Serve this to your guests and you’ll bring them lots of joy! The Gluten Free Chocolate Meringue Tart is a sweeter chocolate tart, not as rich or chocolaty as the Chocolate Ganache Tart (still one of my very favorites), and has a softer, creamier texture as well.
You could also serve a dollop of barely sweetened whipped cream on the side, which will contrast the sweet meringue. The flavor of the crisp shortbread underneath comes through and compliments the creamy chocolate. You can definitely make this dairy free as well, using an almond milk in place of the whole milk and a non-dairy butter in place of the butter in the crust and the filling. Hope you enjoy it!
~Laura
(revised 11/2022)
Gluten Free Chocolate Meringue Tart
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup Ryze Rice Flour Blend or ¾ cup Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour
- 1/4 cup almond flour gf
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 4 tbsp butter or dairy free butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
- 1 tsp vanilla gf
Filling
- 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch gf
- 2 1/2 tbsp cacao powder gf
- 1 cup, plus 1 tbsp whole milk or dairy free milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 2.2 ounces, or ¼ cup plus 1 tbsp chopped 70% or 75% cocoa dark chocolate (or chocolate chips), gf
- 1 tsp vanilla gluten free
- 2 tbsp butter or dairy free butter, cut into pieces
Meringue
- 3 large egg whites
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar gf
- 1/2 tsp vanilla gf
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir on medium with the paddle attachment, the Ryze flour or Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1, almond flour, sugar and butter pieces. Mix for several minutes. Add the vanilla and continue mixing until butter is incorporated into the flour, and dough is starting to come together.
- Lightly grease the parchment paper. Pour into a parchment lined 8" tart pan, or a parchment lined 8" spring form pan. Press the dough evenly on the bottom of the pan and up the sides, trying to make the same thickness everywhere.
- Bake for 13 – 15 minutes. Tart should only be barely golden on the edges, as it will continue cooking when filling and meringue are added.
Filling
- Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl.
- In a small saucepan stir together the sugar, cornstarch, and cacao powder.
- Stir in the milk and turn the burner on low. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, adjusting the burner as needed.
- When the custard starts to thicken and is almost at a boil, pour a half a cup of the hot milk mixture into the eggs yolks, whisking the eggs quickly as the heated milk pours in, with the other hand. Whisk the egg mixture into the saucepan, stirring very quickly and thoroughly.
- Add the dark chocolate pieces and continue cooking on low for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add the vanilla and butter. Pour into baked crust and bake for 20 minutes at 300 °F.
- Make the meringue while the tart is baking.
Meringue
- In a very clean and dry bowl of a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on low for a few minutes until frothy, then increase the speed to medium high and whip until soft peaks form.
- Add the sugar very gradually, shaking in with the mixer on. Add the cream of tartar then continue to whip on medium high or high, until stiff and glossy peaks form.
- Fold the vanilla in using a spatula. Spoon the meringue into a pastry bag fit with a star tip.
- When the chocolate filling’s twenty minute timer has gone off, remove the tart from the oven.
- Pipe the meringue over the top of the chocolate pie filling, which will still be soft, making pointed circular decorations across the top. Or if you prefer, use a spatula to spread meringue over the top of the filling, making some peaks in the meringue, while also being very careful as the filling will still will be soft.
- Bake the tart with the meringue for 18 – 25 minutes, and until peaks are getting golden. Remove from the oven and cool. Refrigerate after cooled. When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator and remove from the tart pan or spring form pan and parchment Serve chilled. Makes 6-8 slices.
