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This vegan sweet potato pie features a warmly spiced sweet potato filling, homemade buttery pie crust, and light and airy meringue on top. It’s a comforting dessert that no one will know is dairy-free!
If there’s one pie that rivals a vegan pecan pie, it’s a sweet potato pie. Every bite is pure heaven: mouthwatering, comforting, and sweet!
We’ve given a completely vegan makeover to this classic holiday dessert. It’s all completely plant-based, from the buttery crust to the creamy filling to the meringue topping.
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works
- No eggs or dairy. The vegan in the recipe name probably gave it away, but this pie doesn’t need any eggs, butter, or milk whatsoever, but anyone you serve it to would never be able to tell.
- Incredible flavor. Why is sweet potato pie so good? The secret’s in the filling. Made from mashed sweet potatoes, sugar, melted vegan butter, and warm spices, every bite tastes like heaven and practically melts in your mouth.
- Light and airy meringue. Waves of fluffy meringue are the shining, glossy crown on top of the pie. Lightly caramelized with a kitchen torch, it’s the perfect finishing touch. And instead of egg whites, we use aquafaba (the liquid from the cans of chickpeas).
- 100% homemade. This recipe’s pie crust, filling, and meringue are all made from scratch!
What we love about this recipe is just how authentic it tastes! Even those who don’t follow a vegan or dairy-free diet won’t be able to tell the difference.
Ingredients needed
- Vegan pie crust. For the most impressive dessert, make your own pie crust. Don’t be intimidated! It’s easier to make than you think, either by hand or in a food processor, using cold butter, flour, salt, and ice water. If you can find a pre-made store bought pie crust, you are welcome to use that.
- Sweet potatoes. Two to three medium sweet potatoes will be enough for one pie.
- Warm spices. Cinnamon and nutmeg are the backbone of an amazing sweet potato pie. A sprinkle of ground ginger would be nice, too.
- Vegan butter. Those creamy, melt-in-your-mouth bites of sweet potato pie are nothing short of decadent, and it’s all thanks to melted butter. Use a vegan butter from a block, not a spread or tub. My favorite brand is Miyokos because it melts and tastes like dairy butter.
- Sugar. Granulated white sugar sweetens up the filling, while superfine sugar adds structure to the meringue topping.
- Chickpea liquid. The magical ingredient that can replicate a meringue topping without using egg whites. You’ll need one can of chickpea liquid to cover the whole pie. Use the leftover chickpeas to make some cookie dough (seriously).
- Cream of tartar and salt. To hold the meringue together.
How to cook and mash sweet potatoes
The potatoes need to be cooked and mashed before you start on the filling. You can cook the sweet potatoes quickly in the air fryer or bake them in the oven until they’re fork tender. Scrape off the peels and mash the orange flesh with a potato masher, then set aside until it’s pie time!
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to make a vegan sweet potato pie
Step 1- Make the crust. Cut the cold butter into the flour and salt until the mixture is crumbly. Slowly add the ice water until the dough is smooth. Form it into a ball and leave it in the fridge to chill.
Step 2- Place it in the pie dish. Roll out the chilled dough and press it into your pie plate. Place it back in the fridge while you make the filling.
Step 3- Make the sweet potato pie filling. Mix the filling ingredients until smooth. Pour it into the pie crust.
Step 4- Bake. Bake the pie until the filling is set. Set it aside to cool.
Step 5- Make the meringue topping. Beat the aquafaba until foamy, then add the salt and cream of tartar. Once soft peaks form, gradually beat in the sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold in the vanilla.
Step 6- Assemble. Spread the meringue on top of the chilled pie and caramelize the top with a hand-held torch. Slice and enjoy!
Tips to make the best recipe
- Always chill the dough. Cold dough won’t shrink in the oven and tastes much more buttery and flaky.
- You’ll know the pie is baked to perfection when the filling no longer jiggles and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Wait for the pie to cool as it will be sturdier and much easier to slice this way! Chill the pie in the fridge overnight and serve the next day for the best results.
- Be gentle with the meringue. Avoid knocking the air out of the meringue by gently folding in the vanilla extract with a silicone spatula.
- If you don’t have a hand-held torch, you can brown the meringue by placing the decorated pie under the broiler for a few minutes. Just watch it very carefully so the meringue doesn’t melt!
Storage instructions
To make ahead: Save on time and stress this holiday season by making the pie dough and mashed sweet potatoes ahead of time. The pie dough can be wrapped in a layer of plastic and stored in the fridge for 1 week or kept frozen for up to 3 months. Store the mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days ahead of time.
To store: Cover the baked and cooled pie or individual slices in a layer of plastic and store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
To freeze: You can freeze the pie (without the meringue) for up to 3 months.
More show stopping vegan desserts
- Vegan lemon meringue pie
- Vegan brownies
- Vegan chocolate cake
- Vegan chocolate chip cookies
- Vegan Banoffee Pie
- Sweet potato casserole
Frequently asked questions
No, you don’t need to par-bake or blind-bake the crust without the filling because they both bake in the same amount of time.
Absolutely! Just swap the pie crust in the recipe card for my low carb pie crust. It’s made with almond flour and xanthan gum, making it naturally gluten free.
Small cracks in the filling are no big deal but larger cracks are usually caused by overbaking. Remember to bake the pie just until the filling is set (between 45 minutes to 1 hour).
You don’t want to serve sweet potato pie right after it comes out of the oven. The filling will be too loose and your slices will be goopy. Instead, let the pie cool completely at room temperature or leave it in the fridge overnight. Your slices will be much more firm, delicious, and creamy!
Vegan Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup vegan butter cut into cubes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4-6 tablespoons iced water
Sweet potato filling
- 2 cups sweet potato cooked and mashed
- 1/4 cup vegan butter melted
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 flax egg *
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk
Meringue topping
- 1/2 cup aquafaba liquid from 1 can chickpeas
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/3 cup superfine sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add ice water mixing gently after each addition, until the dough starts to come together.
- Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface to fit a 9-inch pie dish. Press the dough into the dish, trim any excess, and crimp the edges. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
- Preheat your oven to 180C/350F.
- In a large bowl, combine the mashed sweet potatoes, melted butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until well combined. Add the flax egg, vanilla extract, and milk. Mix until the filling is completely smooth.
- Transfer the sweet potato filling to the prepared pie crust.
- Bake the pie for about 45-50 minutes, or until the filling is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the pie to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Once the pie has cooled, make the meringue topping. In a mixing bowl, beat the aquafaba until frothy. Add the salt and cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually add the superfine sugar, one tablespoon at a time, while continuing to beat. Beat until stiff peaks form and the meringue is glossy. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Spread the meringue over the top of the cooled pie. Using a hand-held torch, caramelize the top.
Can this be made sugar free? It looks excellent!
Your pie looks absolutely beautiful! The recipe calls for 1/2 cup milk in the filling. Since this is dairy free, what type of milk are you using?