Carob Strawberry Tarts

Most days, dessert is simply a piece of fruit, and that is as it should be. And there are days that call for something made with a little more care, a birthday or a quiet celebration of how far you have come. These small tarts are for those days.

The shell is dried dates and shredded coconut processed into a sticky, sweet base, real whole food doing the work of a crust. Carob stands in for chocolate and gives its own deep, roasted note. The strawberry filling is a source of vitamin C, which supports immune function, folded into coconut cream for richness.

This one asks for time and your hands, and that is part of the gift of it. Press the shells, chill the filling, and when you spoon it in, let yourself look at the color of the strawberries against the dark crust. Slow desserts are meant to be made slowly and eaten with presence.

Ingredients

• 1/8 pound strawberries, hulled
• 3 tablespoons coconut cream
• 1 1/8 teaspoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla (or a scant 1/8 teaspoon vanilla powder)
• 12 dried dates, pitted
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 tablespoons carob powder

Every ingredient here is already elimination-friendly, so nothing needs swapping. The carob powder is the deliberate stand-in for chocolate, which is off-limits on AIP. You will need a blender, a food processor, and a muffin tin. The source notes you can swap in raspberries, blackberries, or cherries and adjust the honey to taste.

Method

• Heat the oven to 375F.
• Blend the strawberries, coconut cream, honey, and vanilla until smooth, then chill the filling while you make the shells.
• Process the dates, shredded coconut, and carob powder until they come together into a sticky, flour-like mixture, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Press roughly 2 tablespoons of the mixture into each muffin-tin well, letting it ride a little up the sides. Wet hands keep it from sticking.
• Bake about 10 minutes. Let the shells cool fully so they firm up and release; give any soft ones up to 5 more minutes.
• Spoon about a tablespoon of the chilled filling into each shell and chill at least 30 minutes before serving.

*Adapted from acleanplate.com*