Vegan Chocolate Pie with Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Crust
This vegan chocolate pie combines a silky-smooth cocoa and nut butter filling softly set in a crunchy gluten-free graham cracker crust. The 6-ingredient chocolate pie filling has a peanut butter base (you can easily substitute other nut or seed butters) and uses no tofu or coconut milk. All components – crust, filling, and topping – can be made in a blender or food processor with minimal mess in minutes of active time. This decadent plant-based dessert doesn’t taste gluten-free, vegan, or naturally sweetened, but it happily is!
Make the crust and let it cool. Make and chill the paleo frosting or whipped coconut cream, if using.
Filling
In a blender, combine the water, cacao/cocoa powder, nut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Blend on medium until combined, scraping down the sides of the blender once or twice.
Add the melted coconut oil and blend until combined. Increase the speed to medium high and blend for 20 seconds to incorporate a little air. You will have about 36 ounces of filling.
Assemble
Pour as much filling as will fit into the baked and cooled crust. Pour the remaining filling into a jar. Carefully transfer both to the fridge and chill until set, 3-4 hours or overnight. Or freeze for 1 hour to speed this up.
When the pie is set, decorate the top with the paleo cream cheese frosting, whipped coconut cream, and/or extra chocolate filling if using. I used three piping bags fitted with different sized star tips. Dust with chocolate shavings and graham cracker crumbles, if using.
Serve & Store
Serve right away or chill again to firm up the toppings. To cut clean slices, use a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean between cuts. Keep the pie chilled until you’re ready to cut and serve; it will get soft and gooey at room temperature.
The pie is best within a day or two of being made when the crust is crisp, but extras will keep well, refrigerated, for up to 4 days. This pie also freezes well.
Notes
Depending on how deep your pie plate is, you should have about a cup of chocolate filling left over which you can chill and pipe over the top as I did here, or eat it like a pudding once set. See the post above for more substitution suggestions. Note that this pie should be kept chilled until served as it softens up at room temperature. *If you prefer, make this pie with any of the gluten-free crust options listed in the post above.**If using paleo cream cheese frosting, make half of this recipe, omitting the lemon juice. If using whipped coconut cream, make this recipe (you'll need to chill the cream overnight before you whip it). Or use a thick coconut yogurt instead, such as Cocojune, or Culina, flavored with vanilla if you like.***If your nut or seed butter is more thin or runny than peanut butter, add 2 more tablespoons of coconut oil to help the filling set to a sliceably firm consistency.****This pie doesn’t taste like coconut, but you can use refined coconut oil if you prefer. For coconut allergies, sub palm oil or try using melted cacao butter, which may have a firmer set.Make-Ahead:
The graham cracker crust can be made ahead. Wrap it tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 1 month.
The pie can be filled and chilled overnight (for best results) or up to 2 days (though the crust will soften a little).
The pie can be frozen until solid, then wrapped tightly and stored in the freezer for up to 1 month. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Nutrition values are for 1 of 12 servings of filling and topping only (excluding crust).