Going vegan doesn’t mean giving up flaky pie crusts and delicious tarts! With this outstanding collection of comforting recipes, it’s easy to make delectable plant-based pastries that your family and friends will rave about.

Whether you’re looking for a classic childhood favourite, a no-bake tart for a hot summer day or a savoury galette for a quick yet elegant dinner, Helen Au of With Helen has the perfect recipe for you. Traditional favourites such as Blueberry Crumble Pie, Vegan German Chocolate Tart and Pumpkin Caramel Pie are the perfect desserts for any gathering or special occasion. Approachable recipes like Strawberry Matcha Tart, Chinese White Pear and Ginger Pie, Chamomile Grapefruit Tart and Lemony Ricotta Summer Squash Galette feature unique, exciting flavour combinations to please every palate.

Packed with beginner-friendly treats and featuring a variety of tested-and-true crust recipes―including gluten-free and refined sugar-free options―this is the only guide you’ll ever need to make the perfect vegan pie every time.

Cozy Vegan Pies and Tarts: 60 Plant-Based Recipes that Taste Like Home is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Indigo.ca.  

---

Mandarin Orange Panna Cotta Tart

My mom loved buying mandarin oranges, especially during the Chinese holidays. For one, they last longer than other fruits, and two, they are an important symbol of the Chinese New Year, symbolizing abundance and happiness. So, every year, when it came time to celebrate Chinese New Year, our entire refrigerator would be filled with mandarin oranges. We would still be eating them months later, and I would always try to make something out of them . . . like this tart. The filling bursts with citrus flavours; it’s not overly sweet; and it balances well with a buttery crust.

Yield: 1 (9″[23-cm]) tart

For the Crust

160 g (1 cup) 1 to 1 gluten-free flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill® Gluten-Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour)

14 g (2 tbsp) superfine almond flour

75 g (¾ cup) powdered sugar

45 g (1/3 cup) arrowroot powder

¼ tsp fine sea salt

90 g (6 tbsp) unsalted vegan butter, melted

15–30 ml (1–2 tbsp) unsweetened plant-based milk of choice

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

For the Filling

240 ml (1 cup) fresh mandarin orange juice

180 ml (¾ cup) coconut cream

83 ml (⅓cup) unsweetened plant-based milk of choice

100 g (½ cup) cane sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

35 g (3½ tbsp) cornstarch + 45 ml(3 tbsp) cold water, combined

For the Topping (optional)

Fresh mandarin oranges, peeled

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Add the gluten-free flour, almond flour, powdered sugar, arrowroot powder and salt to a bowl. Mix until they are well combined.

In a separate bowl, add the melted vegan butter, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the plant-based milk and vanilla extract, and mix until they are well combined. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until a dough forms. The dough will be slightly crumbly, but if you find that the dough is too dry, add the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of plant-based milk.

Transfer the dough to a 9-inch (23-cm) tart pan, pressing on all the sides until the pan is covered with the crust. Bake the crust for 10 to 12 minutes, or until it is lightly golden. Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool completely.

To make the filling, add the mandarin orange juice, coconut cream, plant-based milk, sugar and vanilla extract to a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the cornstarch slurry to the saucepan, stirring all the ingredients quickly together. Turn off the heat after 10 to 15 seconds, or once the filling starts to thicken.

Pour the filling into the crust. Let it cool for 5 minutes before transferring it to the refrigerator to set for 3 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, top the tart with mandarin oranges, if desired.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Page Street Publishing Co. 2022.