Dairy-Free Chocolate Pudding Pie (gluten-free)

Dairy-free Chocolate Pudding Pie
gluten-free | grain-free | dairy-free | tree nut free | egg free
by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | May 9, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. See our Disclosure for more information.

I can honestly say that this is the best chocolate pudding pie I have ever made… or tasted! There’s not much to not like about this dairy-free chocolate pudding pie. It’s super easy to make, it uses wholesome, allergy-friendly ingredients, it has the most amazing chocolate taste, and it is perfectly smooth and creamy. This chocolate pudding pie is a family favorite on my homestead! I am constantly asked to make this pie for special occasions. Or, if I throw out the question, “What does everyone want for dessert?” Chocolate pudding pie is always one of the replies!

Modern Pioneer Recipe

Dairy-free chocolate pudding pie is a modern pioneer pie recipe. However, pies were a popular food item for the early pioneers to make. They would pretty much turn anything into a pie, so it wouldn’t surprise me if a pudding pie popped up every now and again in an early pioneer kitchen! Fruit pies and meal pies were the most common types of pies that the early pioneers would make. Sweet, chocolatey dessert pies are more of a ‘modern pioneer’ thing, but I think having a no-fail pudding recipe is an essential in any homestead recipe stash!

I love pudding. But I love pudding even more when it is in pie form! And when a pudding pie becomes allergy-friendly and super easy to make, that means I can make it more frequently! Dairy-free pudding (that is also gluten-free, grain-free, and corn free) is actually very easy to make, I dare say even easier than traditional pudding. But you’ll find that out for yourself when you make this chocolate pudding pie!

In case you’re wondering, this chocolate pudding pie is….

• dairy-free
• gluten-free
• grain-free
• tree nut free
• refined sugar free
• corn free
• egg free

Pretty much it leaves you with no excuses not to try this pie! I know I may be going a little over the top here, but I would even go so far as to say this pie is healthy for you! At least you can enjoy it guilt-free and know that you are receiving at least some nutrition from the wholesome, anti-inflammatory ingredients.

After you try this pudding pie, make sure you check out the grain-free butterscotch pie or the grain-free maple syrup pie which are two other delicious pudding pies!

How to Make Chocolate Pudding

Pudding pies can often sound intimidating because traditional, from-scratch pudding can be tricky to make, especially if it contains eggs. You have to be careful not to cook the eggs with the hot milk mixture, and even then sometimes the flour ratio is off and the pudding won’t set up. But this recipe is egg-less and super simple!

Ingredients: Even though this pie has a lot of coconut milk in it, it does not have any coconut flavor, it is purely chocolate! Using at least one 13.5 oz. can of full-fat coconut milk is essential for the pudding to set up properly. For the rest of the milk I have used coconut milk beverage or more canned coconut milk. Not only is this pie dairy-free, but it is also grain-free too! Instead of using a corn flour or other thickener, this recipe uses arrowroot or tapioca flour as its sole thickener.

Pudding ‘Skin’: The texture of this pie is wonderful! It is thick, creamy, and has a great chocolate flavor. With traditional pudding, you often have to try and prevent a ‘skin’ from forming on the top of the pudding. However, with this dairy-free pudding you can’t tell the difference from the skin or the pudding, I often don’t even worry about preventing a skin from forming.

Setting Up: I have found that this dairy-free pudding recipe is a no-fail, reliable pudding recipe. It always thickens up over the stove and sets up beautifully! I have even experimented with different flavors, like chocolate, vanilla, and banana. The pudding must be brought to almost a boil and then poured into the pie crust. It needs at least 4 hours to set up in the fridge.

Homemade Pie Crust Recipes

What’s a good pie without a delicious crust!? I mentioned before that I love pudding, but I like it even more when it is in a cookie crust!

I have tried several different kinds of pie crusts for this dairy-free chocolate pudding pie. If you are looking for a plain grain-free option, check out these two grain-free pie crusts. I recommend using the pastry crust since it would pair better with the pudding.

I have also made a grain-free cookie crust using this grain-free cookie recipe. If you choose to use that recipe, I recommend adding a little bit more tapioca flour to make the cookie dough thicker. You should be able to handle the dough and pat it into the pie plate without it sticking to your fingers.

