VEGAN Smores Pie – with a whole wheat graham cracker crust, decadent chocolate hazelnut filling and creamy toasted marshmallow topping.
Two weeks ago, I woke up and realized that this year, I have baked zero pies for this blog! So I went on Instagram and had everyone vote on which pie they’d like to see. Of the three different kinds of pies I suggested, the highest number of votes went to ‘all’. The second highest vote, the one people were most excited for, was this Vegan Smores Pie.
And so, after baking the Vegan Apple Pie for Two last week, I got to testing this idea that I had in my mind of a pie that was the essence of a traditional campfire s’more.
I remember my first ever s’more from my first ever camping trip. I didn’t know how long to hold the marshmallow against the fire, and it melted off the end of the skewer into the fire. The second attempt went better, although I did burn the roof of my mouth with the smoldering hot marshmallow.
Nevertheless, I was happy and excited to have experienced this very crucial outdoor rite of passage.
Having done that once though was quite enough for me – I found the process rather too messy and a little sickly sweet for my taste. But this pie – well this pie is everything my actual s’mores experience was not.
Because this is a luxurious pie. A crunchy sweet graham cracker crust, cradling a creamy, decadent, rich, dark, almost-pudding-like chocolate filling dotted with roasted hazelnuts and the entirety smothered in a smooth, creamy topping of fluffy ‘marshmallow’ that gets toasted under a brulee torch until it singes, giving it that campfire touch. That is what you taste with every mouthful of this pie.
Save this pie for special, special days – not because it is particularly difficult to make. On the contrary, it is the easiest pie I’ve ever made. But because decadence like this needs an occasion to match the celebration it demands.
Although it takes just an hour to make this pie, should you need to, you can always make them (crust, filling, topping) in advance and simply assemble the day of. Note that the chocolate filing will firm up in the refrigerator, thanks to the agar agar, but it can always be re-melted back to liquid form over heat.
I hope this pie finds itself on your Thanksgiving tables this year – I know pumpkin is more traditional, but there can always be room for more pie, don’t you think?
And when you make this delicious Vegan Smores Pie (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here!
VEGAN Smores Pie w/ hazelnuts
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C.
- In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until they are powdered with no lumps. Add the sugar and coconut oil and mix until it resembles wet sand.
- Transfer the mixture to a 9" pie tin with a removable base and press until the mixture is molded to the bottom and sides evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 325°F/160°C for 10-12 minutes until the crust is fragrant and crisp. Cool completely. Set aside.
- While the crust is baking, make the filling. In a small saucepan, combine the water and agar agar powder. Stir until dissolved and bring to a rolling boil over medium heat.
- The agar is activated when the water goes from cloudy to transparent. At this stage, add the canned coconut milk and simmer until you start to see bubbles on the side. (Do not let boil or the fat till separate)
- Remove from heat and add the chocolate and maple syrup. Let sit for 5 minutes, until the chocolate has melted. Stir until smooth and glossy. Let cool completely, then stir in the vanilla.
- Sprinkle half the toasted hazelnuts into the graham cracker crust. Pour the chocolate filling over it and smoothen the top. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until set firm.
- While the pie is chilling in the fridge, make the topping.
- In a small saucepan, combine the water and agar. Bring to a rolling boil on high heat until the water goes from cloudy to transparent. Remove from heat and let cool completely. When you put your finger into this liquid (at room temperature), it should feel slimy. Set aside.
- While the agar is cooling, in a clean, dry bowl, combine the aquafaba and cream of tartar. Whisk on high until pale and frothy. Add the sugar 1 tbsp at a time and whisk on high until the meringue is white and fluffy and you see stiff peaks.
- Add the agar liquid, a little at a time, and continue whisking on high until the meringue is extra firm.
- Transfer to the chilled pie, spreading the meringue on top of the set chocolate filling, leaving an inch away from the sides. Using the back of the spatula, fluff up the frosting to create small peaks and texture.
- Refrigerate the pie for 5-10 minutes to chill the topping. Then using a kitchen blow torch, brulee the top of the meringue till golden brown and slightly burnt in a few spots. Chill for 2-3 minutes.
- Slice and serve the pie, chilled. Keeps well refrigerated for about 5 days.
Mary Bostow says
This pie looks amazing and makes me hungry! Now, this recipe will be one of my favorites. This is so delicious and it makes my mouth watering!
Tina Dawson says
Thank you Mary!
Marlynn | Urban Bliss Life says
Your photos are absolutely STUNNING!! I love vegan pie since I’m dairy-free, and this s’mores pie with hazelnuts looks like perfection. Yum!
Tina Dawson says
Thank you Marlynn!
Molly says
This looks wonderful. Thank you for posting.
Tina Dawson says
Thank you Molly!
Danielle says
What a beautiful looking pie! I have never tried s’mores before, but this looks like a great place to start.
Tina Dawson says
Thank you Danielle!
kim says
What a treat this is! So beautiful and delicious.
Tina Dawson says
Thank you Kim!
jessica says
for someone with “love” in their blog title you sure do hate a lot of things, like “women loyal to the patriarchy” … i guess this woman for trump who’s also a vegan isn’t welcome here, and you’re probably just fine with that!
Tina Dawson says
Dear Jessica – the word ‘patriarchy’ is defined as a system of SOCIETY or government that’s headed by a male and his descents. The only time that word ever occurs on this blog is from my ABOUT page, which is probably where you saw it and decided to hate me for it, as is your right and prerogative.
But if you had followed me long enough, you’d know that I was raised in a family that was headed by a chauvinistic grandfather who wrote all his female heirs out of his will. https://www.instagram.com/p/BpsAr-kgS1S/ “And despite my general loathing towards everything my grandfather stood for: a chauvinistic, foul-mouthed, self-righteous religious tyrant who refused to respect women because that’s what the Old Testament taught him, the fire that rages within me against all things unjust in this world comes from a life spent defying his very being. And for that, I remember him today as well, for teaching me early on that men like him hold power over us only when and if we let them.”
Jessica, people cannot see past the choices they do not understand. Therefore understanding is the first path towards change. I despise those who blindly believe that a man’s place is above a woman in society and allow him to make choices for them, because they’ve known nothing else and therefore fear change. I grew up seeing so many women resigned to their fates, and I choose to fight FOR them, even AGAINST them if I must, to protect the women of the future from men who enjoy holding power over them.
A Presidency is not a patriarchy (although, lately I’m not so sure) – the leaders of government are elected officials who have been chosen to represent the interests of the majority. Jessica, I do not hate male leaders – where would this world be today without Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln? As much as I do not agree with the policies of your current government, I respect difference of opinion: bipartisanship is the key to making the right changes, and change can only happen with open dialogues between intelligent people. And when the majority seems to feel a certain way, we must, as a society recognize the problem and resolve it mutually. Having said that, I am so sorry that you chose this man to represent your interests. Anyone else, and you may have had a chance at being taken seriously.
I do not have a problem with you visiting my site. But it appears that you do.