Chocolate Torte with Walnut and Pear – Gluten Free – Dairy Free

Soft, silky, gooey, decadent, melt-in-the-mouth gluten free Chocolate Torte with Walnut and Pear. Nothing short of a gift from heaven. Dairy Free too.

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Chocolate Torte with Walnut and Pear – A gift from the heavens

Meet the divine intervention that is my Chocolate Torte. Occasionally… Very occasionally… I make a dish that surpasses all expectations and makes me go weak at the knees both for the joy of eating it and the euphoria of the baking success. THIS is one of those bakes!

So, give thanks to the chocolate god…… for she has delivered perfection in the form of a heavenly Chocolate, Walnut and Pear Torte. A sumptuously delicious dessert which is not only gluten free, but is dairy free too.

Would you believe me if I told you this Chocolate Torte was an accident?

What makes this Chocolate Torte even more startling is that it wasn’t actually meant to be a Chocolate Torte.  

Originally, the plan was for a pear brownie… A creation which began with nothing but a larder of ingredients, some paper and a pen. In particular, the brownie was to be dairy free as well as gluten free. And was to be made with ingredients that weighted to the healthier side of decadence… using coconut oil to replace butter and subbing with less refined sugars. It was also to incorporate anti-oxidant and flavanol-rich dark chocolate, nutrient-rich almonds and walnuts, protein-filled eggs and some fruit for good measure…

As a brownie it failed… The crumb was gooey yes, but it was not ‘sticky’ enough to hold together as a brownie should. Disappointed with the ‘failed’ bake, I took a disgruntled mouthful… and WOW! The flavour and texture were absolutely incredible.

What does chocolate heaven taste like?

At first mouthful, the brain processes and starts to make sense of its experience… This was soft, silky, gooey, melt-in-the-mouth chocolate heaven that was dissolving on my tongue. And with that recognition (for me at least) this Chocolate Torte was a truly accidental masterpiece. Deep, rich, nutty, chocolate-filled waves of wanton enjoyment washed across the senses. Serotonin-induced heaven on a spoon… A melting crumb, infused with a hint of coconut… interrupted and perfectly offset by the crunch of earthy walnut and the soft, but still slightly firm fruitiness of pear.

The walnuts are inspired… adding a beautiful nutty crunch to the experience. And the pear works wonderfully with the cocoa. If you have never tried it, pear and chocolate is such an underrated combination.

Mr GF offered that this recipe was the best gluten free Chocolate Torte I had ever made… A ‘very adult dessert’… ‘not over-sweet’ and ‘totally yummy’. I’ll take that! It’s high praise…

I usually hate ‘bigging myself up’… Confidence has never been a key part of my personality…… But you know what? This Chocolate Torte with Pear and Walnut is so delicious, I’m going to shout it from the roof tops.

A gluten free achievement reminiscent of a favourite ever (gluten) Chocolate Torte dessert

Many years ago and before Coeliac, I had a favourite dessert at a Mexican restaurant called Cafe Des Amis. A Chocolate Torte which is still on the menu today and (for those who can eat gluten) is to be recommended.

It was honestly the most incredible Chocolate Torte I had ever eaten… Served always with dark and white chocolate cream. Of all the things I miss, this is the one that hurts the most… It was the dessert that brought me total happiness.

But despite being gutted that it was no longer safe, I never tried to recreate it. Failure would simply have resulted in too much disappointment. So, imagine the joy when I tried the accidental Chocolate Torte shared here. For thisChocolate Torte is as close as I remember. And that calls for celebration.

These may indeed be pretty big claims for a humble dessert. And in an effort to ensure it wasn’t a fluke, it was made and devoured twice in a week. It disappeared in a flash… and once gone, was being demanded again. That makes me a happy woman!

How to eat my delicious dairy free & gluten free Chocolate Torte

With its very moist, dark, rich, pudding-like crumb, my gluten free Chocolate Torte is most definitely a dessert torte… It is therefore best eaten with a fork or spoon.

Like the best of desserts, it can (if you choose) be made even more decadent with a pillowy dollop of whipped cream… dairy free or not. For those who can’t eat dairy however, Whipped coconut cream marries perfectly.

This Chocolate Torte is eaten cold. But it’s important to eat at room temperature (rather than straight from the fridge), to ensure the best experience of soft and gooey. So, while you may store in the fridge ‘between eats’, always bring it out an hour or so early to allow it to warm naturally.

Ready to make Gluten Free Dairy Free Chocolate Torte with Walnut and Pear?

Thank you for visiting Gluten Free Alchemist… I share this recipe with my love. Should you make it, please let me know. I always love to get feedback and find out how recipes work for other people. Leave a comment, a star-rating or tag me on social media with your amazing bakes. You’ll always find me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.

