Vegan Sweet Potato Pie
Vegan sweet potato pie is a unique Southern specialty with a spiced, creamy filling. It makes a wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving table.
This vegan sweet potato pie is a fall must-have. The crust forms a crisp, tender base for a smooth and rich sweet potato filling.
It is a traditional Southern American treat with West African roots – first appearing in cookbooks in the 18th century and is often served during the holiday season.
It’s been adapted from my vegan pumpkin pie recipe, so it’s made with creamy vegan condensed milk and filled with warm spices.
Ingredient Notes
- Cooked sweet potatoes – I used canned sweet potatoes (also called yams), but you can cook them from scratch.
There are various types of sweet potatoes. For this recipe, I’m referring to the soft, golden-orange variety commonly found in North America.
- One frozen vegan pie crust – store-bought or try my homemade pie crust recipe. Make ahead of time, place it in a 9-inch pie plate and freeze. For a flakier crust, try my Vegan Flaky Pie Crust Recipe.
- Full-fat coconut milk – it will be boiled with the sugars to make dairy-free condensed milk.
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Vegan butter or margarine
- Salt
- Vanilla Extract
- Nutmeg
- Cinnamon
- Mixed baking spice – usually includes cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, allspice and cloves. You can also use a pumpkin spice blend.
- Cornstarch – thickens and adds structure to the pie without eggs.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Make vegan condensed milk:
1. Place a heavy-bottomed saucepan on the stovetop, add the full-fat coconut milk and sugars to the pan, and stir.
2. Bring the coconut mixture to a boil at medium heat, then immediately decrease to a low simmer. The mixture will reduce by half and thicken; be sure to stir occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat.
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Remove the unbaked vegan pie shell from the freezer, and prick the bottom with a fork.
2. Place the pie pan on a baking tray and line the inside of the pie shell with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Fill the shell with desired pie weights (granulated sugar works well too).
3. Bake the pie shell for 30 minutes or until it starts to brown. Carefully remove the paper or foil and pie weights and set the shell aside to cool completely.
Make the sweet potato pie filling:
1. Add the drained canned yams, vegan butter, salt, spices, and cornstarch to the saucepan with the homemade vegan condensed milk.
2. Using an immersion blender, combine until smooth. Alternatively, a stand blender or food processor can be used.
Fill and bake the pie:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. When the oven is preheated, add the filling to the cooled pie crust and place it on a baking tray. Cover the edge with foil strips so it doesn’t brown too quickly.
3. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the filling is set in the middle. Cool the pie for at least one hour before slicing and serving.
Notes & Substitutions
- If desired, you may replace the homemade condensed milk with 1 cup/300g of vegan condensed milk and skip the first step.
- You may also replace the coconut milk with soy or oat milk plus 1 or 2 tablespoons vegan butter.
- Substitute a vegan and gluten-free pie crust; the dairy-free custard filling will need no alterations since it is already gluten-free.
- After draining and pureeing, the canned yams will weigh about 14 oz/400g.
- If you cannot find canned yams or sweet potatoes, you can substitute fresh ones. You will need to boil (or roast) about 1 pound/500g of sweet potatoes. Once cooked, drain the potatoes and peel.
- Canned yams or sweet potatoes have added sugars and juices, so you may need to adjust the sugar and liquid in the homemade version.
Key Tips
- Some store-bought crusts may not need the blind-bake process, so check the packaging. However, this step can help prevent sogginess in the crust.
- Use foil to cover the edges of the pie crust to prevent browning too quickly. Be sure to remove the foil in the last five minutes of baking.
- Placing the canned yams in the fridge to chill before opening and draining can help cool the homemade condensed milk.
- Be sure the crust has cooled completely before adding the filling – this will ensure the crust stays crisp and flaky and won’t become soggy.
Storage
Although it’s best served the same day, any leftover pie can be tightly wrapped in cling film and kept in the refrigerator for up to three days.
FAQ
What is the difference between yams and sweet potatoes?
Although they are both from flowering plants, yams, and sweet potatoes are not botanically related. Yams are closely related to lilies and grasses, while sweet potatoes belong to the morning glory family.
True yams originate in Africa and Asia and are starchier and drier than sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are native to America and come in both firm and soft varieties.
More Pie Recipes
Vegan Sweet Potato Pie
Equipment
- Parchment paper or aluminum foil
- Saucepan
Baking Recipes: For more accuracy, use Metric measurements and measuring spoons.
Ingredients
Vegan Condensed Milk:
- 1 can (400 ml) full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup (110 g) brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
Sweet Potato Pie:
- 1 9-inch frozen homemade vegan pie crust, or store-bought
- 29 oz (822 g) can of yams/sweet potatoes, drained (about 14 oz or 400g after draining – See Notes)
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) vegan butter or margarine (not unsalted)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon (10 ml) vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon mixed baking spice, or pumpkin spice
- 4 tablespoon (24 g) cornstarch
Instructions
Make vegan condensed milk:
- Add the coconut milk and sugars to a heavy-bottom saucepan and stir.1 can (400 ml) full-fat coconut milk ,½ cup (110 g) brown sugar ,¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- Bring to a boil on medium heat then immediately decrease to a low simmer. Allow the mixture to reduce by half and thicken. Remove the pan from the heat.
Blind-bake the pie shell:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Remove the unbaked pie shell from the freezer and prick with a fork.1 9-inch frozen homemade vegan pie crust
- Place the pie dish on a baking tray and line the inside with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Fill with your desired pie weights (I used sugar).
- Bake for 40-45 minutes. Carefully remove the paper or foil with weights. The base should not look wet. Set the crust aside to cool.
Make the sweet potato pie filling:
- Add the canned yams, vegan butter, salt, vanilla, spices and cornstarch to the saucepan with the vegan condensed milk.29 oz (822 g) can of yams/sweet potatoes ,1 tablespoon (14 g) vegan butter or margarine (not unsalted) ,¼ teaspoon salt ,¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg ,¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon ,½ teaspoon mixed baking spice ,4 tablespoon (24 g) cornstarch ,2 teaspoon (10 ml) vanilla extract
- Combine with an immersion blender. You can also blend the ingredients in a stand blender or food processor.
Fill and bake the pie:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- When preheated, add the filling to the cooled pie crust and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the filling is set in the middle.
- Cool the pie for about one hour before slicing.
Notes
- You may replace the coconut milk and sugars with one cup/300g/250ml store-bought vegan condensed milk and skip the first step.
- You can substitute the canned yams with about one pound/500g of whole sweet potatoes. Boil (or roast), drain and peel.
- Check the instructions for store-bought pie crust as some may not require the blind baking step.
- You can cover the edges of the pie crust with strips of aluminum foil to limit them from browning too quickly. Remove the foil in the last five minutes of baking.
- Place the canned yams in the fridge to cool before opening and draining. It can help cool the vegan condensed milk.
- Store any leftover pie wrapped in cling film and in the refrigerator for up to three days.
If I use fresh potatoes how many cups would it be?
1 lb/16 oz/500g or about 2 cups mashed.