Vegan Sweet Potato Pie

January 22, 2025

Vegan Sweet Potato Pie - Easy And Delicious - Refined Sugar-Free

This Vegan Sweet Potato Pie was delicious, and super simple to prepare with relatively few ingredients. I modeled it after my Awesome Vegan Pumpkin Pie recipe that I made during the Thanksgiving, 'Day of Gratitude' holiday weekend, with a few changes.

Who needs a holiday for an excuse to make another simple, yet delicious pie? Enjoy the warming, earthy spices, smooth, creamy texture and slightly orange-y flavor of sweet potatoes in this Vegan Sweet Potato Pie, or try my Pumpkin Pie as a comforting treat that fits right into a fall / winter diet.

I do my best to create desserts that provide just enough richness - without too much fat - and just enough sweetness - without too little sweetener - to satisfy a desire, while keeping it moderately healthy, versus a health bomb!

I do believe we need to enjoy a little sweetness, and I am not opposed to using organic brown or cane sugar (I like Wholesome Organic Dark Brown Sugar) as both provide certain benefits, at least according to Chinese food therapy, which I wrote about in my previous post, Simple Steamed Pears with Brown Sugar or Fig Preserves.

I was able to purchase another Wholly Wholesome Pie Crust at a greatly reduced rate, now that it's post holiday season, which is the crust I used for my Awesome Vegan Pumpkin Pie. I generally prefer to avoid coconut oil and palm oil, but these are good pie crusts. Wholly Wholesome uses organic wheat flour, and organic 'sustainably harvested' palm oil shortening. Generally speaking, coconut oil and palm oil are tropical oils, and not part of a standard macrobiotic diet for those living in a temperate climate.

If you prefer to make your own crust, you may like my Vegan Oat Cider Pie Crust, which is also simple to prepare, and is lower in fat and can be made gluten-free.

Vegan Sweet Potato Pie Recipe Notes

Sweet Potatoes: I used 4 medium-sized sweet potatoes which netted 4 cups mashed. I used orange flesh sweet potatoes, which are creamy, yet moister and less dense than Asian or white sweet potatoes. I think these are best for the color, and they have the most betacarotene. However, I may experiment with trying the denser sweet potatoes next time, out of curiosity. Let me know if you have made Sweet Potato Pie with Asian or white, or even purple sweet potatoes for that matter.

Sweetener: I used 1/4 cup of sorghum syrup as I thought the caramel-like flavor profile, and the thicker, honey-like viscosity would be a great match for a 'Sugar-Free' Vegan Sweet Potato Pie. I'm saying 'sugar-free' because people look for that, and generally tend to mean no refined sugar. Sorghum syrup still breaks down into sugar, but so do sweet potatoes and whole grains. I consider it a more 'gentle' choice that won't spike blood sugar levels, especially in combination with the rest of the Sweet Potato Pie ingredients. Alternative sweetener options: Try date syrup, maple syrup, barley malt, organic brown sugar, or a blend. If using maple syrup, you may want to add 1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar + the 1/4 cup of maple syrup, otherwise possibly add another tablespoon of cashew butter, or tahini, like I did in the Vegan Pumpkin Pie recipe.

Fat: I chose cashew butter as its thick, creamy texture blends well in these pie recipes. I did add part tahini, part cashew butter in my Pumpkin Pie recipe, which you can try in this recipe as well, to make it a bit richer and thicker or more dense. I would add a tablespoon of tahini in addition to 1/4 cup of cashew butter. Alternatively, almond butter would be my second choice, or simply soak cashews in hot water for about 1/2 hour first, then blend with a little soy or other nondairy milk before adding remaining ingredients.

Tofu: I used 1/2 a block of silken tofu. In the recipe below, I included 8 ounces of silken tofu, or 1/2 block medium firm tofu.

