Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie
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This is a showstopper of a pie! This vegan purple sweet potato pie has a natural, bright purple color and a sweet and creamy filling, and is surrounded by a coconut almond crust. Add some vegan coconut whipped cream, and you’re in heaven!
Like the sister to pumpkin pie, this vegan purple sweet potato pie is just as flavorful, using all the soul-warming spices: cinnamon, allspice, and ground ginger.
Using ingredients like coconut milk, maple syrup, and almond meal ensures that this recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and entirely vegan—so no one will be left out of this perfect dessert moment!
What are purple sweet potatoes?
Never seen purple sweet potatoes or yams before? Let’s break down the magic behind that bright purple pie!
This pretty vegan purple sweet potato pie is made with a type of yam called purple sweet potato. These yams are similar to purple ube yams and range in color from lavender to vibrant purple.
Yams and sweet potatoes are not the same thing, but they’re pretty close. For the purposes of this vegan purple sweet potato pie recipe, purple yams are easily substituted for traditional sweet potatoes. No one eating this cream pie will know the difference, especially when there’s no compromise on flavor or texture—it’s delicious!
Do purple sweet potatoes taste different?
Purple yams are sweet; however, they are more starchy than orange yams or sweet potatoes. They’re quite similar, so you can use them all the same in your cooking or baking.
Where do you get purple sweet potatoes?
If you don’t spot purple yams or purple sweet potatoes in your local grocery store, you may have to head to an Asian market or store to find them.
Recipe FAQs
Is sweet potato pie like pumpkin pie?
It’s a close cousin to pumpkin pie, sharing some of the same ingredients and flavors as well as a similar texture.
Can I use orange yams or sweet potatoes instead of purple?
You can absolutely swap in any orange variety of yam or sweet potato to make this vegan purple sweet potato pie.
How to store sweet potato pie?
Let the pie cool completely before storing it. Cover the pie with a reusable wrapper or tin foil and place in the fridge for 2-3 days. If wrapped tightly in parchment paper and then tin foil, it will keep in the freezer for a couple of months.
Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
Ingredients
The Crust
- 1 cup almond meal
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil (plus more for the pan)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Pie Filling
- 2 lb purple yams (peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds (about 4 cups worth))
- ¾ cup canned coconut milk (not light!)
- ½ cup maple syrup (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (neither amounts are very spicy but the ½ teaspoon does stand out more)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- Coconut whipped cream (to serve)
Instructions
The Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9" pie pan with coconut oil.
- Mix all the crust ingredients in a large bowl then transfer them to the prepared pie pan. Wet your hands lightly to prevent the crust from sticking to them then press the crust into the pan, making sure it is even on the sides and bottom.1 cup almond meal, 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, ¼ cup melted coconut oil, ¼ cup maple syrup, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Bake the crust in the oven for 10 minutes. When you remove it from the oven, the crust will be puffed up and light golden brown. Use the back of a spoon to gently push the crust down so there is room for the filling.
Pie Filling
- Bring an inch of water to a boil in a medium-sized pot. Add the purple yams and steam for 10 minutes, or until the yams can be pierced with a fork. Drain the yams then put them in a high-powered blender or food processor.2 lb purple yams
- Add the rest of the pie filling ingredients and blend on high until everything is smooth and creamy.¾ cup canned coconut milk, ½ cup maple syrup, 2 tablespoons tapioca starch, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon allspice, ¼ – ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- Pour the pie filling into the baked pie shell and smooth out the top. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the pie has set but still has a little jiggle in the middle. Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool completely before serving it.
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
I love purple and I love hidden vegetable desserts so this is going to be a must try for me! Thanks for sharing!
Hiding veggies in desserts is the best, right?! I’m actually working on a veggies cookie recipe right now. 🙂
Do you think it would change much to bake the ube instead of boil them?
This is so beautiful I can’t wait to try it.
W/a Smile, Tiana
I haven’t tried making the pie with baked ube, but I suspect it would turn out great that way, too. 🙂
I so want to try this. This was another one of the first things I saw on your blog that totally caught my eye, and I’m not a sweet potato yam person. IIt’s just so colorful! n this little corner of the world, I’ll not find almond flour, and if I did, it would be priced soooo high. I saw someone else asking you about coconut flour, which I do have. I found another blogger that tells how to use it and make pie crusts and more with it. That said, I tried it for our American thanksgiving and really wasn’t too fond of it. Now, we did have a power outage, so my oven didn’t work and had to use a neighbors. His oven cooks hot and my crust burnt a bit, so maybe it could be useable. Definitely a different texture though, no matter what you make and it does take a “lot” more moisture and eggs.
That’s been my (limited) experience with coconut flour, too. I really can’t understand what people like about it. It tastes like sawdust to me lol. Do you eat gluten free? If not you could try a traditional pie crust, or even use graham crackers. 🙂
You can make almond flour with almonds and a food processor. The amount of time you process is the difference between almond meal and flour. You store the result in a seal container in the fridge.
