Learn how to make this delicious silky smooth sweet potato pie that is vegan friendly and gluten free courtesy of my home pie crust. Go ahead and impress your family and friends with this must try pie for the holidays.
I love both pumpkin and sweet potato pie and I have to admit my mom makes a pretty awesome pumpkin pie.
While we do seem to be partial to some pumpkin pie during the holidays, there is always room on our table (quite literally) for some sweet potato pie.
This sweet potato pie contains no animal produce meaning no cows milk or eggs which is a bonus if you are dairy free and/or vegan.
Instead it uses almond milk, I prefer to use a neutral tasting milk instead of coconut milk which in my opinion is rather overpowering in flavour.
I'm not a fan of using such a dense milk so cashew and almond milk are my top choices but if you like the taste of coconut in your sweet potato pie filling then go right ahead.
What makes or breaks a pie is the filling, the filling has to set because this is where things tend to go wrong.
I have experienced this myself, the pie crust will be baked perfectly and when you slice into the filling, it would be far too loose to the point of seeming uncooked.
Usually this would be a result of not using enough of an ingredient to yield structure (i.e eggs) or way too much liquid, it could even be that the pie just wasn't baked for long enough.
Either way, I think most people have experienced their fair share of "pie disappointments".
Structuring the pie
For non vegan sweet potato pie recipes, eggs are used for structure and since this pie is vegan friendly, an egg replacement is needed.
Instead of eggs for structure, tapioca starch (a corn free alternative to cornstarch) is used to thicken the pie filling when the ingredients are being pureed.
Starch really helps to build that nice firm structure to the filling as it is being baked in the oven.
You won't even know that the pie is vegan let alone gluten free as the crust is very foolproof too.
Another thing to note is the level of sweetness, this isn't a pie that is sickly sweet instead it is subtly sweet which is another plus for those who don't like an overly sweet pie.
Blind bake the pie crust
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180c.
- Use the tines of a fork to pierce the bottom of the pie.
- Cover the entire pie crust with parchment paper then fill with dried beans/rice
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Remove pie crust from the oven.
- Carefully cover the edges of the crust with aluminium foil or a pie shield then set aside to cool down.
Cook the sweet potato
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Bring a medium sized saucepan to the boil.
-
Add the sweet potato to the saucepan.
-
Boil the sweet potato until soft and tender.
-
Use a fork or potato masher to mash the sweet potato.
To make the filling/bake the pie
-
Add the sweet potato, almond milk, tapioca starch, cane sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and pink salt to a blender.
-
Blitz into a smooth consistency (it should be thick in texture).
-
Pour the filling into the pie crust and smooth it out if necessary.
-
Bake the pie for roughly 40 minutes or until the filling is firm (it should jiggle when it's ready).
-
Allow the pie to chill for 2-3 hours or even several hours before slicing it (the longer you leave it, the more firm it will be to slice).
Frequently asked questions
Yes, especially if you are using my homemade pie crust, but you don't want to prep no more than 2 days in advance.
You might want to prep the pie crust first, up to 2 days (refrigerate it) then make the filling and bake it the day before.
Any leftover pie should be stored in the refrigerator, once cooled down of course for up to 3 days.
Wrap individual portions in aluminium foil or cover the pie dish if you still have some left in there to keep it fresh.
Any sweet potato works best whether it's the Caribbean (white flesh) or purple hue sweet potato it doesn't matter which one you use.
The orange coloured sweet potato is used the most because it is more accessible but you don't have to follow suit.
Yes, you can! Although this does alter the texture slightly. I haven't tested how an uncooked pie holds up just yet.
However, if you plan to freeze a whole pie then it might be best to use an aluminium foil pie dish as opposed to a ceramic one.
Be sure to wrap it in several layers of saran/cling film and then top with aluminum foil.
To thaw out the pie, transfer it to the refrigerator overnight.
Yes, I would recommend doing this in the oven.
To re-heat the pie, pre-heat the oven to 350F/180C, unwrap the pie (be it whole or individual portions) and place on a baking sheet (if you are heating portions) if not, place the whole pie in the oven.
To see if the pie has heated through, insert the tip of the knife in the centre of the filling to check its readiness.
