Low Carb No Bake Strawberry Tart (THM S)

If you're looking for an easy dessert to satisfy and impress a crowd, this is the one!

This strawberry tart requires no baking, and is incredibly easy to make. This tart has a delicious, fresh strawberry flavor and tastes unbelievably light. You definitely don't have to be a dessert master to enjoy this one!

I used the Fresh Strawberry Sauce posted earlier this week for the filling, which is simple to make. The sauce takes time to cook down, so make sure you tackle it first.

Next, prepare and chill the Mock Graham Cracker Crust.

Then start the filling!

You have a few different filling options - I opted for a mousse with a little Greek yogurt for a more dense texture. You could do all mousse (which is straight whipped cream with strawberry sauce), or you could go for a cheesecake mousse with a little softened cream cheese added. Decisions, decisions! [See Variations below for more specific directions on the different filling options.]

For the mousse, start by whipping the heavy cream with Pyure or THM Gentle Sweet and some vanilla bean paste. I like using the paste versus extract for this because I can use more paste without getting the raw alcohol flavor of extract. I find it at Walmart (back in the cake decorating section), but you can buy the same product on Amazon if you're unable to find it in a store.

Once the cream starts to get slightly frothy, add the strawberry sauce and continue whipping to stiff peaks. If you plan on making this a cheesecake mousse, add the softened cream cheese and sauce at the same time. [No need for any dyes! You'll get that beautiful blush pink color from the sauce alone.]

When the cream is whipped to stiff peaks, gently fold in the Greek yogurt. You could even take a shortcut and use an already flavored 000 yogurt (strawberry or vanilla!) - if you do, go shy on the sweetener and work up from there.

Fill up the tart shell, pushing the mousse into every nook and cranny, then smoothing it with your spatula. [I don't get too crazy about making it "perfect," because I think homemade looks better. So, don't stress it!]

Chill for about another half hour while you whip some more cream for the topping.

I prefer lightly sweet whipped cream, since the filling is sweet.

Also, I'm a Food Network junkie who watches all the baking championships and it really stuck with me when one of the pro-baker judges said, "The cream shouldn't compete with the filling. It's an accessory, not the main focus." So, I try to make my whipped creams on the lighter side of sweet, so that my filling has a chance to really shine.

You can pipe the cream onto your tart, like so. Or you can just fill the tart edge-to-edge with cream, whichever you desire. Add some fresh berry decorations, if you're feeling super fancy.

Chill until you're ready to serve.

This tart was just gorgeous. So much so, I almost couldn't believe how simple it was to put together.

The crust firms up perfectly, and glides right out of the pan. Don't get me wrong, I was super anxious about lifting that tart shell off the crust (as it took some finesse), and once I got it loose it popped right off. I found it easy to set the tart on the edge of my counter (so half was on the counter, and half was in my hand), then work to pop the bottom (gently!) out of the shell. [Truth be told, I about had a heart attack trying to get it out of the shell, because I did NOT want to mess it up.]

The strawberry filling is light and airy with a tinge of tartness. The crust is firm and buttery with a whisper of cinnamon and molasses.

If you need an easy dessert for your Easter lunch or brunch, this is just the one for you!

Filling Variations

• Mousse: 1 1/2 c heavy cream as the base with 1 Tbsp of sweetener. Option to add 1 tsp of gelatin for a more firm texture.
• Cheesecake Mousse: 1 c heavy cream with 8oz soft cream cheese. Start with 1 Tbsp of sweetener, and work up if needed.

No Bake Strawberry Tart (THM S)