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    Home >> Holidays

    Chocolate Turtle Pie {Vegan, Paleo}

    Published: Oct 23, 2016 · Modified: Apr 6, 2023 by Emily · This post may contain affiliate links · 8 Comments

    Chocolate Pecan Pie made healthier!! Luscious chocolate filling, smooth caramel and buttery pecans on a flaky shortbread crust. NO grains/gluten, sugar, eggs, or dairy! This pie is 100% Vegan & Paleo friendly 🙂
    Chocolate Turtle Pie PrettyPies.com

    Paleo & Vegan Chocolate Pecan Pie

    Are you ready for a recipe makeover?

    I recreated one of my favorite desserts, Chocolate Turtle Pie, and made it much healthier using whole foods. So, YES, you can have your pie and eat it, too! 😉

    Have YOU ever experienced the amazingness that is chocolate turtle? It's the scrumptious combination of chocolate, CARAMEL, and pecans!

    But in this pie, you won't find any sweetened condensed milk, corn syrup, bleached flour, or refined sugar in this recipe. So what's it made of?? Unconventional ingredients that are delicious and good for you!Chocolate Turtle Pie PrettyPies.com

    Secretly Made with Avocado!

    The chocolate filling is made with (gasp!) AVOCADO. (And no, it doesn't taste like guac! Haha!) They make it so smoooooth and creamy.

    Avocados make the perfect healthy swap for traditional chocolate pie filling. Blended with maple syrup, cacao and coconut oil, avocado takes on a delicious rich chocolate flavor that you don't have to regret eating. And avocados are SO incredibly good for you. 
    Rich, creamy chocolate topped with sweet caramel and toasted pecans on a buttery crisp crust. But made healthier using whole foods!

    How to make Quick & Easy Dairy-Free Caramel

    This pie has a thick layer of caramel spread on the chocolate.

    But it's made with 1 ingredient:

    DATES! Have you tried date caramel? It's super easy to make and has a similar flavor to conventional caramel, but it's vegan, Paleo and full of healthy fiber!
    Rich, creamy chocolate topped with sweet caramel and toasted pecans on a buttery crisp crust. But made healthier using whole foods!

    Crisp Toasted PECANS

    Don't even get me started on PECANS. Freshly roasted with a touch of sea salt... Mmmm!

    But when you combine them with chocolate and caramel! It elevates them to a whole other level.Rich, creamy chocolate topped with sweet caramel and toasted pecans on a buttery crisp crust. But made healthier using whole foods!

    This pie would be a wonderful addition to your holiday menu! Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any fall party!

    If you're looking for more healthy and festive desserts, check out my Cinnamon Maple Crunch Pie or  Secret Ingredient Chocolate Silk Pie! 

    Click the image below to save this recipe on Pinterest:

    Chocolate Turtle Pie PrettyPies.com

    Chocolate Turtle Pie

    Rich, creamy chocolate topped with sweet caramel and toasted pecans on a buttery crisp crust. But made healthier using whole foods!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
    Servings: 10 slices
    Author: Emily

    Ingredients

    Crust:

    • 2 ¼ cups almond flour
    • 4 ½ Tbs oil - I used almond
    • 1 ½ Tbs maple syrup
    • 1 Tbs ground flax + 1 Tbs water
    • ¼ teaspoon pink salt

    Chocolate Filling:

    • 3 ripe avocados
    • ½ cup raw cacao powder - to taste
    • ¼ cup coconut oil - melted
    • ½ cup pure maple syrup - to taste
    • 1 Tbs vanilla extract
    • 1/16 teaspoon almond extract
    • 1/16 teaspoon pink salt

    Caramel Layer:

    • 1 heaping cup medjool dates - pitted
    • Water to soak
    • Pinch of pink salt
    • Dash of vanilla - optional

    Topping

    • 1 cup pecan halves - roasted

    Instructions

    To make the crust:

    • Preheat oven to 350. Lightly oil a pie plate.
    • In a mixing bowl, combine flour and salt.
    • In a small cup, combine flax, water, oil and maple syrup.
    • Pour wet over dry and mix well. Press into a standard size pie dish.
    • Bake for 16-20 minutes until lightly golden. Set aside to cool.