Notes and tips
- Keep an eye on the pie as it bakes, mine took 40 minutes but baking time may vary, so regular checks especially around the 40 minute mark is recommended.
- The pie serves 6-8 people.
- The filling may puff up like a souffle but will deflate as it cools (don't panic just keep an eye on things).
- Make sure the pie crust has completely cooled down AFTER you have blind baked it to avoid having a soggy bottom.
- Make sure to measure out the sweet potato once you have mashed it, it needs to be exactly 2 cups in total.
- You can use any type of plant based milk if you want to i.e Coconut Milk or Cashew Milk but almond is my go to!
- You can use another type of pie crust if you wish but I do recommend using my Homemade Pie Crust.
- I cannot emphasize how important it is to cover the edges of the pie, use a pie shield , loose bits of aluminium foil or even create a loose tent by covering the entire pie (20 minutes into baking).
More vegan sweet potato recipes to try
- Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese
- Sweet Potato Waffles
- Potato Stuffing
- Sweet Potato Cubes
- Sweet Potato Flour
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding
- Potato Salad
- Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Soup
**Don't forget to comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Let's be friends and engage on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**
Vegan Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
- 1 8'' My GF Homemade Unbaked Pie Crust
- 1½-2 lb sweet potato (700g-900g) should be a total of 2 cups when mashed
- ¾ cup almond milk (177ml)
- 3 tablespoon tapioca starch plus 1 teaspoon (26g)(arrowroot starch works too)
- ½ cup cane sugar or use coconut sugar (100g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla (4g)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon (1g)
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg (1g)
- ¼ teaspoon allspice (0.5g)
- ¼ teaspoon pink salt (1.5g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180c
Blind bake the pie crust
- Use the tines of a fork to pierce the bottom of the pie.
- Cover the entire pie crust with parchment paper then fill with dried beans/rice
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Remove pie crust from the oven.
- Carefully cover the edges of the crust with aluminium foil or a pie shield then set aside to cool down.
Cook the sweet potato
- Bring a medium sized saucepan to the boil.
- Add the sweet potato to the saucepan.
- Boil the sweet potato until soft and tender.
- Use a fork or potato masher to mash the sweet potato.
To make the filling/bake the pie
- Add the sweet potato, almond milk, tapioca starch, cane sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and pink salt to a blender.
- Blitz into a smooth consistency (it should be thick in texture).
- Pour the filling into the pie crust and smooth it out if necessary.
- Bake the pie for roughly 40 minutes or until the filling is firm (it should jiggle when it's ready).
- Allow the pie to chill for 2-3 hours or even several hours before slicing it (the longer you leave it, the more firm it will be to slice).
Notes
- Keep an eye on the pie as it bakes, mine took 40 minutes but baking time may vary, so regular checks especially around the 40 minute mark is recommended.
- The pie serves 6-8 people.
- The filling may puff up like a souffle but will deflate as it cools (don't panic just keep an eye on things).
- Make sure the pie crust has completely cooled down AFTER you have blind baked it to avoid having a soggy bottom.
- Make sure to measure out the sweet potato once you have mashed it, it needs to be exactly 2 cups in total.
- You can use any type of plant based milk if you want to i.e Coconut Milk or Cashew Milk but almond is my go to!
- You can use another type of pie crust if you wish but I do recommend using my Homemade Pie Crust.
- I cannot emphasize how important it is to cover the edges of the pie, use a pie shield , loose bits of aluminium foil or even create a loose tent by covering the entire pie (20 minutes into baking).
Stephanie
I love that this is so delicious and vegan and allergy-friendly, too! It will make a great addition to my Thanksgiving table.
Charla
Yay! I'm so glad to hear that.
Kim
That is the most beautiful sweet potato pie I've ever seen! I can't wait to try it!
Charla
Aww thank you so much Kim.
kushigalu
Love this vegan version of sweet potato pie. Thanks for sharing/.
Charla
Thank you!
Shadi
Love how easy this recipe is. It’s perfect for our family!
Charla
It certainly is!
Nikki
This vegan sweet potato pie looks fabulous. It is perfect for any Thanksgiving table.
Charla
Thanks Nikki