Gluten-Free, dairy-free pie has a REAL-DEAL chocolate pudding! Nobody will guess this amazing dessert is dairy-free! 

This pie has been a long-time reader and family favorite recipe since I published it back in 2016. It was updated with new photos and step-by-step instructions in February 2024.

You might also like this dairy-free banana cream pie, dairy-free fondue or dairy-free fudge.



 

When people ask me for a gluten-free and dairy-free dessert, I point them to this recipe! It’s easy to make with a crushed pretzel crust and SO delicious with the real-deal chocolate pudding filling!

Thousands of people return to my site every year to make this pie for the holidays!

Why I love this recipe

  • Made-from-scratch pudding – This is a real-deal, homemade chocolate pudding pie with rich chocolate flavor. (The best part: NO avocado, banana, tofu, or sweet potato as a main ingredient!) It tastes SO much better than any storebought pie, boxed pudding pie, or typical vegan pie. Sometimes simple ingredients deliver the best results!
  • Perfect for guests with food allergies – This eggless pudding pie is completely vegan, dairy-free, and gluten free! It’s an amazingly easy gluten free dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth, especially if your guests have gluten intolerance or a variety of food allergies/restrictions. Bake it for a holiday, birthday party, or another special occasion!
  • Sweet and salty – Everyone loves the combination of a crunchy pretzel crust and rich chocolate pudding! It’s perfectly sweet and a little bit salty. It really is one of the best vegan gluten free desserts you’ll ever try!
Table of Contents

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here are a few notes on the key ingredients to make this delicious vegan dessert.

overhead shot of ingredients to make gluten-free dairy-free dessert
  • Gluten-free pretzels: Be sure to use gluten-free pretzels to ensure this pie is gluten-free. Check out this article on are pretzels gluten-free!
  • Coconut milk: I find that canned coconut milk gives good results and works much better than boxed coconut milk.
  • Chocolate: You’ll want to use dairy-free chocolate chips to keep this delicious dessert dairy-free and vegan. Otherwise, you can use a chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate bar.

How to Make Gluten-Free Vegan Dessert

how to make the pretzel crust for this gluten-free dairy-free dessert

Make the crust. Place the pretzels in a Ziploc and crush into very small pieces (You can also use a food processor). Pour into a bowl and add the brown sugar and vegan butter. Stir to combine.

how to bake the crust and make the pudding for this gluten-free dairy-free dessert

Bake the crust. Pour the gluten-free vegan dessert crust 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.

For favorite gluten-free recipes, try these gluten-free chocolate chip cookiesgluten-free banana bread and gluten-free brownies.

how to make the gluten-free dairy-free dessert pudding

Make the pudding. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the dry ingredients for this gluten-free vegan dessert, including 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. Once 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.

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.

Assemble the pie. Pour and spread the ganache over the bottom of the prepared gluten-free vegan dessert 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 this easy recipe for any special occasion!

Storage Instructions

To store: Store this gluten-free vegan dessert in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to five days.

To make in advance: Make, assemble, and chill the gluten-free vegan dessert pie as usual, but wait to add the CocoWhip topping and chocolate curls until just before serving. It’s the best way to ensure the whipped cream doesn’t deflate!

Recipe Tips

  • MAKE-IT NUT-FREE: Use boxed coconut milk in place of the almond milk in this gluten-free vegan dessert. (But do not use boxed coconut milk in place of the canned coconut milk.)
  • If you prefer, you can just make the pudding and serve it on its own with CocoWhip! It’s one the best vegan dessert recipes when you want something simple!
  • Remember to use gluten-free pretzels and dairy-free chocolate chips to ensure this pie is gluten free dairy free.
close up shot of chocolate pie on white plate
5 from 32 votes

Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Pudding Pretzel Pie

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Chilling time 2 hours
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings 8 -10 servings
Gluten-Free VEGAN chocolate pudding pretzel pie! Nobody will guess this amazing dessert is dairy-free! 
This pie has been a long-time reader and family favorite recipe since I published it back in 2016. It was updated with new photos and step-by-step instructions in February 2024.

Video

Ingredients

For the Crust:

  • 5 1/2 ounces gluten-free pretzels (crush slightly to fit in the measuring cup if measuring instead of weighing) about 3 1/2 cups
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons vegan butter melted

For the Chocolate Pudding:

  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder
  • 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 13.5 ounces canned (not boxed) coconut milk
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 2/3 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 1/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
  • 2 teaspoons coconut oil

For topping:

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!

Notes

MAKE-IT NUT-FREE: Use boxed coconut milk in place of the almond milk. (Do not use boxed coconut milk in place of the canned coconut milk.)

Nutrition

Calories: 500kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 443mg | Potassium: 222mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 480IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 3.7mg

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.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

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Hi, I’m Erin!

BS Food Science,

MS Nutrition

I believe you can make amazing, gluten-free food with everyday ingredients that everyone will enjoy. I’m here to share my tried-and-true recipes with you!

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    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 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    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.

    1. Ha! I love that! It’s hard to choose the best part for sure. I’m glad you all enjoyed it 🙂

  3. 5 stars
    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.

    1. 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!

  4. 5 stars
    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!

  5. 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.

  6. 5 stars
    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.

  7. 5 stars
    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?

        1. 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!

  8. 5 stars
    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!

  9. 5 stars
    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!

  10. 5 stars
    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!!

    1. Can the finished pie be frozen? I have to travel with it ~3 hours for Easter and thought maybe Ill freeze it and put it in a cooler and it would thaw by the time we needed it..?

      1. Unfortunately this pie doesn’t freeze well! I would put it in a cooler with ice packs – it should be good chilled for 3 hours. I hope this helps!

  11. 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.

  12. 5 stars
    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! 🙂

  13. 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

  14. 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! 🙂

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