Vegan Sweet Potato Pie (Gluten-Free)

Last updated - July 11, 2021; Published - October 21, 2019 By Rhian Williams 12 Comments

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This Vegan Sweet Potato Pie is super creamy, warmly spiced, and has a flaky, crispy crust. It's also gluten-free and refined sugar free, and there's no rolling pin or floured surface needed, no pre-baking required, and no need to chill the pastry. It makes an excellent alternative to Pumpkin Pie for a Thanksgiving dessert!

A slice of vegan sweet potato pie topped with cream on a plate with a fork

I've made a no-bake chocolate pie using sweet potatoes before, so I was keen to try out a baked sweet potato pie too!

What are the differences between Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Pie?

Pumpkin Pie and Sweet Potato Pie are made in similar ways and look similar, but there are some key differences:

1. Sweet Potato Pie is generally more popular for Thanksgiving in the South of the United States, whilst Pumpkin Pieis more popular in the North.
2. The main difference in taste is that Pumpkin Pie is nuttier whereas Sweet Potato Pie has a more mellow flavour.
3. The main difference in texture is that sweet potato is naturally starchier than pumpkin, so Sweet Potato Pie filling has a denser texture than Pumpkin Pie.

What type of sweet potatoes should you use to make Sweet Potato Pie?

I used regular orange sweet potatoes for this Sweet Potato Pie, but you can also use white sweet potatoes or purple sweet potatoes. However, both white and purple sweet potatoes have a starchier texture than orange sweet potatoes, so if you use either of these then the texture of the pie filling will be denser.

How to make this recipe

Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full recipe.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into thin slices.
Place in a pan, cover with water and turn on the heat.
Bring to the boil then turn down the heat and cook for around 15 minutes until soft enough to gently pierce with a fork.

Sliced cooked sweet potatoes in a silver pan

Drain the sweet potatoes and place in a food processor.

Sliced cooked sweet potatoes in a food processor

Whizz until completely smooth.

Tip: You may need to mix it around a few times.

Orange sweet potato purée in a food processor

Place the puréed sweet potatoes in a pan with all the other ingredients for the filling (you can use the same pan as the one you used to cook the sweet potatoes).

Tip: Use a measuring jug to measure out the plant-based milk.

Sweet potato purée, milk and spices in a silver pan

Stir well, ensuring that the cornflour (cornstarch) has dissolved completely.
Once the mixture is mixed well, cook on a medium heat, stirring regularly, until thickened and gently bubbling - you might want to use a balloon whisk to make this easier, though a spoon and some elbow grease should do the trick.

Orange vegan sweet potato pie filling in a silver pan

Tip: Depending on the consistency and texture of your puréed sweet potatoes, they may not properly mix into your milk - if this is the case you can transfer the mixture back into the food processor to blend it until completely smooth.

Leave the filling to cool slightly before pouring into the pastry.
Combine all ingredients for the pastry dough in a glass mixing bowl.

Tip: Add the water a few tablespoons at a time so that you don’t add too much!

Raw gluten-free vegan pastry dough in a glass mixing bowl

Place the pastry dough into a greased pie dish and use your fingers to carefully press it across the bottom and up the sides of the dish.

Raw gluten-free vegan pastry dough being pressed into a glass pie dish

You can use a fork or your fingers to create a pretty pattern around the edge if you like.

Raw gluten-free vegan pastry pie crust in a glass pie dish

Pour the filling into the pie crust just before putting in the oven - otherwise the dough might 'melt'.

Orange vegan sweet potato pie filling being poured into a raw pastry crust in a pie dish

Bake in the oven for around 40 minutes, until the pastry crust is firm to the touch and golden brown.

Raw vegan sweet potato pie in a glass pie dish

Leave to cool completely before cutting, ideally putting the pie in the fridge for a couple of hours, to allow the filling to set properly.

Cooked vegan sweet potato pie in a glass pie dish

Substitutions you can make

You can use any type of plant-based milk: I used cashew milk which gives the creamiest texture, but almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, rice milk etc all work.
You can use regular orange sweet potatoes, white sweet potatoes or purple sweet potatoes.
You can use any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc.
You can replace the gluten-free flour in the pastry crust with rice flour.
You can replace the gluten-free flour with plain flour if you’re not gluten-free.
The cornflour (cornstarch) can be replaced with arrowroot.

How long does this Sweet Potato Pie keep for?

This Sweet Potato Pie does taste best when fresh, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days.

A slice of vegan sweet potato pie topped with cream with a bite taken out of the end

More vegan pie recipes

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

Watch how to make this recipe

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