This easy vegan pumpkin pie alternative, which consists of a semi-sweet potato pie filling and flaky vegan pie crust, will be the hit of any holiday table.
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What Is Sweet Potato Pie?
Sweet potato pie is a dessert made from mashed sweet potatoes baked in a pie crust. Sweet potatoes are nutritious (they contain vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium) and naturally creamy and sweet, making them easy to turn into a pie filling. This vegan take on sweet potato pie combines creamy sweet potato purée with brown sugar and a variety of warm spices.
Instead of using butter and milk, this recipe calls for vegan butter and coconut milk, yielding a tasty, comforting confection that does not contain animal products.
5 Tips for Making Vegan Sweet Potato Pie
This vegan version of a classic Southern pie is suitable for bakers of all skill levels. Follow these tips to guide you to the best vegan sweet potato pie possible.
- 1. Experiment with different ingredients. You can easily customize this pie to suit the ingredients you have on hand. Use a combination of non-dairy creamers and different types of milk (like oat or almond milk) in your pie filling to achieve the perfect creamy consistency. Top the pie with an oat crumble or crushed nuts. Incorporate varying warm, fall-friendly spices (like allspice or cloves) into the filling ingredients.
- 2. Change up the sugar. This recipe calls for brown sugar, but you can use light or dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, molasses, honey, or maple syrup. Reduce the added sugar to a few tablespoons for a semi-sweet pie.
- 3. Chill the dough in advance. After a quick knead, chilling the pie dough allows the built-up gluten to settle, making for easier rolling and shaping. It also prevents water and butter from interacting with the flour too soon, maintaining the airy, flaky pockets in the final product.
- 4. Use store-bought crust. For a quick, unfussy fall dessert option, use store-bought vegan crust. Many standard frozen and shelf-stable crusts don’t contain animal products but check the ingredient list on the packaging before purchasing.
- 5. Store properly. This dairy-free pie will keep well covered in the refrigerator for up to a week. Alternatively, store this vegan sweet potato pie in the freezer. To do this, let the baked pie cool completely before you wrap it in a tight layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil. Place the pie in the freezer. Thaw it to room temperature and serve when you’re ready to eat the pie.
Easy Vegan Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
makes
1 9-inch pieprep time
30 mintotal time
1 hr 30 mincook time
1 hrIngredients
For the crust:
For the filling:
Note: The total time does not include 4 hours of inactive time.
- 1
Make the pie crust. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
- 2
Add the cubed vegan butter to the flour mixture and use your hands to work the butter into the flour, until the mixture reaches the texture of coarse breadcrumbs.
- 3
Drizzle the ice water and vinegar over the flour mixture and stir gently to combine.
- 4
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until it just comes together, making sure not to overwork the dough.
- 5
Form the dough into a 1-inch thick disk, and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 2 hours.
- 6
When you’re ready to bake your pie, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 7
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Drape the dough over the pie dish, and use your fingers or a fork to crimp the edges. Transfer the crust to the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the filling.
- 8
In a large mixing bowl, add the sweet potato purée, coconut milk, sugar, vanilla extract, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt, and stir until smooth and well-combined.
- 9
Remove the pie pan from the refrigerator and pour the sweet potato filling into the center of the crust.
- 10
Transfer the pie to the oven and bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is set, 50–60 minutes.
- 11
Remove the pie from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
- 12
Serve the pie at room temperature or cold, topped with whipped cream.
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