This Vegan French Silk pie is the perfect dairy-free dessert for your next holiday gathering or celebration. It calls for just a few simple ingredients, and tastes like the real thing!
How to Make French Silk Pie Vegan
Instead of using dairy or eggs, this vegan French Silk Pie is made with full-fat coconut milk. It gives the pie a creamy texture, without an overwhelming coconut flavor.
When you open a can of coconut milk, it might look solid on the top, with liquid on the bottom. You’ll be using the whole can for this recipe, so it doesn’t matter if it has separated in this case.
Paired with unsweetened baking chocolate and coconut sugar, this dairy-free recipe has the perfect balance of sweet, chocolate flavor, without using any refined sugar.
How to Thicken It
Since this recipe doesn’t use eggs, it gets thickening help from a vegan gelatin called agar agar. I buy it as flakes at the store, so make sure you buy the flakes, too. (It’s also sold in powdered form, but measurements for that will be significantly different.)
If you can’t find agar agar flakes, the closest substitute would be powdered gelatin, but keep in mind that’s not vegan or vegetarian. (My guess is that 1/2 teaspoon would be a similar swap for the 1 teaspoon of agar flakes.)
An alternate option might be to use 1/4 cup of arrowroot or tapioca starch instead of the agar, but I haven’t had the chance to test this myself yet. I’ll report back if I do, and I hope you will, too!
If you don’t need this recipe to refined sugar free, try my Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake, which is thickened using chocolate chips.
Vegan Pie Crust Options
It’s important to start with a baked pie crust for this recipe, since the filling only needs to be chilled to set. You can use my Oat Flour Pie Crust or my Almond Flour Pie crust, both of which are vegan.
(This one is photographed with my Almond Flour Pie Crust.)
Dairy-Free Whipped Cream Topping
For a classic French Silk Pie, you’ll want to use a full batch of coconut whipped cream for the topping. (That’s what is pictured here. If you want more whipped cream, you’ll need to make a double batch.)
If you’d rather buy a whipped topping to save yourself some effort, there are tons of vegan whipped cream options at the store, too!
I hope you’ll enjoy this vegan French Silk Pie soon. I can’t wait to hear what you think of it!
Vegan French Silk Pie (Dairy-Free & Soy-Free!)
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch baked pie crust (see post for recipes)
- 1 (13.5 oz.) can full-fat coconut milk (400 ml)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons agar agar flakes (see notes)
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar (112 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (3 grams)
- 1 1/2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate , roughly chopped (43 grams)
- 1 batch coconut whipped cream
- Dark chocolate shavings , for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Bake the pie crust, if you haven't already. You'll want it to be relatively cool when you pour in the pie filling.
- In a small saucepan, combine the coconut milk, 1 teaspoon of agar flakes (use 2 teaspoons if you want it to have a firmer texture), coconut sugar, and vanilla. Bring it to a boil, and whisk well to help the agar flakes dissolve. Let the mixture boil for 1 minute, stirring often.
- Turn off the heat, and stir the baking chocolate into the liquid. Stir until it's melted and smooth. Pour the chocolate into the baked pie crust, then place it in the fridge to set for at least 4 hours.
- When the filling feels firm to a light touch, you can top it with coconut whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Slice and serve chilled. Leftover pie can be stored lightly covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was updated on November 5, 2020 with a better crust & photo tutorials. The pie has been a fan favorite for 7 years, so I didn’t change the filling, other than to note that 1 teaspoon or 2 teaspoons of agar flakes will “work” for this recipe. I prefer it with just 1 teaspoon for a softer chocolate layer.
More Vegan Desserts
Looking for another vegan dessert idea? Try these crowd-pleasing recipes below.
- Vegan Pecan Pie
- The Best Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Baked Apples (easier than pie!)
- Gluten-Free & Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Pots de Creme
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
- Almond Butter Blondies
If you try this Vegan French Silk Pie recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it! And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too. We can all benefit from your experience.
