The lunar new year is upon us again and each year, people have difficulties finding Vegetarian Pineapple Tarts! In this recipe, I hope to share the recipe I experimented with that completely removes dairy and egg with accessible ingredients.

Therefore, these Vegetarian Pineapple Tarts are also dairy free and egg free!

Personally, I see value in plant-based diets and foods to switch up the variety of foods we eat. In these Vegetarian Pineapple Tarts, I used coconut milk in place of butter and egg, and soy milk powder in place of normal milk powder.

The switch and substitution of ingredients are not an easy feat and after countless rounds of experiments. Which is why, I am so happy to finally produce Vegetarian Pineapple Tarts that are delish!

Furthermore, these Vegetarian Pineapple Tarts are on the flakier side, and they’re lighter due to the absence of dairy. Nonetheless, not everyone likes it flaky so you might want to experiment around with these.

The making process is pretty similar to any pineapple tarts; nothing special here! What’s more curious, probably, is the taste. In terms of taste, I would say these taste pretty good, with a faint fragrance from the coconut oil. The pineapple paste really shines here so make sure to use a good quality one!

For further flavouring, I will recommend the use of scraped vanilla beans. The essence cannot be used here as they are not very soluble with coconut oil and tend to separate out.

If you want to make it Vegan, it’s certainly possible: do further substitutions, such as maple syrup in place of white sugar. However, you might have to add additional flour to account for the addition of more liquids!

Without further ado, the recipe!

Vegetarian Pineapple Tarts Recipe
by Javier Tan January-15-2022

These Vegetarian Pineapple Tarts are dairy free, with no eggs! Come with a deletable aroma, and is light and flaky!

Ingredients

For Tarts:

  • 1/2 Cup or 120g of Coconut Oil, semi-solid
  • 2 Cups + 2 Tablespoons or 260g of All Purpose / Plain Flour (Add 10-20g more if batter is still not forming a dough)
  • 1 Tablespoon or 10g of Cornstarch / Cornflour
  • 3 Tablespoons or 35g of Granulated White Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon or 15g of Soy Milk Powder
  • 1/4 Tsp or 1.4g of Table Salt
  • Approx 200g – 250g of Pineapple Paste Filling
  • 1/4 Tsp Vanilla Beans (optional, do not use essence as they cannot dissolve well)

For Egg Wash Substitute (Various Options):

  • 2 Teaspoon Plant Based Milk + 1 Teaspoon Maple Syrup OR
  • Plant Based Milk (e.g. Coconut Milk, Coconut Cream)
  • Note that thicker varieties of plant based milk will work better, such as coconut cream!

Instructions

  1. Prepare your pineapple paste balls for easier and faster assembly. I made 10g pineapple balls!
  2. Cream together coconut oil and sugar until it forms a single consistency.
  3. At this stage, whisk in the salt and vanilla beans (if using).
  4. Then, sift in the flour, soy milk powder and cornstarch. 
  5. Next, whisk in the dry ingredients into the coconut oil mixture until it forms a dough that’s easily pinched.
  6. Then, stretch 16g of dough until its thin and wrap around the pineapple paste ball (I am using 10g). Roll it well into a ball or shape it according to your liking.
  7. Next, apply the egg wash substitute. Be sure not to only apply to the top and do not let it drip or the base will be sticky after baking.
    Important Note: If the tart is left standing too long after it’s formed and not baked, the coconut oil will separate out from the batter. So I like to bake in batches of 14 – 16 once they are shaped.
  8. Bake at 180 degrees C for about 17 to 20 mins on baking paper until it’s golden brown. Timing is for 16 pineapple tarts and will take longer / shorter depending on the quantity used.
  9. Serve and enjoy!

Details

  • Prep time: 60
  • Cook time: 20
  • Total time: 1
  • Yield: Approx 20-30 fragrant Vegetarian Pineapple Tarts! Recipe can be doubled.

Notes:

  1. If you would like to be updated for more recipes which I strive to create to perfection for sharing and for free, do check out my Instagram, Facebook Page, or YouTube 🙂 Thank you so much for all of your support! Feel free to tag me or link back here!
  2. Best eaten within 2 weeks!
  3. Feel free to ask if you need help!

Enjoy!
– Bakeomaniac, Javier Tan