- 1 teaspoon melted coconut oil
- ½ cup (60 g) almond flour
- ⅓ cup (50 g) sweet white rice flour
- ⅓ cup (40 g) coconut flour
- ¼ cup (45 g) organic cane sugar
- ¼ plus ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 7 tablespoons (80 g) coconut oil (at cool room temperature or lightly chilled)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 2 oz (55 g) chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips (about ⅓ cup)
- ⅓ cup organic cane sugar
- 3½ tablespoons (30 g) cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped (optional)
- 1½ cups full fat Thai coconut milk
- fat from 1 chilled can of Thai full fat coconut milk
- 4 tablespoons neutral coconut oil
- 3 large ripe but firm bananas
- salty caramel - recipe here
- flaky salt - for serving
- fat from 1 chilled can of Thai full fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C). Prepare a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom by oiling it with 1 teaspoon coconut oil.
- Combine all the flours, sugar and salt in a food processor or in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Add the coconut oil and vanilla extract. Process until combined and the mixture looks clumpy. With the motor still running, drizzle in the cold water and process until the dough comes together in large clumps.
- Build the crust, pressing the dough first against the bottom and then the sides of the tart pan. Prick with a fork several times and place in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- Place the tart pan on a rimmed baking tray and bake until golden, 20-25 minutes. Scatter the chocolate over the hot crust, let it melt and spread with the back of a small spoon over the bottom and sides of a crust. Let the crust cool at room temperature, then chill in the fridge until the chocolate is set.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt and vanilla pod and seeds, if using. Whisk in the coconut milk and fat. Bring the mixture to a slow boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan with the whisk. Once the mixture comes to a boil, continue cooking and whisking for 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer to a blender along with the coconut oil. Blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl, press plastic wrap right onto the surface of the pudding and let cool at room temperature.
- Once cooled, spread half of the pudding into the chocolate-lined tart shell. Slice the bananas ¼-inch thick and layer them evenly over the top. Drizzle with 6 tablespoons of the salty caramel sauce and place in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes, for the caramel to harden. This will make the next step easier.
- Spread the remaining pudding over the bananas and cover the tart with plastic wrap. Chill until set, at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- To make the topping, scrape the coconut fat from the top of the coconut milk jar into a bowl. Drizzle the sugar and vanilla extract over it and whisk until fluffy. Alternatively, you can also use strore-bought coconut whipped cream here. Remove the plastic wrap from the chilled tart and spread the whipped cream evenly over top. Chill for 30 minutes for the cream to set. Drizzle with the salty caramel sauce and sprinkle with a pinch of flaky salt. Slice and serve with more caramel, if desired.
Alanna says
I can’t thank you enough for sharing about my book! This vegan version of one of my favorite recipes looks absolutely phenomenal. I can’t wait to try your variation. Big hugs to you!
Anya says
Thank YOU for your beautiful book, Alanna! It’s such a pleasure to cook from it :)
Natalie says
Yaaa. This is really impressive and the Book also.
They’re so amazing as the way it is decorated freely but fabulous! ??
Anya says
Thank you :)