Desserts

November 19, 2020

Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie

Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie is a colorful twist on the classic sweet potato pie. This plant-based pie is gluten-free and dairy-free, yet still rich and decadent. A delicious vegan Thanksgiving dessert.

Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie

I love purple. I mean, I made the color of this blog purple. My childhood bedroom is purple. I'm obsessed with purple cauliflower. And purple sweet potatoes are my favorite!

So, naturally, when I was brainstorming Thanksgiving desserts, I immediately gravitated towards something purple.

And, I mean, who else is tired of pumpkin pie every Thanksgiving? (Unless it's pumpkin spice latte pie, of course!)

Purple Sweet Potato Pie is like the fun cousin of regular sweet potato pie. Purple sweet potatoes are more dense than regular orange sweet potatoes, so this pie ends up being rich and thick and decadent.

It's also incredibly beautiful to look at.

Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie

Why I love this Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie

  • Dietary needs — this pie is completely plant-based, oil-free, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free. It's made from whole foods, for a dessert you can feel good about eating.
  • Perfect holiday dessert — sweet potato pie is a classic Thanksgiving dessert, and you spice it up by using purple sweet potatoes instead of the traditional orange-fleshed potatoes
  • Make ahead — this pie is a great dish to prep ahead of time. You'll want to serve the pie cold anyways, so it's easy to make a day or two before Thanksgiving and save oven time for other dishes
  • It's purple — I know, I already mentioned this. But seriously, this pie is so beautiful.

Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Crust Ingredients

While the crust isn't the star of the show, we still want to bake a tasty crust that is strong and will hold in a dense sweet potato filling.

  • Oat Flour: Oat flour makes a great pie crust, it has a neutral flavor, but is strong and not crumbly. While I usually use homemade oat flour in my recipes, for pie crust I recommend using store-bought oat flour because the consistency is more fine
  • Pecans: Pecans add nuttiness and a bit of fat that makes the crust rich and flavorful. You can also use another nut like almonds.
  • Maple or Date Syrup: I find that adding sweetness to a vegan pie crust really creates flavor. You can use either maple syrup or date syrup, depending on your preferences. Date syrup will create a darker crust and make this pie completely fruit-sweetened. Maple syrup is sweeter than date syrup and will create a lighter colored crust.
  • Salt
  • Water: A bit of extra moisture brings the crust together and makes it workable.

Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie Crust Ingredients

Filling Ingredients

  • Purple Sweet Potatoes: you can find purple sweet potatoes at Whole Foods or other health food stores.
  • Flax Egg: A blend of flax and water, a flax egg replaces a 'real' egg and helps bind the pie together.
  • Maple or Date Syrup: Either syrup will work. Again, maple syrup is sweeter than date syrup, but date syrup will make this entire pie fruit-sweetened.
  • Nut Butter: a nut butter like cashew butter or almond butter adds a source of fat in this pie, which creates a deeper flavor
  • Applesauce: Applesauce adds extra sweetness and helps lighten up the texture of the pie. Be sure to buy unsweetened applesauce to avoid refined sugars
  • Spices: cinnamon & nutmeg
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Salt

Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie Filling Ingredients

How to make Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 2. Steam the sweet potato until fork-tender.

Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie Step 2

Step 3. Meanwhile, add the oat flour, pecans, maple or date syrup, salt, and water to a food processor. Blend until the mixture comes together to form a crust dough.

Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie Step 3

Step 4. Press the crust mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9" deep dish pie plate (I used this pie dish).

Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie Step 4

Step 5. Blend the steamed sweet potato, flax egg, maple syrup, applesauce, cinnamon, and nutmeg in the food processor until smooth.

Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie Step 5

Step 6. Pour the mixture into the pie plate and bake for 65-75 minutes. Avoid opening the oven while the pie bakes. If you have a kitchen thermometer, check for an internal temperature of 160°-180°F.

Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie Step 6

Step 7. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Enjoy warm or refrigerate and eat cold. Enjoy!

Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie Step 7

Expert Tips & FAQ

What are purple sweet potatoes?

Purple sweet potatoes are a type of sweet potato with a purple flesh and skin. Some sweet potatoes (like Japanese sweet potatoes) have a purple skin with white flesh. But purple sweet potatoes have that gorgeous purple flesh.

There are a few varieties of purple sweet potato. The most common is Stokes. These potatoes are mildly sweet and moist, with a vibrant purple interior and are ideal for using in pies.

Choose the right pie dish.

