• Grease the bottom and sides of the springform cake tray with vegan melted butter, refined coconut oil or another neutral oil or vegan butter of choice.

For the Crust

• Blend together all crust ingredients in a large bowl food processor until a dough forms. You may have to stop the food processor and scrape it down as necessary to help the blending process.
• Press the crust down in an even layer into the pan.

For the Filling

• Add the semisweet chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 20 second intervals, stopping and stirring in between, until melted.
• Now blend together all filling ingredients, including the melted chocolate, until a creamy mixture forms.
• Pour this mixture over top of the prepared pie crust, using a rubber spatula to evenly spread it around as needed.

For the Topping

• To toast the hazelnuts, add them to a small saucepan over low heat.
• Stir them around for 1-2 minutes, until they start to toast and become golden brown. They will burn quickly, so keep an eye on them.
• You can taste test the to check if they are toasted - the hazelnut flavor will be much stronger than the raw nut.
• Turn off the heat and add the hazelnuts into a paper towel or a cloth. Rub them in the cloth to remove the skins.
• Once the skins are removed as much as possible, break up the hazelnuts into small pieces.
• Press them down into the top of the pie to cover it completely with hazelnuts.

To Set the Pie

• Place the pie in the refrigerator for at least one hour to set.
• Once set, remove it from the fridge. Slowly remove the sides of the pan, making sure the pie is not stuck to the sides of the cake pan.
• Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut the pie into 6 slices. Enjoy!