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite pie flavor?
I love cooking with agar! I make kanten pies with fruit all the time. I love chocolate though and this looks so amazing I can’t wait to try it!
I’m blow away that you managed to make French silk pie vegan, it’s my husbands favorite too! We usually cheat and get pie from a restaurant and it never tastes very good, not really worth the calories. I’m so glad you shared this with us, it reminds me of your Klondike bar recipe, just a classic that is so tasty. I love your crust recipe!!!
Is there any way you could replace the agar agar?
I’ve mentioned that in the notes below this recipe.
This looks delicious! Would it be possible to make the crust with a different type of nut – I’m allergic to almonds.. Would walnuts work?
I think they would most likely work. Let us know if you try it!
YUM! Can’t wait to try this! I believe it’s paleo friendly also 🙂
We love baking vegan desserts using butter and flour substitutes like coconut oil and almond flour. We are excited to try using agar agar soon — do you have any tips about baking with it?
OMG this looks amazing!! Definitely will be my next dessert to make once I finish off the raw chocolate cheese cake in the freezer. Thanks for the great recipe!
Will the filling become runny if the pie is left out in room temperature for too long?
No, the filling will be fine at room temperature, but the crust will get very soft! You might want to use a baked crust recipe if you plan on it sitting out for long.
Can you bake this base? I love it as is but would love to try it crispy.
TIA
I tried baking it, about 12 mins at 350F, it turned out well!
This pie is absolutely incredible. Cannot recommend it highly enough! Perfect!
Made this last night and all i have to say is…Amazing!!! Absolutely delicious and perfect in every way! I want to marry this pie!!! Consider this comment a wedding announcement- all Detoxinista followers invited, and hoping, Megan, you will be the maid of honor- haha.❤️
Ha! I’m so glad you’re enjoying it! I think it’s one of my favorite recipes so far, too. 😉
Hi. Can I use great lakes gelatin in place of agar and is it the same amounts? Thanks
http://images.iherb.com/l/GLK-00211-9.jpg
Sorry. Should have read the recipe through… I’ll let you know how it turns out.
have you tried it with gelatin
Yes i did, there were different conversions when I searched, I ended up following this one: http://www.joyofbaking.com/IngredientSubstitution.html and using 1 tablespoon of great lakes gelatin.
It was a bit too jelly like but still delish!
I’ll try 2 teaspoons next time.
thanks! will try it this weekend
Susanna, did you try this pie with gelatin? I want to make it for Thanksgiving, but I can’t take a chance that it will turn out like chocolate jello! I’m wondering if I should use 1 tsp or 2 tsp gelatin? I really don’t want to spend $9.50 on the agar flakes when I doubt I’d use them again. I bought them once and the pudding I made didn’t go over well, so when we moved I threw out the agar agar flakes. 🙁
yes, i did make it twice actually. I used 1 tablespoon of gelatin and it came out great
Susanna, I didn’t see your comment in time, so I went ahead and made it with 1 tsp gelatin per the suggestion in the recipe, and it came out perfect! I am so pleased.. this is going to be a regular for me (at the holidays – I could get into big trouble if I made this regularly!). Thanks!!
Could the sugar in thr filling replaced with honey or maple syrup?
Looks amazing!! How do you make the coconut whipped cream for the topping?
will try it very soon, i’m sure it’s very tasty!!
This looks absolutely amazing Megan!!!! I can’t wait to try it!!!
Hi Megan, can I substitute Agar Powder for the flakes in the same quantity?
I’ve heard that 1 tablespoon agar flakes = 1 teaspoon agar powder. I’ve never worked with agar powder myself, so please let us know what works for you!
Thanks, Megan. I had already gone ahead with the powder based on the same conversions you mentioned. The pie set well and tasted great, but the texture was too gelatinous for me. My husband agreed, but liked the taste enough to keep going back for more 🙂 Next time, I’ll definitely use the flakes.