Pie pan sizes are so confusing. There are a lot of different shapes and sizes. This pie works in an 9" deep dish pie pan.

To see if your pie plate will work, measure across the top from edge to edge. Then measure the height by placing your ruler on the outside of the dish. A standard pie dish will be 1" to 1.5" deep, whereas a deep dish is closer to 2" deep.

The pie dish I used for this recipe is considered a deep dish when you bring the crust all the way up the sides. I like this pie dish because if you want a regular-depth pie, like this recipe, you can use the same dish and only bring the crust up to the lower rim.

Make ahead of time.

This recipe is great to make a day or two before you'd like to serve it. The entire pie can be baked and refrigerated until you're ready to serve.

Storage

Store this Purple Sweet Potato Pie in the fridge for up to a week.

You can also freeze this pie if you have leftovers. Remove the pie from the dish and wrap tightly in plastic wrap before placing in another container.

Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie

Recipe Prayer

Thank you God for healthy desserts that allow us to enjoy delicious flavor while also nourishing our bodies. Amen.

Related Recipes

More vegan Thanksgiving desserts:

Tried this recipe?

Please leave a review in the comments section below. You can also stay in touch with me on social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok or by subscribing to my newsletter.

**This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase from these links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more information see my disclosure here.

Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie

Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie is a colorful twist on the classic sweet potato pie. This plant-based pie is gluten-free and dairy-free, yet still rich and decadent. A delicious vegan Thanksgiving dessert.

Author:

Elizabeth

Serves:

12

Prep:

25

min

cook:

75

min

total:

100

min

Ingredients

Crust

  • 2 Cups Oat Flour
  • 1/3 Cup Pecans
  • 1/3 Cup Maple or Date Syrup
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
  • 2-3 Tablespoons Water