My favorite crust to pair with this pudding pie actually puts a little bit of an un-healthy twist to the pie, but frankly, I don’t care! For a gluten-free cookie crust I use a package of Pamela’s chunky chocolate chip cookies. Pamela’s Simple chunky chocolate chip cookies make a great crust for this pie because they are dairy and gluten free!

Instead of Pamela’s Simple Bites cookies, you can also use Pamela’s crunchy cookies, Partake crunchy chocolate chip cookies, Pamela’s gluten-free graham crackers, or Kinnikinnick gluten-free graham crackers.

Shortcut: Making a Cookie Crust

I use a whole box of cookies or graham crackers to make one 9″ pie crust. Place the cookies in a food processor and pulse until the cookies form crumbs. Next add a 1/4 cup of softened butter and pulse again until everything is combined. Then pat the cookie crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a buttered pie dish and baked it at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. To make this crust dairy-free you could try using coconut oil instead of butter.

Cooling & Storing Pudding Pie

Storing a pudding pie can be a little tricky, but I have experimented with a few different methods and have found ones that work well for this dairy-free chocolate pudding pie. Once the pudding has been poured into the pie crust, you will want to chill the pie to ensure that it sets up. However, the pudding will be too hot to put directly in your fridge. Also, you shouldn’t cover it with plastic wrap or anything at this point.

Allow the pudding pie to cool at room temperature on a wire cooling wrack for 20-30 minutes. The pie can be left at room temperature for up to 1 hour before being moved to the fridge to finish cooling and set up. While the pie is cooling at room temperature, you can cover it loosely with a towel as long as the towel does not touch the pudding.

Once the pie has cooled enough, you can move it to the fridge to finish setting up for 4 more hours. At this point you can cover it with plastic wrap, but try not to let the plastic wrap touch the pudding. Store the pie and any leftovers in the fridge.

Pudding Pie Recipe Tips

This pie is so easy to make from scratch, I can pretty much do it by memory and it turns out perfect every time! However, if you are making pudding for the first time, it can be a little intimidating. Here are a few recipe tips to ensure your pudding-making experience is as smooth as the pudding pie itself!

• No Flour Clumps– Add all the dry ingredients to the large saucepan, then add the coconut milk, then turn on the heat and whisk constantly. This ensures the tapioca flour doesn’t clump up. Don’t worry if you see cocoa clumps or coconut cream chunks floating in the mixture for the first few minutes that you are heating it up. The heat and constant whisking will smooth everything out.
• Whisking!– Use a whisk, not a spatula! The whisk helps smooths out any coconut cream and incorporates the tapioca flour very well.
• Milk Tip– When choosing coconut milk, you have to use at least one full-fat coconut milk can. This is what makes the pie set up so nicely along with the tapioca flour. For the remainder of the milk, you can use more canned coconut milk or a dairy-free milk beverage from a carton.
• Thickener– Tapioca flour or arrowroot flour can be used in this pudding. These two flours work the best for ensuring the pie sets up.
• Just Keep Whisking– Keep whisking until the mixture gets really thick. It should seem like thick pudding and may even cling to your whisk. I have never over-heated my pudding, so if you are questioning the consistency, just keep whisking until the thick pudding is just barely boiling.

This dairy-free chocolate pudding pie is perfect for any occasion! Birthdays, holidays, special occasions, or for when you just have a craving for pudding…. this recipe is the perfect match! I love how easy and simple this recipe is to make, plus I know the pudding will set up every time.

Where to Find the Ingredients:

• Anthony’s tapioca flour
• Anthony’s organic coconut sugar
• Navitas organic cacao powder
• Native Forest full-fat coconut milk
• Pacific unsweetened coconut milk
• Redmond sea salt
• Pure vanilla extract
• Enjoy Life semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
• Lily’s Sweets chocolate chips
• Supplies: 9″ glass pie plate, stainless steel whisk, ceramic pie plate

Dairy-free chocolate pudding pie is an amazing allergy-friendly, modern pioneer dessert option! The texture is smooth and creamy, and the flavor is bold and rich! You will find yourself making this pie over and over again, it’s just that delicious. This is a pie that my whole family loves, even my dad who does not have to eat dairy-free and who can be somewhat picky when it comes to ‘healthy’ desserts. I’m sure you are going to love this modern pioneer pie and it will quickly become a favorite on your homestead too!

Don’t miss any other chuckwagon recipes, make sure you are a part of our bi-weekly modern pioneer newsletter community!