Vegan Chocolate Pie – This gorgeous dairy-free chocolate cream pie has a rich chocolatey filling and crispy chocolate cookie crust your whole family will flip for! (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
For me, the Thanksgiving meal is all about the side dishes and the PIE.
I come from a pie-loving family (my aunts and uncles bake enough pies to cover my grandma’s entire dining table every year on Thanksgiving), and I love carrying on this tradition.
My goal is usually to have plenty of variety. It’s so fun to have a good mix of pies! I’ll add some pies with crumble topping, others with a pretty top crust, a velvety pumpkin pie, and then usually a cold cream pie for good measure. Our dairy-free chocolate cream pie is always a HUGE hit especially with my nieces and nephews who don’t love warm fruit pies.
This vegan chocolate pie is the real deal. With its crispy chocolate cookie crust, silky, rich chocolate filling, and maybe a dollop of coconut whipped cream on top, it’s always one of the first pies to go around the holidays. (And we’re the only ones who eat dairy-free!)
And, just like when I made my vegan chocolate pudding, I didn’t want to make this using tofu, cashews, avocado, or banana. Here’s how I make an ultra-creamy vegan chocolate cream pie…
Here Are The Ingredients For My Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie:
A CHOCOLATE COOKIE CRUST. I love doubling down on the chocolate factor here by starting with a chocolate cookie crust. If you’re not gluten-free, you can use traditional Oreos (did you know they’re vegan?!) or you can swap in gluten-free cookies for a gluten-free crust like we do. (More on that in a minute!)
A CREAMY (VEGAN!) CHOCOLATE PUDDING FILLING. What makes this pie unforgettable is its rich chocolate cream filling. It’s thick, cool, creamy, and super chocolatey. It’s made from things like:
- COCOA POWDER + CHOCOLATE CHIPS. A double-dose of chocolate gives you rich cocoa flavor and a velvety smooth chocolate cream texture that’s incredible.
- COCONUT SUGAR (OR WHITE SUGAR). I usually opt for coconut sugar here (it’s thought to be slightly easier on your blood sugar), but white sure also works if that’s easier for you!
- COCONUT MILK + ALMOND MILK. To keep this dairy-free chocolate pie filling from tasting super coconutty, I use a blend of coconut milk (for thickness + texture) and almond milk. You can use cashew, soy, or oat milk instead of almond milk if you prefer.
- VANILLA + SALT. To balance the flavors and make the chocolate taste even more chocolatey, you’ll add vanilla and a little pinch of salt to the vegan chocolate pie filling. Don’t forget them!
- CORNSTARCH OR ARROWROOT. To thicken the vegan chocolate pie filling mixture, you’ll need the thickening power of cornstarch or arrowroot. Cornstarch will give you the most consistent results, but arrowroot makes a great option if you avoid corn.
PRETTY FINISHES FOR THE TOP. Then, if you want to go big (and who doesn’t?!), you can top this with some whipped coconut cream + shaved chocolate. You can make your own coconut whipped cream, but I actually love using store-bought dairy-free whipped cream topping like SoDelicious CocoWhip or TruWhip Vegan Topping. (I get them at Sprouts, Whole Foods, or Natural Grocer). Reddi Wip also makes almond milk whipped cream and coconut milk whipped cream these days and those work pretty well, too.
Let’s Talk Crust! 2 Types Of Crust You Can Use For Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie:
1. CHOCOLATE COOKIE CRUST. My favorite pie crust for chocolate cream pie is an Oreo or chocolate cookie crust. All you need is Oreo cookies or gluten-free Oreo-type cookies (see the FAQ for our favorites!), and vegan butter to make it! You’ll just crush the chocolate cookies into a fine powder, blend with the melted vegan butter, and either go no-bake or bake for a few minutes to set it. Easy-peasy!
2. TRADITIONAL FLAKY CRUST. If you love a traditional flaky pie crust, you’ll love this vegan pie crust or this gluten-free vegan pie crust. You’ll need to “blind bake” the crust (bake it without filling) before pouring in your vegan chocolate pie filling.
HOW TO BLIND BAKE A PIE CRUST:
- Gently press a large square of parchment paper into the unbaked pie shell.
- Pour in about 1 cup of dried beans, uncooked rice, or a set of pie weights to weigh down the crust.
- Bake the pie crust for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges of the crust are turning golden. (This is called “blind baking”)
- Carefully remove the parchment paper and weights/beans (I gather all four corners of the parchment in my hand and lift so the pie weights/beans come with it).
- Bake an additional 5 minutes to help set the bottom a bit more.
- Let the crust cool completely before you add your chocolate cream filling.
6 Pretty Ways To Decorate Vegan Chocolate Pie
Now that you have a gorgeous, creamy dairy-free chocolate cream pie, its time to make it look pretty! Here are a few of our favorite ways to add a pretty touch to a chocolate pie:
- Chocolate Shavings – Just use a sharp knife to cut lengthwise along the end of a chocolate bar to get chocolate shavings. I love this look because the shapes are all a bit irregular, with some larger, some smaller, etc.
