Gluten-Free VEGAN chocolate pudding pretzel pie! Nobody will guess this amazing dessert is dairy-free!
I made a version of this pie last year for Christmas Eve dessert and OH MY! Even amongst the sugar cookies, candy and fudge at Christmas time, this dessert stood out as a one of the best things I’d eaten during the holidays.
If you’re searching for the perfect dairy-free, gluten-free holiday dessert – this is it!
This chocolate pudding pretzel pie is perfect for Thanksgiving or any time you want to make a special dessert for someone with food allergies. I love this pie so much I would have it for my birthday instead of cake!
This pie is also great because it is made with easy-to-find ingredients and has one of the simplest crusts around. Think as easy as graham cracker crust, but with salty pretzels. I love the sweet and salty combination going on in this pie!
I originally made this with a chocolate pudding made with milk. However, I can’t eat very much dairy (and feel best when I don’t eat it at all) so it was time to find a real-deal vegan chocolate pudding.
I’m happy to report this vegan chocolate pudding tastes just like the real thing!
This vegan chocolate pudding doesn’t have any avocado, banana or tofu like other vegan chocolate puddings, but rather is made on the stove with milk, cornstarch (or arrowroot), and sugar just like traditional pudding.
I could eat it in a bowl topped with my favorite So Delicious Dairy-Free Cocowhip all on it’s own.
What are your favorite pies to make for Thanksgiving? I hope you and your dairy-free guests love this pie as much as we do!
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Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Pudding Pretzel Pie
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 5 ½ ounces gluten-free pretzels (crush slightly to fit in the measuring cup if measuring instead of weighing), about 3 ½ cups
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
For the Chocolate Pudding:
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder
- ½ cup organic cane sugar
- pinch of salt
- 13.5 ounces canned (not boxed) coconut milk
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- ⅔ cup dairy-free chocolate chips
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons vegan butter, optional
For the Ganache:
- 3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate bar or ⅓ cup dairy-free chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
For topping:
- One container So Delicious CocoWhip
- chocolate curls or cocoa powder for garnish
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray.
- Place the pretzels in a ziploc and crush into very small pieces. Pour into a bowl and add the brown sugar and vegan butter. Stir to combine.
- 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.
Make the pudding:
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the cocoa powder, cornstarch, cane 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 (if using). Pour into a bowl and let cool to just about room temperature, stirring often.
For 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 set slightly before adding the pudding.
- Pour the pudding into the crust. Smooth, then refrigerate until set, about 2 hour or up to 12 hours.
- For the topping, place the CocoWhip in a bowl and use a hand mixer to whip until smooth, about 10-20 seconds. Spread over the pie and garnish with chocolate curls. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
This post contains affiliate links to my favorite products.
This Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Pie from Gluten-Free on Shoestring also looks delicious!
This No-Bake Dirt Pie from Cotter Crunch is also Vegan and Gluten-Free and looks fabulous.
Amy says
This was SO yummy! We ended up making it with a baked wholly gf premade crust and it turned out amazing. We kept the whipped cream on the side so the non dairy free folk could add regular whipped cream. Everyone loved it (especially my dairy free sister) and this will definitely be a staple each year for thanksgiving! Easy to follow too, thanks for the recipe 🙂
Erin Collins says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Great idea with the whipped cream. Thanks for the comment 🙂
Kim Barfield says
Amazing! Best chocolate pudding I’ve ever tasted.
Sarah says
This is an amazing dessert that is creamy and decadent. Made it for a family birthday. Half of us were obsessed with the crust; the rest argued that the chocolate filling was the best part. Either way it’s a winner.
Erin Collins says
Ha! I love that! It’s hard to choose the best part for sure. I’m glad you all enjoyed it 🙂
Carrie says
I love this pie! I always bring it to family dinners and it is always a hit!
The last few times I made the pie I had a lot of lumps in the pudding. I am following the directions exactly with no substitutions. I’m trying to whisk constantly. What am I doing wrong? I am using a strainer to get the lumps out so the end product is still delicious but hoping someone can help me.
Erin Collins says
What kind of coconut milk do you use? I wonder if you’re using a brand that has more added thickeners or something. You could also try reducing the heat slightly as you stir. I hope this helps!
Amber says
I’m not a chocolate person, but I LOVE this pie! It’s so creamy and delicious! It’s an easy recipe for this non-cooker, and my whole family enjoys it!
Dalynn says
I’m wanting to make this for family that is GF and DF, but a lot of these ingredients are new to me. When buying coconut oil, should I be looking for refined or unrefined? Virgin or not? Everything else I’ve been able to find easily! Can’t wait to make this for them.
Erin Collins says
I usually use virgin refined coconut oil. I use the kind from Costco!
Elias says
As a note, I have made this without the coconut milk before, I’ve had success substituting it for almond, soy and oat milk without an issue, you just need to let it thicken a bit more on the stove and chill for a little while longer. I usually make it a day in advance so it can chill overnight.
Erin Collins says
Great to know! Thanks for your comment.
Mindy says
Hi,
LOVE LOVE this recipe but I I have been making this dessert but just serving it as a pudding alone. Can I double the recipe?
Erin Collins says
Yes it will work great to double the recipe! I make the pudding on it’s own all the time too 🙂
Mara Fabiano says
Can I ask how long you’d bake it for doubling the recipe please?
Erin Collins says
Hi Mara! The only way to double this recipe is to make 2 pies. In that case the baking time will be the same as stated. I hope this helps!
Danielle J says
Fantastic pie! My husband said it’s the best non-dairy chocolate pie I’ve ever made. The pie set up beautifully and wasn’t a bit runny like a lot of other vegan pies I have made. I decided to skip the ganache step and the pie was fantastic without it. I will definitely be making this recipe many times again!
Traci says
This is OH MY GOSH delish! I seriously had my doubts but it was an Easter hit! I think I’ll try it in a regular GF pie crust next time for a more traditional chocolate pie taste. I so miss my chocolate pies but now I can have them again! And it was a hit with my dairy eaters! Thank you!
Ashley says
Absolutely delicious! Made this last weekend for non-vegan family members. They LOVED it. I didn’t make the pie crust but instead used a GF one I had bought in the frozen section of my grocery store. After the crust cooked and cooled, I poured the chocolate ganache on the bottom and sprinkled with sea salt. Let that sit and then added the pudding and followed directions as given. This is a tasty, easy, and relatively inexpensive treat! Thanks for the recipe!!
Susan Marki says
For our household, we need a low sugar recipe so I used 1/4 cup organic stevia instead of sugar in the filling. It still turned out perfect! I couldn’t believe I was eating something so much more heathy than store bought. Thank you.
Erin Collins says
So glad you enjoyed it! Good to know about the stevia.
Julie says
I didn’t make this pie but yesterday I made the pudding from this recipe and OMG so good! Probably the best pudding I’ve ever tasted. So easy to make too. I am going to make more of the pudding Christmas morning and use it in a dairy free/vegan trifle that I am making for Christmas dessert. Thank you for the great dairy free recipe! 🙂
Katie Weisgram says
I could definitely taste the coconut in the pie filling.. I love coconut, but I would try it with just almond milk next time… also, the ratio of butter to pretzels was not quite right.. 3.5 cups was too much for a pie.. I had well over a cup left over… and it didn’t come together like a crust, it was crumbly pretzels
Leigh says
Ok, made this two times in a row! First time I used tapioca starch as a replacement for corn, it says do 2:1 but I disagree, sub 1:1 exactly, comes out just as good! And may I suggest coconut cream instead of full fat coconut, I think it came out even chocolatey-er and more rich. Overall loved this recipe! Thank you! 🙂