This holiday pie is inspired by a favorite: the chai latte. This is an easy, vegan, no-bake pie that’s halfway between a chocolate pudding and a cheesecake, with all the coziness of a warm latte. As a base, we used Willa’s Kitchen Dark Chocolate Oat Milk, which is made with our very own Peruvian cacao powder. Dark chocolate, oat milk, warming chai spices, and rich maple syrup come together to create a creamy, dreamy pudding pie filling. We pair this filling with our gluten free buckwheat cacao pie crust for an earthy balance that plays well with the spices. A white swirl to finish pays homage to the latte art on a hot drink from your favorite coffee shop.
Ingredients
Cacao Buckwheat Pie Crust
¾ cup buckwheat flour
3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
¼ cup Raaka Cacao Powder
3 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 stick + 1 tablespoon butter, cubed and cold
¼-1/2 cup Willa’s Dark Chocolate Oat Milk
1 tablespoon Plain Oat Milk
Chocolate Chai Filling
2.5 cups Willas Chocolate Oat Milk
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon maple syrup
7 chai tea bags
1 8 oz container vegan cream cheese (reserve 1 tablespoon for latte swirl)
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
½ teaspoon vanilla
Latte Swirl
1 tablespoon of the cream cheese
1 teaspoon plain oat milk
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Steps:
- Whisk together flours, cacao powder, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Work butter in with your hands until dough becomes shaggy. Add chocolate oat milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing, until sticky dough ball forms. Form a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- On a floured surface, roll out pie dough about ⅛-¼ inch, big enough to fit into your pie pan with a bit of dough hanging over the edges for a crimped edge later on. Using a fork poke a few holes in the bottom for steam to release.
- Place in fridge for 15 minutes to chill. Preheat oven to 350º.
- Brush plain milk as a wash along crust edges. Bake crust for ~ 20 minutes, until just firm to the touch. Let cool.
- In a saucepan, on medium low, heat oat milk, add tea bags, cover and let steep on low for ~10 minutes. Tear open one tea bag and add it directly to the milk.
- Remove tea bags, carefully squeezing out excess liquid, and add in cream cheese, maple syrup, vanilla. Whisk until smooth and clumps disappear.
- Add tapioca flour and whisk continuously until it begins to thicken. This will take 10-15 minutes. Keep your eye on the pot and whisk to avoid clumping.
- While that thickens, in a small bowl whisk together latte swirl ingredients until completely smooth.
- Pour filling mixture into pie shell. Drizzle latte mix over top, creating any pattern you’d like. Using a toothpick or chopstick, drag through drizzle to create a marbled/latte art effect.
- Place in fridge and let set for several hours.
- Slice, serve, enjoy!