Let’s make 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)
Our Viral Vegan Chocolate Pie Can Fool Just About Anyone
We’ve been making this gluten-free vegan chocolate pie for the better part of a decade, and it always gets rave reviews. At Thanksgiving, dessert potlucks, parties, and birthdays, it’s one of the first desserts gone and one of the most highly requested recipes I make.
Why? This vegan chocolate cream pie is the real deal. With its crispy chocolate cookie crust, silky, rich chocolate filling, and a dollop of coconut whipped cream on top, it can fool even the most ardent dairy eaters. No one ever guesses this chocolate pie vegan.
🥣 EASE: This easy chocolate pie recipe is made from simple ingredients that are easy to keep on hand, and doesn’t involve fussing with pastry crust. It’s simple and straightforward in all the best ways.
🍫 FLAVORS: CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE. From the easy chocolate crust, to the luscious chocolate filling, to the tiny flecks of chocolate for garnish, this decadent vegan chocolate pie tastes delightfully chocolatey through and through.
🥧 TOP TIPS: Don’t rush the cooking or chilling steps! Make sure to thicken the filling before adding the chocolate chips & let the pie chill the full time to allow it to set up properly.
Happy baking! xo, Emily
Gather Your Ingredients
Ready to make the best chocolate pie? Here’s what you’ll need to get started…
More Pie Crust Options To Try
If you prefer, you can absolutely make this pie with a graham cracker crust or traditional pie crust instead of an Oreo crust! Just make sure to use vegan graham crackers or our flaky vegan pie crust recipe.
How To Make Vegan Chocolate Pie, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.
First Make The Crust
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set out a 9-inch pie pan. (I prefer a metal pie dish here, but glass or ceramic will also work.)
- Make The Crust. In a food processor, pulse gluten-free Oreos until fine crumbs. Add melted vegan butter and pulse to combine, until crumbs are evenly coated in vegan butter. If needed, you can crush the cookies in a large plastic bag with a rolling pin, then combine them with the melted butter in a mixing bowl.)
- Bake Crust. Transfer cookie crumb mixture to pie pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or drinking glass to pat the crust down evenly around the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Even out the top edge out with your fingers. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes to set the crust. Then, set aside on a wire rack to cool while you make the pie filling.
Then, Make The Filling & Finish The Pie
- Whisk Dry Ingredients. In a medium saucepan, combine coconut sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt. whisk to combine until well blended.
- Add Milk & Cook. Next, pour in coconut milk and almond milk, then whisk and cook over medium heat 8-10 minutes, or until the mixture has come to a low simmer and the pudding has thickened. (You should be able to see the path of the whisk in the pudding and if you let pudding drip off the whisk back into the saucepan, it should rest on the surface of the pudding briefly before absorbing. You can also check by dipping a spoon or spatula into the pudding and running your finger down the middle. It should leave a clear line.)
- Add Chocolate & Vanilla. When the pudding has thickened, turn off the heat and mix in chocolate chips and vanilla extract. Whisk until the chocolate has full melted and the pudding is smooth. (You will likely see some bubbles, but there shouldn’t be any lumps. If, by chance you do have lumps, you can strain the pudding through a fine mesh sieve before refrigerating.)
- Cover & Chill. Pour the chocolate pudding into the prepared pie crust, and press plastic wrap onto the surface to prevent the pudding from developing a “skin” on top of the pudding. Transfer pie to the refrigerator and chill at least 3-4 hours to thicken completely. (If you check it after 1-2 hours, it’ll still be on the thin side.)
- Serve & Store. Garnish the whole pie or individual slices with whipped coconut cream and shaved chocolate. Store leftover pie in the fridge 3-4 days. (This pie can be made 1 day in advance!)
6 Pretty Ways To Decorate A 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. (Add RIGHT before serving, so they don’t bleed their color!)
- 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? I don’t recommend it for this pie. If you substitute the coconut milk for another dairy-free milk (like almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk, 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 chocolate chips and Guittard chocolate chips. Many stores now carry allergy-friendly store brands, though, so keep an eye out for those as well!
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.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Pie recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie (No Tofu!)
Ingredients
FOR THE CHOCOLATE COOKIE CRUST:
- 24 gluten-free Oreo cookies or your favorite gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies*
- 4 Tablespoons vegan butter, melted (can sub coconut oil in a pinch)
FOR THE VEGAN CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE FILLING:
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar or white sugar
- 4 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (use natural cocoa powder not Dutch processed)
- 1 (13-oz) can full-fat coconut milk* (NO substitutions for best results)
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (can use cashew milk, oat milk, etc.)
- 2/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (dark chocolate or semisweet)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon 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
FIRST, MAKE THE CHOCOLATE COOKIE CRUST
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set out a 9-inch pie pan. (I prefer a metal pie dish here, but glass or ceramic will also work.)
