‘Vegan’ won’t be the first thing that springs to mind when you taste this luscious pie. The recipe comes from Helen Au’s wonderful book, Cozy Vegan Pies and Tarts (Page Street Publishing, 2022), and here’s what she says about it:
“An indulgent and creamy Nutella pie that tastes just like the classic . . . but vegan! It is the epitome of decadence and makes for a wonderful dessert. The filling is smooth and rich and with a chocolate graham crust—it will feel like you are eating a Nutella cookie. If you are a fan of chocolate and hazelnut, you will fall head over heels for this pie!”
Yield: 1 (9-inch [23-cm]) pie
Ingredients
Chocolate Graham Crust:
- 155 grams (15 full cracker sheets) vegan graham crackers
- 13 grams (2 tablespoons) cacao powder
- 1⁄8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 60 grams (1⁄4 cup) unsalted vegan butter, melted
Filling:
- 188 milliliters (3⁄4 cup) full-fat coconut milk
- 180 grams (3⁄4 cup) vegan chocolate and hazelnut spread
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1⁄8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 227 grams (8 ounces) chopped vegan dark chocolate (or chocolate chips)
Topping:
- Chopped hazelnuts or any other nuts of choice (optional)
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Place the graham crackers in a food processor and pulse until you start seeing fine crumbs. Add the cacao powder and salt and pulse to combine. Pour the crumbs into a mixing bowl, and add the vegan butter. Mix to combine. Transfer the crumbs to a 9-inch (23-cm) pie pan, pressing on all sides until the pan is covered with the graham crumbs. Bake for 5 minutes. Let it cool completely before adding the filling.
Make the filling:
- Add the coconut milk, chocolate and hazelnut spread, vanilla extract and salt to a saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring until well combined. Place the chocolate in a heat-safe bowl. Pour the boiling mixture over the chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes. Mix with a spatula until everything is well combined.
- Pour the filling into the crust. Transfer the pan to the refrigerator and let it chill for at least 1 hour to set. Top the pie with chopped hazelnuts or other nuts, if using.
Reprinted with permission from Cozy Vegan Pies and Tarts by Helen Au. Page Street Publishing Co. 2022. Photo credit: Helen Au.
