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Grandma’s Sweet Potato Pecan Pie is made up of a sweet caramel pecan pie layer over a creamy sweet potato pie base. It’s 2 pies in one! This southern dessert is a MUST HAVE for the holidays!
Grandma “Honey” was her name. I couldn’t wait every Thanksgiving to devour this sweet potato pecan pie. This is a vegan version of this pie but the taste and comfort are still there.
Is this Just a Sweet Potato Pie with Pecans on top?
NO!
It’s NOT a sweet potato pie with pecans on it.
It’s two pies combined into one. I make the bottom layer like a traditional sweet potato pie. I pre-bake this to set the sweet potato pie filling.
Then I make the top layer like a traditional pecan pie. This pecan pie filling is then poured over the set sweet potato pie base and baked all together until it’s done!
The flavor combinations are out of this world!
How do I Make Sure My Sweet Potato Pecan Pie Sets without Eggs?
Since this recipe is vegan there are no eggs in this pie. Eggs act as a binder and bakery goods so things won’t fall apart. So to ensure this pie sets firmly and holds like a pie should there are 2 KEY ingredients you will need to use:
- Flaxseed Egg. This is just ground flaxseed and water mixed to form a gel-like substance. This not only helps bind things together but also adds some fat content in like an actual egg.
- Corn Starch. This is a super necessary ingredient for binding and firming both layers of the pie. I would NOT try to substitute this with any other flour or starch as you might not get the same result.
How do I Serve this Sweet Potato Pecan Pie?
- This sweet potato pecan pie can be served on its own either chilled, room temperature, or warmed. This is my preferred way as it doesn’t need anything additional!
- On my Vegan Thanksgiving table served topped with vegan whipped cream or vegan ice cream.
- For those with a super sweet tooth, you can drizzle some Date Caramel Sauce on top or even spread with some Crockpot Apple Butter!
How to Make Sweet Potato Pecan Pie?
*Please read detailed and printable recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions
Sweet Potato Filling
- Add your sugar, cornstarch, and spices to your cooked sweet potatoes. Grab a mixer and whip your ingredients until combined. (Photos 1 & 2)
- Add sweet potato filling to your pie crust and bake for 20 minutes until firmly set. (Photos 3 & 4)
Pecan Pie Filling
- Assemble your pecan pie filling ingredients in a bowl whip until fully combined with your hand mixer. Pour pecan pie filling on top of set sweet potato pie base and bake until done. (Photos 1 & 2)
- Top with pecans and bake until done. Allow cooling for a couple of hours before slicing as it will hold better. (Photos 3 & 4)
Substitution, Cook, & Storage Tips:
- Feel free to get creative and try this recipe with pumpkin or butternut squash.
- If you want to step outside the box, dare to try this recipe with Japanese White Sweet Potatoes!
- Garnet potatoes would be good with this as they are naturally sweeter than regular sweet potatoes and have a beautiful dark orange flesh.
- If you don’t like pecans, use walnuts instead. It would no longer be called a sweet potato pecan pie but it will be just as yummy!
- You can also mix chopped pecans in your pecan filling if you desire.
- Please DO NOT skip the cornstarch or flaxseed egg in this recipe. I cannot guarantee how it will turn out if you omit those ingredients.
- Leftovers. After baking, sweet potato pecan pie should be left at room temperature at least 2 hours before serving or storage. Within 4 hours, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator storing up to 4 days.
- Freezer. This pie will last 1 month in the freezer. To freeze, wrap the pie tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap. You can also place the pie in a heavy-duty freezer bag. To thaw, in the overnight and reheat for 20 minutes in a low oven.
Vegan with Curves Star Ingredient:
Sweet Potatoes are the Vegan With Curves star of this dish! One sweet potato has 23 grams of “curvy” carbohydrates.
To make this more weight loss (waste/weight release friendly) you could:
- Don’t serve with additional toppings like whipped cream or ice cream.
- Use a sugar substitute like monk fruit or erythritol.
- Use pumpkin instead of sweet potatoes as it’s lower in carbohydrates and calories overall.
- Keep in mind that this is a dessert is not meant to be a weight-loss item so eat sparingly.
“This pecan sweet potato pie is so good late at night! I knew Honey taught you well!” my dad texted me one enjoying this Sweet Potato Pecan Pie. Don’t be surprised if you get those same types of reactions from your family.
From my family’s tradition to your kitchen. Enjoy!