- Make The Crust. In a food processor, pulse gluten-free Oreos until fine crumbs. Add melted vegan butter and pulse to combine, until crumbs are evenly coated in vegan butter. If needed, you can crush the cookies in a large plastic bag with a rolling pin, then combine them with the melted butter in a mixing bowl.)
- Bake Crust. Transfer cookie crumb mixture to pie pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or drinking glass to pat the crust down evenly around the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Even out the top edge out with your fingers. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes to set the crust. Then, set aside on a wire rack to cool while you make the pie filling.
NEXT, MAKE THE PIE FILLING & FINISH THE PIE
- Whisk Dry Ingredients. In a medium saucepan, combine coconut sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt. whisk to combine until well blended.
- Add Milk & Cook. Next, pour in coconut milk and almond milk, then whisk and cook over medium heat 8-10 minutes, or until the mixture has come to a low simmer and the pudding has thickened. (You should be able to see the path of the whisk in the pudding and if you let pudding drip off the whisk back into the saucepan, it should rest on the surface of the pudding briefly before absorbing. You can also check by dipping a spoon or spatula into the pudding and running your finger down the middle. It should leave a clear line.)
- Add Chocolate & Vanilla. When the pudding has thickened, turn off the heat and mix in chocolate chips and vanilla extract. Whisk until the chocolate has full melted and the pudding is smooth. (You will likely see some bubbles, but there shouldn’t be any lumps. If, by chance you do have lumps, you can strain the pudding through a fine mesh sieve before refrigerating.)
- Cover & Chill. Pour the chocolate pudding into the prepared pie crust, and press plastic wrap onto the surface to prevent the pudding from developing a “skin” on top of the pudding. Transfer pie to the refrigerator and chill at least 3-4 hours to thicken completely. (If you check it after 1-2 hours, it’ll still be on the thin side.)
- Serve & Store. Garnish the whole pie or individual slices with whipped coconut cream and shaved chocolate. Store leftover pie in the fridge 3-4 days. (This pie can be made 1 day in advance!)
Notes
- GLUTEN FREE SANDWICH COOKIES. Our favorite gluten-free cookies for chocolate cookie crust are Gluten-Free Oreos, Goodie Girl Chocolate Creme Cookies, Glutino Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies, or Kinnikinnik K-Toos.
- CAN I USE SOMETHING BESIDES COCONUT MILK? I don’t recommend it for this pie. If you substitute the coconut milk for another dairy-free milk (like almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk, 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.)
- DON’T RUSH. For the best results, don’t rush the cooking or chilling steps! Make sure to thicken the filling sufficiently before adding the chocolate chips & let the pie chill the full time to allow it to set up properly.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/vegan-chocolate-pie/Originally shared Nov 2020. Updated with improved recipe notes, new photos & video October 2025. Check out some of our original photos below!
This is a fantastic recipe!! It was a hit in our family!
I’d like to modify it to a butterscotch pudding. Any suggestions?
I’m so glad you loved it! It’s one of my favorites.
I love the idea of a butterscotch pudding, but it might take some experimenting to get right. This one uses the cocoa powder and chocolate chips for structure and flavor. I think using butterscotch chips instead of chocolate chips would definitely get you the flavor, but would likely be too sweet and wouldn’t set up quite the same since butterscotch chips are structurally different than chocolate chips.
My friend Natalie has a vegan butterscotch pudding with great reviews that might be a great place to start!
I made this for Thanksgiving dinner yesterday and it was AMAZING! My sister-in-law is GF, and I recently found out I can’t have dairy. we both LOVED it and our other family members who don’t have allergies did as well!
Do you think this could be made into a frozen pie? like served/eaten frozen?
Shell – I’m SO glad you loved it for Thanksgiving! Yay! I don’t recommend it as a frozen pie, but you can use the crust and fill it with vegan ice cream like I do in this pie on our baking site!
Do you use canned unsweetened coconut milk?
I do!
Made this several times now and I love this recipe so much!! the pie comes out so delicious, I add orange zest which I highly recommend!!
I LOVE orange and chocolate together! (Thank you so much for your review!)
Hello. Can i use cane sugar instead of coconut sugar? thank you !
Yes! It’ll just be slightly sweeter 🙂
Now I know the die hard chocolate fans will gawk but we didn’t have chocolate cookies for the crust. Cue normal graham cracker crust with some fudge ice cream topping spread in the middle after cooling the crust but before putting the filling in.
Oh my goodness this is our go-to recipe for chocolate pies now! Thanks for the great and simple instructions.
I LOVE it with a graham cracker crust! Isn’t it so great!? LOVE the idea of the fudge ice cream topping layer too–I’ll definitely have to try it!
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!
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 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!
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) 🙂