One Tasty Pie Filling
The best part of this sweet potato pie is without a doubt the filling that is made entirely from scratch. It all starts by mashing the sweet potatoes first. Some of you may be wondering why I decided on sweet potato pie in particular. The answer is easy — they provide a terrific naturally sweet flavor and when mashed they provide an excellent texture for making a pie filling. Not only do they make this pie taste incredibly good, but they also load it up with nutritional value as well. Vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and antioxidants — sweet potato has it all. It’s such a nutrient dense carb that many studies have found it possesses benefits for everything from cancer to even being a good carb choice for diabetics. (1)
Aside from the sweet potatoes, you’ll be adding a bit of a spicy hint to the pie with the addition of some nutmeg and cinnamon as well. The filling will also need to be sweetened up just a little bit more, so it also includes some maple syrup and coconut sugar. The filling is then polished off with a bit of vanilla extract and coconut milk. They add just the slightest hint of vanilla and coconut flavor respectively, while the coconut milk also adds in some great healthy fats as well.
Of course, no matter how good the filling, every great pie needs a good crust and this one is no exception. The crust ends up being just as healthy as the filling, thanks to the dough using almond flour as a base. Almond flour is a terrific replacement for refined wheat flour, especially as there is evidence linking refined carbohydrates with the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. (2) As an added benefit, the almond flour ends up making the pie completely gluten-free. The rest of the ingredients that go into the crust are standard fare for paleo baking — some coconut oil, an egg, and more maple syrup for a bit of sweetening.
Put all of this together and you end up with one unbelievably tasty paleo sweet potato pie. It’s easily able to hold its own against any other type of pie out there, and it just might become a personal favorite for many of you. It really shines when it’s served fresh out of the oven, just warm enough that you can add some whipped coconut cream to it and watch it slowly melt. Too yummy.
P.S. – Not everyone may be sold on the idea of sweet potato pie when compared to some of the more classic pie desserts out there. The good news is many of your favorite pie recipes can also be made paleo-friendly. Check out all of these great recipes as well:
#1 – Homemade Flaky Crust Cherry Pie
Ingredients
- For the crust
- 2 cups almond flour
- pinch of salt
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
- For the filling
- 1 pound sweet potatoes, washed
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup coconut milk
- 2 eggs
- For decoration (optional)
- whipped coconut cream
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the sweet potatoes on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 50-60 minutes or until tender.
- Cool completely.
- To make the crust, place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Place the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper and roll out into a round 12 inch in diameter.
- Peel off top parchment sheet.
- Invert the dough into a 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish and peel off second parchment sheet.
- Gently press the dough into the pie dish and set aside.
- To make the filling, cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, scoop the flesh out into a bowl and mash.
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine.
- Spread filling into prepared pie crust.
- Bake in preheated oven at 350°F for 55-60 minutes or r until the center of the pie is firm.
- Cool completely.
- Slice and serve with a dollop of whipped coconut cream if using.
I searched everywhere for a recipe like this! It is amazingly delicious and my family I cannot stop eating practically the entire pie in one sitting. I make my own walnut, date and coconut crust because my stomach cant handle almonds.
This recipe made my Thanksgiving. Everyone loved it. The crust over-browned a bit in my old, gas oven, so I will rotate it halfway through next time. The crust was still awesome; tasted just like an almond cookie and was a tad chewy — but the good kind of chewy. I’m keeping this recipe forever!