Vegan sweet potato pie - this vegan version of the classic American dessert is easy to make and indistinguishable from the original. It consists of a creamy, custardy spiced sweet potato filling with crisp pastry; you would never be able to guess that it is free from eggs, dairy AND coconut!
It is the perfect dessert for Thanksgiving if you are in the US, or just for any Autumnal celebration!
If you are a fan of pumpkin pie, then you will love this vegan sweet potato pie recipe! This pie uses similar ingredients to a pumpkin pie, indeed this recipe is adapted from my vegan pumpkin pie, but the flavour is subtly different. It is a great option to make if you can't get hold of tinned pumpkin puree, which can be tricky to find the in UK; most supermarkets sell sweet potatoes though!
The filling is perfectly spiced, sweet, but not too sweet and just the right level of creamy and custardy, while still being firm enough to cut into neat slices; and the crisp pastry is a lovely contrast to the soft, smooth filling.
Ingredient Details:
Sweet potatoes: I recommend using orange flesh sweet potatoes rather than white or purple. Orange ones are sweeter and more moist, whereas white and purple ones tend to be starchier.
Baking the sweet potatoes gives them a sweeter, more caramel-like flavour; I really recommend sticking with this cooking method rather than boiling or steaming them, which will make the filling wetter.
Silken tofu: This is the perfect egg replacer for custard based pie fillings as it gives a really smooth, creamy texture and doesn't impart any flavour.
You need to use firm silken tofu, which is usually the shelf-stable kind, not the fridge kind. In the UK it can usually be found either in the international section of the supermarket (by the soy sauce), or next to the tinned beans.
If you don't want to use tofu then you could try swapping it for a vegan Greek style yogurt, or swap both the tofu and soya milk for full fat coconut milk.
Cornflour (cornstarch): I use cornflour to thicken and set the pie in place of the eggs. You may be able to use arrowroot instead but I haven’t tested it.
Vegan butter: A bit of vegan butter in the filling adds richness and flavour. I like Flora plant butter or Naturli vegan block. For the pastry especially you really need to use a block style vegan butter, not a spreadable one.
Vodka: Vodka is my (not-so) secret trick for crispy pastry. Because it has a lower water percentage than well, water; using a bit of vodka rather than water to bind the pastry makes for crispier pastry as the alcohol burns off when it cooks.
You can't taste it at all and you can absolutely use water instead if you prefer, but if you happen to have a bottle of vodka lurking in the cupboard I urge you to give it a try!
Pecans: I added some ground pecans to the pastry just for something a bit different. They don't really add much to the flavour so just use almond flour or more plain flour instead if you want.
Sugar and maple syrup: Using part maple syrup to sweeten the filling adds extra flavour. I use caster sugar but granulated, light brown soft or coconut sugar will all work.
Spices: I use cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and vanilla. Feel free to vary these to suit you and add more or less to taste.
Soya milk: Any unsweetened plant milk will work but I prefer soya milk for baking as it has the highest protein content.
Plain flour: Plain (all-purpose) flour is best for the pastry. If you want to make this pie gluten-free then you will need to find a GF pastry recipe rather than just swapping the flour for GF flour.
How To Make Vegan Sweet Potato Pie:
(Full measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page)
Step 1: If you are using pecans in the pastry, grind them in a food processor until very finely chopped.
Step 2: Add the flour, icing sugar and salt and pulse until combined then add the cold, diced butter and blitz until no large lumps of butter remain.
Step 3: Add the cold vodka and blend until the pastry clumps together. Shape into a ball, wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll out.
Step 4: While the pastry is chilling, bake the sweet potatoes for about an hour until very tender.
Step 5: Roll the pastry out on a floured surface or between two sheets of baking paper then carefully transfer it to a pie dish. Press the pastry into the corners then crimp the edge as you like. Freeze for 20 minutes.
Step 6: Line the pastry case with baking parchment, then fill with baking beans.
Step 7: Bake for 20 minutes then remove the baking beans and paper and bake for a further 5 minutes.
Step 8: Peel the baked potatoes and weigh out 450g of flesh. Place the sweet potato flesh in a blender along with the silken tofu, milk, sugar, maple syrup, melted butter, cornstarch, spices, vanilla extract and salt and blend until smooth.
Step 9: Pour the filling into the pastry case. Cover the edges of the pastry with strips of tin foil so that it doesn't catch in the oven.
Step 10: Bake for 35-45 minutes.
Top Tips:
All of my recipes are developed using grams, and as with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale rather than the cup coversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!
It is important to chill the pastry before rolling it out, otherwise it will be too soft and you will struggle to roll it.
For the best, crispy pastry, make sure that you don’t overwork it or let it get too warm. Freezing the tart shell prior to blind baking it helps to make the pastry crisp and stops it from shrinking too much.
The pastry can be made in advance and stored (well wrapped) in the fridge for up to 2 days. If it becomes too firm to roll out let it sit out at room temperature for ½ an hour before rolling.