Interesting! That sounds like the texture I got when I used 1 1/2 tablespoons of flakes– that was WAY too much, and my pie was like chocolate jello. The results with the recipe above should be much more creamy and pudding-like, so I hope you enjoy it with the flakes next time!
I made this with agar powder and it turned out just great. Have already shared the recipe with three friends.
It was fast and oh so easy…love your recipes xoxo
I’ve made this twice now, so yummy!!! Just FYI, I replaced the coconut sugar in the filling with 8 dates and blended coconut milk/dates/vanilla in the vitamix prior to cooking with the agar agar to get the dates really smooth. I also added some dried shredded coconut to the crust. And the recipe is so simple it takes me about 10 minutes to prepare it. Thank you for this great recipe!
I was also wondering if your could replace the sugar. I will try it with dates! Has anyone tried it yet with maple syrup? Thank you so much for this great substitution Emily!!
Hi, I would love to make this pie!! Is there any chance I can substitute maple syrup or honey for the coconut sugar? If so, what would be the measurements? Also can I sub cocoa powder for the unsweetened chocolate? Thanks again for a delicious recipe!
For anyone using agar powder instead of flakes…I used the conversion of 1 Tbsp agar flakes = 1/2 tsp agar powder, which works out to 1/3 tsp powder in this recipe, and it turned out perfectly!
I also didn’t have enough almond flour so I used hazelnut meal for about half of the crust (with a little extra coconut oil and maple syrup to make it sticky enough) and wow did it taste delicious!!! I took it to a party and everyone gobbled it up. 🙂
Alli, hazelnut meal sounds like a divine addition/ substitution!!! how did you make it? did you just grind up hazelnuts in a food processor?
I actually just used Bob’s Red Mill hazelnut meal/flour, but grinding up hazelnuts in a food processor would work the same! I love hazelnut and chocolate together so when I make this recipe again I will definitely use all hazelnut meal instead of the almond flour. Delicious both ways I’m sure.
Wow, wow, wow! I made this over the weekend, and it was FABULOUS. Thank you for sharing, Megan.
This looks and sounds lovely but I really don’t like coconut. Is there a substitute for coconut milk?
Can you freeze this pie? I would like to make it and store it for later.
Just wondering if you could sub cornflour for the agar and whip before freezing ? Can’t find agar at all in my little corner of Ireland and really want this for Xmas as I am a pku (metabolic disorder severely restricted protein ) so finding delicious and easy natural foods is really difficult
Wow, wow, WOW! This might be the easiest, most delicious pie EVER. Printing, saving, and sharing!!!
Can chocolate chips be used in place of unsweetened,
Thanks
If you use gelatin instead of agar agar flakes, do you have to change the recipe instructions at all? Normally when I use gelatin, I sprinkle it on top of the liquid and wait for it to melt, then whisk. You’re not supposed to boil gelatin, are you? Hoping to make this for Thanksgiving, but really nervous! Maybe I should just wait until Christmas and buy the agar agar flakes. Does anyone know of a place that sells them in bulk so I can buy just the amount I need? Thank you!
I used 2 tsp of agar agar powder because my whole foods did not have the flakes. It is too rubbery :/ The chocolate still tastes good though. I will try again with less agar agar.
we bought gluten free ghram cracker crust, and made the filing, it was super easy, super good.
Used teaspon of agar powder.
Making again for Christmas today.
Thanks
Made the filling for the first time tonight and it was delicious! (I used a store-bought crust.) I had never used agar in a recipe and was a bit concerned, but I followed the recipe and it worked perfectly. My guests really enjoyed it, too!
I just made this for my partner’s birthday, using 1 tsp agar powder and just a little over 1 1/2 oz baking chocolate. I’ll report back once we have it tonight!
Everyone loved it. Thank you for another hit!
Can you use unsweetened cacao powder in place of unsweetened chocolate bar?
I think I’ll try to make this tonight but I have neither agar agar product nor gelatin, so I will try pectin. I used it in your strawberry pie recipe. I was a bit nervous to use it so I just added a tiny pinch. The pie was very, very soft but I didn’t mind at all. I will update this post when I have my results!
