Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Pie

I almost never make pie.

It’s not that I don’t like pie. I love pie. Seriously.

But it’s usually too complicated. I mean, come on! You have to make a crust…and a filling…and almost always a topping?? That’s like making 3 things! When normally, I can make just one (cookies people).

Anyways, I made pie.

Yup, start to finish, I made pie. An epic pie!

Oh, and it’s vegan. And can be totally gluten-free if you use gluten-free wafer cookies in the crust. If those kind of things sway you.

I think I’m always swayed by a good cream pie. Chocolate cream pie is silky and rich. Totally irresistible.

So when I started making chocolate cream pie, I of course had to stray off track and add something to it…hazelnuts!! Woo hoo! This pie totally reminded me of Ferrero Rocher! Yup, Rocher pie, if you will.

Trust me, this is totally worth the effort. It’s not a ton of effort either! The simple ingredients and easy process make cream pie worlds easier than the traditional method (the eggs in standard custard pies create so much more drama, with tempering). And I made THREE mini pies instead of one big one!! So it’s totally like I made a lot of pies, right?

And, I have a confession. About how I made the crust. I murdered…some Teddy Grahams. Squeel! Yes, I pulverized Teddy Grahams, and they were the perfect chocolate crust! But, I wrote “chocolate grahams” in the ingredients, because using regular graham cookies is so much less traumatizing than seeing your little buddies turn into dust.

Side note, my fiancé ate the rest of the box of Teddy Grahams. He said something along the lines of: “Hey look! Some of them have their arms out and some have their arms down.” Ah, yes, it’s the little things in life…

Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Pie
(3 small pies or 1 standard pie)

Crust:

1 cup crumbled wafer cookies (or Chocolate Grahams)

3 Tbs. coconut oil, melted

6 tsp. toasted, chopped hazelnuts, divided

Filling:

1 can (~14oz) coconut milk (Thai Kitchen, unsweetened)

2 Tbs. raw sugar or coconut sugar

1/3 cup dark chocolate morsels (or a chopped dark chocolate bar)

2 tsp. cornstarch

Whipped “Cream” Topping:

1 can coconut milk (will use ½ of the “cream” portion)

2 Tbs. powdered sugar

¼ tsp. vanilla extract

Toppings:

Toasted, chopped hazelnuts

Cacao nibs

PREP: Place the can of coconut milk for the Whipped “Cream” Topping in the fridge overnight (or at least 6 hours).

 

~Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the cookie crumbles and melted coconut oil. Press into the bottom of your pie dishes and up the sides. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until they are fragrant. Let the crust cool completely on a wire rack. Sprinkle 2 tsp. of the hazelnuts into the bottom of each pie crust.

~Make the filling: In a sauce pan, whisk together the coconut milk and sugar. Bring it to a soft boil for about 5 minutes (don’t let it boil over), then start whisking while turning down the heat. Over very low heat, whisk in the chocolate. Whisk for another 2 minutes. Then, sift in the cornstarch, whisking an additional 2 minutes.

~Pour the mixture into the pie dishes, distributing it evenly (the hazelnuts from the bottom of the dishes will float in the filling, which is just fine). Cover the pies with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight, to let thicken.

~Make the Whipped “Cream” Topping: Take the can of coconut milk from the fridge. Open it carefully without shaking it, and skim about ½ of the thick cream from the top half of the can (don’t take the thin liquid in the bottom. Remember, you only need ½ of the cream). Place the cream into a deep mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer, starting on low and working your way up to high speed, to whip the cream. As it gets thicker, add the powdered sugar. Whip (this may take awhile, so be patient), until the cream is thick and resembles whipped cream. Add the vanilla, stir to combine.

~Dollop the whipped cream onto your pies. Finish with a sprinkle of toasted hazelnuts and cacao nibs! Enjoy!