Silky Sweet Potato Tart

By Elizabeth Stark of Brooklyn Supper

This Thanksgiving, we should all embrace change. Our gatherings will be smaller, and in some cases, spent away from the people we love (and the beloved recipes that mark the holiday). 

This smaller, weirder Thanksgiving is a good time to scale back, experiment, and create new traditions. And it's a great opportunity to embrace the Reducetarian approach to eating, whether that means making a wholly plant-based meal or just swapping in plant-based alternatives where you can.

My menu this year includes lots of vegetables, plant-based mushroom gravy, and this silky sweet potato tart. It's made with roasted sweet potatoes, fresh ginger, maple syrup, and coconut cream. The gluten-free crust is a toothsome mix of oats, sunflower seeds, coconut oil, and maple syrup. The finished tart is topped with maple coconut cream and salty-sweet toasted pepitas. 

The tart begins with simple roasted sweet potatoes. If you can, do this step a day or two ahead of time. Poke the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, wrap with foil, and roast for an hour. Then, just let the sweet potatoes cool and scoop out the soft flesh. 

The filling is made using agar agar flakes or powder. Agar agar is a seaweed product that's often used as a thickener. Here, it makes for a tart that sets nicely and has a velvety smooth texture. The sweet potato, fresh ginger, and other spices come through beautifully; the spice and flavors are perfect for Thanksgiving or any holiday celebration. 

Silky Vegan Sweet Potato Tart 

This vegan, gluten-free coconut cream and sweet potato tart has a silky texture with the spice and flavor of a classic sweet potato pie. It's topped with maple-sweetened coconut cream and salty-sweet toasted pepitas. 

This tart comes together in a few steps and can be prepped over a few days. 

Sweet Potatoes

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, (about 1 pound)

Crust

• 6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled

• 1 1/4 cup gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)

• 1/2 cup raw, hulled sunflower seeds

• 1/2 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 6 tablespoons maple syrup 

Tart

• 1 cup coconut cream (from a 13.5 ounce can refrigerated upside down for 3 days)

• 1 cup sweet potato puree 

• 1- inch section ginger, peeled and finely grated

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

• 2 tablespoons agar agar flakes or 1 tablespoon agar agar powder

• 1 tablespoon lemon zest plus 1/4 cup lemon juice (from 1 - 2 lemons)

Topping

• 1 cup coconut cream (from a 13.5 ounce can refrigerated upside down for 3 days)

• 2 tablespoon maple syrup, divided

• 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

A few days ahead set 2 cans of coconut milk (or coconut cream) upside down in the fridge and leave undisturbed. This will ensure the thick coconut cream rises to the top (aka the bottom of the can) and can easily be scooped out. 

Sweet Potatoes

To make the sweet potato puree, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Scrub sweet potatoes and poke all over with a fork. Wrap tightly with foil, set on a rimmed baking sheet, and roast 60 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are very soft.

When sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, unwrap, and scoop the soft flesh out of the skin. Set sweet potato in a bowl and mash with a fork. Keep prepared sweet potato puree sealed in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for longer storage.

Crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 13 3/4 x 4 1/2-inch rectangular or 9-inch round tart pan with parchment and grease bottom and sides with coconut oil. 

In a food processor, pulse to combine oats and sunflower seeds. Add flour, sea salt, cinnamon, maple syrup, and coconut oil; pulse just until mixture forms a shaggy ball. Press into prepared tart pan, taking extra care to build up sides and edges. Poke crust all over with a fork. 

Set crust on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until it's just turning golden, 20 - 25 minutes. Cool in tart pan on a wire rack 30 minutes, then (very) carefully unmold, replace on rack, and allow shell to cool completely, an hour or more.

Filling

Combine 1 cup coconut cream from a chilled can of coconut milk, 1 cup prepared sweet potato puree, ginger, sea salt, nutmeg, and agar agar flakes in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Turn heat to the lowest setting, cover, and cook 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes to prevent scorching. Check mixture and if agar agar hasn’t dissolved, cook 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and let mixture stand, covered, 10 minutes.

Spoon coconut mixture into a blender and add lemon zest and juice. Pulse 4 times. (This step blends ginger and lemon zest into the coconut base and makes for a lighter filling.)

Assemble Tart

Spoon filling into cooled tart shell. Chill tart in fridge 1 hour or longer. Once filling is set, cover loosely with plastic wrap.

To Serve

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, and once hot, the pumpkin seeds and sea salt. Toast just until seeds turn golden and start to pop, about 2 minutes. Toss with remaining tablespoon maple syrup, then spread on a piece of parchment to cool. 

Just before serving, open the remaining can of coconut milk, scoop out the cream, and set in a bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add 1 tablespoon maple syrup and beat on high just until the coconut cream is fluffy with soft peaks. 

To serve, top tart with whipped coconut cream and pumpkin seeds, slice, and serve! The tart can be prepped up to a day ahead and leftover slices can be kept loosely wrapped in the fridge. 

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