Thickener: I used 1 tablespoon of tapioca flour. You can sub that out for arrowroot powder, or cornstarch. I also added 1 tablespoon of Simple Organics Egg Replacer which is a mix of ground chia seeds & chickpea. Sub1 tablespoon of ground chia seeds if needed. You can possibly try ground flax seeds. I would blend 1 tablespoon with 2 tablespoons of water or soy milk (or other nondairy milk) first, then add it to the blender with the remaining ingredients. I can not yet speak for how that will be, or if it would even make a difference, as the tapioca or arrowroot powder should be adequate for thickening.

Lecithin: I used 1 tablespoon of lecithin granules, which is an emulsifier, and a great source of choline. It's not mandatory for the pie, but it does help sauces blend into a creamy consistency.

Spices: Vegan Sweet Potato Pie is all about those earthy, fall / winter spices we love, including a generous amount of cinnamon, some nutmeg, and a bit of ground clove. I also added vanilla extract. Add more or less as per your inner guidance dictates.

Texture: I am not a Sweet Potato Pie expert, but my guess is my vegan version is a bit less dense and rich than a typical Sweet Potato Pie. I will experiment next time I make one, using a firmer tofu, or possibly using at least 1 or 2 more dense white or Asian sweet potatoes, just for the heck of it. I may try using a different sweetener. But really, this Vegan Sweet Potato Pie hit the spot for us. It seemed perfect as it was! Especially as it wasn't intended to be a super rich, sweet celebratory treat.

Additional Tips: Bake the sweet potatoes ahead of time so they can cool off. Peel first, then slightly mash before adding to the blender. Bake pie on a baking sheet. This pie is so easy, there's not much to making it.

The above photos show the bulk of ingredients used.
The Vegan Sweet Potato Pie batter should be fairly thick and creamy.

Vegan Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

INGREDIENTS

4 medium-sized, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes
8 oz. package silken tofu (or try a medium tofu as per the recipe notes above)
1/4 cup cashew butter
1/4 cup sorghum syrup (see recipe notes above for substitutions)
1 Tbsp. Fearn Lecithin Granules (or use sunflower lecithin, or try adding 1 Tbsp. tahini)
1 Tbsp. arrowroot powder or tapioca powder
1 Tbsp. Simple Organics Egg Replacer or sub 1 Tbsp. ground chia seeds (if using ground flax seeds see recipe notes above)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1&1/2-2 tsp. cinnamon, more if you love cinnamon
1/4 tsp. or so ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. or so ground clove
Pinch of Eden or good quality, finer sea sal

STEPS

Preheat oven to 350º (375º if you need to roast the sweet potatoes first)
Roast sweet potatoes (ideally ahead of time), then peel once cool. Slightly mash as you measure out to get 4 cups. Add to a blender or food processor. (IF blending whole cashews, do that first.)
Add remaining ingredients. Blend starting at a lower speed, then amping up after the sweet potatoes begin to blend. Or process away if using a food processor. This can also be hand mixed if needed. You may need to use the tamper or scrape down the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula.
IF it is just not blending, add soy milk or other nondairy milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until it blends. You want it to be nice and creamy and thick.
Pour pie batter into pie crust. Smooth top with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon.
Bake at 350º for 60 minutes. Check it. Signs that it is done: The crust may not brown too much, but there should be some slight browning in the center of the pie. It should feel a bit firm, and the batter may start to come away from the crust, The top may split a little. It may even look kind of puffed up, but it will settle. The top forms a sort of thin skin.
Hardest step of all! Let it cool for 3+ hours before serving!

Ways to enjoy your Vegan Sweet Potato Pie

We enjoyed ours as dessert post meal, once after breakfast, and otherwise, after dinner. Have it as a between meal snack with a hot tea if you like.

You can try adding the Icelandic Provisions Vanilla Oat Milk Skyr, which is like a thick, creamy Greek yogurt, which you can see it in my Simple Steamed Pears recipe. Or make a vegan whipped cream if you like. I didn't care to add any more calories or decadence since this was just for us two to enjoy, for a little warming sweetness during these super cold wintery days.