I'm one of those people who really dislikes when bloggers write a whole novel around their recipes and I have to scroll for two minutes before I get to what I really came for: the recipe. I won't to do this to you guys, ever. I promise. One paragraph-- that's all you have to read before getting to what you really came here for: the recipe.

Basically, I love food (who doesn't, right?) and my body really loves it when I eat organic, whole food recipes-- especially ones that are gluten free and vegan. And, I'm a bit of a chocolate addict. So today I share with you today the vegan, gluten free, mostly raw, guilt free deliciousness that I like to call "Chocolate Heaven in a Pan."

Prep time: ~30 min
Refrigerate: 1 hour
Total time to pie in mouth: 1.5 hours
*Adapted from The Spunky Coconut

Gear needed to create this heavenly goodness:

Food processor
High speed blender (Blendtec or Vitamix)
Small saucepan

Ingredients for crust:

3/4 cup almonds + 3/4 cup cashews (or 1.5 cups of any nuts of your choice-- try hazelnuts or macadamias for a richer flavor!)
1/4 cup raw cacao powder
2/3 cup dates (pitted)
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I prefer to use alcohol free)
Pinch of each salt and cinnamon

Instructions for crust:

Grind the nuts into a rough flour in a food processor, then add the dates and grind again. Finally, throw in the coconut and vanilla, grinding again until everything is well mixed.

Add water in 1 tsp increments as needed until the mixture holds as a ball when pressed together in your hand.

Spread crust evenly into the bottom of a 7-8" pie pan, pressing it up against the sides so it is in actual pie form.

Ingredients for Filling:

1 cup coconut cream (cream at the top of a can of separated full-fat coconut milk left open in fridge overnight to separate)-- you may need more than 1 can
8 medjool dates (or 10 deglet noor), pitted
3 ounces dark chocolate, melted
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
2 tsp vanilla extract
Option for those who are not vegan: add 1 tsp honey for extra sweetness

Instructions for filling:

In a small saucepan, slightly warm the coconut cream for about a minute, stirring the entire time.

Add the heated coconut cream, dates, chocolate, coconut oil, and vanilla extract to the food processor, and pulse until the filling is dark and completely smooth.

Pour the filling over the crust.

Toppings:

Cover the chocolate filling with SoDelicious' coconut milk whipped cream or make your own. Top with crushed roasted coconut chips and drizzle with melted chocolate to finish your masterpiece.

For an added burst of flavor, add the follow ingredients into your high speed blender until smooth and drizzle (or dump, if you so prefer) this fruity mix on top just before enjoying:

1 cup fresh raspberries
5 frozen blueberries
1.5 tablespoons coconut oil

Before eating:

Once your pie is complete, place in the fridge for an hour to chill. You can also place it in the freezer for awhile if you absolutely cannot wait to enjoy your pie.

As you sit down to put the first morsel of this deliciousness into your mouth, give thanks to the chocolatey gods and forces that be for allowing you to experience such a delightful form of heavenly goodness that's actually healthy for you!