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

Bake the sweet potatoes

Start by preparing the sweet potatoes. Preheat oven to 400° F (205° C). Place the sweet potatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for one hour. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature or cool enough to handle with your hands. Using your hands, carefully remove the skin so you’re just left with the flesh from the sweet potato. Set aside.

Prepare the dates and oats

Remove pits from dates. Place pitted dates into a small pot with enough water to cover the dates. I used medjool dates, but any dates will do. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the dates cool to warm or room temperature.

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

Make the pie mixture

Preheat oven to 350° F (177° 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. 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.

Spread the pie mixture evenly across an 8-inch round (or 8x8-inch square) parchment-lined baking pan.

Add chopped pecans or walnuts and cacao nibs, if using, to the top. Gently press the toppings into the batter.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Even though this pie is crustless, a thin, light brown crust will start to develop on the edges.

Remove the pie from the oven. Cool to room temperature and put in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight to set.

Serve with a dollop of Sweet Cashew Cream (optional).