Do you like Bounty chocolate bars? How about if I told you could make a healthier version of the famous chocolate bar in the shape of a rich and decadent tart, yet low-carb and flourless? yes, flourless again, but only because of all that chocolate and the coconut flakes.

I made this tart to take over to a friend who was having us over for dinner. Since she is not a fan of wheat, (to say the least), I knew I wanted to make something flourless, but also rich. Besides, while I am lucky enough to be able to enjoy all kinds of dessert available under the sun, I have to admit that I’m still a bit biased towards not using wheat flour whenever I can, because of the feeling you’re left with after wolfing down a piece of gluten-free cake, and that is lightness.

After beating my head over the attempt of making a good gluten-free tart crust, I decided I don’t want to make a crust at all. Gluten-free crust perfection is hard to achieve and I didn’t really have the time for trial and error. So I decided to go for a crust that’s made out of coconut flakes and egg whites, just perfect for filling with dark chocolate ganache. Mind you, my ganache is not at all on the sweet side, so if you’d like yours a little sweeter, increase the quantity of the sugar by two tablespoons.

This recipe is very easy to make and incredibly good. The only tricky part is not to burn the macaroon crust, as that can happen quite fast. To make sure this doesn’t occur, cut up small pieces of aluminium foil (5x5cm/2x2in) and make sure to evenly cover the sides of the crust. Other than that, making this dessert is pretty simple and the taste, I can assure you, is spectacular. Also, it’s a great make ahead dessert, so if you want to have it in the evening, you can make it early in the morning and then leave it in the fridge and go by your day.

Macaroon Tart with Dark Chocolate Ganache

Serves 8 -12

2 large free-range egg whites, at room temperature

85gr/6 Tblsp coconut sugar (or any type of unrefined sugar)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract, divided

140 gr/1 ½ cups shredded coconut

300ml/1 ¼ cup heavy cream

250gr/9oz chocolate, min 70% cocoa solids, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 150C/300F and grease a 20cm/9 in. glass or ceramic pie pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with the aid of an electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form, then slowly add 55gr/4 Tblsp sugar and mix again until stiff peaks form. Add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract along with the shredded coconut and gently fold in with a spoon until incorporated. Spread this mixture on the bottom and up the sides of a glass pie plate or whatever else cake pan you are using. Cover edges with strips of foil and bake for around 25-35 minutes, making sure it doesn’t burn. Remove foil and bake 5 – 10 minutes more, until edges are lightly browned. Remove and let cool for about 15 minutes on a wire rack.