It’s Pie Day! So of course I had to get my geek on and make this Gluten Free Pie. Not only is it gluten free but it’s no bake.
Truthfully there’s a much better story to this pie.
Every time my grandmother knew we were coming to visit her growing up she would make our favorite desserts. There was german chocolate cake for my mom, a yellow cake with chocolate frosting for my brother and for me… there was this icebox pie which she called black forest cake.
Since then I’ve learned that there’s an actual black forest cake and this is not it. However as I got older Granny wasn’t able to stand in the kitchen anymore to bake for hours. Every trip as I grew up came with less baked goods and more trips out to eat for dinner. Sometimes it’s sad to think about because she was known for her cooking. My grandmother was an amazing cook. However she is still with us so I am thankful and blessed.
I never got the complete recipe to this pie or many other of my favorite foods that she used to make and now she doesn’t remember. So imagine my surprise when I was stumbling this week and came up on this recipe from Guyism which I recognized as being a tweaked version of my grandmother’s recipe. I made a few simple changes and it was back.
My hero’s recipe that she made for me was here again and ready for my kids enjoy as much as I did.
Wipe the tears from your eyes, it’s pie day! You can’t be sad on pie day.
Since it is gluten free (because my family is primarily gluten free), I used chocolate dipped cookies for the crust. Schar is one of my favorite gluten free brands. Granny always used a graham cracker crust and would be the best way to make it if gluten sensitivity isn’t an issue.
After you make the crust (complete recipe below) you’ll need the filling. 
There’s a creamy filling that is sweet and oh so yummy. 
Next comes the chocolate pudding layer, which was my kids favorite layer. 
Finish it off with a whip cream layer topped with chocolate shavings and you have the perfect messy chocolate pudding pie.
Why is it good that it’s messy? 
Because no one can tell when you eat straight from the pan. Shh… don’t tell my Granny. She was classy, I didn’t get that gene.
If you want it to be more “contained” you can freeze it and it will slice like an ice cream cake but Granny never served it that way.
Plus it’s no bake making it the perfect pie to make in the summer when you don’t want to heat up your already hot kitchen. There were so many amazing summers growing up with this recipe waiting for me in my grandparents refrigerator.
It’s just easy and yummy, topped with memories. Who wouldn’t want that on Pie Day?
If you like this recipe than you might like Gluten Free Banana Pumpkin Bread.
- One box of gluten free chocolate dipped cookies
- 1 tbs melted butter
- 1 brick softened cream cheese (8 ounces)
- 1 tsp GF vanilla extract (not all vanilla is GF)
- 1/4 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 tub Cool Whip (12 ounces)
- 2 boxes Instant Chocolate Pudding (3.9 ounces each)
- 3 cups plus 2 tbs milk
- chocolate bar for chocolate shavings
- This crust recipes only makes a thin crust on the bottom of the pie plate, not the sides. If you want a thicker crust or one on the sides of the pie plate double the crust recipe.
- To make the crust -
- Start by crushing the gluten free cookies in a blender or food processor. Add in the melted butter and blend well until the texture of barely wet sand. Gluten free foods can be picky and hard to work with so add more or less butter as you see fit. If you get too much butter than the crust will be hard to cut so less is more! Place pie crust in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to firm up.
- While the crust is firming, start on the first layer. Place the softened cream cheese in the bowl of your mixer and mix well until light and fluffy. Add sugar, vanilla, 2 tbs milk and 1 and 1/4 cups of Cool Whip to the cream cheese and mix well. Pour the first layer into the pie crust and smooth the top. Place in the refrigerator to firm up.
- Next make the chocolate layer by combining the chocolate pudding mix with 3 cups of milk with a which until it starts to thicken. Pour the pudding mixture over the first layer and place in the refrigerator for five minutes.
- Stir remaining Cool Whip and spread on top of the chocolate pudding layer. Use a knife to scrape down the chocolate bar to make chocolate shavings.
- Place entire pie in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight.
- For a firmer pie you can also place in the freezer.
- Eat, enjoy and think of your grandmother.
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