Peanut Butter Lover’s Chocolate Tart

For the peanut butter caramel sauce:

1. In a food processor, combine the coconut oil, maple syrup, cashew butter, and coconut nectar and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the salt and process again until combined.

2. Using a spatula, spoon the caramel into a jar. You can use the caramel immediately or chill it in the fridge, covered, for about 1 hour. It will firm up when chilled. You can easily melt it over low heat on the hob, if desired. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or you can freeze it in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for 1 to 2 months. After thawing, beat the caramel briefly with electric beaters to combine.

Tip: I recommend using coconut nectar in this recipe for the best flavour and caramel-like colour; however, you can substitute 2 tablespoons brown rice syrup and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice at a pinch.

For the tart:

1. Make the crust. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease a 23cm glass pie dish. Cut two long, 5cm wide strips of parchment paper and place them over the pie dish in a criss-cross fashion. This will make it easy to lift out the tart after it freezes.

2. In a food processor, combine the peanuts, oats and salt and process into a coarse crumb. Add the oil and maple syrup and process until the mixture comes together into a dough. The dough should stick together when pressed between your fingers, but it shouldn’t be super sticky. If it’s still too dry, try adding the water and processing again.

3. Crumble the dough all over the bottom of the prepared pie dish in an even layer. Starting at the centre, press the dough into the pan with your fingers and work your way outwards and up the sides. If the dough starts to stick to your hands, lightly wet your hands and shake off the excess water. With a fork, prick the base of the tart seven or eight times to allow steam to escape while baking.

4. Bake the crust, uncovered, for 13 to 17 minutes, until lightly golden. Let cool completely on a cooling rack.

5. Make the filling. Open the can of coconut milk and scoop all the solid white cream into a medium pot. Remove 75ml of the coconut water and discard it. Add the remaining coconut water to the pot. Turn the heat to medium. Add the chocolate and cook, stirring occasionally, until melted. Add the maple syrup, peanut butter and salt and whisk until completely smooth and uniform.

6. Pour the filling into the cooled crust. Carefully transfer the dish to a flat spot in the freezer and freeze, uncovered, for 4 to 6 hours, until solid. If you plan on freezing it longer, you can cover the tart with foil once the filling has firmed up.

7. Let the tart sit on the counter for a few minutes. Using the parchment ‘handles’, carefully lift the tart out of the dish (sometimes this takes a bit of wiggling back and forth). Slice the tart. Plate each slice and top with a generous drizzle of caramel and a tablespoon of peanuts. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for 4 to 6 weeks. I like to individually wrap frozen slices in foil and place them all in an airtight container.

Tip: The photo of this pie shows my peanut butter caramel sauce, which has been chilled and piped on. This is why the caramel sauce has a thicker texture than when it’s drizzled on warm, straight from the pot.

Make it soya-free: Use a soya-free chocolate, such as Enjoy Life brand.