Vegan · Gluten-Free · Refined-Sugar-Free Options

By Jennifer Whitmire, MS, MEd, MH, CHES, NEP

I didn’t follow a recipe to make this tart. Like most things in my kitchen, it just happened, because I started mixing things that I knew my body would love. I followed my instincts, and before I knew it, I had the dessert that was amazing at Thanksgiving.

This Chocolate Pecan Tart is rich, silky, super chocolatey, and looks like something you spent all day making… even though it’s super simple with only 7 ingredients.

This dessert makes people say, “Wait?! This is healthy?” And, that’s my favorite magic trick. Sweetness without the crash. Chocolate without the inflammation.

It’s made from real food, pecans, cacao, coconut milk, almond butter. These are ingredients that your body recognizes. Ingredients that don’t confuse your hormones, dysregulate your gut, or increase inflammation.

If you want something beautiful, impressive, and truly supportive this season… this is it.

Make it for a party, make it for guests, or make it on a random Tuesday, because you deserve a little joy that doesn’t come with consequences.

Let’s make it again.

Chocolate Pecan Tart

CRUST

No bake · No sweetener · Only whole foods

• 2 cups pecans, soaked 4 hours, rinsed and drained
  
• 2–4 tablespoons cacao powder (depending on how chocolatey you want the crust)
  
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  
• Pinch of sea salt

Directions:

1. Add soaked pecans to a food processor and pulse to break them down.
   
2. Add cacao, cinnamon, and sea salt. Blend until the mixture sticks together when pressed.
   
3. Press firmly into a tart pan (removable bottom is ideal).
   
4. Set aside while you make the filling.
   

FILLING

• 2 cups dark chocolate dairy-free chips
  • 80%+ dark chocolate recommended:
    • Pascha 85% or 100% chips (organic, very low sugar)
    • Lily’s Dark Chocolate Chips (sweetened with stevia/erythritol)
    • Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels (clean, allergy-friendly)
      
• 1 can lite coconut milk
  
• ⅓ cup almond butter
  
• 1–1½ cups pecan halves (some inside, some on top)

Directions:

1. In a saucepan over very low heat, melt the chocolate with the coconut milk, stirring continuously.
   
2. Once completely smooth, remove from heat and whisk in the almond butter until glossy.
   
3. Sprinkle a layer of pecan halves over the crust.
   
4. Pour the chocolate filling over the pecans.
   
5. Decorate with more pecan halves on top.
   
6. Chill at least 4 hours (overnight is ideal) before slicing.

It sets into a creamy, sliceable, ganache-like filling that feels luxurious but not heavy.

Why Your Body Loves This Tart

Even dessert becomes a part of your body. Remember… you are what you eat.

Pecans have minerals, healthy fats, and fiber. These are calming to the nervous system and stabilizing for blood sugar.

Cacao is loaded with magnesium, your “calm-down” mineral that your adrenals crave this time of year. It also contains theobromine, a steady energizer that warms the body and lifts your focus without overstimulating your nervous system the way caffeine can. 

Coconut milk and almond butter create a slow, steady release of energy instead of the rollercoaster that comes with sugar-heavy desserts.

There’s no refined sugar (Be sure to read the ingredients on your chocolate chips), so you avoid the immune suppression and inflammation spike that most holiday treats deliver.

This is a holiday dessert that doesn’t leave you puffy, exhausted, or foggy the next day. Just chocolatey satisfaction and steady energy.

If recipes like this light you up, you’re going to love what we’re doing inside The Culinary Healing Circle this month. This month, like every month, is designed to help your body settle, restore, and feel grounded.

Inside the Circle, women start to experience real shifts. They begin to:
✨ feel digestion calm instead of flare
✨ enjoy steady, grounded energy instead of spikes and crashes
✨ watch inflammation cool down with simple, everyday foods
✨ notice their mood lift and anxiety ease through herbal support
✨ feel safe in their bodies again, instead of bracing for symptoms
✨ trust their hunger, fullness, and cravings in a whole new way
✨ move through the holidays without losing themselves in the chaos

And the best part is the feeling.
Supported. Understood. Not alone. Held by a community that gets it.

Join The Culinary Healing Circle

Give yourself a month of calm and connection.

Your body will feel the difference.