This recipe came about one extremely hot summer’s day when I had masses of blackberries from one of my playgroup friends. I definitely didn’t want to turn on the oven but had this idea to make a blackberry tart for our dinner guests. And thus the no-bake tart was born!
You can make the tart base ahead of time and keep in the freezer for whenever you need it. Just remember to move it to the fridge 30 minutes before you want to serve so you can actually cut it.
And make sure you use smooth creamy ricotta from a tub instead of the more crumbly ricotta from the deli.
No-Bake Berry Tart
Ingredients
- 100 g unsalted butter (3.5oz)
- 200 g roast almonds (7oz )
- 500 g smooth ricotta (1lb)
- 1/8 teaspoon pure stevia powder* OR 2 tablespoons icing (powdered) sugar
- 1 vanilla bean optional
- 250 g berries (8oz)
Instructions
- Melt butter in a small saucepan. Line a 20cm (8in) pie dish or tart case with foil or baking (parchment) paper.
- Whizz almonds in your food processor until it looks like bread crumbs. You want a few little chunks. Add the melted butter and whizz again until combined.
- Scoop almond mixture into the lined pie dish and use your fingers and a spoon to spread evenly over the base and sides. Freeze for at least 20 minutes. You just want the butter to solidify to set the base.
- While the base is chilling, mix stevia, the scraped seeds from your vanilla bean (if using) into the ricotta. Keep the vanilla bean for another use. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed.
- When you’re ready to serve, spread ricotta into your base. Pile berries into the center and let everyone admire before you cut into wedges.
Variations
*important note about stevia! – there are 4 types of stevia:
1. Pure Stevia Powder – looks like icing (powdered / confectioners) sugar. It’s expensive but a tiny amount goes a long long way. We’re talking 1/2 teaspoon to sweeten a whole cake. This is I use.
2. Granular Stevia (like Natvia or Truvia) – looks like regular white sugar. It’s a blend of erythritol and stevia. Usually 1/8 teaspoon pure stevia powder = 2-3 tablespoons granular stevia.
3. Fresh or Dried Stevia Leaves – from a real stevia plant! I haven’t baked with them but they will behave similar to the pure stevia powder. Just add to taste.
4. Liquid stevia. I haven’t used this. But add to taste.
granular stevia – replace pure powder with 2-3 tablespoons granular stevia.
no stevia – Feel free to use sugar or your fave sweetener for the ricotta.
different fruit – Summer berries are a fave but any seasonal fresh or cooked fruit will work here. Think roast pears, rosy rhubarb or sunny peaches.
nut-free / budget – use sunflower seeds or your favourite plain sweet cookie instead of the almonds.
different nuts – I like almonds best here but pretty much any nut will work.
dairy-free – use coconut oil for the base and make some macadamia ‘ricotta’ for the filling.
short on time – serve berries with fresh cream.
paleo (grain, legume & dairy-free) – serve berries with coconut cream.
Problem Solving Guide
bland – more stevia or a little icing sugar (if you don’t mind the carbs). Or this chocolate sauce.
filling too soft – the filling is quite soft but different brands of ricotta vary in their thickness – next time choose a different brand.
base too thick – next time use a larger pie dish so the base gets spread more thinly.
base too hard to eat – allow it to come to room temp so the butter softens a little.
bitter / unpleasant flavour – next time try a different brand of stevia – or just use sugar. Some people are very sensitive to unpleasant flavours in stevia – so you may be one of them. Sorry!
Waste Avoidance Strategy
butter – will keep in the fridge for weeks.
almonds / pure stevia powder / vanilla bean – keep them in the pantry.
ricotta – in a sealed tub it usually has a shelf life of a few weeks in the fridge. If in an opened container, will only keep for a few days so use for another meal or freeze.
berries – use for another meal.
Prep Ahead
The unfilled base will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge or indefinitely in the freezer. The ricotta mixture will keep for a week or so in the fridge and can be frozen.
Shelf Life / Storage
Best to eat within a few hours of putting the filling in the base. It will still be edible for up to 2 weeks in the fridge but the base will soften over time.
The unfilled base will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge or indefinitely in the freezer. The ricotta mixture will keep for a week or so in the fridge and can be frozen.
Add to my Old Favourite Recipes
I made these last week for my husband’s birthday. I changed up the recipe a bit and made enough to try the shells unbaked and baked (I absolutely love the ability to change servings). We liked the crunch of the baked shell better I think but both were good. I used lactose free cream cheese for the ricotta, which gave a French pastry vibe. I also used a mixture of frozen cherries and raspberries cooked briefly with a bit of sugar and cornstarch. This is something I would definitely make again for guests! Awesome and he loved the special gluten free/lactose free dessert. Thanks for the recipe, just in time Jules
Love it Sandy! And good to know you liked the baked shell better. Will have to try it