More Sweet Potato Recipes You’ll Love:
Other Vegan Desserts to Try:
- Pumpkin Pie Bars
- Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
- Vegan Lemon Cake
- Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake
- Banana Cinnamon Muffins
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Grandma's Sweet Potato Pecan Pie
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Filling
- 2 cups water for boiling water
- 1 large sweet potato (2 medium sweet potatoes) Should yield app 2 cups chopped - see notes
- ¼ cup organic cane sugar see notes
- 2 tablespoons corn starch see notes
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon soften/melted vegan butter see notes
- 1 tablespoon apple sauce
- 3 tablespoons coconut cream (3 tablespoons equal one small 5.4-ounce can) NOT COCONUT MILK - see notes
- 1 teaspoon squeeze orange or squeeze lemon
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pecan Filling
- 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 7 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoon corn starch
- ¼ cup organic brown sugar see notes
- ⅓ cup rice syrup see notes
- 2 tablespoon dark corn syrup see notes
- 4 tablespoon melted vegan butter see notes
- 3 tablespoons apple sauce
Instructions
- If using a pre brought crust, thaw out before use. If you have a pie crust recipe to use, prepare that before you prepare the filling.
- Mix your 3 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds with 7 tablespoons of water to make flaxseed eggs and set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F (200°C) degrees.
Sweet Potato Filling
- Pour water in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Rinse, peel, and chop your sweet potatoes. Add chopped sweet potatoes to boiling water and boil for about 15 or until "fork tender" (meaning they are soft and a fork can pierce through them). Once potatoes are done, drain in a colander and add to a large mixing bowl.
- Add organic cane sugar, cornstarch, sea salt, cinnamon powder, soften/melted vegan butter, applesauce, coconut cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Beat with your electric mixer until fully combined. If you don't have a hand mixer, add this to your food processor and blend. Or you mash with a potato masher then take a whisk and whip well until ingredients are fully combined. Taste and adjust flavors to your liking.
- Add your sweet potato filling to your pie crust and bake for 20 minutes to set the filling. While sweet potato pie base is baking, rinse out the large mixing bowl used to assemble your sweet pie filling to now use for your pecan pie filling.
Pecan Pie Filling
- In a large mixing bowl, add corn starch, organic brown sugar, rice syrup, corn syrup, apple sauce, and flaxseed eggs. Use your electric mixer to whip filling. If you don't have a hand mixer, add this to your food processor or high-speed blender and blend. Taste and adjust sweetness to your liking. (Should be sweet enough but you can add more sugar if you desire).
- If you desire you can crumble up some pecans and fold it into your syrup mixture or you can save that part of for last and place it on top of the pie. Your choice.
- Remove your sweet potato pie from the oven (leave the oven on) after 20 minutes of baking is done. The sweet potato pie base should be set. Pour pecan filling on top of set sweet potato filling. Top it off with some pecans arranging them to your liking.
- Put the pie back in the oven on the bottom for an additional 20 to 25 minutes until it bubbles and turns brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours to set before serving or storage.
- Leftovers will keep lightly covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for 4 days. This pie will last 1 month in the freezer. Please read blog post under Substitution, Cook, & Storage Tips: on how to properly store your pie in the freezer.
Video
Notes
- SWEET POTATOES: If you don't like sweet potatoes use pumpkin or butternut squash instead. If you want to step outside the box, dare to try this recipe with Japanese White Sweet Potatoes! Garnet Sweet Potatoes would be good with this as well.
- ORGANIC SUGAR: I use organic sugar to ensure it's vegan (meaning it's not filtered through bone char). Use whatever sugar you have on hand and that is available to you.
- COCONUT CREAM: Coconut cream is typically found in the ethnic/Asain cooking aisle of your grocery store in a small 5.4 ounce can. (You can order some on Amazon HERE.) If you cannot find coconut cream, buy canned coconut milk and place it in the refrigerator for an hour. Then open your can of coconut milk and scrape off 3 tablespoons of the coconut cream that settles at the top. DO NOT mix the liquid with the cream. We need CREAM for this recipe, not the milk.
- EGG SUBSTITUTES: DO NOT skip the cornstarch or flaxseed egg in this recipe. I cannot guarantee how it will turn out if you omit those ingredients or even substitute for some other flour/starch. (I don't know how it will hold with regular flour or tapioca starch or arrowroot flour, etc. Try those at your own risk but I don't recommend it.)
- VEGAN BUTTER: I prefer to use the vegan butter in the sticks as they are made for baking. But the spread works well too. Use whatever you have on hand or what's available in your area. You can substitute the vegan butter for coconut oil.
- SYRUPS: Both rice syrup and corn syrup are thick which is why they work for this recipe. The only other syrup I could see working with this recipe is coconut nectar because it's thick. I CANNOT guarantee how it will turn out with any other syrup. Also, you can use just one syrup if you don't want to use both. As with ALL ingredients that have been substituted and omitted, USE THE SAME AMOUNTS AS DESCRIBED IN THE RECIPE. For instance, if you omit corn syrup, use ⅓ cup of rice syrup PLUS 2 additional tablespoons of rice syrup or 2 tablespoons of coconut nectar.
- ADDITIONS & SUBSTITUTIONS: If you don’t like pecans, use walnuts instead. You can also mix chopped walnuts or pecans in your pecan filling if you desire.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published on November 21, 2018, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, tips, and a video on November 18, 2019.
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