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Purple sweet potato pie on a black baking sheet with gold serving utensils, overhead shot.
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5 from 11 votes

Purple Sweet Potato Pie

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!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 29 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Californian
Servings: 12
Author: Daniela Gerson

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… 
Did you make this recipe? Please share and tag @DanielaGerson! I'd love to see how you're making colorful waves in the kitchen!