Plant-based Chocolate Silk Pie (No One Will Know!)

Plant-Based Chocolate Silk Pie: A rich, creamy chocolate dessert made by blending silken tofu with melted chocolate and a touch of sweetness, then chilling the filling in a crisp pie crust until smooth and sliceable. Want it even richer, creamier, and with added nutritional value? See my option for adding half an avocado. Seriously, I have made this and not told people what was in it and they had absolutely no idea! And you can imagine their surprise when they learn that it’s basically a tofu pie! Be bold – reduce your fat and cholesterol and give it a shot!

Easy Plant-Based Chocolate Silk Pie

Makes: 8 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Chill: 4 hours or overnight

Ingredients

• 1 9-inch prepared vegan graham-cracker crust
• 12 oz silken tofu, drained
• 8 oz semisweet or dark chocolate, dairy-free
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons plant-based milk, if needed
• Optional: fresh raspberries, strawberries, shaved dark chocolate, or plant-based whipped topping

Instructions

1. Melt the chocolate. Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 20-second intervals, stirring between each, until completely smooth. Let it cool for about 5 minutes.
2. Blend the filling. Add the silken tofu, melted chocolate, maple syrup, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt to a blender or food processor.
3. Blend until completely silky. Scrape down the sides and blend again. If the mixture seems unusually thick, add 1–2 tablespoons plant-based milk. You want something resembling a thick chocolate mousse.
4. Fill the crust. Spoon the chocolate mixture into the prepared crust and smooth the top.
5. Chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. The chocolate firms as it cools and transforms the filling into a surprisingly luxurious, sliceable chocolate silk.
6. Serve cold. Garnish with berries, chocolate shavings, or a small cloud of plant-based whipped topping.

A couple of important tricks

Use silken tofu, not refrigerated extra-firm tofu. Silken tofu practically disappears into the chocolate and gives you the custard-like texture we’re after.

Also, chocolate is doing some structural engineering here. Eight ounces may sound generous, but as the cocoa butter firms in the refrigerator, it helps the pie hold a clean slice without gelatin, eggs, or dairy.

For the most intense flavor, I’d choose a 60–70% dark chocolate. Check the label because some semisweet and dark chocolates contain milk ingredients.

Add 1/2 an Avocado!

• 12 oz silken tofu
• ½ ripe Hass avocado
• 8 oz dairy-free dark chocolate
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup instead of ¼ cup
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• prepared vegan graham-cracker crust

That half avocado should make the filling richer, denser and silkier, while keeping the chocolate dominant. A full avocado risks moving the texture toward chocolate-avocado pudding and adds enough avocado flavor that some people may detect it.

There’s also a nutritional bonus: avocado adds monounsaturated fat, fiber and potassium, so I’d actually prefer this formulation to the tofu-only version we just created.

And the method barely changes: blend the tofu and avocado completely smooth first, then add the remaining ingredients and melted chocolate, blend again, fill the crust, and refrigerate for at least four hours. The result should look essentially identical to the photograph we just created.

Toppings!

Feel free to add fresh berries, sprinkle dusted cocoa powder or confectioners sugar, garnish with chocolate shavings, or add whipped plant-based cream.