CHRISTMAS VEGAN CHOCOLATE PIE
This incredibly easy vegan chocolate pie with an exquisite cookie-like crust is a super rich, super healthy, NO-BAKE dessert. A definite crowd pleaser for this Christmas season!
Cacao is thought to have first been used by the Maya civilization of Central America long ago.
Nowadays, cocoa is most famous for its role in chocolate making. However, current research has discovered that it contains significant compounds that can benefit your health.
Raw, organic cacao is full of powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants absorb free radicals, which cause cell and tissue damage and can lead to diseases such as cancer. Cacao is also well known for being the highest plant-based source of iron. Now, take in consideration that the iron in cacao is all plant-based iron or non-heme, so to get the maximum benefits you’ll want to combine it with some vitamin C.
Cacao is one of the highest plant-based sources of magnesium. Magnesium is important for a healthy heart, and helps turn glucose into energy enabling your brain to work with quick precision and focus. It also has more calcium than cow’s milk!
Cacao is also a great source of four scientifically proven ‘happy’ chemicals – serotonin, tryptophan, tyrosine and phenylethylamine. These neurotransmitters are associated with a comfy feeling of wellbeing and happiness. It can even alleviate certain symptoms of depression in a natural and healthy way.
Let’s get started with the details so you can get cooking straight away…
First of all, the crust. All you need is just 4 good ingredients plus a blender – nuts, cacao powder, coconut oil, and salt. I used almonds, but any kind of nut will do. You could even try hemp seeds or shredded coconut for a nut-free version if you have any nut allergy or intolerance.
I chose to sweeten my crust as I do have quite a sweet tooth, but you can choose to omit the two tablespoons of maple syrup if you prefer, since the filling is already quite sweet. Also, don’t forget to save about one half cup of the crust mixture for sprinkling on top of your pie!
For an oil-free crust, you can make a date-based crust with 2 cups nuts (or oats) + 1/2 cup cacao powder + about 10-12 pitted medjool dates blended until sticky. You will end up having a more chewy crust instead of a cookie-like crust if you use this recipe.
Next comes, the filling. As I have commented before, this filling is super easy, which comes in handy especially during the holiday season when we don’t want to be spending too much time in the kitchen, but we do want to have scrumptious dishes to enjoy. You’ll need almond milk, dates, and unsweetened chocolate – c’est fini!
The melted chocolate in this recipe is what makes this filling rich and set in the fridge, so you can’t substitute for cocoa powder here. Now make sure you go for a top quality chocolate, as your pie will be a lot yummier keeping this note in mind. The almond milk can be swapped for any other type of plant-based milk, even coconut milk if you want it extra rich.
It’s important to mix the dates and milk first until it’s completely smooth and free of any small bits and pieces of dates, then add the chocolate. Combine until the mixture is homogeneous.
You can refrigerate or freeze this pie. If you keep it in the fridge the consistency will be softer, almost like custard, but still sliceable. Frozen the texture will be much more firm, and will possibly need about 10 minutes of thawing before slicing and serving. I myself prefer frozen rather than refrigerated, but you can pick and choose whichever you prefer best.
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups (280g) almonds (or nuts of choice)
- 1/2 cup (40g) cacao powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup (50g) coconut oil
- 2 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
Filling
- 12oz or 2 cups unsweetened chocolate
- 3 cups (720g) plant-based milk
- 1 cup (180g or 10-12) pitted medjool dates
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the crust, blend the nuts, cacao powder, and salt until coarsely ground.
- Add the coconut oil. Blend/stir until the texture is moist and crumbly but holds together when pressed.
- Press into the bottom of a pie pan and up the sides, reserving about 1/2 cup for topping.
- For the filling, blend the milk and dates on high until very smooth.
- Melt the chocolate.
- Add melted chocolate to the blender and blend until combined.
- Pour into the crust and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the remaining crust.
- Refrigerate (custard-like) or freeze (firmer texture) overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
- Slice and enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 428
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 231mg
- Fat: 31g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Carbohydrates: 33g
- Fiber: 10g
- Protein: 10g
Enjoy this decadent chocolate dessert with your loved ones this Christmas!
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