Vegan Sweet Potato Pie

What Makes This Vegan Sweet Potato Pie So Special

• A fun alternative to pumpkin pie. Sweet potato pie shares a similar profile to classic pumpkin pie (lots of cozy spices!), and it’s rich and creamy even without the eggs or dairy.
• Easy to make. This sweet potato pie recipe couldn’t be easier to make. My recipe uses cornstarch instead of ingredients like tofu to thicken the filling. You can even speed it up using the blender!
• Great for making ahead. If you want to make your holiday prep even easier, bake your pie up to 2 to 3 months in advance and freeze it.

Notes on the Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

• Sweet potatoes – Garnet sweet potatoes are my favourite type to use, but any sweet potatoes will work. Roasting the sweet potatoes brings out their best flavor.
• Coconut milk – You want to ensure you’re using the one from the can since it’s nice and thick and will yield the texture that you’re looking for!
• Melted vegan butter – Regular butter is standard in sweet potato pie, so I wanted to make this swap. You can use coconut oil or another oil instead, but I highly recommend vegan butter for that classic taste.
• Ground cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice – My favourite spices to use in this pie. You could also add nutmeg.
• Maple syrup – You can use agave or another thick liquid sweetener instead.
• Sea salt –  My preferred salt; if you’re using table salt, reduce it since it’s finer in texture.
• Cane sugar – You could also use organic white sugar here, too. I recommend cane sugar or brown sugar for more depth of flavour.
• Cornstarch – The perfect thickener for the filling. I have not tested arrowroot starch, but you can test if you’d prefer to use that.
• Vanilla extract – I love adding this to my pies to tie everything together.
• Vegan pie crust – This can be homemade or store-bought. See the next section for details.

The Perfect Vegan Pie Crust

My vegan pie crust is my go-to for all of my pies, and I also have a gluten-free vegan pie crust that works wonderfully in this old-fashioned vegan sweet potato pie recipe. You’ll need to par-bake the pie crust before you can fill it. This helps the crust hold up against the creamy sweet potato pie filling.

• Prepare the pie crust. Roll out and press the crust into a pie plate.
• Dock the crust. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Afterward, line the crust with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights.
• Bake. Pre-bake pie crust at 350ºF for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

If you use your preferred store-bought vegan pie dough, refer to the directions on the package to know how to thaw and parbake the crust.

• Bake the sweet potatoes. Wash, scrub, and dry your sweet potatoes well. Then, rub them lightly with olive oil and add them to a lined baking sheet. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork. Roast the sweet potatoes at 400ºF for 50-60 minutes, or until they’re easy to pierce with a fork. Leave the potatoes to cool outside of the oven.
• Puree the sweet potatoes. Next, peel the sweet potatoes and place them into a food processor. Blend until fully smooth.

• Make the filling. Now, combine the sweet potato puree in a large bowl with the rest of the pie ingredients. Or, do what I do, and add the pie ingredients to the sweet potato puree in the food processor (one less dish to wash!). Mix or blend everything until smooth.
• Rest. Leave your sweet potato pie filling to rest for 15-30 minutes on the counter, with a kitchen towel covering the container. This allows the flavours to meld together. Your pie will taste even better for it.
• Bake. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F to bake the pie. Pour the batter into the cooled and pre-baked pie crust, and tap the pie plate lightly on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 60 minutes, or until the center is slightly wobbly.
• Cool and chill. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Move the sweet potato pie to your fridge and let it chill for at least 4 to 6 hours, ideally overnight. Remove, cut the pie, and serve with a dollop of vegan coconut whipped cream.

Tips for the Best Pie

• Make no substitutes. I recommend making this recipe just like I have. Substitutions can be extremely tempting, but this is foolproof and has been tested so many times that you don’t need to. The only substitutions I’ll “allow” would be using agave nectar instead of maple syrup and coconut sugar for the cane sugar, as I’ve tested both of these with good results.
• Use a store-bought crust for a shortcut. You’ll want to be very careful about checking the ingredients, but if they’re vegan-friendly, go for it!
• Let the dough chill. If you’re making a pie crust from scratch, let the dough chill for 45 minutes to an hour before working with it. This will ensure that it does not begin to shrink when you bake it.
• Allow the pie to cool. Things can get pretty messy if you try to serve this vegan sweet potato pie recipe right away! Give it those 6 hours (2 on the countertop, 4 in the fridge), and then you can reheat slices if necessary. That way, the flavours are absolutely outstanding.

Serving Suggestions

Serve slices of vegan sweet potato pie with a scoop of vegan ice cream for a delicious after-dinner treat. This pie makes an excellent addition to a Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert spread with mince pies, homemade apple crisp, and soft-baked vegan pumpkin cookies. Get a pot of spiced mulled wine simmering or cozy up with a hot chocolate, and enjoy!

How to Store

• Refrigerate. Store vegan sweet potato pie wrapped in the pie dish or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Freeze. You can keep your pie in the freezer in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Wrap the pie in Saran Wrap, then in foil, and then place it in a freezer-safe zipped plastic bag. Make sure to let it thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.

More Vegan Holiday Dessert Recipes

• Pecan Pie
• Vegan Apple Pie
• Pumpkin Dump Cake
• Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Apple Cranberry Crisp