Ultimate Chocolate Fudge Pie

So I found another amazing recipe while browsing Pinterest. Actually, I found an amazing blog called Chocolate Covered Katie. Katie is a vegan who absolutely adores chocolate. She has so many vegan recipes on her site. At first I was skeptical, because I tend to not like healthy foods (read our story for more information as to why) but the pictures looked phenomenal. Plus, Katie swears that all of her healthy-food hating friends love many of her recipes.

Photo by Chocolate Covered Katie

I saw this one for Chocolate Fudge Pie and drooled at the picture. I love chocolate pie; I really do. But I know that the grams of fat (due to the heavy cream) and the amount of sugar are astronomical. So, when I saw that this recipe used tofu as the filler, I was surprised. I mean, I'm no tofu expert; I've maybe used it once before. But tofu is known for its ability to take on the flavors it is cooked with. Little did I know that it could produce a consistency very similar to that of heavy cream.

Anyway, here's a link to the recipe. Please read it first, and refer back to that if you are going to share this recipe with others. Below I will describe how I slightly adapted it. And, in case you were wondering, yes, I did use the Vitamix! :)

As always, I certainly suggest you to try this recipe in your own blenders or other machines -- just follow the directions as your instructional manual suggests.

(Vita-Mix Recipe) 

1 package silken or firm tofu

1 tsp cocoa powder

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 tbsp. vanilla almond milk

1/8 tsp. salt

10 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 tbsp. agave nectar

1 tbsp. sugar (to add additional sweetness)

Pie crust 

Ok. Now for my changes. I followed Katie's directions by melting the chocolate on the stove (I try to avoid using the microwave at all costs, due to the loss of nutrition it creates). If you melt it on medium and keep stirring it shouldn't burn.  I put all the ingredients into the Vitamix in the order that Katie has them listed on her recipe, and started on Variable 1 and quickly moved up to 10 and then high. I blended it until it was smooth, and then poured it into a store-bought low-fat graham cracker crust. I then chilled it in the refrigerator for several hours.

So, some notes. for the filling, I found that even 2-3 tbsp. of agave nectar (as Katie recommended) left it still not sweet enough for my tastes (because of the semi-sweet chocolate chips, it was very rich) so I added 1 tbsp. of sugar as well.  As for the tofu, I used the Mori-Nu firm silken (found it in the refrigerated section of the natural foods aisle at Smith's). I would think that using a softer set would lead to a more mousse-like texture, if you prefer that.

Honestly, once I tried the pie, I was blown away by how non-healthy it tasted. The tofu is the perfect substitute for heavy cream. However, the next time I may try a few things. I was trying to avoid making this dairy so 1) I didn't use milk chocolate chips, and 2) I did not use whipped cream on top. I did buy some light Cool Whip, because it is non-dairy, but considering how it's just made of hydrogenated oils, I know it is not a healthy alternative. The truth is, though, because of the richness of this pie, it definitely needs something on top to help balance it out. I will probably consider trying Katie's recipe for vegan cool whip to see how that works!

By the way, I am not anti-dairy. I am trying to just keep in line with the vegan base of this recipe. For myself, I try to limit dairy intake, that's all.