Chocolate Pudding Pretzel Pie

 

The other new dish that I made for Easter was chocolate pudding pretzel pie, which was a hit! The version below is vegan; it can be gluten-free if you use gluten-free pretzels and nut-free if you use another type of vegan milk. If you have some chocolate pretzels on hand, they would be great to decorate! 

The original recipe had you place the pretzels into a plastic bag and crush them into small pieces with a rolling pin, the goal being that you could still visibly see that you were eating pretzels. However, I found that to make for an unwieldy crust, and the texture was both slightly unpleasant and impractical. I therefore recommend turning the pretzels into crumbs, the same as you would with graham crackers, for example. They may no longer be obviously pretzels, but the salty taste will still be there. I’m also increasing the amount of chocolate in the ganache to 4 ounces, as I found the previous version a bit scant. 

For the crust 

5 ½ oz pretzels (roughly 3 ½ cups if crushed slightly; see note above) 

¼ cup brown sugar 

6 Tbsp. vegan butter, melted 

For the chocolate pudding 

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

¼ cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder 

½ cup cane sugar 

1 pinch of salt 

1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk 

1 cup unsweetened almond milk 

2/3 cup chocolate chips (dairy-free if making it vegan) 

1 tsp. vanilla extract 

1-2 Tbsp. vegan butter (optional) 

For the ganache 

4 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (or ½ cup chocolate chips; dairy-free if you wish) 

2 tsp. coconut oil 

For topping 

1 container So Delicious CocoWhip (or equivalent) 

chocolate curls or cocoa powder, for garnish 

For the crust 

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Lightly grease a 9” pie pan. 

Place the pretzels in the food processor and blitz into crumbs (I think this will work better than crushing them into small pieces). Add the brown sugar and butter and process until combined. 

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. 

For the chocolate pudding 

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the cocoa powder, cornstarch, cane sugar and 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 thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in 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 (I prefer doing this in a double boiler). 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 hours 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 (I did not bother). Spread over the pie and garnish with chocolate curls. Serve and enjoy!