Vegan Persimmon Tarts

These little persimmon tarts are a treat. A crunchy espresso shortbread dough, sweet fruit, and vegan whipped cream make them an addictive little dessert. This tart recipe highlights the natural sweetness and flavor of persimmons. They are a super impressive little holiday dessert for the autumn or winter months. I have eaten persimmons a lot during the autumn months in Italy, and this tart recipe was something I had in mind since then. And they were everything I hoped for!

What are Persimmons:

The persimmon is an edible fruit from the Diospyros genus. Similar to tomatoes, they are considered berries. A multitude of varieties are cultivated across Asia, Europe, and America. When ripe, the Kaki persimmon has a delicious sweet honey-like taste. It is quite juicy and soft. While not so commonly used in the kitchen, they are perfect for making tarts and loaf cakes or enjoying them just as they are.

Ingredients for making Persimmon Tarts:

For the Dough:

• Flour
• Cane sugar
• Vegan butter substitute
• Espresso
• Cinnamon
• Salt

For the Filling:

• Vegan whipped cream
• Persimmons

This recipe is quite simple. It only features a shortbread dough for the tarts and a filling with vegan whipped cream and persimmons. This recipe highlights the natural deliciousness of persimmons. And for that, you won’t need much more except the ripe fruits. I added espresso and cinnamon to make the tart dough more exciting. The coffee, cinnamon, and organic cane sugar give the tart a delicious caramel flavor that pairs well with the persimmons. Also, you will need a vegan butter substitute. I am using a mild version without an overpowering margarine taste. Alternatively, you can use a neutral vegetable oil for making this recipe.

How to make Vegan Persimmon Tarts:

While the recipe is quite simple overall, it consists of a few different steps we will need to take care of. Firstly, we need to prepare the coffee shortbread dough. After resting the dough, we will make our tarts and bake them empty. Finally, we will fill the shortbread tarts with fresh cubed persimmon and vegan whipped cream.

Making the Espresso Shortbread Dough:

Making the dough is super easy. You only need to factor in a bit of time to let the dough rest when making these tarts. Allow the vegan butter substitute to warm to room temperature so it is easy to work with, and brew some espresso. Next, combine the flour, cane sugar, espresso, and butter substitute. You can work the dough with your hands until the ingredients are incorporated. You should be left with a nice ball of dough like this. Let the dough rest covered in the fridge for at leat 45 minutes.

Shaping and Baking the Empty Tarts:

Next, you can shape the tarts. You can adjust the height and thickness to your forms and liking. I didn’t have designated tart forms, so I went with small cupcake forms instead. I baked the shortbread dough for about 10 minutes at 180° C (360F) until it was nicely browned. Take them out of the oven and let them cool to room temperature.

Finishing the Vegan Persimmon Tarts:

While the tarts are cooling down, we can prepare the filling. I had nice and ripe persimmons, which I peeled and diced finely. They were delicious like this. Next, I freshly whipped a slightly sweetened soy cream. You can also make this recipe using a spray whipped cream if you find a vegan option at your local grocery store.

To fill the tarts, I started by layering a spoonful of vegan whipped cream followed with the fresh persimmon. I topped each tart with a little hat of whipped cream and a dried cranberry for a beautiful color contrast.

Serving Suggestions:

These vegan persimmon tarts are best when enjoyed right away! You can easily keep them in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container as well. They will still taste delicious. The shortbread dough does a great job of staying nice and crispy. Still, they will lose their crunch eventually, and the vegan whipped cream will lose its volume.

I hope you enjoyed this vegan persimmon tart recipe. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Some Recipe Suggestions:

• Easy vegan apple crisp
• Vegan date cookies (Maamoul-inspired)
• Sweet pull-apart bread
• Blood orange olive oil cake with rosemary
• Vegan chocolate cookie recipe
• Vegan banana bread recipe
• French toast with caramelized apples

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