This looks awesome and I must have that pie dish!
This recipe was a hit with my family. We did substitute the agar agar with cornstarch and it was great. We used about 2 tbsp of cornstarch
Wow! Such and easy and amazingly delicious recipe. I made half a recipe today as a trial run in advance of Thanksgiving and it is officially on the menu.
Hi, I plan on making this for Christmas for my dairy free kids. Should the coconut milk be unsweetened?
Thanks!
Yes, unsweetened!
Ur recipe is awsome!
What can we use instead coconut milk &maple syrup?
My daughter, who hates all things coconut, LOVES this pie. Each time she eats it she proclaims: ‘whoever came up with this recipe is a genius!’…so we are proud owners of both your cookbooks 🙂
Thank you, Megan!!!
Hi..love your recipes and made this a weeks ago to try out before thanksgiving. The recipe is amazing, followed it as it’s written and making again for Thanksgiving. Do you think I can make it today (Tuesday) and will it still be good for Thanksgiving?
Probably! The only thing I’d worry about is how the crust would hold up with the moist filling for that long, but most likely it would be good.
Hi, I’d love to try out this recipe. What brand agar agar flakes did you use?
My 6 year old and I made these today. We halved the recipe to make 6 mini pies and it turned out perfect. I didn’t have agar agar so I subbed arrowroot powder (still used 2 tsp in the halved recipe). The filling came out great! We are topping with toasted marshmallow!
Could I use gelatin to substitute the agar flakes? I am not vegan and that’s what I have on hand. This recipe may have to be on my Thanksgiving menu now! Looks so good!
This was AWESOME!!! This is the best pie I’ve ever tasted or made myself! Made it for my husband and mom this weekend, and it was just perfect. Thank you for sharing!!!
This was easy to make and delicious! Will it still set with less sugar?
Do you have a baking chocolate you recommend?
I’ve been using Trader Joe’s 100% unsweetened chocolate chips lately, and if you can’t find a 100% unsweetened brand at your local store, Endangered Species makes a VERY dark bar (90-95% I think) that I’ve used in a pinch.
Very yummy! All the family loved it!
Delicious pie crust that will be the my go-to recipe now. I would use a large saucepan to boil the the mixture and also make sure to leave the pan on the burner after turned off to really melt the chocolate and allow the it to thicken.
Show stopper! I made this for Thanksgiving and subbed 2.5T of Arrowroot flour since I had on-hand for the agar agar (and added 1/4 t sea salt to chocolate layer) and was perfect consistency! Thank you thank you!
Thank you for sharing! I’m so glad to hear that the arrowroot worked out, and I’m glad it was a hit!
I love. Love. LOOOOOOOOVE this recipe! I discovered it last year and make it almost every month now! Quick tip for agar agar powder, I use only 1/4 teaspoon to achieve a pudding consistency. It took some trial and error, but I finally figured it out. More than that and the filling sets too firmly for my preference (though still yummy). For the baking chocolate, I use 1/3 cup Hu Gems Dark. I was sad to see the original no bake nut crust go (that’s absolutely one of my favorite parts!) but I’ve made a slight variation to compensate. I blend 3/4 C pecans and 3/4 C almonds in a coffee grinder until finely ground. Then in a bowl I mix it with the 3 TBL maple syrup and 3 TBL melted coconut oil with a pinch of himalayan salt. Press it into my pie pan lined with parchment paper (I use shortening to help the parchment stick and conform to the pan) and throw it in the freezer to set while I cook the filling. It is HEAVEN IN A PIE PAN!!!
I really miss the non bake crust too! I made it all the the time, wish i would have written it down! I keep trying to watch the video to figure out the measurements. Thanks you for sharing, i’ll give this a try too,
So Good! This was so good! I used the almond flour crust. It was perfect. Will use it for more things in the future. Thank you for such an enjoyable tasty recipe!