Fresh Fruit Tartlets - Easy, No-Bake Dessert

with Optional Coconut Whipped Cream Filling

This is a simple dessert that doesn't require baking and is packed with nutritious ingredients. I promise that you will wow anyone with these pretty tartlets! What I also love about this dessert is that you can make the tartlet shells in advance and just store them in the fridge. Whenever you are ready to fill them, just take them out of the freezer and they are ready to eat within in a few minutes! Watch my video here on how to make these tartlets. 

(This recipe makes about 6 tartlets)
Ingredients: 

• 2 cups nuts or seeds (I like to use a mix of walnuts and almonds)
• 2 cups pitted dates 
• ~2 lbs fresh fruit chopped into bite size pieces (e.g. strawberries, mango, blueberries)
  
• Optional for dressing: 
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• Optional for decoration: mint leaves, shredded coconut, chopped pistachios

Instructions: 

1. Optional: Place individual pieces of saran wrap over each mold in a muffin tin and set aside for later. You may also freestyle and mold the tartlets with your hands without using a muffin tin. 
2. To make the tartlet shells, place nuts in food processor and pulse a few times until nuts are finely chopped but not powdery. 
3. Then, add about 1 ¾ of the dates to the food processor and keep pulsing until combined. Check if the mixture is sticky enough for your tartlet shells and add the rest of the dates and pulse if needed. You can also add 1 tablespoon of water and pulse to help everything come together and become slightly sticky.
4. Then place about 3-4 tablespoons of the mixture into each mold of the muffin tin and press the mixture into the mold to form a tartlet shell. You may want to moisten your hands to avoid getting them too sticky while forming the shells. 
   
5. Place in fridge for about 45 minutes or freezer for 15 minutes to let shell become harder. 
6. If you want to make the dressing for the fruit, mix together the orange juice, lemon juice, zest, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and add the fruit. Mix everything together. While not necessary, this adds a very nice depth of flavor to your tartlets. 
7. To assemble your tartlets, take the shells out of the muffin tins. Place 1 tablespoon of the whipped coconut cream (optional, see recipe below) in the shell and then place fruit on top. Make sure to use a slotted spoon to take fruits out to avoid making the tartlets soggy with the fruit juice. Decorate with mint leaves, shredded coconut or chopped pistachios (optional). 
8. Enjoy!

Coconut Whipped Cream Filling
This is a very simple, vegan filling for your tartlets. Add a dollop into the tartlets and then decorate with your fruit. Alternatively, you could also use a dollop of yogurt for your tartlets. 

Ingredients:

• 1 can full fat coconut milk (refrigerated overnight)
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Instructions: 

1. Open up the can of coconut milk and scoop out the solid part into a bowl. (you can reserve the watery part for a smoothie)
2. Add powdered sugar, lemon zest and vanilla extract to solid coconut milk fat and whip it with an electric mixer until fluffy.