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Sweet Potato Pumpkin Pie

November 6, 2017 · Natalie 63 Comments

This Sweet Potato Pumpkin Pie with oat cookie crust and luscious custard filling is THE dessert for your holiday table! Vegan, gluten-free, paleo-option.

A slice of sweet squash-colored custard so silky smooth your tongue will feel spoiled. Nestled in a toasty oat crust with just the right amount of crumble to remind you of your favorite crunchy cookie. Topped with a dollop of coconut ~~cloud~~ cream + chopped pecans because textural contrast is key. And that perfect triangle of a first bite.

Now I remember why I like November.

I feel the need to inform you that this was supposed to be a sweet potato only pie. But I reeeeeeeally love pumpkin pie. Like pie love level: better than chocolate. So if there is a crimped-edge crust in my kitchen in the fall months, odds are pretty high there will be an open can of pumpkin not far away. Or let’s be real, any month.

But what’s a girl to do when she already bought a bag of (the cutest, tiniest, 5 = 1 normal sized) sweet potatoes? Make the mashup pie of your wildest Thanksgiving dreams. A.k.a. Sweet Potato Pumpkin Pie. The only logical course of action in such a situation, of course.

The filling. Pumpkin is the predominant flavor because, um, there’s twice as much of it. But before you think I’m showing starch favoritism let me just tell you the sweet potato is essential. SP may seem like it’s playing the supporting role here, but trust me it’s doing BIG things for the flavor and texture – this amazingly simple pie would not be possible without it.

Can we just admire for a moment the fact that there are only six ingredients to this filling. And two of the six are vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. And none of the six are thickeners or starches. And I didn’t even use dates since I know some of you would appreciate more date-free recipes. And that it’s LUSCIOUS. Like lick-every-last-millimeter-of-your-spatula luscious.

Lusciousness in six. And…GO.

Pumpkin puree, obvi.
Sweet potato. Baked in the microwave or oven, as you wish, and mashed.
Maple syrup for sweetness, although the sweet potato helps out too. You could experiment with less maple syrup (replace with more milk) if you wanted to, but for holidays and guests I think it’s just right.
Pumpkin pie spice in abundance.
Vanilla extract because the back of the Libby’s can taught me well.
And last but not least, non-dairy milk. Just a splash. To help out the ol’ blender and just lighten things up a little.

See, amazingly simple!

The crust. But actually it is crucial that you make this part BEFORE even though we are discussing it AFTER. I just get a little overly excited about the filling okay, don’t judge.

I had almost given up on oat flour in pie crusts. They are so often chewy and weird and the opposite of yum. But I know almond flour is expensive and higher in fat, so I decided to revisit the oat crust. And I took almond butter with me this time, along with inspiration from these cookies. And after the experimenting and rolling and transferring (eeek!) and crimping and baking, the result was a not too sweet cookie-like crust.

Easy to roll. Sturdy enough to survive the flip into the pan. Browns around the edges. Slices without a fight. And a delicious compliment to the filling.

Okay fine, oats you’ve redeemed yourself.

You could easily pass this off as a “regular” pumpkin pie and only a diehard sweet potato hater would question you. But those don’t exist anyways. Or pass it off as a Thanksgiving side dish, there is sweet potato in there after all.

And just in case you forget how to use a can opener or mash a sweet potato or dollop on coconut whipped cream, it may be smart to make a few preliminary test pies before the big day. If ya know what I mean…

Sweet Potato Pumpkin Pie

★★★★★ 4.8 from 11 reviews

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 75 minutes
Yield: 8 people 1x

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Description

This Sweet Potato Pumpkin Pie with oat cookie crust and luscious custard filling is THE dessert for your holiday table! Vegan, gluten-free, paleo-friendly.

Ingredients

Scale

Oat Flour Crust (*see notes for grain-free/paleo option)

1 1/2 cups (180g) oat flour
1/3 cup (85g) nut/seed butter ((I used almond butter))
1/4 cup (90g) maple syrup
Pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup (60g) water

Sweet Potato Pumpkin Filling

1 15oz can (425g) pumpkin puree
1 cup (200g) baked sweet potato
1/2 cup (180g) maple syrup
1/4 cup (60g) non-dairy milk
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425F.
For the crust, combine everything except water in a large mixing bowl. Mix/knead adding water as needed to form a sticky ball of dough.
Roll out the dough between two pieces of wax or parchment paper. Use one piece of paper to flip the crust into a pie pan (I spray mine with coconut oil first just to be safe!)
Press into the pan and crimp the edges. Set aside.
Combine all the filling ingredients in a blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
Pour into the crust and smooth the top.
Bake for 15 minutes at 425F. Reduce the heat to 350 and bake for an additional 40-45 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Cool. Chill overnight.
Slice and serve with coconut whipped cream. Enjoy!

