Crustless Sweet Potato Pie

This vegan Crustless Sweet Potato Pie is made with unexpected, but common ingredients. Sweetened with dates and sweet potatoes, this delicious pie has no refined sugar, even with the sweet cashew cream sauce.

This recipe was sort of an accident. We wanted to create a healthy vegan sweet potato pie, but didn’t want to add flour, oil, or butter (even the vegan kind). The crust stumped us. So, we moved on to figure out a sweet potato pie blondie. We used the blondie recipe developed during our Iron Chef Smackdown on Chef AJ Live, but modified it with a fall holiday twist to make this vegan crustless sweet potato pie.

You’ll fall for this recipe because it hits sweet potato pie’s nostalgic vibe of being warm, cozy, and familiar, but without the typical pitfalls: no butter, no heavy crust, no processed sugar. The crustless design means less fuss and more focus on creamy, spiced sweet potato filling that sets firmly thanks to chickpeas and oats. It’s dessert satisfaction with a nutritional conscience.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Made with pantry staple ingredients.
• Easy to assemble, even though it takes time to bake and cool.
• By skipping processed sugar, oil, and crust, you’re getting a dessert that’s more aligned with whole-food, plant-based goals.

Health Benefits

• Sweet potatoes bring beta-carotene (which your body converts to vitamin A), fiber, and potassium, a win for vision, gut health, and heart health.
• Dates offer natural sweetness plus minerals and fiber instead of refined sugar.
• Chickpeas and oats provide protein and complex carbs, helping this pie feel more substantial and less “empty dessert.”
• Ground flaxseed supplies omega-3 fats (via ALA) plus extra fiber and helps bind the filling naturally.
• Almond butter adds healthy monounsaturated fats and a subtle nutty richness.

Crustless Sweet Potato Pie Ingredients

1. Sweet potatoes: Form the bulk of the filling, naturally sweet and creamy when cooked, giving that classic sweet potato pie taste.
2. Chickpeas: Adds body, protein, and fiber to support structure.
3. Rolled oats: Acts like a binder/flour alternative, adding some chew and whole-grain goodness.
4. Sweet Cashew Cream (optional): A luscious vegan topping that elevates the dessert, offering creamy contrast and extra elegance.

A full list of ingredients with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Substitutions and Variations

• Substitute pecans for walnuts or vice versa based on preference/allergies; any chopped nut works.
• Use peanut butter or cashew butter instead of almond butter if needed (nut-allergy permitting). The flavor shifts slightly, but the binding richness remains.
• For a spiced twist, add ½ tsp ground ginger or a pinch of cardamom to pumpkin pie spice.
• For mini pies or bars, you could press into muffin tins or an 8×8 square pan instead of an 8-inch round.
• For a nut-free version, use sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter and omit the chopped nuts topping.

How to Make This Vegan Crustless Sweet Potato Pie

If you're preparing this pie for Thanksgiving or Christmas, consider making it the day before you intend to serve it. The flavor of this pie develops after it sits in the refrigerator overnight.

1. Step 1: Preheat oven to 400° F (205° C). Place the sweet potatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for one hour.

2. Step 2: Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature or cool enough to handle with your hands.

3. Step 3: Place pitted dates into a small pot with enough water to cover the dates. I used Medjool dates. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 3 to 4 minutes to soften them.

4. Step 4: Take rolled oats and put them into a mini bullet blender and grind to a flour-like consistency.

5. Step 5: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Put cooked sweet potatoes (with skin removed), softened dates, ground rolled oats, almond butter, drained and rinsed chickpeas, pumpkin pie spice, and ground flaxseed into a food processor.

6. Step 6: Process until you get a thick, sticky batter. You will likely need to periodically scrape down the sides and continue processing to get the desired consistency. If necessary, add a splash of water to get a smooth-textured mixture.

7. Step 7: Line an 8-inch round baking pan with parchment paper.

8. Step 8: Spread the pie mixture evenly across the baking pan and sprinkle chopped nuts onto the pie mixture.

9. Step 9: Use your fingers to gently press the toppings into the pie.

10. Step 10: Bake the pie at 350°F (175 °C) for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the edges are slightly browned, creating a delicious thin crust.

After the pie is done baking, allow it to cool to room temperature. Place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours (ideally, overnight) to continue setting.

Expert Tips

• Texture check: After processing the filling, pause and check the texture. You’re aiming for thick, sticky batter that holds shape when spread. If it’s too thin, it may not set well, so add a bit more ground oats and flaxseeds. If the mixture is too thick, add a splash of water.
• Chilling matters: Letting the pie cool fully before refrigerating helps avoid condensation and a soggy texture. Letting the pie sit in the fridge overnight not only firms it up but also allows the spices to bloom and the mixture to settle.
• Serving suggestion: For the Holidays or any special occasion, enjoy this delicious crustless sweet potato pie with a dollop of Sweet Cashew Cream. Oh my, it's so yummy!

Recipe FAQs

Y'all, the world is ever-changing! 😂 We can enjoy our pizza without the cheese, our ice cream without the cone, our tacos without the tortilla, our falafels without the pita, our sushi without the roll, and now our sweet potato pie without the crust. 

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