Filling

  • 2 Pounds Purple Sweet Potatoes, peeled & sliced or roughly chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons Ground Flax + 3 Tablespoons Water
  • 2/3 Cup Maple or Date Syrup
  • 1/2 Cup Nut Butter
  • 1/3 Cup Applesauce
  • 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Steam the sweet potato until fork-tender.
  3. Meanwhile, add the oat flour, pecans, maple or date syrup, salt, and water to a food processor. Blend until the mixture comes together to form a crust dough.
  4. Press the crust mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9" deep dish pie plate (I used this pie dish).
  5. Blend the steamed sweet potato, flax egg, maple syrup, applesauce, cinnamon, and nutmeg in the food processor until smooth.
  6. Pour the mixture into the pie plate and bake for 65-75 minutes. Avoid opening the oven while the pie bakes. If you have a kitchen thermometer, check for an internal temperature of 160°-180°F.
  7. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Enjoy warm or refrigerate and eat cold. Enjoy!
Thanks for contributing to our community! Your comment will appear shortly.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
March 28, 2023
Paula
Made these today and they’re delicious. Easy to make and didn’t take long to bake in convection oven. Thanks for your creativity. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Hi Paula - Thanks so much for your comment :) So glad to hear that you tried the nuggets and enjoyed them! Can't wait to hear how it goes with other recipes you try!
March 17, 2023
merlinda
thanks for ginger tea recipe it's really good remedy for cold and flu.
January 15, 2023
Kathy
I really appreciated your ginger tea recipe. I also read it is great for morning also.
December 3, 2022
Beth
I made one like this a few years ago. Super yummy! Now I need to try some of your recipes. But where to start???🤷‍♀️💕💕
November 21, 2022
Virginia Sparks
I was in the middle of making your Tempeh Swiss Chard recipe and noticed you never mentioned how much Swiss Chard to add. I just added the sautéed tempeh towards the end and mixed it all together. I also reduced the amount of red pepper flakes.
Hi Jenny - so sorry about that! It should be one bunch. I've updated the recipe to include the correct information. Thanks!
November 20, 2022
Elissa
This looks fantastic! Do you think we could substitute butternut squash for the acorn squash?
Hi Elissa - you can definitely use butternut squash. In terms of texture, the pie will be exactly the same with either squash. I'd recommend using the volume measurement instead of the weight measurement, since the density of butternut squash isn't exactly the same as acorn squash. Also, the flavor of the butternut squash might come through in the end pie a bit more prominently than acorn squash does, but I don't think it will be too noticeable. Let me know how it goes if you try with the butternut squash. I'd love to hear!
November 8, 2022
Gerry rauch
I AM NEWLY VEGAN (MOSTLY), HARD GETTING AROUND CHEESE WHEN GOING T FRIENDS HOUSES OR OUT TO EAT WITH SOME GROUPS….OK WITH THAT….DONE W MEAT…BUT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOLIDAY COOKING FOR MY LARGER, MEAT-EATING FAMILY…ESP CHRISTMAS DINNER…..SUGGESTIONS? THANKS
October 31, 2022
Debbie G.
Hi Elizabeth!Love your recipe prayer! I've never seen anyone else include a prayer with their recipes. Nicely done and to God be all the Glory!Blessings,Debbie
October 8, 2022
Noam
Just made a half batch of these and they came out really good! I learned I don’t know how to work with melted chocolate yet haha but I got it done!
Hi Noam - Glad you liked these bars! And I feel ya on the chocolate - somehow it is always a messy process. Thanks so much for sharing!
September 5, 2022
Sara
I get most of my recipes from youtube. I would love to see you on there. I didn't see a link for a youtube channel, just wanted to ask to be sure. God bless hon and thanks for this tasty recipe.
Hi Sara - thanks so much for your kind words. I am starting to post more on YouTube (I currently only have a few videos posted) but here's the link to my channel if you'd like to check it out: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl2QgTWxlePeiezIu6l_BUg -Elizabeth
August 17, 2022
Katherine
THIS LOOKS DELICIOUS! DID YOU USE FIRE-ROASTED TOMATOES?
Hi Katherine - yes, I did use fire-roasted tomatoes when I photographed this recipe. I don't call for fire roasted in the recipe because it's intended to be a basic, use-in-anything type recipe. But it does taste delicious with the fire roasted tomatoes! -- Elizabeth
August 15, 2022
Cat Lewis
Hello - Is there a way to PIN this recipe? Thanks.
Hi Cat - yes, I just fixed an error on the site. You should be able to see a button above the very first image on the page that will allow you to pin the recipe. Let me know if you're still having trouble.
August 12, 2022
Allison Macfarlane
As someone who has pretty much never successfully scrambled tofu - this was the best scrambled breakfast dish I've ever had - better than eggs and the seasoning is truly delicious!!
Oh, amazing! So glad to hear it went well :) This is definitely one of my favorites - thanks for sharing your kind words! -- Elizabeth
August 4, 2022
Mary Merkelhess
The pesto is lovely! So happy to avoid the cheese and oil.
Hi Mary - So glad you like the pesto! I'm also happy to avoid the cheese and oil :) Thanks so much for your kind words!
July 21, 2022
Debra
I enjoy reading through your recipes and will be trying a few later in the week. I especially like the prayers at the end of each recipe. It reminds me to be grateful God provides me with so many beautiful and nourishing fruits and veggies.
Hi Debra - thank you so much for your kind words! I can't wait to hear how it goes when you try some of the recipes :)
