Fruit Tart with Date Crust

Don’t take this the wrong way. I LOVE a good pie crust made with butter and flour, or a rich Graham cracker crust. Yum! I’m not about to give them up. I also love dates and fruit, so I was intrigued by the idea of making a Fruit Tart with Date Crust.

Fresh and dried dates lend themselves well to so many things. There’s an Indian restaurant near me that makes a date and coconut naan. You’ll find dates in numerous North African and Middle Eastern dishes, from couscous to chicken dishes. Dates appear in scones, salads, and trail mix. Not to mention, dates are delicious on their own.

Don’t let that sweet tenderness fool you, though. Dates are loaded with fiber and potassium, and they contain generous amounts of vitamin B6, magnesium, and iron. As healthy ingredients go, dates are way up there. And if we’re looking at this Fruit Tart with Date Crust, dates are just one of the healthy ingredients.

This recipe substitutes cream cheese for healthy Greek yogurt, which has much less sugar. And aside from the dates and other fruits, the sweetness of this recipe comes from honey. You also get walnuts, oats, and orange zest. Not bad for a dessert!

In fact, this might be on the dessert table, but there are so many healthy ingredients that you could probably do just fine having this for breakfast or lunch. Hey, if yogurt parfaits count for breakfast, why not this?

Really, the only question is around which fruits you want to top it with. I usually go with classics like kiwi and strawberries, but mango and banana work well, too.

Fruit Tart with Date Crust

You don’t need to give up on dessert just because you’re trying to eat healthier! This Fruit Tart with Date Crust uses a homemade crust comprised of dates, walnuts, and oats, which is much healthier than the dough version you’d usually find.

• Author: Addie Gundry
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: Serves 8-10 1x
• Category: Desserts

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 16 Medjool dates, pits removed, soaked in warm water for 10–15 minutes
• 1 cup raw walnuts
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Lightly coat a 9-inch tart pan with cooking spray.
2. Drain the dates and then coarsely chop.
3. In a food processor, pulse the dates, walnuts, and oats until a thick dough is formed.
4. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan.
5. Mix the yogurt with the honey, orange zest, and vanilla.
6. Spread the yogurt over the crust.
7. Decorate with sliced fresh fruit. Serve.

Have you had a date crust before? Is there anything you’d do differently? I’d love to get your ideas in the comments!