Vegan Blueberry Tart
You won't believe how fresh and fruity this vegan blueberry tart tastes! Vanilla shortcrust pastry (pâte sablée) is topped with a generous filling of juicy blueberries and finished with a shiny glaze for a bakery-style finish. It's a wonderful dessert to serve during summertime!
Equipment
Ingredients
Shortcrust Pastry
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2.5 ounces vegan butter cold and diced
- 2 tbsp ice water
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Blueberry Filling
- 2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3/4 tsp agar powder
- 2 tbsp cornstarch (diluted in 2 tbsp water)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Glaze
- 3 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp agar powder
Instructions
Shortcrust Pastry
- Preheat the oven to
350 °F (175°C). - Mix the dry ingredients. Add the flour, powdered sugar, and salt to a bowl or stand mixer and mix until combined.
- Add the cold butter. Next, dice the cold butter into 1/2-inch cubes and add them to the flour mixture. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it forms a fine sandy texture. If you are using a stand mixer, mix on low speed using the paddle attachment.
- Add the ice water. Once the texture resembles sand, add the ice water and vanilla extract. Knead until it forms a dough. Do not over-knead and stop as soon as the dough comes together.
- Prepare your pie pan. Lightly grease an 8-inch pie pan with a dollop of vegan butter.
- Flatten the dough. Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper and top it with another layer of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough to a ⅛-inch thick (about 5mm) circle.
- Transfer to the pan. Next, transfer the flattened dough to your pie plate and gently press the dough into the sides. If there is still excess dough, trim it using a pair of scissors or run the rolling pin on the edges of the plate to cut it off.
- Prick the dough. Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork. This will allow the steam to escape and prevent the crust from puffing up.
- Fill with pie weights. Cut a circle of parchment paper large enough to fit the bottom of your crust. Place it inside the pan, on top of the crust, leaving the edges uncovered. Top the layer of parchment paper with pie weights or dry beans. I usually use a mix of expired dried beans. The weights will prevent the crust from puffing during baking.
- Bake. Bake the crust in the lower rack of your oven for about 15 minutes or until the sides are slightly golden brown. Next, carefully remove the weights and the parchment paper and bake for another 15 minutes. The bottom of your crust should be golden brown. Allow the crust to cool completely before adding the blueberry filling.
Blueberry Filling
- Combine the ingredients in a saucepan. Add the blueberries, maple syrup, lemon juice, agar powder, and vanilla extract to a medium saucepan.
- Cook the blueberries. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring regularly, and cook for 5-7 minutes. Once the blueberries are soft and start to pop, mash about 1/3 of them using a wooden spoon or spatula by pressing them to the side of the saucepan.
- Thicken the filling. Next, dissolve the cornstarch in the water and add it to the pan. Stir and cook for one more minute or until the filling has thickened.
- Pour into the pie crust. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the filling into the pie crust. Use a spoon to spread it into an even layer.
- Chill. Allow the tart to cool at room temperature for about 1 hour before transferring it to the refrigerator. The filling will thicken as it cools, plus this pie tastes a lot better fresh!
- You can store this blueberry tart for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Glaze
- Add the water, sugar, and agar to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved.
- Use a pastry brush to spread the glaze on top of the blueberry tart. Allow the glaze to set in the refrigerator for at least one hour. This will give your tart a "mirror" finish.
Notes
- Use cold butter. It’s very important to use cold butter when preparing the shortcrust pastry. If your butter is at room temperature, your dough will be very soft, sticky, and hard to work with. In addition, the texture won’t be as sandy or flaky. For the best results, dice your butter, transfer it to a bowl, and keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. This way your butter will be perfectly cold.
- Adjust the amount of sugar. Depending on the sweetness of your blueberries, you might have to adjust the amount of sugar. I suggest tasting the blueberry filling before adding the cornstarch to ensure the sweetness is to your liking. For information, I noticed that the filling tastes less sweet once it is cool.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 158 kcal | Carbohydrates: 26.2 g | Protein: 1.8 g | Fat: 4.7 g | Saturated Fat: 1.3 g | Sodium: 138 mg | Potassium: 59 mg | Fiber: 1.4 g | Sugar: 10.6 g | Calcium: 14 mg | Iron: 1 mg