This is really the easiest recipe you will ever make for a homemade passion fruit tart. This delicious vegan Passion Fruit tart recipe is filled with a creamy, tangy passion fruit custard-like filling, vegan gluten-free, and a super healthy dessert that you could eat without any feeling guilty.
I love maracuja or passion fruit. When you open a fresh passion fruit, the smell is absolutely amazing, as if you were on a tropical island. It brings me memories from my childhood in Israel when my mom prepared us a fresh tropical juice using passion fruit, ice, sugar, and mint leaves.
or me, it’s a no-brainer. I grew up with this flavor and every time I see it somewhere, I have to buy it. Just like mangoes.
If you can’t find the actual fruit in your product aisle, the pulp usually available at the frozen section of your supermarket, when I don't find it I buy it directly from this brand
What's the origin of Passion Fruit?
According to wikipedia The passion fruit is so called because it is one of the many species of passion flower, the English translation of the Latin genus name, Passiflora, and may be spelled "passion fruit", "passionfruit", or "passion-fruit". Around 1700, the name was given by missionaries in Brazil as an educational aid while trying to convert the indigenous inhabitants to Christianity; its name was flor das cinco chagas or "flower of the five wounds" to illustrate the crucifixion of Christ, with other plant components also named after an emblem in the Passion of Jesus.
Healthy Vegan Passion Fruit Pie
A delicious passion fruit pie is a classic dessert for the any season and I actually can’t get enough of it! Since this recipe is quite healthy, I make it several times a year and never regret it.
You can make it with a store-bought pie crust or try my vegan gluten-free pie crust. I tried to make it as healthy as possible with minimal oil.
3 reasons why you should give this vegan passion fruit pie a try:
- It’s 100% natural, egg-free, gluten-free, and contains wholesome ingredients, plus it is plant-based.
- The pie is quick and very easy to make; anyone can make it!
- Your kitchen will smell heavenly, sweet, and spicy, yum!
How to make your own passion fruit pulp at home?
You can simply buy ready passion fruit pulp from the supermarkets or order online or you can make it at home if you want to.
Ingredients you need to make homemade passion fruit pulp:
- Fresh passion fruit
- knife
- Small spoon
- Silicone Ice cube molds
- Strainer
- Small pan
Simply using a sharp knife, slice the passion fruits in half. Use a small spoon to scoop the pulp from its skin. Add the pulp to a small pan and gently heat over low heat, so it liquefies it a bit — this will make it much easier to strain. Now you can strain the warmed pulp through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Store the strained pulp into the silicone ice cube molds and freeze at least overnight. Now you have made your own homemade passion fruit pulp.
Passion Fruit Ingredients
This easy healthy passion fruit pie contains only simple vegan ingredients. All measurements can be found below in the recipe card!
Pie Filling:
- Passion Fruit pulp ( store-bought or homemade)
- Vegan cream cheese* ( see notes how to make your own at home)
- White sugar
- Agar-Agar Powder
- Warm water
- Fresh raspberries for decorating (optional)
Vegan Flaky Pie Crust:
- Gluten-free flour
- Almond flour
- Vegan Butter or coconut oil
- Coconut sugar or brown sugar
- Sea salt
- Full fat coconut milk or vegan whipped cream ( not whipped)
How to make your own vegan Cream Cheese?
- and ½ cups (225g) Raw Cashews (soaked in hot water for 1 hour)*
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- ½ cup (120ml) Coconut Cream
- 1 tsp White Vinegar
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- ½ tsp Dried Dill (Optional)
- Weight the cashews for the most accurate result.
- Add the soaked cashews (drained) to the blender jug along with the lemon juice, coconut cream, white vinegar, salt, and onion powder and blend. If you have a stick attachment with your blender then use this to push the cream cheese down onto the blades making it easier to blend. If you don’t have a stick attachment then stop regularly and scrape down the sides and give it a stir and then continue until it’s very smooth.
- Transfer the blended mix to a bowl and then add in the dried dill and stir or whisk it in. (I place the cashews into a bowl and then pour boiling water from the kettle over them. Then just cover with a cloth and leave for an hour to soak). Your cream cheese is now ready to use.
- Keep it stored in the fridge. It will firm up overnight in the fridge so will have a firmer texture on day 2 vs on the day you make it.
Can I use Brown sugar or coconut sugar instead?
Yes you can! Only take in consideration the filling color would change a little bit than how you see in the tutorial of this recipe.
What is Agar- Agar powder?
Agar-agar, known as just agar in culinary circles, is plant-based gelatin derived from seaweed. The white and semitranslucent vegetable gelatin is sold in flake, powder, bar, and strand form and can be used in several dairy-free and vegan recipes as a stabilizing and thickening agent. It is often promoted as a vegetarian substitute for regular gelatin, which is made from animal products. Agar-agar is also used in gluten-free recipes as a thickener and is very nutritious.
