Easy Naturally Sweetened Chocolate Pie (No-Bake)

Rich Chocolate Pie Without Pudding Mix

I caught my kids sneaking some of this naturally sweetened chocolate pie out of the freezer this afternoon. Of course, I wasn’t upset. They had eaten their lunch and they had chosen a completely refined sugar free dessert – albeit irresistibly decadent.

The fact is, my kids can’t resist this easy chocolate cream pie. And if I’m being honest, my husband and I can’t resist it either. It’s rich, it’s Incredibly creamy and it doesn’t contain any processed or questionable ingredients.

In fact, the ingredients for this chocolate pie without pudding are very simple. With just 5 ingredients, you can have a homemade chocolate cream pie from scratch without any cool whip, pudding mix or refined sugar.

And did I mention that this no bake chocolate pie recipe is also gluten free? Which means it makes a show-stopping dessert for any gathering or event even for those with gluten sensitivities.

And, obviously, this satisfying, indulgent naturally sweetened dessert is highly kid-approved 🙂 My kids have enthusiastically vouched for that. I actually have to restrain them from lunging at this healthier chocolate pie whenever I pull it out.

That is saying a lot because my kids can be rather picky, especially my 8-year-old. She is a chocolate-lover, but even my chocolate recipes meet with tough criticism from her. She’s extremely difficult to please with new recipes. But this one is clearly a huge winner!

And while I would not call this no bake chocolate pie “healthy” due to the richness of it from the cream, it is a healthier option since it is sweetened entirely with raw honey. It doesn’t get much better than an intensely enjoyable dessert that is sweetened with something that actually has gut-health and immune-boosting benefits.

When to Make Naturally Sweetened Chocolate Pie

This naturally sweetened chocolate pie recipe is pretty versatile. I mean, chocolate pretty much works for any occasion, right?

However, I love the idea of making this no bake chocolate pie for Thanksgiving or other big holidays and gatherings when oven space is scarce and time is limited. Even more exciting, it also doesn’t need to take up fridge space because it is actually easier to store in the freezer.

By the way, if you’re looking for richly satisfying naturally sweetened Thanksgiving dessert recipes, you really need to try these chocolate covered caramel apple slices.

I love the simplicity and purity of this chocolate pie ingredient list for a time of year when every event and get-together is loaded with quick, easy and highly processed treats and meals.

But also, the fact that this is a cold pie makes it the perfect summer dessert to keep your kitchen and your kids’ bodies cool and comfortable. There is no baking necessary with this chocolate cream pie recipe, so can safely make it in any weather for any occasion.

In fact, the chocolate pie filling is made similarly to how I make my no-churn mint chocolate chip ice cream, which is also great for summer.

I will say that it’s best to keep this pie chilled as much as possible. Since it is made from real ingredients like heavy cream instead of cool whip and pudding mix, it can spoil if left in warm temperatures for long periods of time.

The best way to prevent this is to keep it frozen until it needs to go on the table. This will help it stay cold for longer. Plus, the pie tastes really good both frozen and thawed. When it’s frozen, it tastes like an ice cream cake 😀

Ingredients

• Unsweetened Baker’s Chocolate: Baker’s chocolate is used to make the chocolate crust. If you want to make a crustless pie or you want a traditional pie crust, you will not need the baker’s chocolate. If you do want the chocolate crust, make sure your baker’s chocolate is unsweetened.

• Butter: Butter helps the baker’s chocolate melt and is also necessary only if you want to make the chocolate crust.

• Honey: Raw honey is the source of sweetness in all three elements of this naturally sweetened chocolate pie. It is in the chocolate crust, the chocolate cream filling and the whipped cream topping.
  
  I use Kevala raw, unfiltered honey that is nice and thick. If you use a more runny honey, your cream layers may turn out a little more thin but should solidify a bit once chilled. However, you do want to make sure your honey is raw and as close to nature as possible.

• Heavy Whipping Cream: This recipe calls for a lot of heavy whipping cream because that is main ingredient for the entire filling – both the chocolate and the whipped topping. Make sure you buy heavy whipping cream and not half and half.

• Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder is a super simple way to transform whipped cream into a rich, chocolate cream pie filling. You can also use cacao powder.

Instructions

Step 1

Place your pie plate in the freezer to chill while you melt the chocolate for the crust.

Step 2

Place baker’s chocolate and butter for the crust in a double boiler or a glass bowl inside a pot of simmering water. Heat over low heat and mix frequently until chocolate pieces are fully melted. Remove bowl of melted chocolate from the heat and allow to cool for about 5 five minutes.

Step 3

Once chocolate has cooled slightly, add the honey and mix thoroughly until fully combined.

Step 4

Spoon about 1/4 of the chocolate into a chocolate bar mold and place in the freezer.

If you don’t have a chocolate bar mold, simply spoon the chocolate onto a sheet of parchment paper – it doesn’t have to look pretty.

Step 5

Pull your pie plate out of the freezer and spoon the remaining 3/4 chocolate along the sides and bottom of the pie plate. Spread it around to cover all of the pie plate, working quickly before the chocolate hardens.

Place the pie plate back in the freezer to harden while making the chocolate filling.

Step 6

To make the chocolate filling, add all filling ingredients to the bowl of a mixer and mix on high until stiff peaks form.

Step 7

Pull the pie plate out of the freezer and evenly spread the chocolate filling in the pie plate.

Place the pie plate back in the freezer while you whip the cream topping.

Step 8

To make the whipped cream topping, wash or rinse and thoroughly dry your mixer bowl and whisk attachment, then add cream and honey to the bowl. Whip on high until stiff peaks form.

It will take longer to get stiff peaks with the regular cream than it did with the chocolate cream filling.

Step 9

Fill your piping bag with the whipped cream, pull your pie plate out of the freezer and pipe decorative swirls all over the chocolate cream to completely and generously cover the top.

Step 10

Grate the frozen bar of chocolate you put in the freezer earlier over the top of the whipped cream. Alternatively, if the chocolate is too soft to grate properly, you can put it into a plastic baggy and whack it with a spoon to break it into small pieces to sprinkle over the top.

Step 11

Place the pie in the freezer uncovered for a couple of hours. Once the whipped cream is fully frozen, cover with plastic wrap and then foil and store in the freezer until ready to serve.

Substitutions & Tips

• I use a 9.5 inch pie plate for this recipe, but you don’t have to use this exact size. This pie is very flexible.

• The chocolate crust in this pie is optional. If you prefer, you can skip the crust altogether or use a simple baked and cooled pie crust.

• You will probably end up with extra whipped cream topping. You can store this in the fridge for other uses or make your pie extra tall by using up all of it. It’s up to you!

• I recommend storing this creamy chocolate pie in the freezer so that it can be safely covered and stored without worries over crushing it. If you serve it frozen, it tastes like an ice cream cake.
  
  However, if you want to serve it thawed, simply take it out of the freezer 20-30 minutes before you want to serve it. When it is thawed, it taste more like a chocolate mousse.

• This pie is extremely rich, so I suggest cutting it into no less than ten slices. For children, even half of that serving is plenty.