I was flipping through the latest edition of Southern Living magazine (my mom still gifts me the subscription each year), when I came across a recipe for Chocolate Chess Pie. The photo immediately caught my attention. A hit of nostalgia took me back to childhood eating a delicious slice of a chocolate fudge pie (I remember calling it at the time) from our local bakery. Could this be the pie I was eating in my memory? It sure looked like it. I dog-eared the page and added it to my mental list of recipes to recreate.
What is chocolate chess pie?
Definitions of chocolate chess pie classify it as a traditional Southern dessert made with eggs, butter, sugar, milk, cocoa powder, and sometimes flour (can it get anymore southern?). The texture is a hybrid between a brownie and pie, with a flaky crust, fudgy filling, and crisper top.
How I made this chocolate chess pie healthier
I tested this recipe twice, and the first time I think I over “Healthified” it. In other words, some recipes are meant to more closely resemble their traditional renditions, with only a few major swaps. This pie is gluten-free with a dairy-free option. I chose to use real butter because it simply made it better. The first time I used coconut oil instead, and after chilling in the refrigerator, I found the texture too firm. I wanted the filling to be more soft and fudgy. Here are the main substitutions I made, and options that are available to you too:
- Pie crust: I used the recipe for my go-to gluten-free pie crust. It is made with oat flour, coconut sugar, egg, and avocado oil. If you would prefer a grain-free pie crust, use 1 1/4 cups of almond flour and 1/4 cups tapioca flour instead of the oat flour.
- Chocolate: I used unsweetened dark chocolate chips (I love Pascha brand), which not only cut down on the sugar content, but also increased the nutrition found in cacao. If you want your pie sweeter, or don’t want such an intense chocolate flavor, use semi-sweet chocolate chips, or a lower percentage of dark chocolate.
- Butter: As I mentioned, I chose to use grass-fed butter in my pie, but you can swap for vegan butter or coconut oil to make it dairy-free (also see yogurt below).
- Sugar: I used granulated monk fruit, but you could also use coconut sugar, allulose (which might make the sweetness more subtle), Swerve, or white sugar. I would avoid using Stevia (it might negatively affect the flavor, but that is just my two cents!).
- Milk: Many of the recipes I saw called for heavy whipping cream. It is of course an option, but I wanted to decrease the fat so I used 0% Greek yogurt instead. It worked well! You could also use coconut yogurt or coconut cream for dairy-free.
- Cocoa powder: I used raw cacao powder instead, but you could use unsweetened cocoa powder as well.
- Flour: I used arrowroot starch, but you could substitute with tapioca starch or a gluten-free flour of choice. Since the recipe only calls for two tablespoons, I don’t think the type of flour would affect the end result too much (if at all).
- Eggs: I used real eggs. They are a necessary part of this recipe. Some recipes I saw called for three eggs, and some for two eggs. I decided to use two eggs, and increased the ratio of the Greek yogurt.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chess Pie
Equipment
- 9-inch pie plate
- Rolling Pin
- mixing bowl
- Hand beater
Ingredients
For the crust
- Cooking spray
- 1½ cups oat flour 135 g
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar of choice I used coconut sugar; 18g
- 1 large egg beaten
- ⅓ cup avocado oil
For the pie filling
- ¼ cup grass-fed butter or vegan butter cut into small pieces
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
- 1 cup monk fruit sugar coconut sugar or brown sugar substitute (like Swerve brown)
- 2 large eggs best at room temperature, but not necessary
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt or coconut yogurt or heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray
- Make the crust. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oat flour and sugar and stir. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg and avocado oil until creamy.
- Pour the egg mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture and stir until combined and a dough is formed.
- Use your hands to gather the dough into a ball. Place the ball of dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll it out to 1/8 to ¼-inch thick. Flip the flattened dough across the pie plate, using your fingers to press onto the bottom, fix any cracks and seal around the edges.
- Prebake the crust for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven once baked and set aside.
- Make the pie filling. Combine the chocolate chips and butter in a large microwavable-safe bowl. Heat for one-minute and stir until melted. If needed to further melt, continue to heat in 20 second intervals, stirring between each until creamy.
- Whisk the sugar into the melted chocolate mixture. Then whisk in the eggs one at a time until fully combined.
- Add in the yogurt, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Use a hand beater until the ingredients are fully incorporated. If you don’t have one, you can continue to stir by hand. Beat in the cacao powder and arrowroot starch until just combined. Transfer the mixture into the pie plate over the pre-baked crust. Use a spatula to evenly spread the filling mixture across the crust and to the sides. Bake for 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. The edges should be slightly firm to the touch with the center more “jiggly” (it will continue to firm as it cools). Allow the pie to completely cool at room temperature for at least an hour. For best results, transfer the pie to the refrigerator for 2-4 hours to further set.
