This Vegan Sweet Potato Pie is made with cooked sweet potatoes, maple syrup, cinnamon, and a buttery crust. It comes together in an hour from start to finish, and is a delicious way to enjoy sweet potatoes in dessert form!
Vegan sweet potato pie is going down, as if we need another reason to love sweet potatoes. Honestly, this sweet potato pie is quite similar to my pumpkin pie recipe, but uses sweet potatoes instead of pumpkin. It still has a bit of "spice" thanks to the cinnamon and nutmeg, but you can definitely taste the sweet potato for all you sweet potato lovers out there.
Personally, I tend to prefer sweet potatoes in savory form (like this sweet potato chili and this sweet potato bibimbap), but this pie is in a category of its own. It's sweet, yes, but not too sweet. I think the problem with a lot of sweeter sweet potato recipes is that they're too sugary, something I'm not a fan of. I think this sweet potato pie is just right, but you'll have to try it for yourself to see!
Why this pie is the best
- It's sweet but not too sweet
- It's a great way to use sweet potatoes
- You can make it in your blender, so clean up is a breeze!
Ingredient notes
Flour - Preferably all purpose flour. I haven't tested the crust with any other flours. If you want to make this gluten free, you can use my gluten free pie crust recipe.
Milk - Any kind of dairy free milk will work, though I tend to use either almond or oat.
Spices - Feel free to adjust these to your liking. Do a taste test and see if you think it needs more cinnamon/nutmeg before pouring the filling into the crust.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Cook the sweet potatoes: Before you can make the filling, you need to cook the sweet potatoes. I like cooking them in the microwave, but the oven works too. Then, mash them and measure them (you'll need about 2 cups mashed).
Step 2: Make the crust: This is typically the first step for most pie recipes, and this one is no exception. You'll start by making the pie crust (preferably in your food processor), which consists of flour, sugar, dairy free butter, and ice water. The result should be a smooth dough that's easy to roll out.
Step 3: Make the filling: Use your blender to blend everything--the cooked sweet potatoes, milk, sugar, syrup, vanilla, and spices--together. The texture should be smooth, so you may need to blend for 1 full minute and/or scrape down the sides.
Tips for making vegan sweet potato pie
Use a food processor for the crust. Guys, this is a game-changer! If you don't already make your pie crusts this way, you need to start. I didn't used to, but now that I make them this way, I'll never go back to making them by hand. Essentially, you had the flour and sugar to your food processor and while it's pulsing, you add the butter in through the top, and then do the same thing with the water. Magically, the crust will come together in 1-2 minutes, and it's less messy too.
Cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave. This might be a little controversial, but if you own a microwave, I say go that route because it's faster! The sweet potatoes should cook in about 6-7 minutes in the microwave, vs. 40 minutes in the oven.
Use a tart pan instead of a pie pan. Ok this isn't a must, but I like using tart pans when making pies because it makes "crimping" the crust a lot easier because you can push the dough into the side of the pan instead of having to do it yourself.
How should I store this?
Store pie in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or cool whip (optional but recommended!).
More delicious pie recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks! And, if you're looking for even more vegan pie recipes, check out this round up from Minimalist Baker.
Vegan Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
for the crust:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cane sugar
- 1/2 cup dairy free butter cold
- 8 tablespoon ice water or more
for the filling:
- 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes about 2 large sweet potatoes
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup cane sugar
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Start by cooking the sweet potatoes. I like to microwave them because it's faster. If you go this route, use a fork to poke several holes into each potato, then place them on a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 6-7 minutes. Use a knife to cut down the center and wait for them to cool down before mashing.
- While the sweet potatoes are cooling, make the crust: add flour and sugar to your food processor and pulse. While it's still pulsing, add butter in through the top, then add the water one tablespoon at a time and pulse until everything's combined. A big ball of dough should form.
- Flour a flat surface, then roll the dough out into a circle, and carefully transfer it into your pie pan. Trim the edges then crimp them to your liking; set aside.
- Scrape out the sweet potato and discard the skin, placing the sweet potato directly into a bowl and using a fork or potato masher to mash it. Then, measure it out to make sure you have 2 cups of it. Add mashed sweet potato, milk, sugar, syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to your blender, then pulse for 1 full minute until smooth.
- Pour filling into pie pan, using the back of a spoon to smooth it out.
- Bake pie for 15 minutes at 400°, then reduce heat to 350° and bake for an additional 35-45 minutes. The center will still be jiggly once it's "done" and that's ok -- it'll firm up completely once it cools.
- Remove pie from the oven and transfer it to a cooling rack. Let the pie cool for 30-60 minutes at room temperature, then transfer it to refrigerator so it can cool completely. Enjoy cool (like pumpkin pie), or warm it back up before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Debbie says
Easy to make for this first time sweet potato pie maker. Was really goo!!
Syd says
Sweet cream butter isn’t vegan.... can I sub vegan butter or will that affect the recipe?
Erin says
Yes! I tested this recipe several times and I ran out of Earth Balance (hence why it's not in the ingredient photo) -- but yes vegan butter is what I recommend using.
Kim McFalls says
I made the original recipe but it was too sweet and cinnamony for me, so I modified the second one. I bought a vegan pie crust. 2 cups of baked sweet potatoes, 1/3 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of maple syrup, 1 tsp Vanilla, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk. Otherwise bake as instructed.
Daniel Z says
I often debate whether sweet potato pie is better than pumpkin pie, but Erin has great recipes for both!
Kamna says
I tried this today and it was absolutely stunning! Perfectly sweet!
Kamna says
Oh! But I used normal milk since I'm not vegan, but prefer eating eggless!
Kendy says
I made the vegan sweet potato pie. So delicious and no eggs or any fat in the filling! Next time I
will make a healthier pie crust. Maybe a nut one. I just bought one this time. I will use this recipe again instead of pumpkin. My sweet potatoes
were very sweet. I cooked them in my IP.
Michelle Warburton says
My first time making a sweet potato pie and what a success! The filling is sweet and savory in all the best ways. I can't wait to take this recipe home for the holidays. Thanks E!!!!
Erin says
Thank YOU for the positive rating Michelle 🙂
Varun Sharma says
I never heard of this recipe. I'm definitely gonna make this. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
kit says
Do you use a dry ingredients cup or wet ingredients cup for the sweet potatoes?
Erin says
Hi! Once you cook the sweet potatoes and mash them, then measure out 2 cups. Hopefully that makes sense!
Kit says
I understand but you realise there is a difference in wet and dry measurements? That's what I am wondering which one you used?
Daph says
In her recipe pictures she's very clearly using a dry measure cup. Hope you enjoy the recipe.
Celeste says
Wet and dry are not actually different measurements, the cups just work differently. Dry measures are meant to be filled all the way to the top and scraped flat. Wet measures are meant to be filled to a certain line that you can see, not the top, so they can be moved without spilling. I interchange them all the time