It’s a very purple-licious riff off of the Southern classic sweet potato pie! Paired with a gingersnap curst and topped with a pecan streusel, it’s the ultimate comfort food dessert with a healthy twist!
Sweet and spicy gingersnap crust, nutty pecans and walnuts, warming and savory spices, zesty ginger… Let’s make a spectacularly showstopping purple sweet potato pie!
Why this Recipe Works
- Slow-roasting the sweet potatoes! Caramelizes the natural sugars, bringing out their natural sweetness.
- Gingersnap crust! Delivers some unexpected spice and more flavor than a traditional crust.
- All the flavors! Sweet and spicy gingersnap crust, nutty walnuts, warming and savory spices, zesty ginger, crunchy coconut-pecan streusel, maple whipped cream… need I say any more? LET'S DO THIS!
- That preciously purple color! It's a showstopper!
The lightly spiced sweet potato filling is lusciously creamy and vibrantly purple!
How to Make this Recipe
Make pie crust in food processor and blind bake. Roast the sweet potatoes; peel and the flesh in food processor then whisk in remaining filling ingredients.
Pour filling into prepared pie crust and bake.
Make pecan streusel, top pie with it and bake for the last 10 minutes.
Serve with freshly whipped cream and enjoy!
make pie crust whisk sweet potato filling
pre-oven post-oven
Note: not all sweet potatoes are purple inside! Flesh can range from being light beige to purple, making for some *very* purplelicious dishes! But this pie works with any color on the sweet potato flesh rainbow ~ YAYA!
Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams
There’s a bit of controversy surrounding if all yams are sweet potatoes (though sweet potatoes are def not yams) and after a bit of researching this is what I got for ya. Hate to be the bearer of bad news but most of the so-called yams ya see in US grocery stores are actually sweet potatoes. The story goes that back in the 30’s Louisiana sweet potato growers marketed their orange-fleshed potatoes as “yams” to distinguish from the other states produce and its stuck ever since and created all sorts of yam-sweet potato confusion. Real yams are entirely different root vegetables that are more like yucca in texture and flavor, starchier and drier than sweet potatoes.
Conclusion: sweet potatoes and yams are different. We’re talking sweet potatoes, here but you’re welcome to try this recipe out with yams and let me know how it goes in the comments below. Glad we got that sorted out!
Cooks Tips
- Be sure to pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork several times so that steam can escape while they're baking.
- To make the purple hue filling an even deeper purple, add ube extract.
- To make this pie vegan, use coconut oil in the crust and streusel, coconut milk for the filling, and omit the whipped cream.
- The crust can be baked 1 day ahead and stored tightly wrapped at room temperature.
- Don’t top the piping hot pie with whipped cream or you’ll have a bit fat melt-y mess…
Add this spicy, sweet and vibrantly colorful pie to your dessert Holiday repertoire!
I’d love to hear about it and see it too! Please leave a comment below and take a pic and tag it on Instagram with @DanielaGerson. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to see more colorfully delicious food and all sorts of awesome adventures!
I like my sweet potatoes in all sorts of colors and sweet and savory ways. Mashed, roasted, and made into classic pies like this recipe here. For some sweet potatoes savory style, please check out my sweet potato salad, baked sweet potato fries, hasselback potato gratin and root veggie tarte tatin. And for another sweet potato dessert recipes, check out my sweet potato cheesecake!
Let's makes waves in the kitchen!
Purple Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 pounds purple sweet potatoes or yams such as Purple Stokes or Ube
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ube flavoring
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon divided
- 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 kosher salt
Crust
- 10 ounces gingersnaps
- 1 cup walnuts
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
Pecan Streusel
- 1/4 cup oats
- 1/4 cup pecans
- 1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Maple Whipped Cream
- 1 cup cream
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste can sub vanilla extract
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Pierce sweet potatoes several times with a fork all over and wrap each with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven until tender, 1 hr. – 1 ½ Remove from oven and let cool.
- While sweet potatoes bake, place the gingersnap cookies in the bowl of a food processor and process until they are finely ground. You should have about 2 cups. Add the walnuts and sugar; pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse briefly again until everything is mixed together.
- Pat the crust into a deep 9-inch pie plate, and up the sides. Bake for 10-15 minutes (at 350 F), until firm and slightly darkened. Set aside to cool.
- Peel cooled sweet potatoes and discard skins. Process yams in a food processor until mixture is smooth and forms a ball, about 1 minute.
- Place yam mixture into a large bowl and whisk in brown sugar, evaporated milk, 1/2 cup butter, eggs, vanilla, ube flavoring (optional), 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, five-spice, salt, and nutmeg until smooth and combined.
- Pour sweet potato mixture into prepared gingersnap pie shell. Bake in preheated oven until filling is set, about 50 minutes.
- Meanwhile, stir together oats, pecans, coconut, remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside.
- Remove pie from oven; sprinkle center of pie with oat mixture. Return to oven; bake at 350°F until topping is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool completely, about 4 hours.
- To make maple whipped cream: combine all ingredients together and using a hand mixer, stand mixer, food processor or whisk and lots of elbow grease, whip until medium peaks form.
Notes
- Be sure to pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork several times so that steam can escape while they're baking.
- To make the purple hue filling an even deeper purple, add ube extract.