Notes

For the grain-free crust, combine 2 cups almond flour + 2 tbsp maple syrup + 2-3 tbsp water. Mix until sticky and clumpy adding water as needed. Press into a pie pan and up the sides.

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Baked Apple Cider Donuts

October 30, 2017 · Natalie 59 Comments

Fluffy and fruity with all the fall feels – these Baked Apple Cider Donuts are just the cozy thing. Made with oat or almond flour and a delicious dusting of cinnamon sugar!

Comin’ atcha the day before Halloween with something very not candy corn. Not pumpkin shaped. Not chocolate coated or fun-sized. Muffins with a hole poked out of the middle are sounding almost sophisticated now, huh?

In essence that’s all a baked donut really is, a muffin minus the center. But in reality – soft sweet ring of scrumptious reality – they are so much more. More fun. More dessert. More glaze-able or sugar coat-able. More make you smile and reach for seconds 11 times out of 10.

I’m not going to tell you that donuts > candy. That would be a very tough sell considering the current state of the food internet and how good THESE are. But I may show you a few kinda really irresistible donut closeups that say it for me.

Irresistible donut closeup number 1:

So I didn’t know apple cider donuts were a thing. I mean there really are no limits to what can be a donut thing, but apple cider is apparently a classic flavor that people seek out. Like if you type “apple cider” into google “…donuts” is the third suggestion that pops up right after “…vinegar” and “…sangria”.

I blame my ignorance on birthplace since I do believe they are of New England origin, but it’s never to late to try a new donut. Even if Florida may not be the mecca of apple cider mills, Trader Joe’s honeycrisp cider and BYODP (DP = donut pan) and we’re in business.

I don’t know why cider and not juice. I don’t know if what I used was actually cider or juice pretending (honestly either will work). But these Baked Apple Cider Donuts are delightful and have been filing my kitchen with all the fruity fluffy fall feels for the past few days and I don’t ever want it to end. Ever. Endless apple cider donuts plz.

I do not regret a drop of apple cider or speck of almond flour it took to get these deliciously spiced donuts just right. But there were a LOT of drops and specks involved. It wasn’t the ingredients so much as the baking logistics. See the donut pan loved them soooooo much it didn’t want to let them go. Even if I let them cool completely. Even if I generously sprayed with coconut oil. Even if I told the pan if it cooperated I’d give it a cookie. I know, I know – bribery is not the answer.

But here’s the nonsensical thing: the oat flour version DOESN’T STICK. It’s just the almond flour version that only comes out in crumbles. Why? No clue. Logically one would think almond flour = higher fat = less sticking. Not true friends, not true.

So here are your tried and tested options:

Almond flour in a silicone donut pan
Oat flour in silicone donut pan
Almond flour in a mini muffin pan with liners (like donut holes!)
Oat flour in a metal donut pan

Whether you choose to use almond or oat flour, I suggest spraying or coating the pan with coconut oil just to be safe. The oat flour version has a chewier almost gluten-like texture, while the almond flour version is more delicate and cake-like. Both are incredibly moist and tender courtesy of Medjool dates and almond butter. I love them equally and in a side-by-side would choose solely based on which one is wearing the most cinnamon sugar.

(BTW the minis in these photos are the almond flour and the full size are oat.)

The cinnamon sugar is optional (but totally and completely necessary because cinnamon + sugar ♡). Organic cane sugar mixed with a teaspoon or so of cinnamon works best. Coconut sugar is not the best choice here unless you plan to eat them immediately as it begins to dissolve into the donuts within minutes.

A quick note! I’ve been getting a handful of messages recently about almond flour baked things coming out mushy or not cooking through completely. This is almost always due to the batter being too moist, a.k.a. not enough flour. When measuring almond flour you do want to pack it in the cup a little bit, or better yet go by the weight measurement just to be safe. With these donuts and almost every other almond flour recipe I’ve posted, the batter should be quite thick. If you can pour it as opposed to scoop it into the pan then that’s a problem and you need more flour.

You deserve better than a plastic-wrapped chocolate peanut butter pumpkin. You deserve a damn donut with all the cinnamon sugar as your heart desires. Donut let anyone tell you otherwise.