This vegan sweet potato pie is made with a flaky pie crust, real sweet potato filling, and a sweet marshmallow topping. Move over pumpkin pie because this southern classic is the most amazing recipe to add to your Thanksgiving table.
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We love sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving, in all shapes and forms. Our sweet potato bites are the perfect appetizer and our Hasselback sweet potatoes or healthy sweet potato casserole are must-makes to go along with the main cheesecloth Turkey. So why not continue the theme through dessert and add a sweet potato pie recipe to the menu?
You may come across many pies each holiday season, but few stop you in your tracks when it comes to presentation and flavor. This vegan sweet potato pie will be one of those few! The buttery crust, creamy vegan sweet potato filling, and luscious meringue topping create the most delicious bite of texture and flavor. It's the perfect Thanksgiving dessert and the whole family (even those that aren't dairy-free or vegan) will love it.
Ingredient Notes
Here are the key ingredients for the crust, filling, and topping in this vegan sweet potato pie recipe. Skip down to the recipe card for the exact measurements.
- Flour: this is the base of the pie crust. We are using a variation of this traditional pie crust because it turns out perfect every time. You can use a 1:1 gluten-free flour (we like Bob's Red Mill) to make a gluten-free crust, but it likely won't be as flaky.
- Vegan butter: we're using this ingredient in the crust and filling, so get quality vegan butter. We like to use Myokos butter.
- Vegetable shortening: mix this with vegan butter to create the most delicious pie crust. Adding this ingredient makes the crust a little bit easier to work with than an all-butter pie crust. Sub this for chilled coconut oil.
- Sweet potatoes: this is the star of the show, of course! Be sure to weigh your potatoes so you have enough.
- Dark brown sugar: the added molasses in dark brown sugar gives the filling a deeper, more rich color and flavor. Light brown sugar or coconut sugar are good options as well.
- Full-fat coconut milk: this dairy-free milk is thick and gives this pie the same texture. Make sure you use canned full-fat coconut milk or grab the coconut cream from the grocery store.
- Cornstarch: this ingredient is what gives this pie structure, unlike flour in a lot of traditional recipes. This is a must to make sure the pie sets. We didn't test it, but arrowroot powder or tapioca flour should yield the same result.
- Vanilla extract: sweet potatoes and vanilla bean just work well. Go for the vanilla bean paste if you have it!
- Cozy spices: this combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves is very similar to pumpkin pie spice, so use that if you have it on hand.
- Bourbon: this is optional, but it balances out the flavor well.
- Vegan marshmallow meringue: juice from a can of chickpeas (aka aquafaba), sugar, and cream of tartar make this sweet, light, and fluffy pie topping.
How to Make Vegan Sweet Potato Pie & Video Tutorial
These step-by-step photos will walk you through exactly what this pie should look like. Jump down to the recipe card for the full recipe or to watch me make this pie!
Make the Easy Vegan Pie Crust
Note about the crust: we like to make our pie crust the day before so we have it ready the next day when we want to bake the pie. You can make this vegan pie crust up to 3 months in advance and freeze it.
- Mix the flour and salt: Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the very cold butter and shortening then use a pastry blender to cut the fat into the flour until the bits are the size of a pea.
- Add the water: Make the water very cold by adding ice then measure out the cold water to ½ cup. Pour the water into the flour mixture 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring with a wooden after each addition, until the dough starts to form large clumps.
- Mix: turn the loose dough out onto a work surface and fold it over itself until it combines and start to form a dough. Shape it into a circle and cut it in half.
- Wrap and chill: turn the pie dough out onto a floured surface and cut it in half (this recipe makes two pie crusts). Flatten each into a ½-inch thick disc with your hands then wrap them tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
Make and Bake the Vegan Sweet Potato Pie
- Bake the sweet potatoes: peel and dice the sweet potatoes then roast them at 425°F for 22-26 minutes, or until they're fork tender.
