The only way to adequately describe this Chocolate Coconut Tart is to think Mounds Bars. This unusual tart comprises a sublime mixture of cream of coconut, white chocolate, a touch of sour cream and a lot of coconut in a chocolate crust. You'll especially like the no bake aspect of making this.
While completely optional, the white chocolate swirl on top adds visual appeal. Easy to make, easier to eat!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's past easy to make. The crust is a chocolate version of the graham cracker crust.
- It freezes completely made for several months.
- It can be made several days ahead and refrigerated.
- The ingredients are easily available. The cream of coconut can be found in the liquor department of grocery stores.
Recipe Ingredients
Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust
FRONT ROW: Unsalted butter, cocoa powder (either natural or Dutch)
BACK ROW: Graham Crackers, powdered sugar
Coconut Filling
FRONT ROW: White chocolate, sour cream, unsalted butter
BACK ROW: Cream of Coconut, sweetened coconut
Chocolate Glaze and Finish
FRONT ROW: White Chocolate
MIDDLE ROW: Corn syrup, unsalted butter
BACK ROW: Semisweet Chocolate, heavy cream
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Important Ingredients
- Graham crackers made from different companies take more or less butter. Start with ½ cup and add a tablespoon more at a time until they stick together when a small amount is pressed between your fingers.
- Either natural or Dutch cocoa can be used.
- Real Cream of Coconut is the brand I like because it is a translucent liquid with no lumps of coconut in it.
- Full fat or Light sour cream can be used.
- Honey or Golden syrup can be subbed for the corn syrup.
- Make sure to use heavy cream for the ganache
- I found another white chocolate I like a lot. It can be found at Aldi's, among other places, and is a less expensive than the Ghirardelli. They are both 4 ounces. The Moser Roth is a bit creamier and has specs of Madagascar vanilla bean in it. Both are good.
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients & instructions.
Step by Step Instructions
Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust
Step 1. Place the dry ingredients - graham crackers, cocoa and powdered sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Step 2. Process until uniform fine crumbs form. Step 3. Remove the crumbs to a medium size bowl and add ½ cup of the melted butter. Step 4. Toss with a fork until all of the crumbs are coated. Pick up a few and press them between your fingers. If they don't stick together well, add the remaining butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Retest to see if they need the last tablespoon.
Step 5. Place the called for amount of crumbs evenly around the rim of the tart pan. Step 6. Press them firmly into the sides of the pan Step 7. Place the remaining crumbs evenly on the bottom of the pan With your hand or a measuring cup, press them firmly into the bottom and along the sides of the pan. Step 8. Refrigerate the finished crust while the filling is being made.
Coconut Filling
Step 1. Coarsely chop the white chocolate to make it easier to melt. Step 2. Place it in a medium size bowl with the cream of coconut. Microwave at ½ power for about a 1 to 1 ½ minutes. Be careful to start on the low side as white chocolate burns very, very easily. Alternatively, make a double boiler by placing the bowl over a saucepan filled with a couple of inches of water. Bring the water to a bare simmer - no more. Do not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl. Step 3. Whisk to smooth out the chocolate. If it isn't smooth, heat again very briefly. It is easier to control in a double boiler. Step 4. Add the butter.
Step 5. Whisk in the butter. If the mixture is too cool, reheat briefly - just enough to melt the butter. Step 6. Add the sour cream. Step 7. Whisk it in. Step 8. Add all of the coconut.
Step 9. Stir the mixture to coat all of the coconut. Step 10. Remove the crust from the fridge and spoon the filling into the chocolate shell. Step 11. Smooth the top. Step 12. Cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight to firm up.
Step 13. Place the cream, corn syrup, butter and chocolate in a medium size bowl. Heat at half power for 20 t0 30 seconds to melt the chocolate or place over a double boiler. Whisk to smooth out. It should be pourable but not runny. Step 14. Pour the ganache over the tart and level it with a small offset spatula or by picking it up and carefully tilting in each direction to let the ganache run to the edge of the filling. Do not go over the edge of the crust. Step 15. Melt the 2 ounces of white chocolate very carefully at half power in the microwave, starting at abut 10 to 15 seconds. Do not over heat or it will burn. Dip a soup spoon into the white chocolate and wave it over the chocolate ganache in circles. Step 16. Quickly, with a toothpick or small wooden skewer, marbleize the white chocolate by dragging the toothpick through the white chocolate in a random pattern. The dark chocolate needs to be unset to do this. Refrigerate.
Recipe FAQS
Desiccated coconut, shredded and flaked. Desiccated coconut involves finely grating coconut meat and drying it until only 3% moisture remains. It is very dry and usually unsweetened. Shredded coconut is fresh or dried. Fresh has a higher moisture content but drier versions last longer. Last, Coconut Flakes are larger and fatter than shredded. They can be sweetened which are most often used for baking and decorating or unsweetened.
Despite having the word nut at the end, coconut is a type of fruit known as a drupe.
White chocolate isn't chocolate at all but it is made from cocoa butter, milk solids and sugar. It contains no cocoa solids which make chocolate dark. When buying white chocolate check to make sure cocoa butter is listed in the ingredients. If it isn't then it isn't real white chocolate.
Expert Tips
- The most important tip is to use very little heat for the shortest time when melting white chocolate if there is little or no liquid with it. It burns very easily and there is no saving it after that.
- Keep a couple of tablespoons of butter out when adding to the crumbs. I have also found, that stirring the butter into the crumbs requires less butter than if added to the crumbs while in the processor.
