Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie is a chocoholic's dream come true! This luscious dessert is made with avocados, coconut, and non dairy chocolate chips. It's a veganized version of an old family favorite, and it's perfect for holidays, celebrations, and anytime you're craving something sweet! This easy to make recipe is dairy-free and gluten-free.
Family Favorite Desserts
Back in 2015, Angela from Canned Time asked me to participate in her Family Favorites Desserts series. Each month, Canned Time featured different blogger who veganized a favorite dessert from their childhood. NuNaturals is the unofficial sponsor of the series, so their stevia products had to be used in all of the recipes.
It sounded like an easy enough task when Angela asked, but the more I thought about it, the more I had no idea what I was going to make. When I was growing up, desserts started out in a box – either premade by Entenmann's or just-add-water by Betty Crocker. Neither of them seems very appealing to me now that I'm older. I briefly thought about trying to make a vegan version of slice-and-bake cookies, but that's pretty much just a chocolate chip cookie, and chocolate chip cookies have already been perfectly veganized.
Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie
My thoughts then turned to my teen years, when I started experimenting in the kitchen and whipping up desserts from scratch. Well, sort of from scratch. The dessert that became a favorite with the family on holidays was a chocolate cream pie that was made with Cool Whip, melted chocolate chips, and a prepared graham cracker crust. Your family may have a tradition of pumpkin or pecan pie for the holidays, but, as a family of chocoholics, that chocolate cream pie became a Thanksgiving mainstay for us.
I found the original chocolate cream pie recipe in one of those little magazine-type cookbooks that you used to be able to find at the checkout in grocery stores. When I went vegan, I threw the recipe away, sad to see the last slice of my favorite chocolate pie. Little did I know that years later I'd be tinkering around in the kitchen, concocting a much healthier, vegan version. I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out, and I hope you like it too.
In recent months, I've found myself craving that pie again, but I don't have any liquid stevia on hand. And I doubt you do either. So I tinkered with the recipe some more, taking out the stevia and using traditional sweeteners.
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie
This recipe is so easy to make!
- First you pulse the crust ingredients together in a food processor and press into a pie dish or tart pan.
- Then you bring the coconut milk to a light boil and remove it from the heat.
- Next you add the chocolate chips to the coconut milk and stir until it melts.
- You add the chocolate mixture to your food processor along with the rest of the filling ingredients and process until it's smooth and creamy.
- Next you pour the filling mixture into the prepared crust.
- You cover the pie and place in the fridge to set. It needs to chill for 4 to 8 hours to firm up.
How to Make Coconut Whipped Cream
I like to top this pie with coconut whipped cream, which is pretty easy to make. I'll admit that the first time I attempted it, I was really intimidated by it, but I was pleasantly surprised at how easy to make it was.
- You need to chill a can of coconut milk in the fridge for about 8 hours before you make your whipped cream.
- I also like to chill my bowl for a few minutes ahead of time, too.
- When you're ready to make the whipped cream, you carefully open your can of coconut milk and scoop out the cream that's risen to the top. You won't be needing the water under it, so you can use that in a smoothie.
- You place the coconut cream in your chilled bowl and use a hand mixer to whip it for about 5 minutes. It'll look smooth and light.
- Then you add the vanilla extract and confectioners sugar and beat it the mixture with your hand mixture until it's well incorporated.
Coconut whipped cream can be stored in the fridge for a week or two, but it will harden the longer it's stored, so you may need to whip it with your hand mixer again before serving it.
If you don't want to make coconut whipped cream, you can use cashew cream, Coco Whip, or store-bought non-dairy whipped cream.
Recipe Notes
- This pie will last about 5 days in the fridge, and up to 3 months in the freezer. Make sure you wrap it tightly or store it in an air-tight container.
- You can use a pre-made vegan graham cracker crust if you want to keep your pie nut-free.
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When buying chocolate chips, make sure you read the ingredients to insure they’re vegan. I recommend checking the ingredients even if it’s a brand you’ve bought before. Manufacturers change recipes frequently, and products that have been accidently vegan in the past don’t always stay vegan. I like Enjoy Life brand chips.
- Since this is a creamy pie, the filling will be soft. You can serve it straight from the freezer for a more ice cream like filling.
Chocolate Cream Pie
Ingredients
Crust
- 1½ cups raw walnuts
- 1½ cups unsweetened, shredded coconut
- 10 medjool dates pits removed
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Filling
- 10 ounces vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- 3 ripe avocados mashed (about 1½ cups)
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Coconut Whipped Cream
- 1 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk chilled overnight in the fridge
- ¼ cup confectioners sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pie
- Sliced strawberries for garnish optional
Instructions
Make the Crust
- Place the crust ingredients in a food processor and process until finely ground. Process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into a 9-inch shallow pie plate or tart pan. Refrigerate until the filling is ready.
Make the Filling
- Pour the coconut milk in a medium-sized sauce pan. If the cream and water have separated, whisk them together. Heat over medium high heat. Once the liquid has just begun to boil, remove it from the heat and stir the chocolate chips into the pot. Stir until smooth and melted. Let cool slightly.
- Add the mashed avocados, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and chocolate mixture to your food proesser and process until smooth.
- Carefully pour the filling into the crust. Refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours. The pie can also be frozen for an ice cream-like filling.
Make the Coconut Whipped Cream
- Chill a medium-sized bowl in the freezer for a few minutes.
- Open the can of coconut milk and carefully scoop out the cream, leaving behind the water. (Save it for a smoothie!) You should have somewhere between ¾ cup and one cup of coconut cream. Place the cream in the bowl.
- Beat on high with an electric mixer until it’s smooth and light. This could take up to five minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat for another thirty seconds or so.
Finish the Pie
- Top the pie with the Coconut Whipped Cream and garnish with sliced strawberries, if using.
- The pie will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
More chocolate recipes you might enjoy include:
- Mini Chocolate Marble Cheesecake
- Vegan Chocolate-Peanut Butter Truffle Mini Tarts
- Chocolate Almond Date Truffles
- Tahini Truffles
More pie recipes you might enjoy include:
Kristina
I can just taste this now... I love everything about it!
Dianne
Thank you, Kristina!