Of course, I did eventually achieve the perfect Pear and Walnut Brownies. But I’ve also linked a couple of other Chocolate and Pear favourites below… And for everything else, head over to our Gluten Free Recipe Index… It’s full of yummy photos of delicious food to inspire.

Shared with my love

Other Pear and Chocolate Recipes on Gluten Free Alchemist

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5 from 5 votes

Chocolate Torte with Walnut & Pear

Soft, silky, gooey, decadent, melt-in-the-mouth gluten free Chocolate Torte with Walnut and Pear. Nothing short of a gift from heaven. Dairy Free too.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time40 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time1 hr 25 mins

Course: Dessert, Sweet Treats

Cuisine: British, Dairy Free, Gluten Free

Keyword: chocolate, Pear, torte, Walnut

Servings: 14

Calories per serving: 338.5kcal

Author: Gluten Free Alchemist – Kate Dowse

Key equipment

• 9 inch/23 cm non-stick cake tin
• baking paper
• Kitchen scales
• measuring spoons
• sharp knife
• oven + hob
• Small saucepan
• wooden/silicone spoon
• Mixing bowls
• hand-whisk
• Large mixing spoon or spatula

Ingredients 

0.33x0.5x0.66x1x2x

MetricUS Customary

• 220 g dark chocolate good quality dairy free – chopped
• 130 g coconut oil
• 75 g coconut palm sugar
• 75 g soft light brown sugar
• 85 g gluten free plain flour I used GFA blend A (see NOTES)
• 15 g cocoa powder
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 2 tsp GF baking powder
• 50 g ground almonds almond meal
• 100 g walnuts rough-chopped
• 2 extra large eggs I used DUCK eggs which are a minimum 70g (in shell) weight and usually a little larger. (see NOTES)
• 50 ml almond milk or alternative
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1½ pears peeled, cored and cut into small cubes
• 50 g dark dairy free chocolate chips
• additional walnut halves to decorate

Instructions

• Base-line a 9 inch loose-bottomed cake tin (round or square) with baking paper.
• Pre-heat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4.
• In a small saucepan, melt together the chocolate, coconut oil and two sugars. Stir until well-blended. Do not allow to boil.
• In a large bowl, weigh and mix together the flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, ground almonds and chopped walnuts.
• Add the chocolate-sugar liquid to the bowl and beat well with a silicone or wooden spoon.
• Set aside to cool slightly, stirring intermittently.
• In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, almond milk and vanilla extract until well-blended.
• Add the beaten egg mix to the cooled chocolate batter and beat through with the spoon.
• Fold in the pear cubes and chocolate chips.
• Pour the batter into the cake tin and smooth the top.
• Bake for 30 minutes at 180 C/350 F/Gas 4 before turning the oven down to 150 C/300 F/Gas 2.
• Bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes until well risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out more or less clean with a few crumbs.
• Remove from the oven and leave in the tin to cool completely. The centre of the cake may sink very slightly. This is fine. It should be very moist and a little gooey.
• When cold, carefully remove from the tin and place on a serving plate.
• Decorate with walnut halves (to keep them in place, stick with a little melted chocolate) and a further sprinkle of nuts and chocolate as you choose.
• Serve on its own, with poached pears or with whipped coconut cream or double/clotted cream (if you can eat dairy).
• Store in the fridge between ‘eats’. It will firm up, so be sure to bring back to room temperature before serving to regain a soft, gooey consistency.

Notes

* Note: nutritional information is an estimate & may vary according to portion size/ingredient variants.

Gluten Free Alchemist Flour Blend A can be found on the GFA Flours & Flour Blending Page. If using an alternative flour blend, the texture may vary slightly.

Egg Size – It is really important to use very large eggs for this torte to get the texture that is required. I use Duck eggs, which (in shell) are a minimum 70g in weight and usually a little larger. If you don’t have access to these large eggs, please make sure the liquid weight of the egg used is at least 115g.

Nutrition

Calories: 338.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 26.7g | Protein: 5.2g | Fat: 24.2g | Saturated Fat: 12.9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 88.9mg | Sodium: 118.6mg | Potassium: 269.9mg | Fiber: 4.1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 79.7IU | Vitamin C: 0.9mg | Calcium: 72.6mg | Iron: 3.1mg

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© 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist

Pear & Walnut Chocolate Torte shared with

• Fiesta Friday #371 with Angie and Spades, Spatulas and Spoons
• What’s For Dinner #306 with The Lazy Gastronome
• Full Plate Thursday #527 with Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
• Sundays on Silverado #32 with The House on Silverado

Previously shared with Free From Fridays with Free From Farmhouse; Inheritance Recipes with Coffee & Vanilla