- Prep the crust: while the potatoes are roasting, turn the pie crust out onto a well-floured surface and roll it into a 12-inch circle. Transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate or tart pan. There should be a few inches of overhang all around the pie. There are a few different ways to finish the edges of the pie shell, but our favorite is to crimp them into a wavy pattern. See the video on the recipe card for how we do this!
- Make the filling: Add the sweet potatoes to a high-speed blender or a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the remaining filling ingredients and blend on high speed until combined, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed.
- Bake: Pour the filling on top of the unbaked pie crust and spread it out evenly. Bake for 10 minutes at 350°F then turn the oven down to 325°F, with the pie still in the oven, and continue to bake for another 45-55 minutes, until the center jiggles slightly when you give the pie a nudge.
- Make the vegan meringue: whisk the aquafaba and cream of tartar for 1-2 minutes then slowly add granulated sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Turn the mixer up to high speed and whisk for 6-8 minutes, or until stiff peaks form.
- Finish the pie: cover the completely cooled pie with marshmallow fluff. Serve right away or store in the fridge for up to 8 hours. Toast the topping with a kitchen torch before serving, if desired, or place it under the oven broiler for a few minutes (watch it closely!).
Recipe Variations
Dairy-free (not vegan) option: make a traditional egg white marshmallow creme meringue if you don't want to use aquafaba.
Not into meringue: substitute this for a dollop of coconut whipped cream.
Store-bought crust: surprisingly a lot of pre-made pie crusts are vegan because they aren't made with real butter. I'm not claiming they're healthy because they're often made with oils we try to stay away from, but they are dairy-free and vegan and good options if you don't want to make a homemade pie crust.
Expert Tips
- Work quickly with the dough and use very cold ingredients to result in a more flaky pie crust.
- Make the pie crust in advance. It needs to chill for at least 2 hours and will be in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Save yourself time when you're ready to make the pie and have the crust done and ready.
- Use a high-speed blender or food processor to get the pie filling smooth and creamy.
- Don't overbake the pie. Use an instant-read thermometer to check when it's done if you don't feel confident with the jiggle test. It should read 175°F when it's done.
- Whip your meringue to stiff peaks. You can't over-whip this, so you're much better off doing too much than too little. It needs to keep its shape when you slice the pie.
Frequently Asked Questions
There's no need to bake the pie crust before the pie. Add the filling to the unbaked pie and bake them both together.
It does have a bit of a chickpea aroma at first, but once it's spread on the pie and toasted a bit that wares off and you'll have no idea it's even made from chickpeas! If you're just dairy-free, and not vegan, you can make a traditional egg white marshmallow creme meringue.
Traditional sweet potato filling uses a custard base, made with eggs, to hold the pie together and give it shape. We're using coconut cream and cornstarch to achieve this effect.
This is likely due to underbaking the pie. Only the center should be jiggly, rather than the entire pie. The center needs to hit 175°F to set.
Many use these two interchangeably, but in fact, most US grocery stores don't carry true yams. They are a type of sweet potato imported from Africa and have dark bark-like skin with starchier flesh. In comparison, sweet potatoes (what we often think are yams) are orange with reddish skin and are almost always sweeter. Learn more about the difference between yams and sweet potatoes.
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
More Vegan Desserts
- Dairy-free chocolate pie
- Vegan banana cream pie
- Chocolate caramel tart
- Chocolate pecan pie
- Gluten-free apple pie (use this pie crust recipe)
Vegan Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 Tablespoons vegan butter chilled and cubed
- ⅔ cup vegetable shortening chilled
- ½ cup ice water
Sweet Potato Pie Filling
- 1.5 lbs sweet potatoes (about 2 very large potatoes)
- 6 tablespoons vegan butter melted
- ⅔ cup dark brown sugar packed (substitute light brown sugar or coconut sugar)
- 1 ½ cups canned full-fat coconut milk shaken to mix the cream
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon,
- ½ teaspoon EACH: ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon bourbon optional
Vegan Marshmallow Creme Meringue
- ½ cup aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Recommended Equipment
- 9-inch pie pan
- Rolling Pin
- Blender or Food Processor
Instructions
- Note about the pie crust: I like to make sure my pie dough is prepared before I begin making this pie. You can make the pie dough the night before because it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before rolling out. You could also make this dough up to 3 months in advance and store it in the freezer*.
