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paleo apple roses top this dairy free tart filled with coconut cream

Apple Rose Tart with Coconut Pastry Cream {Dairy-Free}

Published on in Recipes, Snacks & Treats

This dairy-free apple rose tart is my go-to holiday dessert.  Not only is it beautiful to look at, but it is also a delicious and mostly make-ahead dessert.  All three components of this healthy apple tart can be prepared in advance and assembled either a few hours or minutes before serving.

Paleo apple rose tart with dairy free coconut custard

Dairy-free Apple Rose Tart

Planning holiday meals for my family has been a challenge since a few of us eliminated dairy from our diet.  Most desserts are filled with butter, milk and sometimes even cream.  Thank goodness coconut milk is a good substitute for milk in many desserts!

Surprisingly simple to prepare and yet stunning to serve, this dairy-free Apple Rose Tart is a must for fall celebrations.

Almond and Whole Wheat Flour Tart Pastry {Vegan}

This almond and whole wheat flour tart pastry is one of my favorites.  It has a flaky, nutty texture that is just slightly sweet.  And it is simple to make… no pastry cutter or rolling pin is required!  Simply mix the ingredients together and press the dough into the tart pan.  Also, the pastry can be made ahead and frozen until you are ready to bake it.

Coconut Milk Pastry Cream {Dairy-Free}

The pastry cream used in this apple rose tart is a coconut and vanilla-infused dream.  Creamy, sweet, and flecked with vanilla seeds, I have been known to serve it on its own with fresh berries.  The coconut milk pastry cream can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 48 hrs prior to use.

Apple Roses {Dairy-Free}

For months, I have been wanting to create another dessert with these beautiful and delicious apple honey roses.  The apple roses can be easily made vegan by substituting maple syrup for the honey.

Easy to make baked honey apple roses are a delicious and beautiful simple dessert. {Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Paleo}

Apple Rose Tart with Coconut Pastry Cream

This apple rose tart is one of my new favorite desserts.  It is beautiful and delicious.  The pastry is flaky, the cream is silky smooth, and the apples are tender and sweet.  All while being dairy-free and low in added sugar.

Apple Rose Tart with Coconut Pastry Cream {Dairy Free}

Apple Rose Tart with Coconut Pastry Cream {Dairy Free}

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 25 minutes

A stunning and delicious dairy-free dessert your whole family will love!

Ingredients

Almond and Whole Wheat Flour Tart Crust:

  • 3/4 cup almond flour
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 3 tablespoons ice cold water

Coconut Milk Pastry Cream:

  • 1 cup coconut milk*
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1.5 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1/2 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Apple Roses:

  • 4 apples
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Almond and Whole Wheat Flour Tart Crust:

  1. Combine almond flour, sugar and coconut oil in a large bowl (mixture will resemble slightly wet sand). Then stir in whole wheat flour
  2. Add ice cold water, and mix until just combined (pastry will come together, but should not be sticky)
  3. Transfer pastry dough to a 14-in x 4-in tart pan (a 9-in round pan will also work) and press into place with fingers. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or freeze until ready to bake)
  4. Pre-heat oven to 400°F
  5. Bake tart for 20 minutes, or until lightly brown and toasty smelling
  6. Remove from oven and cool completely

Coconut Milk Pastry Cream:

  1. Whisk together egg yolks, corn starch, and sugar in a medium size mixing bowl
  2. In a saucepan, heat coconut milk and vanilla bean until almost boiling (will be hot to the touch with some steam)
  3. Remove vanilla bean from coconut milk (if using) and scrape any seeds from pod into milk
  4. While whisking, slowly pour the hot coconut milk into the egg mixture
  5. Transfer the egg and coconut milk mixture back into the small saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until it thickens completely (3-5 minutes)
  6. Cool pastry cream slightly and transfer to a glass storage container with parchment paper on top (this will prevent the formation of a "skin" on the pastry cream)
  7. Refrigerate for at least 2 hrs until cool and up to 48 hours

Apple Roses:

  1. Prepare according to apple honey roses recipe

To Assemble Tart:

  1. Spread pastry cream evenly over cooled pastry tart shell
  2. Arrange apple roses on top of pastry cream. Use extra apple slices to make small roses to fill in extra space. Garnish with mint leaves, if using
  3. If not serving immediately, gently cover tart with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve (up to 4 hours)
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 271
© Meredith
Cuisine: American / Category: Dessert
*Note: I try to use coconut milk that does not contain any stabilizers (ie gums or thickeners). The ingredients should simply read coconut milk and water.  Trader Joe’s brand of coconut milk is a good option.

