This quick + easy no-bake chocolate cream pie is made with an almond + cocoa powder crust, a date-sweetened chocolate pudding filling, and topped with a mountain of whipped cream- dairy or non, your choice. Made entirely in the bowl of a food processor, this gluten-free, vegan, and naturally sweetened no-bake pie is sure to become a new family favorite!
SO…
I did a thing.
A chocolate cream pie thing.
A vegan, naturally sweetened, gluten-free OMGdelicious chocolate cream pie thing that I legitimately cannot stop eating.
Let me show you:
This pie came about by accident, while I was testing date-sweetened frosting recipes. After several attempts to melt unsweetened chocolate into almond milk and puree it with dates, I didn’t end up with frosting, but I just might have ended up with something better. After shoving spoonful after spoonful of the thick, chocolatey, creamy goodness into my mouth I had an epiphany: this dreamy chocolate concoction is a dead ringer for the pudding layer in a chocolate cream pie. Cue eyes rolling into the back of my head.
And so, a pie was born.
I decided to keep the crust super simple, while still creating that oreo-like crust effect that’s pretty much mandatory with these types of pies. The ingredients? Almonds (or walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, etc), cocoa powder, coconut oil, a teeny bit of maple syrup, and sea salt. Press it into a pie plate or springform pan and you’re done- no need to bake!
That creamy date-sweetened chocolate pudding filling gets poured into the crust, and the whole pie takes a trip into the fridge or freezer to chill- about 90 minutes in the freezer or 3-4 hours in the fridge before it’s ready to be sliced.
Then, all that’s left to do is top the pie with your whipped cream of choice. I like to do either grass-fed organic heavy cream whipped with a teeny bit of maple syrup (obviously making it no longer vegan friendly!), or coconut cream scooped from a few cans of coconut milk that have been chilled in the fridge overnight. You could also pick up a can of your preferred whipped topping at the grocery store- I’ve seen several organic and/or dairy-free options at Whole Foods, though I haven’t tried any of them yet.
Since I can’t help myself, I melted a little more chocolate and drizzled it over the pie, just to make it look extra pretty before serving.
And by serving, I mean sticking a fork into it and eating 10 bites every time I pass through the kitchen. No shame in this pie-eating game.
But, rest assured: were you interesting in slicing and sharing this with friends, say at a holiday party or other such event, these slices hold up perfectly- no runny, gloopy filling seeping out and turning into an ugly mess on the plate (trust me, I’ve been there before, and it’s not pretty).
Regardless of it’s status as a healthy pie, I think this baby is going to become your family’s new favorite chocolate cream pie, ever. It sure is mine.
If you make this recipe, let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, or take a picture of your pie and share it with me on Instagram– I love seeing my recipes in your kitchen!
No-Bake Chocolate Cream Pie (gluten free + vegan)
Ingredients
crust
- 2 cups raw almonds cashews, walnuts, and hazelnuts all work, too
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup virgin coconut oil at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
filling
- 6 oz unsweetened or extremely dark (75%+) chocolate from 2 bars of dark chocolate
- 1 cup medjool dates, pitted (about 10 large dates)
- 2 cups unsweetened milk of choice almond, coconut, etc
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
topping
- 1 cup grass-fed organic heavy cream or coconut cream from 2 cans of full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup optional, to sweeten the whip
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped dark chocolate optional, to melt and drizzle over top
Instructions
- Place all crust ingredients into a food processor or high powered blender and pulse to break up the nuts. Once nuts are broken up, blend until a thick dough forms, about 30 seconds. Some tiny bits of nuts left in the dough is fine, but it should be a mostly chocolatey-looking dough.
- Dump the crust mixture into an 8-inch pie plate or springform (cheesecake) pan, pressing it in a thin layer on the bottom and at least 2-inches up the sides. Set aside.
- Next, make the filling. Break the chocolate into large pieces and place in your now-empty blender/food processor with the dates (no need to clean it out between making the crust and filling).
- Heat almond milk in a small pot on the stove (or in a microwave-safe dish) until steaming, but not boiling (we just want it hot enough to help melt the chocolate).
- Pour milk into the blender, add vanilla and salt, and blend until completely smooth. Pour filling into the prepared crust, and transfer the pie to the freezer for at least 90 minutes, or the fridge for at least 3 hours, to allow the filling to set.
- Once ready to serve, top pie with whipped topping of choice (whip the heavy cream + maple syrup in a stand mixer until thick + fluffy or vigorously stir coconut cream with a spoon to lighten it up a bit).
- Melt chocolate in a small microwave-safe dish in 20-second increments until melted (or in a small pot on the stove on the lowest heat possible, stirring constantly). Drizzle chocolate over the pie, cut, and serve.
- Leftover pie keeps for up to 5 days in the fridge, covered. If making ahead for a party, I recommend leaving off the whipped topping until you’re ready to serve, as it can weep/soften in the fridge over time.