- To make this pie vegan, use coconut oil in the crust and streusel, coconut milk for the filling, and omit the whipped cream.
- The crust can be baked 1 day ahead and stored tightly wrapped at room temperature.
- Don’t top the piping hot pie with whipped cream or you’ll have a bit fat melt-y mess…
The most gorgeous desert, it is DIVINE 👍👍👍🙏😘💜
The most gorgeous desert, it is DIVINE 👍👍👍👍🙏😘💜
I appreciate you soooo much Jacqueline! All your comments and support really mean the world to me! Thank ya :). 💜💜😘
LOVE the colour of this pie. Perfect for Easter dessert. I wish I could find these purple potatoes. I have only seen them a few times in the store. This is stunning.
Thanks so much Gloria!!! Hoping ya find purple sweet potatoes too! Would love for ya to make this for Easter :). Perhaps you'll have more luck at the farmers market? Wishing purple sweet potatoes come into your life super soon and thanks again :).
I'm in love with this stunning dessert that uses one of our favorite foods! The gingersnap crust is a genius idea and of course, the color of the ube flavoring along with the toasted and nutty topping take it cleary over the top; fantastic post here!
Thanks so much Dan! Just made this again last night... almost forgot how insanely delicious it is :)! Love playing around with purple sweet potatoes... sweet style! Happy cooking + thanks again!
I'm so blown away by this pie! It's gorgeous and the flavors are all working together beautiful...purple sweet potatoes are definitely something I need to find! I can't wait to try this ^_^
Thank ya so much Tammy!!! Super stoked on your sweet feedback :). Really appreciate it! And please let me know how it goes after you make it... I'd absolutely love to hear!
That colour is so amazing and vibrant - such a pretty dish! This may well be appearing on my Easter table this year!
Yaya!!! So super stoked to hear that Carrie! I'm def a very vibrantly colorful food kinda gal :). And please let me know how it goes after you make it... I'd absolutely love to hear!
What an amazing and fun recipe! I need to find some purple sweet potatoes to make this!
Ya you do Denise!!! Thanks so much for the super sweet feedback :). And please let me know how it goes after ya make it... I'd absolutely love to hear!
Thank you so much for sharing a recipe with us. I hope I can make like you!!
Absolute pleasure Roslia! And I think that you absolutely most definitely can :)!
That color tho... WOW! Absolutely gorgeous and it sounds positively delicious! I need to find purple sweet potatoes ASAP as this needs to be made in my house!
Ya you do Lori! Thanks so much for the super sweet feedback :). Am definitely a very colorful food kinda gal.... especially purple! Please let me know how it goes after ya make it... would absolutely love to hear! Wishing you find purple sweet potatoes super soon too!
wow! I love that purple color in that pie! It's just perfect for a spring version of Sweet Potato Pie!
Yessss!!!! Thank ya Anne! I def have a *thang* for purple food and am super stoked to hear ya appreciate it too :).
Sweet potato pie is one of my guilty pleasure but i have never seen "Purple sweet potatoes" before. How different are they from regular yams ?
Thanks so much for the feedback Analida! All colors of sweet potatoes are quite different from yams (more on this in the post) and there is some slight variation within the different colors of sweet potatoes. Most of what we're buying labeled yams are actually sweet potatoes too! Do ya have a favorite sweet potato pie recipe? So curious to look at it! Thanks again :).
Ooh! What a pretty looking pie! A showstopper for sure! And I never knew you get purple sweet potatoes too. I always thought they were orange or being in colour. Love your pics!
Thanks so much for the sweet feedback Saima! And yesssss.... sweet potatoes comes in purple too! So do normal potatoes. If a veggie/root comes in purple I'll def be sure find it! Wishing you find some purple sweet potatoes super soon too :).
That purple color is to die for! Who needs food coloring when you have mother nature?
Hehehe exactly!!! But to be fair.... I did put a few drops of ube extract in it... :). But I'm def a very colorful, especially purple food, kinda gal!
I am intrigued! I want to try this recipe so bad. It looks delicious and pretty.
Thank ya so much Nicole! Stoked to hear you're intrigued :). Please let me know how it goes after ya make it... I'd absolutely love to hear!
I'm so blown away not just with this amazing potato pie, but all your colorful gorgeous photos. Huge fan. Those potato pie are too gorgeous to be eaten but I'm sure it'll take you to heave, looks delicious!
Thanks so much Jo! Really appreciate the feedback! I like to think that it's *almost* too gorgeous to eat...key word being almost :)!
You say in instructions 7. To add coconut in the streusel. In the ingredients list there is no coconut mentioned. How much do you use? Thanks
Oiy vay so sorry for that oversight + so stoked to hear you're making this! I've updated the recipe and it's 1/4 cup of sweetened shredded coconut. Would love to hear how it comes out Caradee :)!
Can I make this pie ahead of time?
Sure! How much ahead of time are you thinking :)?
It’s quite possible this is the most beautiful AND delish thing I’ve ever made and eaten in the same day...dear Lord if I die today my life is complete!! 💜💜💜
@therustickitchen_jv
Wowie John I'm so super stoked and honored on your sweet feedback... thank ya so very much! Love hearing it's the most beautiful & delish thing :)! Thanks so much for sharing!