Tested and delicious substitutions:

Coconut milk pastry cream:

  • Maple syrup can be used in place of sugar for a no-refined-sugar option
  • Whole milk can be used in place of coconut milk (recipe will not be dairy-free)

Nutrition information (per serving, 8 servings per tart):

  • 271 calories
  • 9 g added sugar
  • 4 g fiber
  • 5 g protein
  • 10 mg sodium

Pin recipe for later:

Surprisingly simple to prepare and yet stunning to serve, this dairy-free Apple Rose Tart is a must for fall celebrations. Pastry, custard and apples can all be prepared in advance and assembled when needed. #dairyfree #appletart #applerose

27 Comments

  1. Kristen King
    September 29, 2018 at 4:18 pm  ·  Reply

    This is too gorgeous to eat! I’ve never seen anything like it. Such talent!

  2. Amanda
    September 27, 2018 at 12:49 pm  ·  Reply

    This is so very pretty what a showstopper!

  3. Brian
    September 27, 2018 at 1:24 am  ·  Reply

    That looks so elegant and beautiful, such great flavours too. I’m really intrigued by the coconut pastry cream!

    • Meredith
      September 27, 2018 at 12:56 pm  ·  Reply

      Thanks Brian! The coconut milk pastry cream is one of my favorites. It is very similar to a traditional milk-based pastry cream, but with a hint of coconuty flavor. I hope you enjoy it!

  4. Valentina
    September 27, 2018 at 12:54 am  ·  Reply

    Such a beautiful holiday dessert. It’s a show stopper! And I can only imagine how tasty it is. 🙂

  5. Danielle
    September 26, 2018 at 11:50 pm  ·  Reply

    OMG – This looks too good to eat!!
    The apple roses are so pretty!
    Apples and coconut make the best desserts but I have never had them together in a tart!

  6. Colleen
    September 26, 2018 at 11:09 pm  ·  Reply

    This is just stunning! I love everything about this dessert. Pinning to make for our Canadian Thanksgiving.

  7. Jillian
    September 26, 2018 at 11:07 pm  ·  Reply

    This is beyond beautiful! I bet it tastes as good as it looks too!

  8. Teri Stephens
    December 8, 2017 at 9:52 pm  ·  Reply

    I so admire this recipe. So beautiful and I just know it tastes amazing.

  9. Mary // Chattavore
    December 8, 2017 at 6:48 pm  ·  Reply

    This is so beautiful! The flavors sound perfect, too. Yum!

    • Meredith
      December 9, 2017 at 1:16 pm  ·  Reply

      Thank you Mary! This apple tart is definitely a favorite in our house! And the coconut milk pastry cream is delicious in ALL kinds of tarts…

  10. Amy Nash
    December 8, 2017 at 5:03 pm  ·  Reply

    Those apple roses are so pretty and festive looking! I love tarts as well but I forget to make them because I love pies so much! Will need to break out the tart pans again to try this!

  11. Janette | Culinary Ginger
    December 8, 2017 at 4:13 pm  ·  Reply

    This does not look like food at all. What a delicious piece of edible art and table centerpiece.

  12. Joyce
    December 8, 2017 at 2:08 pm  ·  Reply

    Wow that is such a beautiful tart! Even the individual portions look amazing! I definitely want to make these cute things. Time to hunt for a rectangle tart pan! 😀 Thanks for sharing!

  13. Serena Lissy
    December 8, 2017 at 1:39 pm  ·  Reply

    First, this is gorgeous. I’m such a fan of the apple roses. Second, sounds delicious and can’t wait to give the recipe a try. Thanks for sharing!

  14. Chelsey
    November 15, 2017 at 8:59 pm  ·  Reply

    This is gorgeous!!!

  15. Farrah
    November 13, 2017 at 12:34 pm  ·  Reply

    This is one of the prettiest desserts I’ve ever seen! <3! I love that you used coconut cream! *-*

  16. [email protected] A Dash of Cinnamon
    November 10, 2017 at 5:24 pm  ·  Reply

    I can’t get over how gorgeous this looks!

    • Meredith
      November 10, 2017 at 7:40 pm  ·  Reply

      Thanks so much! It was really fun to make (and not hard at all)! I am looking forward to making it again for Thanksgiving!

  17. Lauren O'Connor
    November 9, 2017 at 12:05 pm  ·  Reply

    Wow! This treat is gorgeous!

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