Vegan Chocolate Pie – Detoxinista

This Vegan Chocolate Pie will knock your socks off! It’s naturally gluten-free & dairy-free, and makes the perfect holiday dessert when you want something easy to prepare. 

Why You’ll Love It

It tastes amazing. When it comes to holiday desserts, I like to make something I know will be a hit. This one has a rich filling, like a cross between ganache and fudge, and a crisp chocolate crust that everyone will love!

You can make it two different ways. I’ve tested this recipe as a straight-forward chocolate pie, but also as a chocolate peppermint pie. It’s delicious either way, and you’ll only need to swap one ingredient depending on your flavor preference. (The peppermint version is insanely delicious, if you like chocolate peppermint desserts!)

You control the sweetness. This recipe calls for chocolate chips to keep things easy, and you can control how sweet the pie turns out by choosing which variety of chocolate chips you prefer. I use semi-sweet chocolate chips for a holiday party, but when I want something less-sweet for my family, you can use up to 70% dark chocolate chips for a lower sugar content. Be sure to check the label on your chocolate chips, to make sure they’re vegan and dairy-free, if you need to. (Enjoy Life brand is free of the top allergens, and I also like Hu brand for naturally sweetened chocolate.)

It’s easy to make. All you need is 4 simple ingredients for the dairy-free chocolate filling! (No soy or butter required.) I’ve included a homemade chocolate crust below, made with almond flour, but you can also use a store-bough vegan pie crust if you prefer.

Ingredients You’ll Need

What’s in a vegan chocolate pie? 

• Chocolate chips
• Full-fat coconut milk
• Vanilla or peppermint extract
• Sea salt

To make the homemade chocolate “cookie crust,” you’ll also need almond flour, cacao or cocoa powder, maple syrup, and coconut oil. Or, feel free to use your favorite store-bought crust, instead. 

When shopping for chocolate chips, be sure to look for ones that are labeled dairy-free & vegan if you need this recipe to be vegan. Most chocolate chips are made without dairy these days, with the exception of milk chocolate chips, but it’s always a good idea to check the nutrition label to be sure. 

You can also use any toppings you like on this pie, such as whipped cream or shaved chocolate.

How to Make the Best Vegan Chocolate Pie

1. Make the crust. 

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and have a 9-inch pie pan ready. You could also use a tart pan or 9-inch square pan as an alternative. 

In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, cacao powder, maple syrup, coconut oil, and salt. Stir well, until there are no visible clumps and the mixture looks sticky. 

Transfer the crust to the pie plate, and use your hands to press it into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. (Similar to making a graham cracker crust.) There’s no need to be perfect here, but you can pinch any excess crust and move it somewhere else, if you find the crust is uneven in the pan. 

Bake the crust at 350ºF for 15 minutes, then remove it from the oven and let it cool. (I place mine on a trivet in the fridge to help speed things along.)

2. Make the vegan chocolate pie filling. 

While the pie crust is cooling, melt the chocolate chips. I do this in a double boiler set-up, by filling a small saucepan with 1-inch of water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then place a heat-safe bowl over the mouth of the pot. Add the chocolate chips, and let them gently melt from the steam below. Stir often, until the chocolate is totally smooth. 

While the chocolate is melting, transfer the full can of coconut milk to your blender and blend until it’s very smooth. This will make sure you get the right consistency in your final pie. (Don’t use light coconut milk, or the filling might not set as firmly.)

Remove the bowl from the heat, and add in the coconut milk, vanilla extract (or peppermint extract) and salt. Whisk well, until the milk is totally incorporated.

You can let this mixture sit for a few minutes, if your pie crust doesn’t

3. Chill. 

Pour the chocolate filling into the  cooled crust. You can sprinkle on any extra toppings you like, such as crushed candy cane or chocolate shavings, or just leave the pie plain and you can garnish it later. 

This vegan chocolate pie will need 4 to 6 hours in the fridge to set, but it’s a good idea to make this the night before you plan on serving it, so it has plenty of time to firm up. 

4. Enjoy!

When you’re ready to serve the pie, serve it chilled straight from the fridge and slice it into thin pieces with a sharp knife. (This pie is rich, so small slices go a long way.)

It’s sturdy enough that it can sit-out for about 1 to 2 hours without getting too soft (in an air-conditioned setting, at least), but I wouldn’t let it sit for too long outside on a hot summer day.

Serve the slices with whipped coconut cream on top, and with extra shaved chocolate or crushed candy cane as a garnish. 

