It’s December! You know exactly what that means: holidays are just around the corner. With both Christmas and New Year’s approaching, you might want to cook a little something special for those special holidays. If you or any of your family members are vegan, you might think that your options are limited. Fortunately, that is not the case. Here is one of my most favorite vegan recipes that I can guarantee everyone will love.

The title of the recipe speaks for itself; it’s mouth-watering and not only is this a vegan recipe, but it also gluten-free and grain-free. You will definitely want to overlook your diet once you’re presented with this. It yields 9-12 servings, requires 3 hours to freeze and takes only 10 minutes to cook. It is a very simple recipe, and what’s more, it takes only 30 minutes to make! So to begin with, here are the ingredients.

For the crust you will require:

• a quarter cup of packed and pitted Medjool dates (be sure to soak the dates in water for 30 minutes before you begin if the dates are firm)

• a quarter cup of shredded coconuts (unsweetened)

• two and a half tablespoons of ground flax seeds

• two and a half tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder

• one tablespoon of coconut oil

• a quarter tablespoons of fine granular sea salt (or to taste)

• one teaspoon water (optional, only if the dough needs binding)

To make the filling, you will need:

• a total of 300 grams worth of high quality dark chocolate (I used 3 bars of 70% dark chocolate for this)

• a 400ml can of coconut milk (full-fat)

• 4 tablespoons of your preferred liquid sweetener (I used pure maple syrup)

• a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

• a small pinch of finely grained sea salts

The coconut whipped cream is optional in this recipe. However, if you do want to use it, chill a 400 ml can of full-fat coconut milk overnight and using only the cream potion of the coconut milk, add in a teaspoon of pure maple syrup, and whisk until it becomes smooth. To garnish this delicious pie, you will need to roast a half cup of large flaked coconuts with flaked sea salts. You can also add the coconut whipped cream.

To start off, toast the shredded and large flake coconuts in a preheated 325 F oven for 5-10 minutes until they are golden brown. Set them aside. Then, take a 9-inch glass pie dish and place 3 parchment papers (make sure that that they are 2-inches wide) on top. One parchment paper should go in each direction and they should overhang. Now take a roll of plastic wrap, take a large piece, place it on top of the parchment papers and press down.

For the crust, take the dates and finely chop them using a heavy duty food processor. Then add in all the ingredients for the crust including the toasted shredded coconut and process until everything is combined. Do not include the toasted large flake coconut as it will be used later. Add in the optional water if the dough doesn’t stick when pressed between your fingers.

Take this mixture and spread it on the pie dish. Start from the middle and then spread out. Put this in the fridge while you make the filling. To make the filling, break up the chocolate bars, place it in a pot and melt it in the lowest heat setting. I used a double boiler in this case. Remove the chocolate from the heat when it is melted 2/3 of the way but continue stirring until it is completely smooth.

Pour the now smooth chocolate into a large bowl and pour the can of full-fat coconut milk into it. Make sure that the coconut milk is at room temperature. Whisk the mixture until it is completely smooth. Then, add in the rest of the ingredients for the filling while whisking. Set aside after it has become completely smooth.

Since the filling easily overflows, it might be best to not use the entire filling for the pie. You can use the rest of the filling for something else. Using a spatula, spread the filling on to the crust. Add a few tablespoons of whipped cream to the filling and, using a knife, swirl it around to create a pattern. Place the pie dish in the freezer and let it set for around 3 hours.

Once it has been set, take the pie out of the freezer and leave it aside for 5 to 10 minutes. Now comes the tricky part. Grab the parchment paper and carefully lift the pie off of the dish and place it on a plate. The pie has to be eaten immediately to prevent it from getting soft. Garnish it with the toasted coconut flakes, and add in the whipped cream and sea salt flakes if you like. It is ready to be served!

Written by Taufiq Haque of Babbling Ink “Outsourcing Professionals United”