- Mini Chocolate Chips – Garnish your vegan chocolate pie with a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips! This looks fun and whimsical (mini makes everything cuter, right?!).
- Chocolate Curls. If you want a more polished finish, try making chocolate curls, like these or these.
- Sprinkles. Or, add a pop of color with some sprinkles! I recommend jimmies or quins, since they’ll hold their color best.
- Toasted Nuts. Add a bit of crunch with some toasted sliced almonds or even chopped hazelnuts.
- Fresh Raspberries. Or add a fruity touch with a few fresh raspberries. Chocolate and raspberries are so good together!
FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Vegan Chocolate Pie:
I DON’T LIKE COCONUT. CAN I USE SOMETHING BESIDES COCONUT MILK? If you substitute the coconut milk for another milk (like almond, cashew, oat, etc.) just know that your pie filling will set much looser and thinner, and it likely won’t slice as prettily. (It will taste great, but it doesn’t have the same setting power or thickness as coconut milk.)
DO I HAVE TO ADD THE CHOCOLATE CHIPS TO THE PIE FILLING? Yes. You really do! They’re crucial for texture and for completing the chocolate flavor of the vegan chocolate cream pie filling. You can get by with a chopped chocolate bar or chocolate chips, but you cannot omit the chocolate all together.
OUR FAVORITE VEGAN CHOCOLATE CHIPS. If you’re looking for vegan chocolate chips, we love Enjoy Life, and Toll House Simply Delicious chocolate chips. Many stores now carry allergy-friendly store brands, though, so keep an eye out for those as well!
WHAT ARE THE BEST GLUTEN-FREE COOKIES FOR GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE COOKIE CRUST? Our favorite gluten-free cookies for chocolate cookie crust are Glutino Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies, Kinnikinnik K-Toos, or Gluten-Free Joe-Joe cookies from Trader Joe’s (Note: Joe-Joe’s are vegetarian not vegan).
PRO TIP: CONSIDER A STORE-BOUGHT DAIRY-FREE WHIPPED CREAM. I love making things from scratch, but for the most consistent results here, I actually love using store-bought dairy-free whipped cream topping. They tend to be more stable and last better when pies are set out for a while. I like SoDelicious CocoWhip or TruWhip Vegan Topping. (I get them at Sprouts, Whole Foods, Kroger, or Natural Grocer). Reddi Wip also makes almond milk whipped cream and coconut milk whipped cream these days! I find it at Target, Kroger, Walmart, etc. If you prefer to make your own, here’s a simple tutorial.
More Vegan Recipes To Try:
HELPFUL INGREDIENTS + TOOLS FOR THIS DAIRY-FREE CHOCOLATE PIE RECIPE:
Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie (No Tofu!)
- Total Time: 30 minutes + 3 hours to chill
- Yield: 1 (9″) pie 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Vegan Chocolate Pie – This gorgeous dairy-free chocolate cream pie has a rich chocolatey filling and crispy chocolate cookie crust your whole family will flip for! (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
FOR THE CHOCOLATE COOKIE CRUST:
- 25 chocolate sandwich cookies (like Oreos or gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies*)
- 4 Tbsp. vegan butter, melted (can sub coconut oil in a pinch)
FOR THE VEGAN CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE FILLING:
- 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar (or white sugar)
- 1 (13oz) can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp. salt
PIE TOPPINGS (OPTIONAL):
- Dairy-Free Whipped Topping (Like CocoWhip, TruWhip Vegan, or Reddi-Wip almond or coconut)
- Dairy-Free Shaved chocolate, chocolate chunks, or mini chocolate chips.
Instructions
FOR THE CHOCOLATE COOKIE CRUST:
- If baking the crust, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place cookies in a food processor and pulse until the cookies are in fine crumbs. (You don’t want any large pieces left).
- Add melted butter and pulse to combine until all the crumbs are moistened and the mixture resembles wet sand. (It should stick together when pinched.)
- Pour crumb mixture out into a 9″ pie dish.
- Use your fingers or the back of a measuring cup (my favorite!) to pat down the crust smoothly along the bottom of the pie pan and up the sides of the dish. Even out the edges of the crust with your finger.
- For a no-bake crust, chill the crust 20-30 minutes while you make your filling. For a baked crust, bake 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees F. Cool before adding the filling.
FOR THE VEGAN CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE FILLING:
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together cocoa powder, cornstarch, and coconut sugar. Pour in coconut milk and almond milk.
- Bring the mixture up to a boil, whisking constantly to help avoid lumps.
- Boil 2-3 minutes, or until mixture is visibly thicker. (You want it to really thicken.)
- Remove pudding from the heat and add chocolate chips, vanilla, and salt.
- Whisk to combine until the chocolate chips are completely melted. (Mixture will be quite thick now.)
- Remove pie crust from the refrigerator and pour in your chocolate cream filling.
- Cover the pie with plastic wrap or beeswax wrap and chill until completely chilled through and set, at least 2-3 hours. (I love making this pie even further ahead–8-12 hours.)
- When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator and uncover. Top with whipped topping and shaved chocolate, as desired. Note: the surface of the pie may crack as it chills. This is totally fine. That’s what whipped cream is for!
