Vegan Sweet Potato Pie

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. Plus, it slices super easily once it's been chilled! 

Personally, I tend to prefer sweet potatoes in savory form (like this sweet potato chili and this sweet potato curry farro, 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!

Recipe features

• 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!

Ingredients

• 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.
• Sugar - I like using cane sugar, but brown sugar will work as well. If you want this to be less sweet tasting, opt for coconut sugar. 
• Sweet potatoes - Orange sweet potatoes work best; though you can technically use purple or Japanese, I highly recommend using orange to keep this pie as close to traditional as possible.
• Milk - Any kind of dairy free milk will work, though I tend to use either almond milk or oat milk. 
• Maple syrup - Or use agave if you prefer. I don't recommend using honey, not only because it's not vegan, but because it'll alter the flavor too much. Maple syrup is the way to go!
• Spices - A combination of cinnamon and nutmeg works well in this recipe. Make sure to do a taste test and see if you think it needs more cinnamon/nutmeg before pouring the filling into the crust.
• Vanilla extract - A must-have for pretty much any pie recipe. 
• Cornstarch - Optional! If you plan on serving this pie right away, you'll want to add cornstarch (or arrowroot) to the blender. But, if you're making this the day before (I always do), you can omit it. 

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.

Step 4: Bake. Pour the filling into the crust, using the back of a spoon to smooth it out. Bake the pie for 15 minutes at 400°, then reduce the temperature to 350° and bake for an additional 35-45 minutes. Let the pie cool for 30-60 minutes at room temperature, then transfer it to the refrigerator, which will allow the pie filling to solidify. 

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. 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. In fact, I wrote an entire post on how to microwave sweet potatoes.

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. But, a pie pan will work just fine! 

Always make sure to grease your pie pan with coconut oil or nonstick spray before adding the pie dough. The worst thing that can happen is having the crust stick to the pan and the pie falling apart. 

Serve vegan sweet potato pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, vegan-friendly cool whip or coconut cream on top! 

Can I use coconut milk instead?

Yep! If you want to keep this recipe free of any allergens, opt for coconut milk from a carton, NOT from a can. Canned coconut milk tends to be thicker, and I think it'll impact that overall consistency (which we don't want). 

Do I need to add cornstarch? 

Maybe. When you take the pie out of the oven, the center may still be a bit jiggly. That's ok and is totally normal. Cornstarch helps to hold the pie filling ingredients together, and allows it to solidify more quickly. 

My opinion: if you're making the pie the same day that you're going to be eating/serving it, then yes, you should add cornstarch because the pie will firm up more quickly. However, if you're making this pie the day before and the pie is going to chill in the refrigerator overnight, you don't need cornstarch because the pie will firm up on its own. 

Storage

Refrigerator: Store pie in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I typically leave mine in the pie pan, but cover it tightly with foil. 

Freezer: Once the pie has cooled completely, wrap the slices individually in plastic wrap, making sure they're wrapped tight (you'll need to use at 2-3 pieces of plastic wrap per slice). Store pie in the freezer for up to 1 month. 

More delicious pie recipes

• ​Pumpkin Pie
• Chai Spice Pear Pie
• Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

Vegan Sweet Potato Pie

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!

4.80 from 15 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings: 8 slices

Author: Erin

Ingredients

for the crust:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cane sugar
• ½ cup dairy free butter cold
• 8 tablespoon ice water or more

for the filling:

• 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes about 2 large sweet potatoes
• ¾ cup almond milk
• ½ cup cane sugar
• ⅓ cup maple syrup
• 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ 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

*Calories are an estimation and are per slice

-Cook the sweet potatoes however you prefer: in the microwave, oven or over the stove. 

-If you're using a tart pan, the pie will bake a little more quickly; if you're using a traditional pie pan, make sure it's 9" and not any bigger. 

-Don't worry if the center is still jiggly once the pie is done -- it'll firm up as it cools both at room temperature and in the refrigerator. 

-Serve pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or cool whip for the ultimate pie experience. 

Nutrition

Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 2g | Sodium: 284mg | Potassium: 181mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 4718IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 2mg

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UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in September 2019. It was updated with new text and photos in October 2022.