This tantalizing recipe will have you heating up the oven and lining your baking pan on the weekly, excitedly preparing for this incredibly nourishing vegan pie. If you’re a big fan of meal rotation, then make sure you add this recipe to your meal plan! It acts not only as a great main dish, but also as a delicious dessert to crown your healthy Thanksgiving dinner.
Dates are a great source of energy and are rich in fiber as well as essential vitamins and minerals. What I find so compelling about these bite-size morsels is their unique compounds that are linked to fighting many modern-day diseases. This includes antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-mutagenic properties. As many diseases are borne out of inflammatory environments, dates serve as a great weapon against a myriad of preventable conditions.
I’ve chosen much healthier alternatives to refined white flour, as it’s overly processed and completely stripped of life-giving nutrients. Unlike white flour, oat flour is simply made from grounded whole oats which is beaming in omega-3 fatty acids, manganese, selenium and phosphorus.
Any products derived from coconuts definitely come out high on my health radar! That’s why I’ve selected coconut flour for this recipe. Coconut flour is one of the most popular flours of the health world as it’s gluten-free, high in fiber and healthy fats. It has also been shown to assist with digestion and improve metabolism, due to these high quality fats, which of course are carried over from the original coconuts used in processing.
It’s pretty hard to beat sweet potatoes in terms of their all-encompassing health benefits. I love the fact that only 1 cup of sweet potato provides you with over 200% of your recommended intake of Vitamin A and over half of your Vitamin C. Of even more importance to us vegans, is ensuring we keep on top of our levels of Vitamin B’s, as these are predominately found in animal products. You’ll be happy to know that sweet potatoes are rich in Vitamin B1, B2, B3 and B6!
You’ll also see I added in a big cup of raw walnuts as they boast great antioxidant properties owing to their flavonoids. They are also a really good source of vitamin E, another well-known antioxidant that provides protection against cardiovascular system disease.
Usually pie fillings a less-than-healthy, but I truly wanted this recipe to be as guilt-free as possible! I’ve kept the sweet ingredients like fresh orange juice and maple syrup to a minimum, but just enough to add a very moreish-flavor. Cinnamon is a prized spice, which surprisingly is a good source of calcium. It also contains traces of many amino acids and is high in vitamins and nutrients.
Vegan Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
- For the crust
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 2 tbsp coconut oil melted
- 1 tbsp carob powder
- 2 tbsp almond milk
- 1/2 cup dry pitted dates soaked into purified water for 1 hour, drained
- For the filling
- 4 medium sweet potatoes baked, peeled, mashed
- 3 tbsp tapioca starch
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/2 orange juice only
- 1/3 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 tbsp coconut oil melted
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- Pinch sea salt
- To garnish
- Dark vegan chocolate cut into chunks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175C/346F.
- Add the walnuts into the food processor and pulse to obtain a chunky grind.
- Add the drained dates and pulse to obtain a sticky puree.
- Add the flours and pulse to incorporate, then continue adding the coconut oil and almond milk, to obtain a crumby dough.
- Remove from the food processor and transfer into a 9” round baking pan, and press with the finger to obtain a 1/2 inch layer on the bottom and the sides of the pan.
- Add the filling ingredients into the processor and pulse to obtain a creamy mixture.
- Pour it over the crust into the baking pan, and bake for 40 mins, then remove and set aside to cool completely.
- For the best results, refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
- Garnish with dark chocolate chunks, cut into slices and serve.
Notes
Sarojini says
What a gorgeous healthy dessert! Thank you
Ana says
Thanks so much, happy you like it 🙂
Makos(@thehungrybites) says
Hey Ana! This pie looks amazing! Walnuts and sweet potato go very well to gether 🙂