Notes
*GLUTEN FREE SANDWICH COOKIES. Our favorite gluten-free cookies for chocolate cookie crust are Glutino Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies, or Kinnikinnik K-Toos.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: vegan chocolate cream pie, vegan chocolate pudding pie, gluten free vegan chocolate cream pie, gluten free vegan chocolate pudding pie, vegan chocolate pie
Originally shared Nov 2020. Updated Nov 2021.
Could I use coconut whipping cream instead of coconut milk? It’s what I have on hand. Thanks 😊
Do you mean already prepared whipped cream or canned coconut cream? Canned coconut cream can work, it’ll just make for a thicker, firmer-set pie. Already whipped coconut cream won’t give you the consistency you’ll need so it won’t be a great substitute here.
Can I make the crust and pudding in advance for Christmas? This looks so good
Yes! I actually like this pie best when it’s been chilling for a day. You can make and freeze the crust at least a week in advance, or refrigerate the crust for 1-2 days before making the pie. The pudding works best if it’s made within 2-3 days of eating it.
A few notes – It works best to make and assemble the whole pie in advance when possible (make a day in advance and chill in the freezer).
The pudding can’t be frozen, so don’t try that!
Also, if you make the crust and filling and store separately, the pudding will set up and firm up in the bowl/container you use, so you’ll need to blend or mix it up before adding it to your pie crust. Whisking vigorously, or using a hand mixer on low speed will do the job!
I’d love to know how it goes if you give it a try! Happy Holidays!
This is THE BEST chocolate pie I have ever had!! So creamy and delish!! I did add a small amount of maple syrup to it since my daughter and mom don’t like bitter chocolate at all. But we all agreed that this pie was the perfect end to our Thanksgiving
vegan feast! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
★★★★★
Hooray! I’m so glad it was a winner for you Andi! Thank you, thank you for taking the time to leave such a kind review! 🙂
This is absolutely the most delicious chocolate pie I have EVER had in my life! And it was easy to make! So grateful for this recipe.
★★★★★
Lea – WOWWW!!! So glad you loved it! It’s our favorite too. We gobbled it up this year!
This recipe was really good, and I would make it again! My nephew can’t have dairy and I wanted to bring a Thanksgiving treat that everyone would love. This was delicious and everyone said they’d never know that it was dairy-free. I used the barista oat milk I had in the fridge for the “other” milk. I mixed graham crackers and Oreos for the crust. I blind-baked it for 15 minutes, which I know was way too long (I didn’t set a timer as I wasn’t sure how long it needed, and was just peeking at it every few minutes, and forgot about it). I did use over 1 cup of chocolate chips in total, and it was not too dense, but it was rich (not so overly so, like fudge).
The only thing I need to tweak in the future is the crust; In the corners where it was harder to spread thinly, the crust became WAY too crunchy… cutting it with a knife was challenging, and with a fork was almost impossible. I think this may have had to do with how long I baked the crust.
★★★★★
Karina – WOWWW! I’m so glad you loved it. Thank you SO much for taking the time to leave a review!
I think you’re right about the crust. I’d highly recommend our Oreo crust for next time–it’s delicious and gets crisp without going hard or making it tricky to lift out of the pan. 🙂
I have made this recipe many times and it’s always a hit ! The last few times I’ve made it there seems to be chunks in it, my thought is it’s the coconut milk maybe. Do you have any suggestions to stop this from happening ?
★★★★★
Alyssa – I’m so glad you love it! In my experience, if I get lumps, it’s a whisking issue. You want to whisk the entire time and possibly reduce your heat slightly so the mixture isn’t thickening before you can work any lumps out. If you do end up with lumps, you can also blend it with an immersion blender to smooth them out before adding it to the pie! 🙂
Good morning! Want to make this for pi day but have a question about the gf Oreos- do I just use the cookie part or blend the cookie and filling with the butter? Thanks!
Marlo – the whole cookie (filling & cookie) 🙂
This is an amaze-balls recipe!!! I’ve made it a few times now. I use gluten free Oreos. The regular stuf Oreos work a little better in my food processor, but need 1TBSP extra butter to hold together. Double stuf also work, but can get a bit sticky in the food processor. I have also added a couple tablespoons of peanut butter to the pie filling during heating, which is pretty tasty as well. I found out (the hard way) that it’s best to put the pie in the fridge uncovered for a while, otherwise it’s nearly impossible to remove the saran wrap/tin foil without pulling off the top of the pie. Overall, an awesome recipe!
★★★★★
YAY! So glad you love it Candace! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review–I appreciate you so much!
Great pie, I’ve made it a few times now. Instead of using a whole can of coconut milk, I put the can in the freezer for a bit till the cream separates. Then I just use the cream instead of the whole can. Much less coconutty.
★★★★★
SO glad you like it Hayley! 🙂
This recipe is outstanding and it is so worth the time to make it (which isn’t really that long!). The filling comes out deliciously rich and it thickens nicely. The coconut oil suggestion works really well as a sub for vegan butter for the crust (i just don’t love the flavor of vegan butter…) This is a recipe I come back to and love every time!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!