- Always chop any chocolate when melting it. Large pieces will melt unevenly and the smaller pieces can burn while the others need more time to melt.
- When melting any chocolate, it should be heated until about half of the chocolate is hot and melty. Stirring, will melt the remainder. The general rule is chocolate melts between 86 and 90 degrees so very little heat is needed to melt it.
- The most delicate chocolate to melt is white chocolate. It burns very easily.
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Chocolate Coconut Tart
Equipment
- 1 9 x 1" tart pan with removable bottom.
Ingredients
Chocolate Crumb Crust
- 1 ⅓ cups graham crackers (170 grams)
- ¼ cup cocoa, natural or Dutch (20 grams)
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar (45 grams)
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (150 grams or 1 stick + 2 tablespoons)
Coconut Filling
- ¾ cup cream of coconut
- 4 ounces white chocolate (114 grams)
- ⅓ cup sour cream, full fat or light
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (90 grams)
- 3 cups sweetened coconut flakes, packed (255 grams)
Chocolate Ganache
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (45 grams)
- 2 tablespoons clear corn syrup
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate (114 grams)
- 2 ounces white chocolate (60 grams)
Instructions
Chocolate Crumb Crust
- Place the graham crackers, cocoa and powdered sugar in the bowl of a processor. Process until uniform, fine crumbs form.
- Remove the crumbs to a medium size bowl and add ½ cup of the melted butter. Toss with a fork until all of the crumbs are coated. Pick up a few and press them between your fingers. If they don't stick together well, add the remaining butter 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Spray the bottom only of the tart pan with a non-stick baking release. Place ⅔ of the crumbs (about 200 grams) evenly around the rim of the pan. Press them firmly into the sides of the pan.
- Place the remaining crumbs evenly in the bottom of the pan. With your hand or the bottom of a ⅓ cup measure, press the crumbs firmly against the bottom of the pan and the sides of the pan joining those at the bottom of the rim.
- Refrigerate while preparing the filling.
Coconut Filling
- Coarsely chop the white chocolate to make it easier to melt. Place it in a medium size bowl with the cream of coconut.
- Microwave on half power for about 1 minute. Whisk to smooth out. Microwave for about 20 seconds more if it isn't smooth.The times given are for my microwave and may be different than yours. In any case, err on the side of less heat as white chocolate burns very easily.
- The bowl may also be placed over barely simmering water that does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Heat, stirring often until the chocolate is melted.
- Add the butter and whisk in. If it doesn't melt completely, reheat briefly.
- Whisk in the sour cream until everything is smooth.
- Add all of the coconut and stir with a spoon to blend the ingredients. Remove the chocolate crust from the fridge and pour the filling into the crust, using an offset spatula to smooth it out. Cover the top with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 4 hours or overnight.
Chocolate Ganache and Finishing
- Place the cream, butter, corn syrup and chocolate in a medium size bowl and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds at half power. Stir (do not whisk or there is a chance of air bubbles forming) until smooth. This may be done over a double boiler also. The ganache should be pourable but not runny. If it is too loose, let it sit at room temperature to thicken.
- Just before pouring the ganache over the coconut, melt the 2 ounces of white chocolate with very low heat and stir until smooth. Have a toothpick or small wooden skewer close to the tart.
- Pour the chocolate ganache on top of the coconut filling. Either pick it up and carefully rotate it around so the ganache slides to the inside edge of the tart covering the coconut or spread it with an offset spatula.
- Immediately, using a soup or serving spoon, dip it into the white chocolate and wave it in circles over the ganache. Quickly, drag the toothpick or skewer through the white chocolate to make a marbleized finish. Try not to go through to the filling. Refrigerate to set up.
- The tart can be made several days ahead and refrigerated as long as there are no strong smells from other food. Butter and chocolate pick them up. It can also be frozen, then wrapped well in foil and frozen for several months. Thaw in the fridge.
- This is best served near room temperature - although I have been known to eat it anyway it's available.
Notes
Nutrition
Wrenn Kates says
Made this for my Mom’s 83rd birthday dessert. She LOVED it! Said it was the best chocolate coconut dessert she has ever had! So easy to make and the recipe/directions are very clear. Thank you!
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Wrenn - So happy I could contribute to a wonderful birthday for your mother. Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate it.
Mark says
This is a correction of my earlier review. My positive comments posted, but only one star appeared.
The tart deserves 5 Stars!
Mark says
Delicious! Make exactly as instructed. Since I don't like graham crackers, I decided to make home made chocolate cookies for the crust, reducing the melted butter. The sweet filling calls for a less sweet and less rich crust than what I created. I'm giving this a five star rating because I'm convinced had I gone with Helen's crust, it would have been better. It's also a lot of fun making designs with the chocolate!
Mark says
I have wonderful things to say about the tart. Somehow, only one star appeared. This is a 5 star recipe.
Susan Brooks says
This looks like a fabulous dessert for coconut and chocolate lovers. Will make this for our Festival of Tables at our church next month. Actually, I will need to make two - my husband and I will have to taste test it, again and again😊
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Susan - You made me laugh out lough and I'm so happy you'll be sharing it at church.
BILLY D. BOGGS says
I truly love chocolate and coconut pie I'm sure I'll love this recipe thank you
Helen S Fletcher says
HI Billy - I sure hope you do.
Lynn Fiorante says
Amazing
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Lynn - I hope you get a chance to try it It truly is as you describe it.