I came across Alissa’s wonderful blog, Girl Makes Food earlier this year via Instagram, I believe. Her beautiful photos of  her delicious creations always look so amazing and would constantly leave me drooling! Alissa and I seem to have similar tastes in food and so often I find myself checking her site and seeing a newly posted recipe similar to something I have been working on or playing with, thinking she beat me to it :). Besides making incredible healthy recipes, Alissa is also a certified in holistic nutrition counselor and she brings an incredible knowledge about food and eating with every post. Alissa practices a holistic approach to health and wellness and the connection to all areas of our lives. Today Alissa is sharing an incredible looking recipe for a vegan gluten-free Chocolate Cream Pie that is definitely more than drool-worthy (that she somehow made, photographed and got to me without having power at her NJ home, in the wake of Sandy). Enjoy!

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I am so excited and honored to be guest posting for Beth today!!!! I am the “girl” (aka Alissa) over at Girl Makes Food. I am a culinary school grad turned holistic nutrition counselor. I am a big fan of healthy, quick, and easy meals, so I try to focus on ease and simplicity with my recipes. All my recipes are vegetarian, a lot of them vegan.

In the spirit of quick and easy, this pie is just that. Super cinchy, and super yummy!!

I love pies, and my Thanksgiving dessert spread is usually all about pies. But my favorite one by far is a chocolate pie I make every year. It is super rich but full of dairy, so I decided to try my hand at a plant-based version!!

It turned out really well, firm enough to slice and serve with ease, and no one will ever suspect the main ingredient is tofu!! I also love that this pie is rich (just like the original), and also pretty filling so a small slice goes a long way.

I fed it to friends and got the stamp of approval, which makes me jump around with excitement!! Jumping when I get excited is a normal thing for me, and this jumping led to hubby installing an earthquake strap to our TV. True story.

Health highlight of chocolate: Being a serious chocoholic myself, I love reading the studies about how healthy chocolate is for you. 70% cocoa solids or higher is best, as it means less sugar and other non-chocolate additives in there (the percentage refers to the cocoa solids meaning the stuff that comes from the bean – 100% is unsweetened chocolate). Research suggests that people who eat chocolate regularly tend to have a lower BMI. Chocolate can help lower blood pressure, and reduce the risk of heart disease. It also contains healthy antioxidants and flavonoids, and has been shown to have a beneficial effect on cholesterol.

[print_this]Chocolate Cream Pie – Gluten-free + Vegan

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 cup Oats
• ½ cup Coconut (unsweetened flakes)
• 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil (plus extra to grease the pie plate)
• 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup

Chocolate filling:

• 1 lb Silken Tofu (drained) (look for non-gmo)
• 8 ounces Unsweetened Chocolate (chopped)
• ¼ cup Maple Syrup (you can add more a tablespoon at a time if you like it sweeter)
• I served with Vegan Coconut Whipped Cream

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350
• To the bowl of a food processor add the oats and coconut and process until the texture of graham cracker crumbs
• Add the coconut oil and maple, process until evenly mixed
• Grease up a 9 inch pie plate with coconut oil (with a brush or paper towel)
• Add the crust to a pie plate
• Press the crust using your fingers, the back of a spoon, or the bottom of a measuring up until evenly coated on the bottom and up the sides and well pressed
• Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown
• Set aside to cool
• While the crust is cooling, rinse the food processor bowl and then add the tofu
• Process until smooth
• While the tofu is processing, melt the chocolate in a microwave safe medium bowl
• Add the melted chocolate quickly to the tofu while the processor is off, then turn it back on and let run until completely incorporated (you need to work quickly to prevent the chocolate from hardening)
• Add the maple and process until incorporated
• Pour the chocolate and tofu mixture into the crust and spread it evenly
• Cover and refrigerate (about 1-2 hours or overnight)
• Slice and serve!!!!!!

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