Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

What’s not to absolutely adore about the warming spices of pumpkin pie combined with creamy chocolate and a toasted oatmeal crust! This vegan chocolate pumpkin pie will become a new holiday favorite, and not just for the vegan, gluten-free, and non-dairy members of your crew.

Pumpkin pie has a serious stronghold on the dessert selection on many fall and winter menus. And to that we say, move on over classic pumpkin and hello vegan chocolate pumpkin pie !

This is an easy and delicious way to depart – just a little – from the traditional. The good news is, you keep all the wonderful things about pumpkin pie and just add more goodness – like chocolate and a toasted oatmeal crust! Win-win!

Chocolate and pumpkin is a downright delicious flavor combo. We’re talkin’ akin to apples and cinnamon or peanut butter and honey kind of delicious. If you haven’t tried chocolate and pumpkin yet, this is going to knock your sock off.
Everyone around your table can enjoy this dessert. No one will be left out of the dessert selection this year when you have vegan chocolate pumpkin pie available. Your vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, and vegetarian family and friends will sing your praises all the way home!
There’s a secret ingredient in this vegan chocolate pumpkin pie . Any guesses?

Ingredients needed

To make the vegan chocolate pumpkin pie filling you will need a handful of ingredients, one of which will likely surprise you!

Vegan chocolate pumpkin pie filling :

Canned pumpkin : This is pumpkin puree that you can find in the baking isle, if not year-round then usually during fall and winter months. You’re looking for a product that has just the one ingredient: pumpkin. If you can only find “pie filling” or “pumpkin pie mix” that have other ingredients besides pumpkin, this is not what you’re looking for.
Silken tofu : You read that right! Silken tofu is added to the pie filling to provide a silky, creamy texture.
Coconut sugar : You only need ¼ cup of coconut sugar for this dessert recipe. If you don’t have coconut sugar, you can substitute brown sugar.
Spices : For this pie recipe you will need a combination of soul-warming spices that make up the classic taste of pumpkin pie. This includes cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, allspice, and sea salt. You can also use pumpkin pie spice .
Vegan chocolate chips : You will melt the chocolate chips to be combine into the pie filling for that decadent chocolate flavor.

Why use tofu in dessert?

Don’t back out now! Perhaps you’ve never used tofu in a dessert before, but there’s a good reason why it’s included in this vegan chocolate pumpkin pie recipe!

Silken tofu is sometimes referred to as soft tofu and has a crumbly texture. It’s perfect for blending into dessert because it lends itself to a perfectly smooth, creamy texture. The pie filling, therefore, is still comparable to classic pumpkin pie. This is one way to remove eggs from the recipe and still achieve that desired velvet texture. It’s the same trick we use to make out vegan pots de creme !

The added bonus of using silken tofu (besides being vegan-friendly) is that this pie recipe has lots of protein in it!

Can I use firm tofu instead of silken tofu?

Firm tofu will change the creamy texture of the pie and add a detectable flavor to it. If you can’t find silken tofu you can use medium tofu in a pinch, but avoid using firm tofu.

I’m allergic to soy, what can I use instead of the soy-based tofu?

To get that creamy texture, you can try substituting hemp tofu for the soy-based tofu. Please note that this recipe was only tested using soy tofu, so results may vary.

I can’t find canned pumpkin puree. What can I use instead?

If you can’t find pumpkin puree, then boiled and mashed yams or butternut squash would be a great alternative.

Is canned pumpkin the same as pumpkin pie filling?

Canned pumpkin is pureed pumpkin in a can. It only has one ingredient, and that should be pumpkin. Sometimes the can is labeled “pumpkin pie filling” or “pumpkin pie mix” in which case you should check the ingredients. For this vegan chocolate pumpkin pie, you want just the pureed pumpkin.

Do you serve vegan chocolate pumpkin pie warm or at room temperature?

If serving from the oven, let the pie cool for 1 hour before serving. It will still be warm and delightful. If you have made the pie in advance you can warm it up slightly before serving. This is not a pie to serve hot.

How should I store leftover pie?

Once the pie has completely cooled, you can wrap it in tin foil and store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.