Make the Vegan Pie Crust
- Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl then add the very cold butter and shortening.
- Use a pastry blender to cut the butter and shortening into the mixture until they resemble pea-sized meals.
- To make sure the water is really cold, measure out at least ½ cup of water then add and stir it around to keep it cold. Measure out ½ cup of ice water from there and pour it into the flour mixture 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring well with a wooden spoon or spatula after each addition. Stop adding water when the mixture begins to form large clumps. We used just under ½ cup of water.
- Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface. The dough should come together easily and should not feel overly sticky. Using floured hands, fold the dough into itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the fats. Form it into a ball. Cut dough in half. Flatten each half into 1-inch thick discs using your hands.
Vegan Sweet Potato Pie
- Peel and dice the sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes. spread onto a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. bake at 400°F for 22-26 minutes, stirring halfway through, until fork-tender.
- While the sweet potatoes are baking, make prep the pie crust. Our vegan pie crust makes two crusts, so save one for another recipe (like our dairy-free pumpkin pie) or double this recipe.
- Roll the chilled dough out onto a floured work surface and start in the center and roll out toward the edge. Turn the dough slightly after 2-3 rolls until you have a 12-inch circle in diameter. Roll the dough around your rolling pin to pick it up then carefully unroll it onto a 9-inch pie dish (no need to grease it).
- Tuck the dough into the pie pan with your fingers, making sure it’s completely smooth, do not trim the excess dough from the top. Fold it over and crimp the edges with a fork or use your fingers to flute into wavy edges (my favorite). Place the dough back in the fridge while you make the filling.
- Add the sweet potatoes to a high-speed blender (or you can use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment) and blend/beat until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and blend/beat on high speed until combined, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed. Spread the filling into the prepared pie crust. Turn the oven down to 350°F.
- Place the pie in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes then reduce the heat to 325, with the pie still in the oven, and bake for another 45-55 minutes, or until the center is slightly jiggly when you give the pie a nudge. The center should read 175 on an instant thermometer. Start checking the pie 30 minutes into baking, if the edges of the pie crust are browning too quickly, apply a pie crust shield or cover the edges with aluminum foil.
- When it’s done give the pie a nudge, the center should have some give and jiggle a little bit. it should have an internal temp of 175 when done. Remove the pie from the oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight. cool for at least 2 hours.
Vegan Marshmallow Creme (Meringue)
- Pour the aquafaba and cream of tartar to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. beat the liquid until it starts to become fluffy, 1-2 minutes. With the mixer still on medium speed, add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until all of it’s incorporated. Turn the mixer to high speed and beat for about 10 minutes, until stiff peaks form. The fluff should look glossy and hold its shape if the bowl is shaken.
- Cover the cooled pie with marshmallow fluff. serve right away or store in the fridge for up to 8 hours. toast the topping with a kitchen torch before serving, if desired. you could also place the pie in the oven for 10 on the lowest rack to brown the fluff.
Notes
5 days in advance: make the pie crust and store it in the fridge.
3 days in advance (or less): make the pie crust and filling. Allow it to cool slightly then cover it tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make the meringue within 8 hours of serving.
1 day in advance: make the entire pie and let it cool completely. Cover loosely with foil and store in the fridge or at room temperature. Make the meringue within 8 hours of serving. Storage: store leftover pie in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days (up to 4 days without meringue). The pie can be frozen, without meringue, for up to 6 months. Thaw it slowly overnight in the fridge.
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