My Purple Sweet Potato Pie 

October 22, 2026 Uncategorized

By Dawn Hilton-Williams 

My Grandpa Lester Hilton and my father Larry had their own recipes for the dishes they made best, and their sweet potato pie was eventually passed down to me. I’ve made a few adjustments of my own, from swapping in purple sweet potatoes to changing the sweeteners and dairy, without sacrificing the flava or the family legacy. Those stunning purple potatoes bring fiber, anthocyanins and other antioxidant compounds to this vegan holiday treat. My father and Grandpa Lester are both gone now but a sweet piece of them lives on every time I make this pie. 

INGREDIENTS 

  • 1 prepared deep dish (9 inch) vegan pie crust 
  • 4-5 large purple sweet potatoes, washed and cleaned (yield 3 cups of cooked potatoes) 
  • 1 cup unsweetened, unflavored soymilk 
  • 1⁄2 cup agave nectar 
  • 1⁄4 cup vegan butter, room temp 
  • 3⁄4 tsp vanilla extract 
  • 1⁄2 tsp ground nutmeg 
  • 1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon 
  • 1⁄4 tsp ground ginger 
  • 3 1/2 TBSP cornstarch 
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt 

CRUMBLE TOPPING (Preferred but optional) 

  • 1⁄4 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped 
  • 1/4 cup rolled oats 
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon 
  • 2 TBSP melted vegan butter 
  • 2 TBSP light brown sugar 

METHOD 

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F, line baking sheets (one for potatoes, one for pie) with parchment paper and set aside. 
  1. Wash sweet potatoes, wrap in aluminum foil, place on parchment lined baking sheet, cover baking sheet with aluminum foil, then place in oven for 60–65 minutes or until completely tender (check with fork through center of largest potato). 
  1. Remove potatoes and allow to cool (Put in fridge for 30 mins to reduce cooling time). 
  1. Once cooled, peel away potato skins and place in large mixing bowl, add remaining filling ingredients and combine with mixer until smooth (do not overmix)-If too thick, add a tablespoon or two of plant milk and stir to combine. If not sweet enough, add a tablespoon or two of agave and stir to combine. 
  1. Pour filling evenly into your prepared pie crust, place aluminum foil around the edges of the crust (to avoid burning), place on lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. 
  1. While the pie bakes, melt vegan butter, stir remaining crumble ingredients until combined, then set aside.