With a raw cakey chocolate crust and a decadently creamy chocolate filling, this gluten-free and vegan Chocolate Cream Pie will make you swoon! No baking necessary. Thanks to Hu Kitchen for sponsoring this post.
Sometimes, a recipe turns out better than you ever could’ve hoped for on the first try. It turns out more flavorful and more decadent than you’d imagined, and it’s absolutely luscious. This is one of those recipes.
The intention here was to make a chocolate vegan cheesecake with a softer date-based crust. I wrote the recipe out before I started, as I usually do, and got to testing. As I mixed up each layer, I tasted and adjusted the recipe as I went. First, adding extra cacao powder and salt to amplify the flavors. Then, layering on freshly whipped coconut cream to help cut through the decadent chocolate richness.
The small tweaks took the recipe from good to great, while staying a simple, easy-to-make recipe. When my boyfriend Kyle took his first bite, he freaked out and said it was one of my best things I’ve ever made. After my Dad tried it, he said the same thing. These two have tried most of my best desserts so this is a high compliment.
I asked Kyle what he thought it should be called was since I hadn’t named the recipe yet. He said: “well it’s chocolate cream pie, so you should call it that right???” Yes Kyle, I should. This has all the goodness of my vegan cheesecake recipes, so that’s what it was named after in my head. But I left out the tangy elements like the usual lemon juice…so it turned out less like cheesecake and more pure, rich, unadulterated chocolate goodness. Chocolate cream pie it is! Now if you need more convincing…
Let me tell you why you NEED to try this Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie.
First up, it will satisfy your deepest, darkest chocolate cravings with the soft cacao crust and the chocolate filling, which we make with chocolatey with Hu Kitchen Gems – A.K.A. the most delicious chocolate baking chocolate to exist! The Hu Kitchen Gems are sweetened with just three ingredients: cacao, coconut sugar, and cacao butter (all organic) and come in the cutest hexagon shape, perfect for garnishing your pie.
The recipe does require some cashews soak, but you can speed up the soaking process by covering your raw cashews with boiling water to help them soften faster! Let the pie chill in the freezer so it firms up faster, too.
This Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie won’t melt as quickly as most other vegan cheesecakes since the chocolate helps it stay nice and firm. This is a big plus in my book – no one likes a melting dessert (except ice cream).
I wouldn’t recommend skipping the whipped coconut cream either. It helps cut through the richness of the two dark chocolate layers and adds some lightness to the chocolate cream pie. Bring this one to your next gathering and you’ll be the star of the party. Or, just make it on your next date night (with your beau or yourself!) and serve yourself a big slice ;) enjoy!!
Chocolate Cream Pie
Ingredients
For the cakey crust
- 1¼ cups (120g) almond flour
- ¾ cup (about 130g) medjool dates soaked in hot water for 10 minutes if they’re not soft, drain before using
- ¼ cup (21g) cacao powder
- 2 tablespoons (25g) coconut oil melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
For the chocolate filling
- 1½ cups (180g) raw cashews soaked in water for at least four hours or preferably overnight, drain and rinse before using
- ½ cup (114g) full-fat canned coconut milk
- 4 oz. (113g) Hu Kitchen Gems melted
- ⅓ cup (113g) pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons (25g) refined coconut oil melted and cooled
- 2 tablespoons (11g) cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
To garnish
Instructions
Grease a 6” springform pan with coconut oil, or line an 6” cake pan with strips of parchment paper for easy removal, and grease well with coconut oil. You could also use an 8" springform pan if you want a thinner pie. Set aside.
Add the almond flour, pitted dates, cacao powder, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and salt to a food processor or high-powered blender and pulverize until it comes together into a sort of sticky dough. Don’t over process, or it will get oily! Press evenly along the bottom of the prepared pan.
- In the same food processor or high-powered blender used for the crust (no need to wash between - I used my Vitamix, but most powerful blenders should do the job), combine all of the filling ingredients and blend for about 2 to 4 minutes, or until the mixture is silky smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides as necessary. You may need to add a bit more coconut milk to get it to blend smoothly if your blender isn’t super high-powered.
- Pour the filling into the prepared pan over the chocolate. Smooth out the top and tap the pan hard against the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
Place in the freezer to set for at least 3 hours or in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or until completely firm, before topping with whipped coconut cream.
Once the filling is firm, garnish with whipped coconut cream and more Hu Kitchen Gems.
Recipe Notes
If you want to make this ASAP, you can pour boiling water over the raw cashews and just let them soak for about an hour or so. They might not get quite as soft, but after blending they'll be almost just as creamy!
Diday Zagala says
Is cacao powder the same as cocoa powder?
Rachel says
Hi Diday – technically they are different, but only in their processing: cacao is made from raw cacao beans, whereas in cocoa products, the cacao beans have been roasted. They can be used interchangeably, but note that cacao powder is more nutritionally dense.
Cindy says
Hi. It looks amazing! Thank you!! I was wondering if I can use cashew butter in place of the cashews and processing them.
Rachel says
Hi Cindy, I haven’t tested it that way but using 1 1/2 cups of cashew butter in place of the cashews would probably work well :) would love to hear how it goes if you try it out!
Britt B says
Okay this looks INSANELY creamy and beautiful! Cannot wait to try this, Rachel! Love the chocolate gems on top!
Masuma says
Hi
I really like your recipes and the photographs look great but I’m all the way in the UK and we use grams and millilitres here. Would you be able to tell me how many grams there are to a cup or any other conversion info for your recipes please? I have used conversion units from the net before and it’s always ended up being a disaster.
Rachel says
Hi Masuma, I just updated this recipe with grams! Hopefully this helps :)
Santosh Kumar says
Hey Rachel..this is amazing recipe till now..am a big fan of chocolate, this looks sooo yummy & sound so delicious, i will try to making this vegan chocolate cream pie from your recipe…in few days latter…Thanks for sharing…!
Rachel says
Thanks so much for the love! Hope you love the recipe, Santosh.
Kat says
How long can this keep in the freezer? Can I make it the night before, and enjoy in the evening the next day or should it sit outside a bit? Could you use one type of coconut oil instead of refined vs not?
Rachel says
Hi Kat! It can be kept in the freezer for up to a few months if stored correctly, so overnight is definitely fine. I like transferring it to the fridge about 2 hours before serving so it can soften up. You could also let it thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. Any kind of coconut oil will work (except the always-liquid coconut oil), but refined is preferred if you don’t want any coconut flavor. Enjoy!
Michele says
Awesome recipe Rachel! Crust is delish and the filling is divine. My non vegan guests absolutely loved it! Definitely a keeper :) Thank you for sharing!
Rachel says
This makes me so happy to hear, Michele! Thanks so much for the feedback :D
Veronica says
Is there any other Hu chocolate you would recommend in place of the gems? I can’t seem to find a store that sells them, and if I but them online, the shipping is more than the cost of the product. Thanks in advance!
Rachel says
Hi Veronica! Whole Foods has started carrying them, but if you can’t find them, one of their plain bars works perfectly here too! It’s the same chocolate, just in different forms.
Patricia McDaniel says
Hi all of these recipes look sooo good!!! I am gluten and lactose intolerant however and …I follow the low fod map eating plan, sadly. Ibs issues.
I dont know if you know about the lowfod map issues. I am debating buying the book. It all looks so yummy!!!
Rachel says
Hi Patricia! I don’t follow the low FODMAP diet or specifically reference it in my book, so while there may be some recipes that fit into the diet, I’m not sure how many it would be!