June 22, 2022
Vickie
I really enjoyed this recipe. Fits PERFECTLY in my allergy to foods world. I used Ripple milk and no sugar added SunButter. Was truly surprised at how quickly the recipe came together! Thank you!
Hi Vickie - I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe and that it works with your allergies. Thanks so much for leaving a comment with your kind words!
June 21, 2022
Linda Casados
It's close to my bedtime, but I've been thinking about making this recipe all day, so I made it just now. After all, it only takes 15 minutes! I used what I had, so I made a few minor substitutions...white beans for cannellini, purple basil from my garden, red onion for more color, and date syrup for maple. I took a bite before putting it in the fridge for tomorrow, and oh my! It's delightfully flavorful, light, and fresh-tasting. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Hi Linda - I'm so glad you liked the recipe - and your substitutions sound great (wish I was growing purple basil in my garden!) Thanks so much for sharing!
June 18, 2022
Carol
Hi, is this ice cream soft to scoop out? I always find my ice creams are hard.
Hi Carol - yes, this ice cream is soft if you let it thaw a few minutes after you take it out from the freezer. It can become pretty solid if it's in a deep freezer, but still thaws quickly on the counter. Hope this helps!
June 18, 2022
Sonia Hope St Claire
thank you for the recipe.
June 13, 2022
Alexandra
I made this pie for my friend who recently discovered she has severe allergies to egg whites, gluten, and dairy. Her favorite pie is sweet potato pie :) She loved it and so did I!
Hi Alexandra - so great to hear from you!! I'm so happy you tried this pie and I'm glad you enjoyed it! It is seriously one of my favorite recipes :) -- Elizabeth
June 7, 2022
Harriett Whited
Love it!!! Wonderful!
Thanks for your feedback! Glad you love this recipe :)
June 7, 2022
Katherine
Hi Elizabeth! I found you by searching for plant based Catholics! There are very few of us! Thank you for your site and sharing recipes!! I look forward to trying these muffins! Can sugar be reduced safely in most of your recipes? -JMJ-
Hi Katherine, Thanks so much for reaching out! Glad to meet another plant-based Catholic - agree, there are so few of us. As for sugar, I never use white granulated sugar in any of my recipes. Most use maple syrup or date sugar/date syrup. I'm not sure if this is what you mean, or if you're asking about reducing the amount of date sugar that the recipe calls for. If that's the case, it really depends on the recipe. A lot of the baking recipes have specific ratios of flour to sugar and wet to dry, so it may not go well if you change the amount of sugar. I hope this helps, but if I didn't answer your question, please let me know. Also happy to advise on a particular recipe if you're looking to change it. Let me know how I can help :) Elizabeth
June 2, 2022
Sharon
Love this vegan lentil/mushroom stew! For some odd reason, I had never thought to put mushrooms into my lentil stew. Thank you for a wonderful addition to my recipe box!
Hi Sharon - I'm so glad you are enjoying this recipe (mushrooms are so good!!). Thank you for taking the time to share :) Elizabeth
May 23, 2022
Geraldine
Hello, I found you on FB and really enjoy your Catholic Plant Based GF information & recipes. About the Chickpea beet burgers: if the beans are dried and not cooked, do you think it is enough cooking for the beans? If beans are not cooked completely I have read they are toxic with phytic acid & also cause digestive problems. I am just wondering and will leave it to you to decide/research. To be safe I am toasting canned garbanzos and trying that way out. God Bless
Hi Geraldine, Thanks so much for reaching out. In the beet burgers, the beans do get cooked when the burgers are cooked. You soak them first and then incorporate the beans into the burger patty, then cook the patty. I find that this is the best way to achieve the proper burger texture - if you use pre-cooked beans or canned beans the burgers are mushy and don't get crisp. Your solution of toasting the beans sounds like a great idea to completely ensure the beans are cooked fully - I hope that it worked for you and your burgers turned out well! -- Elizabeth
May 18, 2022
viki avgen (i am israel)
hi,thank you for the recepie of the banana.Iam diebetik and i would love any recepies without sugar. thank you
Hi Viki - thanks so much for your kind words! Several of my other dessert recipes are only sweetened with fruit - you can find them on my Desserts page. If you have any specific requests, please let me know! -- Elizabeth
April 28, 2022
Jean Mastin
Elizabeth: Thank you so much for making my meal times wonderful again. I am 86 yrs plus, and was finding eating dull and dreary. Now it is " scrum delicious time to eat". . Blessings de Jean
Hi Jean - Thanks so much for your kind words. I'm so glad you are enjoying my recipes. Please let me know if you ever have recipe requests or if there's anything else I can do to keep your meals delicious!
April 9, 2022
Katie
Can you leave nutritional info for your recipes? Serving size/calories would be so helpful! Trying mushroom lentil stew tonight! and looking forward to crispy chickpea stuffed sweet potatoes very soon. Thanks for creating healthy, attractive recipes!
Hi Katie - so excited to hear that you are trying some of my recipes! I'd love to hear how they go. I haven't posted nutritional information for my recipes because I know it can be difficult for some people with disordered eating to see nutrition facts. I've gotten a lot of requests to add them recently, so I'm working on a solution that can provide information for those who want it but not be triggering for others. In the meantime, if you're curious about the nutrient info about a particular recipe, I recommend using Cronometer. It's a website/app to track and understand nutrient info and I think it does a great job of emphasizing all the nutrients (not just macros). I hope this helps! Please let me know if I can help in any other way.
