Dairy Free Chocolate Pretzel Pie

This pie is so creamy and chocolate!

They could not even tell it was dairy-free.

 My family loves chocolate pie and every year that is what I make at Thanksgiving instead of pumpkin pie. My family already enjoys pumpkin pie in October as that is what my teen wants for his birthday instead of cake. This chocolate pie tradition started back in 2013 when I made this creamy mint chocolate pie. This year things were different as I discovered that a milk allergy was the cause of my severe asthma symptoms so that meant that I was not able to make my family's favorite pie. I really wanted to but I knew that I could not resist tasting it. I made that mistake when I made a buttercream frosting last month for my other son's birthday and I coughed all night. So I had to find a recipe for a dairy-free chocolate pie that my family and I could enjoy. I came across several online that were gluten-free and dairy-free but I can have wheat so there was no need to make it gluten-free. So I made some modifications and made a delicious pie that my family enjoyed. They could not even tell it was dairy-free. This is a pie that vegan lovers will enjoy.


Pretzels and chocolate come together for an amazing taste!

 My delicious creamy chocolate pie has a crust that is made from crushed pretzels. The salt in the pretzels just add wonderful flavor to the chocolate pie, think salted chocolate! I used dairy-free chocolate chips along with coconut milk and that gave this pie amazing flavor. Who knew that coconut milk could turn dark chocolate chips into dairy-free milk chocolate chips. The chocolate chips that I used were from Enjoy Life. I wanted to use Nestle Toll House Simply Delicious Morsels but they are hard to find in the stores. I have only seen them once at Target but that store is far away from my house. The Nestle Toll House chips are my favorite and I need to stock up on them next time I find them. These chocolate chips are allergy-friendly and made for people who follow a vegan diet. You can even make this delicious pie gluten-free by using gluten-free pretzels.

You will have a hard time believing this creamy chocolate pie is dairy-free

  This creamy chocolate pie did take a while to make but it was so worth it. I have already made this pie two times as my family loves it. I so thought that it being dairy-free would keep them from eating the chocolate pie but nope, once the pie is made it is gone in two days after everyone eats 2 slices. This pie also tastes great with dairy-free whip topping. For Thanksgiving, I was able to find a coconut whip topping in a spray can made by Silk but when I went back to the store after the holidays, the store had none left. So I only put regular whip topping on individual pieces of pie instead of the whole pie. My family has already requested that I make this pie at Christmas and I will be doing just that but will have to use coconut milk for the almond milk as my daughter has a nut allergy. I may also add a peppermint taste to this pie with pure peppermint extract. I am glad that my daughter lives on her own as her nut allergy and my milk allergy can be challenging when we eat out.


Chocolate and salt make an amazing taste-think salted chocolate

Dairy Free Chocolate Pretzel Pie

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CRUST:
3 1/2 cups pretzels crushed into small pieces
1/4 cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons vegan butter, melted

FOR THE GANACHE:
1/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
2 teaspoons coconut oil

FOR THE CHOCOLATE PUDDING:
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 (13.5oz) canned (not boxed) coconut milk
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
2/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tablespoon vegan butter


INSTRUCTIONS

MAKE THE CRUST:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray.
2. Place the pretzels in a large bowl and crush into small pieces with a potato masher. Pour into a bowl and add the brown sugar and vegan butter. Stir to combine.
3. Pour into the prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake for 10-12 minutes until toasted. Let cool for 15-20 minutes before filling with the ganache.

MAKE THE GANACHE:
Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in the microwave at 50% power for 30-45 seconds, stopping to stir every 15 seconds. Stir until totally smooth. Pour and spread over the bottom of the prepared crust. Let it set slightly before adding the pudding, about 30 minutes.

MAKE THE PUDDING:
1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the cocoa powder, cornstarch, sugar, and pinch of salt. Over medium heat while whisking, add the coconut milk and almond milk. Whisk until totally smooth. Continue to whisk until the mixture comes to a gentle boil. One the mixture bubbles continue to whisk and cook for another 2 minutes until thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips, vanilla, and vegan butter. Set the pan aside and let it cool to room temperature.

2. Pour the pudding into the crust. Smooth, then refrigerate until set, about 2 hours or up to 12 hours.

Top with dairy-free whip topping if desired and or additional pretzels.