I claimed a while back that I don’t like Pie Crust. Apparently I’ve been on a mission to change my own mind ever since. This brilliant creation has been percolating for quite some time – ever since I made the crunchy chocolatey wafers for my Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches as a matter of fact.
You see, that Chocolate Wafer recipe was a massive make-over from an original butter/white flour/sugar laden one, and as such I experimented with spelt flour, quinoa flour and buckwheat to find the right combination – there were lots of wafers floating around…
The whole spelt flour won out for that recipe but the quinoa flour version was so unique and delicious in it’s own way that I knew it had to become a pie crust at some point.
This crust is perfect for cheesecake – as witnessed in my Vegan Vanilla & Chocolate Cashew Cheesecake from earlier in the week – but it would make friends with just about anything else you want a chocolate crust for… a Franipane Pear Tart comes to mind, yum! I haven’t yet tried a version with quinoa flour and no cocoa, but you can bet that is next on the list.
Do you have a favourite pie crust?
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Gluten Free Chocolate Quinoa Pie Crust
Adapted from my Vegan Chocolate Wafers
INGREDIENTS:
- 3/4 c quinoa flour
- 1/3 c cocoa powder
- 1/3 c coconut or rapadura sugar
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- scant 1/4 tsp baking powder
- pinch chilli powder
- 1/4 c coconut oil, at soft room temp
- 1/4 c almond milk
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 180C [350F].
Sift all dry ingredients together. Add coconut oil and mash through with a fork until mixture resembles bread crumbs.
Add almond milk one Tbsp at a time, stirring through with fork until mixture holds together into a little ball when pressed with your fingers – you may need all the milk, you may not. As quinoa flour has no gluten you can’t overwork this crust.
Tip into pie plate or a Springform tin with baking paper lining the sides. Spread evenly and press flat on base and approximately 2 cm [1 inch] up sides with a flat bottom glass. Use damp fingers to smooth or patch any rough areas.
Bake 12-15 minutes – baked crust will be soft but will firm on cooling. Cool completely if filling with a refrigerator-set filling like my Vegan Vanilla & Chocolate Cashew Cheesecake or fill and bake again as required for your recipe.
*NOTES:
- I found that pressing the glass and turning it gently as lifting was the most successful technique for tamping it down evenly.
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Sounds delicious! I think I might like this one even better than the almond meal one you posted earlier 🙂
thanks – I definitely like it better – it’s chocolate – ha!
What a delicious alternative! Thanks for doing all the experimenting for me! I love that you can’t over-work it too. Does that mean it’s almost failproof?
No worries, hard work tasting chocolate an all 😉 The only tricks are to get the coconut oil cut in quite fine or it will leave holes when it melts during baking and only add as much liquid as is needed!
Looks sensational! I would so love to try some.
I’m going to have to remember this one for my students at school! We are doing some GF baking this semester and pie crusts are always a massive challenge!
Oh good, hope you try it! My Almond Crust is another good gluten free alternative…
Definitely using this recipe 🙂
I love the sound of this crust JJ. I love that you can’t over work it either.
I love the crushed cookies pie crust among all, perhaps because they are the easiest to make. I am so excited to try this, almost like this pie, easy to make too. Thanks for testing it in your kitchen, I am more relaxed to try it in mine, I am sure this will be more than delicious. Looks heavenly!
This crust looks completely decadent yet it is still so healthy! What a beautiful creation you’ve come up with, we can’t wait to give this a try! Keep up the good work, we look forward to your next brilliant kitchen moment 🙂
You are too sweet, thanks Melaina.
What is the filling?
It is the Vegan Vanilla & Chocolate Cashew Cheesecake in the previous post – http://84thand3rd.com/index.php/vegan-vanilla-chocolate-cashew-cheesecake/ 🙂
AWEsome, I blogged about this recipe on my blog and links it back to here. Hope thats ok, looks good!
I would love to make this but it has to be with stevia. What amount would you use? Thank you.
Hum, not sure as I don’t use stevia… I would simply substitute stevia for the coconut sugar in whatever percentage you would for regular sugar 🙂
Great idea! I never would have thought to use quinoa in a pie crust.. My mum will love this recipe 🙂
Very creative…good going
I used this as a crust for our family’s “standard” (baked) cheesecake. (We’re not vegan, but since I’ve had to go gluten-free, I can’t eat the original crust.) The family said it was okay, but tasted overdone. Our cheesecake recipe bakes for about an hour, and then sits in the (turned off) oven for another hour, and I’m wondering if that might just be overkill for the crust? Have you tried it with a long-baking filling? I wonder if I maybe should NOT prebake it next time. (I baked it for the shortest amount of time in the range.)
Hi Rachel – Thinking it may be too long for this crust. I’ve double baked my Spiced Quinoa (no cocoa) crust but only for 25 mins the second time. You can try without prebaking. Some people also find quinoa a bit bitter, perhaps a touch more sugar would help as well? Cheers, JJ
What a fantastic recipe! I am absolutely enamored with this chocolate crust. And filled with that creamy cheesecake? Don’t think it could get much better then that!
I would love for you to come share this recipe over at Thank Goodness It’s quinoa – a bi-weekly link party celebrating all things quinoa. I know our readers would adore this recipe!
http://www.queenofquinoa.me/2013/02/thank-goodness-its-quinoa-tgiq-3/
Happy Friday!
Yum! I have everything to make that crust. Except I will use carob powder instead of the cocoa, and will use coconut milk instead of almond milk. Trying this one, soon! LOVE quinoa-anything! 🙂
HI!
This looks so delicious! I’m having a hard time getting my hands on coconut oil, could i use normal butter instead?
Hi Ane, you certainly could 🙂
This was delicious! To add a bit of crunch to the crust, i substituted some of the quinoa flour for quinoa flakes….so good! I’m using it for an ice cream cake base next 😉
Just made this tonight, and it EXCEEDED my expectations for a crust! Didn’t fall apart at all! Had to use real butter and milk because I’m allergic to both coconut and almond, but it turned out so well! I’m allergic to all grains, almost all flour subs (almond, coconut, oat, rice, etc) and this was a heaven-send because now pie is an option again! Thank you!!!