As a student, I dreaded the end of each semester not because I would really miss my teachers all that much (sorry!), but rather because the papers and exam preparation seemed almost endless.

Now as a teacher, I realize it’s even more hectic on the other side of the desk! Not only do we have to worry about reviewing for exams and assisting students with final projects, we have to actually write the exams and grade all of those projects! I love what I do, but I’ll admit I’m glad the frenzy is over, at least for another five months or so when the next semester comes to a close.

Needless to say, I haven’t had much time to be in the kitchen or update Veggies & Glitter, but one night while in the midst of a 5-hour grading session, I had an irresistible craving for chocolate, so I decided to experiment with a recipe for a no-bake vegan torte from the foodie blog Handle the Heat. I was missing several of the ingredients, so I put my own spin on what they shared; for the original recipe, simply click here.

What do I need?

Crust:

• 2 cups almonds (The original recipe called for pecans, which I didn’t have. I loved the almond taste, but you might want to try out some pecans!)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/4 cup sugar-free maple syrup (I used Cary’s, a personal favorite of mine.)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:

• One cup of avocado flesh (I used two small avocados and came up with almost exactly a cup! The original recipe calls for 2 cups, but again, I was short on avocado and decided to experiment.)
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 2/3 cup sugar-free maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (The original recipe calls for an equal amount of arrowroot powder, but cornstarch seemed to work fine.)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips

What do I do?

1. In a food processor (I used my beloved Ninja), pulse the pecans until finely chopped. I personally found that chopping about 1/4 cup at a time was most effective because it prevented some nuts from escaping the blade’s fury!

2. Once the pecans are chopped, add the remaining crust ingredients to the food processor and pulse until they are fully combined.

3. Spray a pie pan with cooking spray and press the crust mixture into the pan with your fingers, a spoon, or a spatula. Make sure that the crust is evenly pressed in the pan. Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes.

4. Clean out the food processor and pulse all of the filling ingredients, minus the chocolate, until fully combined.

5. Melt the chocolate in a saucepan or microwave; add to the filling mixture and pulse again until fully combined.

6. Take the crust out of the freezer and spread the filling evenly over it with a spatula. Cover and return to the freezer for about 2 hours. Speaking from experience, leaving it in much longer than that will make it hard as a rock, so take it out when it seems firm.

Make sure to allow it to sit out for about 5 minutes before serving, and enjoy!