Vegan Cranberry Tart (Gluten-Free)

This Vegan Cranberry Tart is bursting with sweet, refreshing, tart flavor, and is gluten-free, no-bake, and made with just 7 ingredients! Prepare it a day in advance for a perfect, no-fuss vegan holiday dessert. 

Inspiration for this tart came while perusing Pinterest. I spotted a photo of an insanely gorgeous, fuchsia-red tart, and I'm pretty sure my jaw hit the floor. The pin linked to a Cranberry Curd Tart, shared by New York Times Cooking.

If you're familiar with curd, such as lemon curd, you know it's traditionally made with butter and eggs, and that Cranberry Curd Tart was no different. But I knew creating a vegan version would be a breeze and couldn't wait to get started!

How to Create Silky Smooth Filling

What makes the NYTimes cranberry curd tart recipe so eye-catching, aside from the other-worldly color of cranberries, is the smooth and shiny consistency of the filling. I first tried their method of pushing the freshly made cranberry sauce through a sieve but found it to be far too thick (their recipe uses only the liquid and discards the fibrous fruity remains).

I was also concerned that some of the thickening power of the cranberries would be lost if I took that route, and since I didn't plan on adding copious amounts of butter I knew I needed to stray from their recipe quite a bit.

This is when I decided to use a blender to achieve the smooth and creamy texture of our vegan version, using every part of the cranberry instead of straining it, and it worked like a dream!

Two Crust Options

I originally shared this recipe with a date-hazelnut no-bake crust. Since then I've fallen in love with almond flour crusts for both pies and tarts.

The hazelnut crust is softer because of the dates. It's very simple to make in a food processor and tastes lovely! Pictured below.

So the hazelnut-date crust is one option, but if you prefer a crisp, traditional style crust, you'll want to make this Vegan Tart Crust. It's gluten-free and oil-free and lightly adapted from this very popular Pie Crust.

It's also a breeze to make and bakes up in just over 20 minutes. While it cools, you'll get started on the cranberry filling.

Make Cranberry Sauce

Actually, before we talk about making cranberry sauce...

The very first thing you'll need to do is place 2 cans of full-fat coconut milk in the refrigerator two days before you plan to the make the tart. This causes the solid coconut cream to separate from the liquid inside the cans. This step is crucial! You only need the solid coconut cream for this recipe.

The next step in making the gorgeous red filling for this tart is to make cranberry sauce. If you've never made cranberry sauce from scratch, don't be intimidated! I promise it's as easy as can be.

Combine cranberries, orange juice and zest, and sugar in a large pot over medium heat.

In the two photos above, you can see how the sauce thickens as the cranberries burst and cook. The whole process only takes 15 to 20 minutes.

And when the cranberry sauce is done, it will look super thick and glossy like the photo below.

Next, stir in some lemon zest, and let the cranberry sauce cool for a few minutes.

Blend the Cranberry Curd Filling

Now is when those pre-chilled cans of coconut milk make an appearance. Measure out 1 full cup of coconut cream, and put it in a blender with the cranberry sauce.

Note: Use only the solid white coconut cream. Reserve the liquid portion for another recipe. It's great in soups and curries!

Next, blend the cranberry curd filling until it's completely smooth. Transfer to the prepared crust, and refrigerate.

The tart needs at least 4 to 6 hours in the refrigerator before it will be fully set and ready to serve.

Substitute for Coconut Cream

If you prefer a lighter dessert, I feel fairly confident that a mixture of non-dairy milk and arrowroot powder could replace the coconut cream (cornstarch can lose its thickening power in the presence of citrus, so I would avoid it here).

To be clear, I haven't tested this, but if you feel like experimenting, this is where I would begin:

1. In step 2 of making the filling, omit the coconut cream, and add ¾ cup non-dairy milk to the blender with the cooked cranberry mixture. Blend until smooth and transfer to a sauce pan.
2. In a small bowl whisk together ¼ cup milk with 3 tablespoons arrowroot. Add the arrowroot slurry to the sauce pan. Stir and simmer for just 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened. Pour into the prepared crust and chill.

Update: Alexandra commented below that she made her tart with oat milk and arrowroot as described above, and it turned out great!

With its festive color and low-fuss prep, this Vegan Cranberry Tart is just begging for an invitation to your holiday dessert table. If you try it, be sure to comment below and let us know.

Enjoy!

More Vegan Holiday Desserts:

• No-Bake Cranberry Cheesecake
• Gluten-Free Cranberry Cream Pie
• Salted Chocolate Pecan Pie
• Oil-Free Vegan Pecan Pie
• Healthy Pumpkin Pie
• Low-Fat Cranberry Oat Ice Cream
• Apple Layer Cake With Bourbon Apple Filling
• Rosemary and Roasted Honeynut Squash Cookies
• Bourbon Pecan Pie

Need a tart pan? This 11-inch Wilton pan is perfect for the cranberry tart as well as this Vegan Chocolate Tart.

Recipe