This show-stopping, vegan chocolate cream pie with a super fun pretzel crust is a chocolate lover’s dream! No one would ever guess it’s vegan.
Why This Recipe Works:
- The cool and creamy chocolate cream combined with the pretzel crust gives this pie a unique sweet and salty flavor.
- It can be made gluten free by using gluten free pretzels.
- This pie only takes 15 minutes to assemble before chilling it.
- This dessert is so indulgent, you would never know it’s dairy and egg-free!
Is this cream pie recipe just as easy as using an instant pudding?
- One word – YES! The process to make this filling is very similar to using an instant pudding, but you know (and can pronounce) every ingredient that you’re using.
If you’re looking for other pies to make for holiday parties or just for fun, then you have to try my Vegan Pumpkin Pie, my Cherry Blueberry Pie, and my Raspberry Sorbet Pie!
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie with Pretzel Crust:
1 – Start by adding all of the pretzel crust ingredients to a food processor and blend until mostly smooth with some pea-sized pretzel pieces remaining.
2 – Then, pour this mixture into a pie pan and press until the crust is flat against the sides and bottom of the pan.
3 – Place the pie pan in the fridge to chill. *FYI – this crust can be made in advance! Simply cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer until you’re ready to use it.
(Now, get ready to do some major whisking!)
4 – Next, combine the non-dairy milk and cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk with a fork until smooth. Set it aside for now.
5 – In a large sauce pan, add the coconut milk, coconut sugar and salt. Turn the fire to medium heat and whisk frequently until the mixture starts to bubble around the edges.
6 – At this point, slowly add the chocolate chips while whisking until all chocolate is melted and incorporated.
7 – Then, slowly add the milk/cornstarch mixture while whisking vigorously. Continue whisking for about 4 -5 minutes until the chocolate cream becomes very thick and bubbly as you see here:
(Alright, all whisking is done now!)
8 – Quickly transfer the chocolate cream to the prepped pretzel pie crust and smooth over the surface with the back of a spoon.
9 – Allow the pie to cool at room temperature for 30-40 minutes before transferring it to the refrigerator to chill completely, about 4 hours or so, (or until the bottom of the pan feels cold to the touch).
10 – Just before serving, top the pie with coconut whipped cream (or other non-dairy whipped topping) plus chocolate chips and chopped pretzel. You want to be sure to add the chopped pretzel at the last minute, otherwise those pieces will get soggy. I’ve also been known to drizzle the surface of the pie with a vegan caramel, which is super delicious and I highly recommend! (I like THIS brand of vegan caramel).
I certainly hope you love this pie as much as we do!
Top Tips for Making Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie with Pretzel Crust:
- To make this gluten free, use gluten free pretzels.
- If you don’t have a food processor, put your pretzels in a ziplock bag (let the air out and leave a little tiny opening when sealing), and crush up with your fists, a rolling pin, or other hard object.
- Add your chopped pretzel topping at the very last minute before serving so they don’t get soggy.
- To store, keep your pie in the refrigerator.
Want to make a homemade topping for this pie? Be sure to check out my recipe for 2-Ingredient Vegan Whipped Cream (FYI – for thicker whipped cream, leave out the vanilla extract).
Did you try this recipe? Give it a star rating and let me know what you think in the comments below. Your feedback is very helpful!
Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie with Pretzel Crust
Ingredients
For the Pretzel Pie Crust
- 3 c. pretzels + more for topping (180 g) use gluten free if needed
- 1/3 c. coconut sugar (47 g)
- 1/2 c. non-dairy Butter (113 g) melted
For the Chocolate Cream Filling
- 1/2 c. non-dairy milk (119 ml) I use cashew or almond
- 1/2 c. non-GMO cornstarch
- 2 cans of coconut milk
- 1 c. coconut sugar (141 g)
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1 c. mini or regular-sized semi-sweet chocolate chips + more for topping (Mini: 186 g / Regular: 240 g)
- vegan caramel for topping (optional but recommended)
Instructions
- Start by adding all of the pretzel crust ingredients to a food processor and blend until mostly smooth with some pea-sized pretzel pieces remaining.
- Then, pour this mixture into a pie pan and press until the crust is flat against the sides and bottom of the pan.
- Place the pie pan in the fridge to chill. *FYI – this crust can be made in advance! Simply cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer until you’re ready to use it.
- Next, combine the non-dairy milk and cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk with a fork until smooth. Set it aside for now.
- In a large sauce pan, add the coconut milk, coconut sugar and salt. Turn the fire to medium heat and whisk frequently until the mixture starts to bubble around the edges.
- At this point, slowly add the chocolate chips while whisking until all chocolate is melted and incorporated.
- Then, slowly add the milk/cornstarch mixture while whisking vigorously. Continue whisking for about 4 -5 minutes until the chocolate cream becomes very thick and bubbly.
- Quickly transfer the chocolate cream to the prepped pretzel pie crust and smooth over the surface with the back of a spoon.
- Allow the pie to cool at room temperature for 30-40 minutes before transferring it to the refrigerator to chill completely, about 4 hours or so, (or until the bottom of the pan feels cold to the touch).
- Just before serving, top the pie with coconut whipped cream (or other non-dairy whipped topping plus chocolate chips and chopped pretzel. You want to be sure to add the chopped pretzel at the last minute, otherwise those pieces will get soggy. I've also been known to drizzle the surface of the pie with a vegan caramel, which is super delicious and I highly recommend! (I like THIS brand of vegan caramel).
Notes
- To make this gluten free, use gluten free pretzels.
- If you don’t have a food processor, put your pretzels in a ziplock bag (let the air out and leave a little tiny opening when sealing), and crush up with your fists, a rolling pin, or other hard object.
- Add your chopped pretzel topping at the very last minute before serving so they don’t get soggy.
- To store, keep your pie in the refrigerator.
I’m not a vegan but I’ve been trying some of your recipes and haven’t found one I didn’t like especially this one. I had no idea vegan food could be so good and flavorful. I’m seriously thinking about becoming a vegan the only problem is that I’ve eaten meat my whole life and I’m 45. I guess doing it slowly might do the trick. If you have any ideas on how to become a vegan please do tell. I love the pie and so did my family. You should’ve seen the looks on there face when I told them it was vegan, lol! Thank you Audrey. Your friend from Georgia, Angel.
Hi Angel! You’re absolutely right – start slowly when it comes to being vegan, if that what feels right for you. My transition was slow, as well. I was able to give up meat right away but cheese and butter took me a little longer to give up. Eventually I got to a point where I now do not miss those foods at all, especially since there are now so many great non-dairy versions of those foods! Perhaps start with meatless Mondays… then maybe do vegan all day except for dinner. What usually happens after this is you realize how you don’t need meat in order to have a delicious and satisfying meal. And then the bonus is, you usually become healthier and feel better! Perfection is definitely not a requirement here. Just take it one meal at a time. Please keep me posted! And thank you for the kind words.
What is the nutritional content of this and any of your other recipes?
Hi Randy! With my recipes, I actually focus on the quality of the calories/macros rather than the totals. With this particular recipe, I do have it under the “Treats” category because it is just that – a treat! 🙂 (Which means it’s something you would save for special occasions or events.) Therefore, this pie does have more sugar and fat in it than the recipes you would find under any of the other categories such as breakfast, lunch/dinner, and snacks. But please know that I always try to make every recipe of mine as healthy as possible by choosing the highest quality ingredients that I can, all while making sure that flavor is not sacrificed! It’s a careful balance. I hope this makes sense!