Leftover pie can be stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Or you can freeze it for up to 3 months. Be sure to let it thaw in the fridge for up to 48 hours before you plan on serving it again, to make sure it’s easy to slice. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different flour for the crust? Try my Oat Flour Pie Crust, if you need a nut-free & vegan option. It’s still made with coconut oil, but you could also use vegan butter for that recipe, if you need to. You could swap a 1/4 cup of cocoa powder for a 1/4 cup of oat flour, with similar results. 

What if I don’t want to use chocolate chips? If you’re concerned about the refined sugar in chocolate chips, you can try my Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake or Chocolate Pots de Creme as a naturally sweetened alternative. They both make an impressive holiday dessert!

Can I substitute the coconut milk? You might be able to swap silken tofu (not firm!) for the coconut milk, similar to my vegan chocolate mousse recipe. If you want to use something like almond milk, instead, you might want to cut-back on the amount of liquid you use, so the filling will still set up nicely. The fats in coconut milk are solid when chilled, which is why this recipe makes such a great filling.

Looking for more vegan desserts? Be sure to try Cherry Chocolate Avocado Pudding, Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, and Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie.

Best Vegan Chocolate Pie

This Vegan Chocolate Pie features a rich, fudge-like filling and is naturally gluten-free & dairy-free. It makes an easy holiday dessert!

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Chill time: 4 hrs

Total Time: 4 hrs 35 mins

Servings: 14

Ingredients

Chocolate Pie Filling

• 16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips*
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or peppermint extract)
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Optional Toppings

• shaved chocolate or crushed candy canes

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and have a 9-inch pie pan ready. To make the crust, mix together the almond flour, cacao powder, coconut oil, maple syrup, and salt in a large bowl. Transfer the mixture into the pie pan, and use your hands to press it firmly into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. (Similar to making a graham cracker crust.) Bake for 15 minutes, then let the crust cool completely.

• While the crust is cooling, melt the chocolate chips. I do this in a double boiler set-up, by adding 1-inch of water to a small saucepan. Bring the water to a boil over high-heat, then place a heat-safe bowl over the opening of the pot. Add in the chocolate chips, and stir often. The steam from under the bowl will gently melt the chocolate.

• Open the can of coconut milk, and add all of the contents to a blender. Blend until very smooth, then measure out 1 cup of the milk for this recipe. (This will make sure the solid parts & liquid parts are evenly mixed.) Once the chocolate is smoothly melted, remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the coconut milk, vanilla or peppermint extract, and the salt. Stir well, until the milk is evenly incorporated.

• Pour the filling into the cooled crust. You can add a sprinkle of crushed candy canes on top, or some chocolate shavings at this point, or just leave it plain. Place the pie on a flat shelf in the fridge and let it chill until the filling is firm, about 4 to 6 hours. It’s ideal if you can make this the night before you plan on serving it, so it has plenty of time to chill.

• When the filling is firm, the pie is ready to slice and serve. Be sure to cut small slices, as this recipe is very rich! Serve with coconut whipped cream and chocolate shavings on top, if you like. Leftovers can be stored tightly covered in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 slice, if you cut the pie into 14 even slices. (Sometimes I can get 16 slices out of this pie, too!) This information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, so it’s just an estimate, and not a guarantee.
*Be sure to check the label if you need vegan chocolate chips. Many semi-sweet varieties are naturally dairy-free, but it’s always a good idea to double-check. Enjoy Life brand makes chocolate chips free of the Top 8 allergens. You can use darker chocolate chips for a lower-sugar dessert, too.
• Feel free to use a store-bought pie crust, if you prefer to skip that step. I would blind bake it for 15 minutes, as directed above, or use the directions on the crust package, since many are sold unbaked.
• This recipe was tested using full-fat coconut milk, not the light version. The fat in coconut milk is solid when chilled and helps this pie firm-up. If you prefer to use a different type of milk, I’d cut back on the liquid ratio so the pie isn’t too soft to cut into.

Nutrition

Calories: 331kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Sodium: 89mg, Potassium: 249mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 16IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 53mg, Iron: 3mg

Update Note: This recipe was updated in November 2022 because the original ingredient I used is no longer available. The original version added pecans or walnuts into the filling, and you can certainly still add those, if you like! This new version also has a crust, while the original one was made in a spring-form pan. (The new version is much more fool-proof, so I hope you’ll enjoy it!)

If you try this dairy-free chocolate pie, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it!

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