April 9, 2022
Vickey
U mentioned date sugar on this recipe but it’s not in the instructions. I know u add it but just in case u wanna add to instructions. Love ur recipes! Thank u. I’m thinking of going to vegan a little nervous tho lol
Hi Vickey - thanks so much for catching that! I am updating the post now. So happy to hear you enjoy my recipes. And exciting that you are thinking about going vegan!! If there's anything that I can do to help, please let me know.
March 28, 2022
Sr Maureen Egan
I'd love to try this soup. What are the nutritional values, like how much fat does it contain, carbs, etc.
Hi Sr Maureen - I usually don't post macronutrient information because I know each person has their own goals and I don't want to encourage or discourage anyone's specific goals. But I often use Cronometer as a tool to understand the nutritional profile of my recipes. I plugged the ingredient information for this recipe into Cronometer and got the following nutrient information per serving: 521 calories, 44g fat, 23g carbs, 16g protein. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions and if you try the recipe!
March 26, 2022
Margareta Ahle
This curry is absolutely delicious.
Thank you so much! It's one of my favorites :)
March 23, 2022
Martha maloney
Thank you I have been doing the fruit and oatmeal, etc for years and I love it. I will try the pears. I refrigerate my left over oatmeal and with a touch of milk or fruit juice liquid it’s fine the next day. Just a warning about tofu; it interferes with some medicines especially Thyroid medicine. Thank you for the short prayers, there are lovely.
Hi Martha - thank you so much for your kind words. I'm glad you like the prayers! As someone who doesn't take any medications I have no issues with eating tofu and encouraging others to eat it too (it's a great source of protein!). That said, you should always consult with your doctor about possible interactions with medications. I have plenty of recipes without tofu, so hopefully you can find things that work for you!
March 3, 2022
Susan Cunningham
I made this for Ash Wednesday and it was delicious. It was also simple and not much work time once the mushrooms and onions were cut.
Hi Susan - I'm so glad you liked it!
March 1, 2022
Jade
When you say shape into a rectangular loaf, what dimensions? 1/2 thick by 8 inches long or?
My loaf was about 7" long and 4" wide with about 1" of height. Then I sliced it 1/2" thick along the long end to get 12ish biscotti. I will clarify this in the post! Let me know if this makes sense and if you have any other questions.
January 16, 2022
Tracy Henry
Made this tonight. Absolutely delicious Elizabeth. You got this one just right!
Oh yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed it :)
January 16, 2022
L Collins
Hi Could you please confirm two things:1. The amount of salt. Seems like too much. 2. The directions say there is lemon juice in the dressing but it’s not listed under ingredients. ThanksL.
Hi there! Confirming that the two teaspoons of salt in the dressing is correct. I didn't salt the cauliflower when roasting it or the salad after it was done, so this amount of salt was perfect. If you're concerned about it you can decrease the amount of salt in the dressing and then add more at the end if you need it. As for the lemon juice, SO sorry about that! It was a typo in my directions and I've removed it now. Hope this helps :)
December 20, 2021
Martha
This looks lovely! Do you have a recipe for the red pepper hummus also? Thank you!
Hi Martha! I don't have a recipe for red pepper hummus on my site. I suggest taking a traditional hummus recipe and blending in roasted red pepper.
November 22, 2021
Amanda J Lehmann
I tried these and they were delicious! A bit dense but flavorful and the "buckeye" blend of peanut and chocolate was on point! Recommend!
Yay! I'm so glad you liked them! -- Elizabeth
December 6, 2021
Grace
Hi, these look amazing. I was wondering, could I used powdered peanut butter in place of creamy for the recipe? thanks
Hi Grace! There is already some powdered peanut butter in this recipe, so adding more might make the texture more gluey. Also, the real peanut butter adds some fat, which helps create flavor. That said, if you want to use powdered peanut butter, I would suggest mixing it with a high-fat liquid like coconut cream and then measuring out 2/3 cup. Hope this helps! Let me know how it goes :) -- Elizabeth
November 15, 2021
Becky
You mention using vegetable broth in your introduction but it isn’t included in the recipe
Hi Becky - thanks for pointing this out. I have removed mention of vegetable broth from this post. You do not need any vegetable broth. The mushrooms will release natural liquid which will prevent any sticking. -- Elizabeth
September 23, 2021
Tracy Henry
Hi Elizabeth, LOVE you recipes. Please keep them coming. :)I was wondering, can you share what is the vegan chocolate bar you used in this recipe?
August 28, 2021
Henry (Hank) Mader
thank you for the oil free recipe. I'm getting introduced to wild Bolete mushrooms here in Colorado, and everyone sautes Bolete's in butter or olive oil. I'm on a veggie, oil free regimen for heart health reasons. and your recipe suggestion may fill the bill. I can't wait to give it a try.
August 13, 2021
Lindsey Kuhn
This is so fun! Loving your creamy photography :)
August 13, 2021
Lindsey Kuhn
This looks incredible! So yummy and pretty photography