Sweet Potato Pie is a Dairy-Free Classic Holiday Dessert

This rich, dairy-free sweet potato pie recipe was originally adapted from a beloved recipe on Allrecipes. We opt to bake the sweet potatoes for more natural sweetness and flavor, use part brown sugar (we also have a reduced sugar option), and swap in lite coconut milk for a seamless finish. We originally posted this recipe way back in 2006, but recently gave it another test run and update! Fortunately, good recipes never get old.

This Dairy-Free Sweet Potato Pie is a Classic Holiday Dessert

I have just a couple important tips to emphasize and some topping ideas to help you make the perfect sweet potato pie.

Be Patient: Let the pie cool completely (uncovered) at room temperature, and then refrigerate it until set. If you serve it too early, it won’t be set. If you cover it while warm, this will trap steam, resulting in a soggy crust and a filling that doesn’t set. It will set, just give it time!

Lite Coconut Milk Alternatives: We like lite canned coconut milk in this recipe because it’s lightly rich, and helps the pie set a little more, but doesn’t impart a notable coconut flavor. If you want the pie to be richer and thicker, you can use full-fat canned coconut milk instead of lite. It sets up firmer, but imparts a faint coconut flavor that some might notice, others might not. Fortunately, coconut melds well with the flavors in this recipe. If you need a coconut alternative, I recommend using a dairy-free creamer or “half and half” (like Silk or Ripple) or a homemade nut cream. Regular milk beverages aren’t rich enough. If you use a sweetened creamer, adjust the sugar accordingly.

Toppings: You can serve it with a dollop of homemade coconut whip or soy whip, or use store-bought whipped cream. Vanilla dairy-free ice cream also makes a great topping. Regular or candied pecans are a pretty seasonal choice, which you can set on the pie as it cools. Or, once the pie is set, top each slice with a jumbo marshmallow and use a creme brulee torch to melt and brown it (as pictured).

Special Diet Notes: Dairy-Free Sweet Potato Pie

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, optionally gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, optionally soy-free, and vegetarian.

Need Egg-Free? To keep it traditional, this dairy-free sweet potato pie recipe does use eggs. If you confuse eggs with dairy, you’re not alone. See this post: Are Eggs Dairy? If you need an egg-free and vegan version, enjoy this Vegan Caramel Sweet Potato Pie.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Dairy-Free Sweet Potato Pie

 

Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

105 mins

Total time

2 hours 5 mins

 

Several tweaks to a popular online recipe, and this delicious dairy-free sweet potato pie was born. It's a rich, sweet, and special holiday dessert. In a pinch, you can use one 15-ounce or 17-ounce can of sweet potatoes, but roasting fresh sweet potatoes adds so much flavor. Please note that the Prep time is hands-on time only. This is a great make ahead recipe since the pie needs time to cool and set.

Author: Adapted from Allrecipes

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Serves: 1 (9-inch) pie

Ingredients

• 1 pound sweet potatoes
• ½ cup dairy-free buttery sticks or spread
• ½ cup brown sugar (see Sugar Note below)
• ½ cup sugar (see Sugar Note below)
• ½ cup canned coconut milk (do not substitute milk beverage)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Pinch salt
• 1 (9-inch) unbaked dairy-free pie crust (use a gluten-free crust, if needed)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400ºF and line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of foil.
2. Prick the sweet potatoes several times and place them on your prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are very tender.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF.
5. Once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them open and scoop all of the flesh into a mixing bowl.
6. Add the buttery stick to the sweet potato and beat with a hand mixer until relatively smooth. Add the sugars, coconut milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Beat with your hand mixer on medium speed until the mixture is smooth.
7. Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust.
8. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean. The pie will puff up a bit like a souffle and sink a bit as it cools.
9. Let the pie cool completely at room temperature (about 2 hours). Then refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours or overnight.

Notes

Sugar Note: As is, this is a classically sweet pie. Sometimes I prefer to reduce each sugar to ⅓ cup, particularly if the sweet potato is quite sweet.

Spice Note: If you prefer a little more spice, you can add ¼ teaspoon ground ginger and ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves with the spices.

3.5.3229

Key Pantry Supplies: Dairy-Free Sweet Potato Pie

More Beloved Dairy-Free Holiday Pies

The Best Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Butterscotch Apple Pie