Yes, you definitely can. It’s a bit more time consuming though so I tend to just buy almond flour. 🙂
We just found your recipe via Buzzfeed. And wow! What gorgeous color!
We also distribute Stokes Purple Sweet Potatoes that are available in many supermarkets across the country. Maybe we should send some to you to try as well….since it seems to me you like purple food? 🙂 Email me back and I’ll send you some.
Thank you! I usually pick up my purple sweet potatoes from the market up the road (and I don’t think you’d be able to ship to Canada) but thank you for the offer. So sweet of you.
And you’d be right about that! 🙂
I haven’t tried leaving it out, but I suspect you could. I would sub equal parts of almond flour instead. I’d love to hear how it goes if you make it!
Hi I wanted to know how necessary the shredded coconut is. I generally don’t like the texture of shredded coconut in my desserts and find it over takes the softness of moist desserts. What I mean is that it doesn’t blend in with the recipe and you can taste the pieces. Is it possible to do this recipe without the shredded coconut or will it taste weird or not bond well without it? Or is there a substitute I can use? Or will the shredded coconut texture not be obvious when I taste it? Just to clarify I like coconut flavoured deserts but don’t like the texture of actual coconut.
I haven’t tried leaving it out, but I suspect you could. I would sub equal parts of almond flour (almond meal) instead. I’d love to hear how it goes if you make it!
Yummmmmmm
I was home sick on thanksgiving & when I was finally hungry I made a sweet potato soup.
Had leftover potato & made a mini pie in a tart pan & this was to die for!!!!!!!!!!!
I made another today as I had extra filling but had run out of shredded coconut.
I wanted to try coconut flour as my mother in law doesn’t like the texture.
How much coconut flour should I use?
it’s not a one to one ratio with the shredded coconut.
Should I add any liquid or more coconut oil & maple syrup??
Thanks ???
Pie two days in a row … I love it! Lucky lady!
As far as the coconut flour goes, I have to admit that I agree with your mother in law. I’m really not a fan of the texture either so I never use it. I know that it’s not something that can be easily substituted in recipes and it tends to absorb a lot of liquid and turn kinda sawdusty. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help!
If you end up experimenting do let us all know how it goes. I’d love to hear the results!
this looks beautiful! I really hope I can find purple yams so I can make this! Purple is my favorite color!
Thanks, Heather! I’ll cross my fingers that you find purple yams!
I’m pretty much in your neck of the woods (New West.) and I’ve never seen purple yams….(although I have to admit I haven’t been looking for them,) Where did you find them?
Hi Lea!
I generally have pretty good luck finding them at T&T (I shop at their Chinatown store, but I’m sure they have similar produce at all of them) or I get them from Sunrise Market, a little grocer on Powell Street
I don’t know the grocery stores in New West very well, but if there is an Asian market close to you I’d start by looking there.
I hope that helps!
Thanks Kristen. If I don’t find them at an Asian Mkt nearby, I will hit T&T the next time I am in Metrotown. I want to make this pie!!
I’ll keep my fingers crossed that you find them there! Most of the time they do carry them. 🙂
I just made this! It’s amazing! I ended up using honey instead of maple syrup, since I didn’t have any, and it took a bit more to make it as sweet as I like. I think next time I will try it with syrup and without cayenne. It was a bit too spicy for me. Overall, this is the best good for you dessert recipe I have ever made. And holy moly…. The crust…. I might just make it by itself. It’s incredible.
I’m so happy it turned out for you! And thanks for the note about the spice … I have a serious love for anything spicy so sometimes my perception can be way off lol. 🙂
uhm, yes please! i just found purple sweet potatoes at my local market!
I’m so happy you found them! They’re so sweet and delicious!!
This is stunning! Purple food just makes me so happy and hungry 🙂 I have a purple sweet potato frosting recipe, but I think this is even cooler!
Whoa … purple sweet potato frosting? That sounds amazing! Heading over to check that out now. 🙂
Love the color, too bad that I had never seen purple sweet potatoes in Mexico. Maybe will try it with yellow sweet potatoes, but the color will be lost. Pinned!
That is too bad! You could definitely sub regular sweet potatoes if you wanted to forgo the colour but keep all the vegan-y, grain-free goodness of this pie. Thanks for the pin!
Wow that looks amazing!! I am saving this recipe. I love purple sweet potatoes, the color is just astounding–this is certainly a good use for it 🙂
Thanks, June! They really are amazing, aren’t they?! 🙂
Just for you, my friend! Thanks so much for pinning!! 🙂
Thanks, Michelle! I just read somewhere that you can sometimes find frozen purple yams. I’ve never seen them but if you’re having trouble sourcing them it might be worth looking there. 🙂