I have said before that I spent years of my life not eating dairy or soy due to breastfeeding and sensitivities of my babies. I have learned through more disciplined eating that I do feel a whole lot better when I don’t eat dairy and soy (a lot less bloating, a lot better skin, etc etc). All of that intro to say that good dairy-free, soy-free, and refined sugar-free treats are hard to find. I can’t tell you how many chalky, or incredibly bitter or just flavorless things I have tried. And then I discovered Hu Kitchen.

I think after I had that first bite of a Hu Chocolate Bar that I must have told everyone I knew that was vegan, or had dietary restrictions, about it. It was chocolate that didn’t have all the extra things in it, but still tasted like the chocolate I craved. It has been a few years since I first tried that chocolate bar, and now every time I see them at the store, I always grab 1 or 2.

I am thrilled that I now have the chance to be a part of the Hu Ambassador program because it really is a brand that I love and ethically are a brand that I can stand behind. They have offered a code for my followers ALANA15 for 15% at www.hukitchen.com and believe me you are going to want to give them a try! And they don’t only have chocolate, they have these amazing grain-free crackers (pizza flavor has my heart) and you can check it all out here.

The gems are the perfect replacement for chocolate chips in any recipe, or for that little handful that you sneak in the middle of the day.

This recipe is one that I made up when I wanted to try to make a kind of mousse feeling tart. It came out amazing! If you don’t love chocolate and orange, just omit all the orange, and it will still be incredibly rich, silky, and smooth. There are a few steps and I like to refrigerate overnight before serving, but don’t let that stop you from trying it out, because it really is easy and each of the steps only takes a few minutes.

Orange Chocolate Tart (vegan, gluten and refined sugar-free)

Ingredients:

Crust

1 cup gluten-free oats

1 cup almond flour

2 dates

½ cup coconut sugar (or white sugar)

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

4 tbsp melted coconut oil or vegan butter

Filling

1 cup chopped Hu Orange Dream Vanilla Cashew Butter Dark Chocolate (1 bar)

1 cup coconut cream (I like to refrigerate a can of coconut milk for 24 hours and scoop off the cream from the top)

1 tbsp maple syrup

Zest from half orange

1 tsp vanilla

Pinch of salt

Topping

Zest from half an orange

½ tsp Maldon flake salt

2 tbsp coconut sugar

Directions:

Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350ºf

2. In a food processor, pulse together oats, almond flour, dates, sugar, and salt until oats are well mixed and broken down. Add in vanilla and coconut oil. Pulse until well mixed.

3. Press mixture into a tart pan, using the back of a measuring cup to help push it down.

4. Bake for 9-11 minutes and then set aside to cool completely.

Filling

1. Put the chopped chocolate into a medium-sized mixing bowl.

2. Over medium heat in a small saucepan, heat coconut cream until it barely starts to boil, then carefully pour over the chopped chocolate and let it stand for 5 minutes.

3. Using a whisk, mix the chocolate and cream together until smooth.

4. Mix in the maple syrup, orange zest, vanilla, and salt.

5. Refrigerate for 3 hours, until it has completely cooled and thickened.

6. Using the whisk attachment on your stand mixer, or hand mixer, mix the filling for about 5 minutes.

7. Pour into the cooled tart shell and put back into the fridge overnight, or for 3-4 hours.

8. Before serving, mix orange zest, flake salt, and coconut sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle on top of the tart.

This tart should be kept refrigerated and lasts 3-4 days in the fridge.