If you follow me on Instagram, then you know we were in California last week driving down the coast, hunting redwoods, sipping wine, and meeting Billy. It wasn’t all just for fun, although we did have a blast. We were in San Francisco filming a course all about food blogging!
What does this have to do with pie? It all comes together. Trust me.
In California we ate some seriously good food. From San Francisco to wine country to Humboldt county, we stuffed ourselves silly.
While on vacation I like to seek out bakeries and try their best offerings. I’ve curbed my everyday sweet tooth quite a bit so when I’m traveling I indulge a bit more.
At Tartine I had one of the best walnut brownies of my life.
At Craftsman and Wolves I had a seriously bangin’ chocolate chip cookie.
At Dandelion we split a chocolate bar that was so complex I almost cried.
At Downtown Bakery I noshed on one of their world famous sticky buns.
But you know what? Of all the sweets I had last week (and there was obviously a lot), I still swoon for this pie. If you’re a chocolate peanut butter lover, you must give this recipe a go!
It all starts with a creamy peanut butter-tofu filling made light and airy with coconut whipped cream. Pour that over a crispy, sweet graham cracker crust and top it with a vegan chocolate ganache and you’re in straight up vegan paradise.
This pie is outrageously delicious and a small slice is MEGA satisfying. It’s:
Silky
Creamy
Peanut buttery
Not too sweet
Mega chocolaty
Reminiscent of a giant PB cup
Slightly crispy from the peanuts and graham cracker crust
& Totally irresistible
I could not trust myself around this pie, so you better believe I was passing it off on any friend within arm’s reach. But the great thing is you can store this gem in the freezer and then just take a little bite when you’re craving something sweet.
I froze my pie and then about 30 minutes before serving set it out to get ultra creamy. SO good. When you take one bite and your eyes roll into the back of your head, you know it’s a winner. Enjoy!
Vegan Peanut Butter Cup Pie
Ingredients
CRUST
- 1 sleeve graham crackers (or sub similar gluten-free cracker/cookie // ensure vegan-friendly* as needed // 1 sleeve yields ~1 cup + 2 Tbsp graham cracker crumbs)
- 4 ½ Tbsp melted vegan butter or coconut oil
PIE
- 12 ounces firm silken tofu (slightly drained and patted dry)
- 1/2 cup creamy salted natural peanut butter (see our store-bought peanut butter review here)
- 1/4 cup agave nectar or maple syrup (or sub honey if not vegan)
- 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk OR coconut cream (1 can yields ~1 3/4 cups // chilled overnight // no shaking the can- you want the cream and liquid to remain separate)
CHOCOLATE GANACHE TOPPING
- 1 cup semisweet dairy-free chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup non-dairy milk (I used full-fat canned coconut milk, but almond milk is fine, too)
GARNISH optional
- Crushed, salted roasted peanuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and lightly oil a standard glass pie pan (8 inches x 1 1/4 inches).
- Add graham crackers to a food processor and process until you achieve a semi-fine meal. A little texture is OK, just remove any large pieces that didn’t get ground. Add melted butter or coconut oil and pulse to combine.
- Add to greased pie pan and press down with your fingers to flatten. You can lay a piece of plastic wrap over the top when pressing down to ensure a more uniform layer. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and set aside to cool.
- Add tofu, peanut butter, and maple syrup or agave to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more agave for added sweetness or a pinch of salt if your peanut butter wasn’t very salted.
- Next, scoop out the cream of your coconut milk or cream and whip into whipped cream in a large, chilled mixing bowl. Find trouble-shooting tips here. Optional: sweeten with a little powdered sugar and vanilla.
- Fold the peanut butter-tofu mixture into the whipped cream.
- Pour filling over crust and pop in the freezer to chill. Once it’s fairly chilled and slighty firm (about 1 hour), prepare your ganache.
- Add chocolate chips to a bowl and heat your non-dairy milk to a low simmer. Then pour over chocolate chips and don’t touch for 5 minutes to allow it to melt. Then stir gently with a spoon or rubber spatula until a smooth ganache forms. If it doesn’t quite melt, you can also heat it in the microwave in 10 second increments until smooth and melted.
- Spoon over the top of the pie and spread in an even layer with a knife or spatula, working quickly as the ganache will get clumpy if it sets too long.
- Top with crushed, salted roasted peanuts (optional) and pop back in the freezer to set. 20-30 minutes before serving, remove from freezer and serve. Alternatively, you can chill this in the fridge – it is much more delicate to slice and serve, but just as delicious.
- After the initial chill, make sure you cover the pie with plastic wrap to keep it fresh.
Notes
*We have homemade vegan + gluten-free graham crackers!
*Ganache instructions from about.com
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Kate says
Would cashew cream work instead of coconut cream? I get a stomach ache with anything coconut….this recipe sounds so yummy that I would like to find a work around. Thanks so much for all your thoughtful and delicious recipes!
Hi Kate, unfortunately cashew cream won’t whip up like coconut cream because it has a lower fat content, so the filling would turn out liquidy. If you want to make a cashew whipped cream, we would suggest using this recipe. Hope that helps!
Antonia Columbo says
Can the coconut milk be substituted? I would like to use Elmhurst cashew milk which is only cashews and water so it has a thickness to it. Can that work?
Hi Antonia, unfortunately cashew milk won’t whip up like coconut cream because it has a lower fat content, so the filling would turn out liquidy. If you want to make a cashew whipped cream, we would suggest using this recipe. Hope that helps!
JLucas says
I may have already commented on this before, because it is one of my favorites and a regular go-to! It’s absolutely delicious!!! I typically almost about the peanut butter and I don’t fuss around with whipping the coconut cream, I just dump it right out of the can into my food processor with everything else. I have also made this with a chocolate crust, which is also yummy!
Amazing! We’re so glad this recipe is one of your favorites. A chocolate crust sounds incredible! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Lauren says
Is there a replacement for tofu? I have thyroid issues and try to avoid it as much as possible.
Hi Lauren, perhaps a thick cashew cream, dairy-free cream cheese, or a thick, neutral-flavored yogurt could work? Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Juliana says
Hi, can you specify how many grams is 1 sleeve of graham crackers for us from the rest of the world? :) thank you!
Hi Juliana, great question! We don’t have a measurement in grams, but 1 sleeve yields ~1 cup + 2 Tbsp graham cracker crumbs. Hope that helps!