If you want to save time you can use shop bought shortcrust pastry instead. Many are vegan friendly - Jus Roll pastry is vegan (apart from the 'all-butter' one).
Feel free to swap the shortcrust pastry for your favourite pie crust recipe; just blind bake it as per the instructions in the recipe.
Follow this tutorial for a similar crimped crust to the one in the photos.
Let the pie cool completely at room temperature before transferring it to the refrigerator to chill. This prevents the pie from cracking.
You may find after chilling that the pie has some condensation on the surface, simply blot it with a paper towel to remove it before serving.
I used individual spices in my pie but you can swap them for 2 ¼ teaspoons of pumpkin spice blend instead.
For extra flavour you can add a couple of tablespoons of rum or bourbon to the filling.
FAQ's:
This is a great pie to make in advance as it’s even better the next day. So I suggest making it it the day before and letting it sit in the fridge overnight (covered). Just make sure that it has cooled to room temperature before you refrigerate it. It will keep in the fridge (covered) for up to 4 days.
Yes this vegan sweet potato pie freezes well, either whole or in slices. Freeze in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost overnight in the fridge to serve.
If you don't want to use tofu, swap the silken tofu and the soya milk for 260ml of full fat coconut milk. Alternatively you could try using a vegan Greek style yogurt.
Yes, you will need 450g/1 lb/2 cups of sweet potato puree.
The filling is naturally gluten-free so simply swap the pastry for a GF pastry (there are plenty of recipes online) to make this pie gluten-free. I recommend finding a specific gluten-free pastry recipe rather than just swapping the flour for GF.
More Vegan Pie Recipes:
- Vegan pumpkin pie
- Vegan pecan pie
- Vegan chocolate chess pie
- Vegan key lime pie
- Ginger apple pie
- Blueberry pie
- Vegan peanut butter pie
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Vegan Sweet Potato Pie
Equipment
- 23 cm/9 in pie dish
Ingredients
Pastry:
- 60 g pecans or ground almonds or 50g plain flour
- 200 g (1 + ⅔ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 50 g (⅓ cup) icing (powdered) sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 130 g (½ cup + 1 Tablespoon) vegan block butter cold and diced
- 1 Tablespoon cold vodka or water
Filling:
- 650-750 g sweet potatoes (2 large/3 medium) (unprepared weight)
- 160 g (⅔ cup) firm silken tofu
- 100 ml (⅓ cup + 4 teaspoons) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy)
- 80 g (6 ½ Tablespoons) caster or granulated sugar
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) maple syrup
- 75 g (⅓ cup) vegan block butter melted
- 40 g (4 Tablespoons) cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- If you are using pecans in the pastry, place them in a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped, be careful not to go too far or you will end up with nut butter. Skip this step if you are using ground almonds or extra flour.
- Add the flour, icing sugar and salt (and ground almonds if not using pecans) and pulse to combine then add the cold, cubed butter and blitz until no large lumps of better remain. If you are not using pecans you can rub the butter into the dry ingredients by hand if you don't have a food processor.
- Add the cold vodka or water and mix until the pastry clumps together. You may or may not need to add a drop more water. Shape the pastry into a disc, wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour until firm enough to roll out.
- While the pastry is chilling, prepare the sweet potatoes. Heat the oven to 200℃/180℃ fan/400℉/gas mark 6.
- Pierce each sweet potato several times with a knife. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour, until the potatoes are tender all the way through when pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven and let cool enough to handle.
- Turn the oven down to 180℃/160℃ fan/350℉/gas mark 4.
- Roll the pastry out between two sheets of baking paper or on a floured surface until big enough to line a 23 cm/9 in round pie dish. Carefully transfer the pastry to the dish and press it into the corners. Crimp and trim the edges of the pastry and prick the base all over with a fork then place it in the freezer for 20 minutes until solid.
- Line the chilled pastry case with baking parchment, pressing it right into the corners, then fill with baking beans or dried rice, making sure that the sides are propped up.
- Bake for 20 minutes then remove the tin foil and baking beans and return the tart shell to the oven for a further 5-10 minutes until just browned.
- Meanwhile, peel the baked sweet potatoes and weigh out 450g of flesh. Place the sweet potato flesh in a blender along with the silken tofu, milk, sugar, maple syrup, melted butter, cornstarch, spices, vanilla extract and salt and blend until smooth.
- Pour the filling into the pastry case. Cover the exposed edges of the pastry with strips of folded tin foil so that it doesn't catch in the oven (image in blog post).
- Bake the pie for 35-45 minutes until the filling is set but still has a slight jiggle in the centre.
- Leave to cool to room temperature before refrigerating.
Notes
- See post above for tips, details and step-by-step photos.
- All of my recipes are developed using grams, and as with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale rather than the cup coversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!
- You may find after chilling that the pie has some condensation on the surface, simply blot it with a paper towel to remove it before serving.
n
made this last weekend as i had a load of sweet potatoes. it was absolutely delicious! i've only had pumpkin pie before but think i preferred this. thanks!