Silk Chocolate Pie {vegan and gluten-free}

It’s Friday and we all know what that means…

It’s time for pie.

Or, at least, for me it is. I was in need of a little comfort food this week because Miss Coco is having surgery today. We’ve only had to put her under once, a few years ago so that they could do an x-ray on her leg. When we picked her up afterward, she came out into the waiting area and looked at us like she had no clue who we were, and then she darted straight towards the front door. She didn’t care where she was going or who it was with, as long as it was away from the vet’s office!

I hated seeing her like that so I know this afternoon won’t be easy, but sometimes things have to get worse before they can better.

In the meantime, there’s always chocolate…

I know chocolate pie might not be synonymous with summertime but trust me, this recipe fits right in.

First of all, it’s served cold…duh.

Second, it’s made with avocado…summahtime.

And third, it’s made with nutritious ingredients that won’t ruin your bikini-body-diet…win.

I based this pie off of a similar version that I made last year, but this time I wanted to make it just like the classic French silk.

A light, flaky crust filled with smooth chocolate that’s not too rich, topped with cold, fluffy whipped cream and bits of chocolate shavings…

Pure comfort.

The ingredient list is so simple that it will probably leave you feeling slightly skeptical but all I can say is: DON’T BE.

It tastes like silky chocolately heaven and no one will ever know it’s made from things that are actually good for you.

It will be our little secret.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to go eat the last piece of pie.

Happy weekend!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

10 ounces dark chocolate chips*

1 can full fat coconut milk, chilled overnight

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 ripe avocado

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 prebaked pie crust**

Coconut Whipped Cream

1 can full fat coconut milk, chilled overnight

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons maple syrup

Instructions

1. Pour the chocolate chips into a medium-size saucepan and then remove one can of the coconut milk from the refrigerator. Scoop the solidified cream from the can, placing it into the sauce pan, along with 1/3 cup of the liquid.
2. Warm the saucepan over low to medium heat until the chocolate has melted. Add the maple syrup and the vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool.
3. Using a food processor or a blender, add the avocado flesh along with the cooled chocolate mixture and blend on high until smooth. Make sure that there aren’t any chunks of avocado left.
4. Pour the mixture into the pie crust and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to set.
5. Meanwhile, make the coconut whipped cream by scooping out the solidified parts of the chilled coconut milk into a chilled bowl for beating. Beat on high with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and maple syrup and beat again for about thirty seconds.
6. Spread whipped cream on top of the chocolate pie and top with chocolate shavings. Serve cold and enjoy!

Notes

*use non-dairy chocolate chips for vegan version

**I prefer this crust which is gluten-free and vegan

If you can have dairy and don't want to make the coconut whipped cream, Truwhip is a good alternative to whipped heavy cream.