Don’t tell anyone, but this tart gets it’s creamy texture and pale green hue from cashews and avocado. 
Some recipes take me weeks or months to perfect. I need to add a little of this, reduce a little of that, and test, test, test. Other recipes come to me out of the blue, and turn out perfectly on the first try. This tart was one of those times; I was craving something cold, creamy, and refreshing, and decided lime tart was the way to go.
I knew I wanted to make the base out of cashews because I’ve been loving their thick, creamy consistency lately. I also had a ripe avocado sitting on the counter, and the rest is history.
To make this pie, you are first going to soak a cup of raw cashews overnight. You could also soak them in boiling water for 30 minutes, if you need this pie ASAP. The cashews get drained and dumped into a food processor with avocado, maple syrup, salt, and plenty of fresh lime juice and zest. Seriously, that’s it. Blend it all up, and you’ve got a thick, luscious, tart lime filling that’s just begging to be poured into a crumbly crust and eaten on a hot summer day. 
Speaking of which, this crust is made with 5 simple ingredients and turns out surprisingly reminiscent of a graham cracker crust. The secret to keeping this a no-bake tart is toasting the oats and nuts that go into the crust. I just toasted them in a pan on the stove, then dumped everything in a food processor and whirled it up. Pressed into a tart pan, covered with creamy avocado-lime filling, and garnished with some pretty lime slices, and this tart is good to go.
Full disclosure: I made this tart all for myself, knowing my husband wouldn’t be interested in it. I wasn’t trying to make something for us to share; just following my cravings and accepting that I would have to eat it all myself. He’s not a huge citrus lover, and his favorite creamy pie has this chocolate pudding as the filling.
And yet, he liked it. Well, okay, he deemed it “not bad”, and proceeded to eat a slice after dinner three nights in a row.
If you and your family are into healthy, whole foods-based, nutrient dense desserts, go ahead and let them in on the fact that this tart is made up of cashews and avocado. Or, if they’re kind of freaked out by those ingredients, feel free to tell them it’s a creamy key lime pie and smile a little on the inside when they like it- cashews, avocados, and all. Either way, this tart needs to make an appearance on your summer table! It’s cold, creamy, and perfect on a hot summer day.
Creamy No-Bake Avocado Lime Tart
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cup oats
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 3 Tablespoons virgin coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- a pinch of salt
Filling
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked in cold water overnight*
- 1 large ripe avocado
- 1/3-1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice from 3-4 limes
- zest from 3 limes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- 1. For easier clean-up, line an 8-inch spring form pan with parchment paper. Alternately, you can use an 8-inch tart pan instead.
- 2. Make the crust: put almonds and oats into a skillet over medium heat. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until starting to turn golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- 3. Put toasted oats and almonds into a food processor with all remaining crust ingredients, and pulse until it resembles the consistency of graham cracker crumbs. Pour crumbs into pan and press to form a crust, then transfer to the fridge to firm up while you work on the filling.
- 4. Next, drain and rinse the cashews, then put them into the food processor (no need to clean it). Add all remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Taste and add more maple syrup, to taste. I enjoyed the sweet-tart flavor of this filling with just 1/3 cup of maple syrup.
- 5. Remove crust from the fridge, pour in filling, and put pack into the fridge to chill. Let chill at least 30 minutes, or until completely cool, before serving. Garnish with a few thin lime slices or a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.
- 6. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Longer than that and the avocado starts to break down and no longer tastes fresh.