I guess you could say I have a mild obsession with all things miniature and bite-sized. Just take a gander at my recipe archive and you’ll find Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Balls, Grain-Free Granola Balls, Two-Bite Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cakes, and Peanut Butter Freezer Treats, to name a few.

To me, bite-sized treats are the perfect little way to end a meal. Who wants to spoil a satisfying, healthy dinner with a monstrous dessert? Not only do two-bite treats offer a convenient way to control portion sizes (goodbye, giant slice of chocolate cake), but they also make great treats for little hands to hold (hello, back to school snacks).

As the kitchen remodel continues here at my house (it will be done in less than a week!), no-bake recipes are all that’s coming out of my kitchen lately, so it’s the same story with this recipe. It doesn’t require an oven, stove, or a lot of space to make. If you have a fridge/freezer and a food processor, you’re good to go. (It helps if you have a piping bag, but it’s not entirely necessary. I just used a plastic food storage bag, since my pastry bags are packed away somewhere.)

I sweetened the coconut cream with a little bit of honey, but you could certainly use any liquid sweetener you like, or even try stevia. Which brings me to the winner of last week’s stevia giveaway! Congratulations to comment #13, Yvette Brooks, for winning a bottle of SweetLeaf Liquid Stevia. (Look for an email from me.) 

One last thing today. I’ve been exploring a wider range of social media options lately and I wanted to let you know about it. If you don’t follow me on Twitter or Facebook already, you really should! It’s a great way to get even more cooking tips, gluten-free recipe inspiration, and hear about events and happenings that I don’t always announce here at Daily Bites.

I’ve also recently jumped into StumbleUpon. My ID is dailybites. If you’re a StumbleUpon user, let me know your ID in an email or comment. I’d love to follow you.

Walnut-Crusted Nectarine Tartlets

Makes about 10 tartlets, plus extra coconut cream

This recipe yields more coconut cream than what you will need for the tartlets. Store the remaining cream in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and use it in smoothies or as a topping for fresh fruit. If you don’t have a piping bag, put the coconut cream into a plastic food storage bag and snip off the corner for a makeshift piping bag.

For the coconut cream:

1 (15-ounce) can Thai Kitchen coconut milk, chilled in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours

2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar

 

For the crust:

1 cup raw walnuts

½ cup (packed) pitted Medjool dates

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Pinch of cinnamon

 

1 nectarine, pitted and chopped small, for topping

 

Carefully open the can of coconut milk. Use a spoon to scoop out the solid coconut cream from the top of the can, being careful not to get the water at the bottom of the can. Reserve the water for another use. Whisk the honey into the coconut cream. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag, place it in the freezer, and proceed with the recipe.

In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, process the walnuts until finely ground. Add the dates, salt, and cinnamon and process until the mixture sticks together when pinched between 2 fingers. Form the dough into small balls, and flatten the balls into small disks in the palm of your hand. Place the disks on a plate or serving platter.

Pipe a small dot (about nickel-sized) of coconut cream onto each walnut crust. (If your coconut cream does not seem firm enough to pipe with, return it to the freezer for another hour or so to set up more.) Top each tart with a few chopped nectarine pieces. Serve right away, or refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving.

Check out more healthy recipes at Slightly Indulgent Tuesday!