    To make the chocolate filling:

    • Add avocados to food processor and blend well.
    • Warm coconut oil gently in a glass measuring cup in the microwave.
    • Add warm oil and remaining ingredients to taste (add more syrup or cacao, if needed).
    • Spread over cooled crust. Set in the fridge while you prepare the caramel.

    To make the caramel layer:

    • Place pitted dates in a bowl and cover with water (about ½ cup).
    • Soak for 30 minutes. Remove dates from water and place in food processor, but SAVE the water.
    • Blend dates, vanilla and salt then stream in water and until desired consistency is achieved (about 3-4 Tbs).
    • Spread caramel on top of chocolate layer. Decorate with pecans.
    • Refrigerate for 3 hours to set. Enjoy!

    Notes

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through referral links in this post (at no additional cost to you). 
    Featured Products:
    Food processor from Amazon
    Cacao Powder here on Amazon
    Blanched Almond Flour here on Amazon
    Nutiva coconut oil: here on Amazon
    I always buy avocados from ALDI -- they're frequently on sale for 59 Cents 🙂
    To Store: Keep refrigerated or frozen. If frozen, set out at room temp for 30-45 minutes before serving. (I LOVED it from the freezer!)
    Should keep about 5 days in the fridge, but it's best consumed within 2-3 days, since the crust will soften slightly the longer it sits.
    Tried this recipe?Tag @emily.likes.food #prettypies!
    « Cinnamon Maple Crunch Pie {Vegan, GF}
    Purple Sweet Potato Pie {Vegan, Paleo} »

    Filed Under: Holidays, Pie Tagged With: almond, avocado, cacao, chocolate, Christmas, dates, holidays, pecans, pie, Thanksgiving, vegan

    About Emily

    Emily is the creative force behind the food blog, Pretty Pies, a destination for people interested in healthier eating, and for those with dietary restrictions and preferences, such as dairy-free, gluten-free and egg-free.

    Emily specializes in healthy desserts that are low-carb, keto, and made with plant-based natural ingredients. She is the author of two cookbooks in the low-carb sweets niche, "PS It's Healthy," and "Yay It' Sugar-Free!"

    Her recipes have reached millions of people across the globe over a 7-year time span, and helped countless readers enjoy delicious desserts without detriment to their health.

    When she's not creating in the kitchen, she loves spending time with her family and petite Goldendoodle, Eevee, spending time in nature, and eating Tex-Mex.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kathryn

      December 30, 2016 at 1:35 pm

      This looks amazing! So soft and fudgy, perfect little treat, thanks for sharing : )

      Kathryn |

      Reply
      • Emily

        December 30, 2016 at 5:57 pm

        Thanks! I'm happy to share

        Reply
    2. Celyne

      March 31, 2017 at 3:49 am

      Looks delish and paleo too!

      Reply
    3. Celyne

      April 26, 2017 at 8:59 am

      It was a perfect and delicious Easter dessert!
      Since I like to personalize recipes I did this: once the pecans were roasted, I added some maple syrup to the pan and let them caramelize a bit; I then let them to cool on parchment paper. I made extra maple-covered pecans to nibble on...

      Reply
      • Emily

        April 26, 2017 at 10:47 am

        Yum! Sounds amazing Celyne!! I could eat my weight in maple glazed pecans

        Reply
    4. Laila

      November 06, 2018 at 9:50 am

      For the crust what oil did u you use? Can you use coconut oil?

      Reply
      • Emily

        November 06, 2018 at 9:55 am

        I used almond oil in this one (now I use avocado oil) but coconut should be fine. It just might be a little crumbly.

        Reply

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