Maple Sweet Potato Pie with a Pecan Oat Crust

The pie plate comes out and the whole table goes quiet. Of course, that is sweet potato pie. The only thing wrong with the usual version is the cup and a half of sugar poured over the sweetest vegetable in the store. So this one lets the sweet potato do the talking.

It’s one of the meals from our guide to how to eat clean without giving up the foods you grew up on, and it’s built the Clean Fit Fab way: real food, big flavor, and no seed oils.

Why this sweet potato pie belongs on a clean plate

• Roasting the sweet potatoes does the sweetening. Roasting instead of boiling concentrates the natural sugars, so you need far less added sweetener.
• Maple syrup replaces white and brown sugar. In fact, a third of a cup sweetens the whole pie.
• The crust is pecans, oats and butter. It presses into the pan in 5 minutes, and it brings fiber and healthy fat with it.
• Each slice has about 4 grams of fiber. Meanwhile, most dessert pies have close to zero.

Sweet potatoes are one of the richest food sources of vitamin A, with a medium baked one supplying more than a day’s worth, based on USDA data. The Harvard Nutrition Source has more on why this root earns a place on the plate, even in dessert.

The flavor: what makes it taste so good

A great sweet potato pie tastes like the potato, not like a sugar bomb. So this filling leans on cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, ginger, a little vanilla and a good pinch of salt. The salt makes the maple taste sweeter than it is. Then browned butter in the filling adds that nutty, toasty note you remember from grandma’s kitchen.

• Roasted, not boiled, sweet potatoes for deeper flavor and natural sweetness
• Browned butter for a toasty, caramel note
• Cinnamon, fresh nutmeg and ground ginger, the classic trio
• Pure maple syrup and vanilla
• Toasted pecans in the crust for crunch

What you need

Here’s a quick look at the ingredients. Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

• Filling: sweet potatoes, butter, eggs, pure maple syrup, whole milk, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, ground ginger, sea salt
• Pecan oat crust: old-fashioned rolled oats, pecan halves, Medjool dates, sea salt, ground cinnamon, butter
• To serve: plain Greek yogurt, toasted pecans

Also, a note on fat: we cook with extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, butter or ghee. They taste better, and they’re real food.

How to make sweet potato pie

First, roast the sweet potatoes until they collapse, then scoop and mash them smooth. Next, pulse oats, pecans, a date, salt and melted butter into a crumbly dough and press it into a pie plate. Then whisk the sweet potato with eggs, milk, browned butter, maple and spices. Pour it in and bake until the center barely jiggles. The full recipe card is below.

Serving ideas

Serve the pie at room temperature or chilled. Top each slice with plain Greek yogurt whipped with a teaspoon of maple and a pinch of cinnamon. Also, a few toasted pecans on top make it look like the bakery version.

Nutrition at a glance: each serving has about 290 calories, 7g protein, 33g carbs and 4g fiber. Numbers are estimates and change with your exact ingredients.

Swaps and variations

• Use canned pumpkin or roasted butternut squash in place of the sweet potato for a different fall pie.
• Swap pecans for walnuts in the crust, or use all oats for a nut-free version.
• Whole milk, half-and-half or full-fat coconut milk all work in the filling.
• For a vegan version, use the cashew and coconut filling and the coconut oil crust (see the vegan switch on the card).

Make-ahead and storage tips

Cool the pie completely, then cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Also, it slices cleanest the next day. Freeze whole or in slices for 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge.

Frequently asked questions

Save this one for your next long day. Want more? Try our one-pot arroz con pollo next.

This article is for general information and is not medical or nutrition advice.