How to Cook With Agar-Agar
Before agar can be added to a recipe, it needs to be dissolved in water and then boiled; it cannot be dissolved in a liquid or added directly to food. Dissolve the agar in a liquid in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, and then simmer until slightly thickened, about five to seven minutes. Agar powder dissolves more quickly than flakes and strands, which need extra soaking time and stirring to fully dissolve. (Flakes, bars, and strands can be processed into powder before using.)
To use agar flakes in a recipe, measure 1 tablespoon for every cup of liquid; for agar powder, use 1 teaspoon to thicken 1 cup of liquid. (The general rule of thumb when substituting agar for gelatin is to use an equal amount of agar powder and one-third the number of flakes as gelatin.) Once the dissolved agar is added to a recipe, it will take approximately an hour to set at room temperature. Most recipes using agar are eaten cold, so the dish will need to be refrigerated.
It is important to note that foods high in acidities, such as citrus fruits, strawberries, and kiwi, may require additional agar to gel fully.
How to make gluten-free passion fruit pie crust?
You could sub the all-purpose flout with a mixture of 120 g rice flour and 40 g tapioca flour, however, a store-bought gluten-free flour blend should work as well!
What Can I use instead of vegan butter?
You can use melted coconut oil instead of room temperature softened vegan butter.
THIS VEGAN PAASION FRIUT PIE IS:
- Dairy-free & egg-free
- Gluten-free
- Can be made refined sugar-free
- Sweet
- Tropical flavor
- Moist
- A great breakfast or dessert
- Easy to make with simple ingredients
If you like healthy pie recipes, definitely also check out the following delicious gluten-free & vegan recipes:
Healthy Vegan Passion Fruit Tart
Equipment
- Pie dish 8''
- Pan
- Manual whisker
Ingredients
Pie Filling:
- 750 g Vegan cream cheese* See note above how to make your own
- 1 cup White sugar* or Coconut sugar/ Brown sugar
- 200 g Passion Fruit Pulps* Frozen
- 1 Tablespoon Agar Agar Powder*
- 1 cup warm water
Pie Crust
- 1 cup all purpose flour* (See notes for GF option)
- 1 teaspoon 1 tsp salt (skip if using salted butter)
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 225 g unsalted vegan butter * cubed room temperature or coconut oil*
- 115 ml coconut milk full fat or vegan whipped cream
Decorating
- Fresh raspberries
Instructions
Pie Crust:
- Put flour, sugar, salt, milk & unsweetened vegan butter (room temperature) into the bowl of a food processor and whisk or pulse 6 to 8 times until combined.
- Using your hands, quickly pack the dough into a smooth ball.
- Wrap the dough disk tightly in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Once your pie dough is chilled, remove from fridge and let it warm up on floured surface for a few minutes.
- Roll out with a rolling pin , always start at the center of the crust, on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle; about ⅛ of an inch thick. As you roll out the dough, check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. If necessary, add a few sprinkles of flour under the dough to keep the dough from sticking.
- Carefully place onto a 9-inch pie plate. Gently press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate.
- Use a pair of kitchen scissors to trim the dough to within ½ inch of the edge of the pie dish.
- Using a fork make some holes in the bottom of the pie.
- Bake in preheated oven to 350°F (180°C) for about 20-20 minutes ( static) covering with parchment paper and filled with raw lentils or chickpeas to create a weight which keeps the form of the pie crust.
Prepare the Vegan Gelatine:
- use 1 tbs to every 1 cup of liquid. (The general rule of thumb when substituting agar for gelatin is to use an equal amount of agar powder and one-third the amount of flakes as gelatin.)
Passion Fruit Pie Filling:
- Now add the frozen pitaya pulps and kee stirring togethert over low heat until the filling becomes vibrant yellow and smooth liquid.
- In a medium sauce pan add the vegan cream cheese and the sugar.
- Using a manual whisker mix together over low heat till they are looking soft and silky.
- Add the 2 Tbs of the gelatine and keep stirring till it starts bubbling.
- Turn off the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes then pour over the cooled pie crust base
- Since the filling is hot still, wait an hour before storing in the fridge, then store in the fridge for at least 4 hours. ( I like to store it overnight for best final result)
- Top with fresh berries, I used raspberries, and enjoy every slice.
- Store pie leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Video
Notes
- Check the video above in the blog post.
- Gluten-free flour blend: I used 120 g rice flour and 40 g tapioca flour. A store-bought gluten-free flour blend (with similar ingredients) should work as well.
- See above how to make your own vegan cream cheese.
- If you don't find ready-made passion fruit pulp, make your own; see the recipe description above to learn how to make your own passion fruit pulp.
- For the Agar Agar use for each 1 Tbs 1 cup of liquid, see the method above.
- Decorate the passion fruit pie with any berries you like, better if they are fresh and not frozen.
- Store pie leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Making this recipie today for Thanksgiving tomorrow....I will post a picture when the final product is done....so excited 😊
Yay! Thank you Sabrina hope you enjoy it and wish you a happy Thanksgiving and all your family 🧡