EASY Crustless Sweet Potato Pie (Paleo)

by Lindsay Cotter · 11/12/2020

This crustless sweet potato pie is impossibly easy to make- the crust forms in the oven! Make the recipe with simple ingredients for a delicious paleo dessert.

overhead photo: pie pan with paleo sweet potato pecan pie

Sometimes, especially with paleo and vegan baking, the process of making desserts can be long and tricky. I’m not talking about one bowl brownies. No, those are easy to make.

I’m talking about allergy-friendly specialty pies and pastries, and all that holiday jazz! Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about making a fancy schmancy layer cake (and eating it too).

But the holidays are busy for ALL of us. So, that’s when we need a go-to dessert recipe to RELY on. So, I have a shortcut to save time. A cheat, of sorts.

I’ll show you how to skip the entire process of making pie dough from scratch. (Although, I do have an amazing 3-ingredient gluten free pie crust recipe.)

This recipe is perfect for times when you don’t want to bother with making a pie crust at all!

close up image: crustless sweet potato pie topped with pecans

The secret to crustless sweet potato pie

This is an impossible pie recipe. No, not impossible to make- actually, it is impossibly easy to make!

What I mean is, Impossible Pie is the name for this type of dessert. With some oven magic, the crust forms during baking! Although technically, it isn’t a crust at all.

With no refined sugar, no dairy products, and no crust, the dessert is paleo friendly, dairy free, gluten free, and insanely delicious! The consistency is similar to custard. It reminds me of my Crustless Zucchini Pie (quiche).

It’s not overly sweet, it’s creamy and rich, and you may be tempted to eat more than one serving. Especially because it’s as delicious cold as it is warm! 😉

INGREDIENTS and SUBSTITUTIONS

overhead photo: ingredients on baking sheet to make Paleo sweet potato pie recipe

non-dairy milk – you can use any variety you like. I use almond milk.
large eggs (at room temp)
unsalted butter – plant based butter also works. If you’re unable to find an unsalted variety, omit the salt in this recipe.
vanilla extract
maple syrup – you could also use agave or honey, but you’ll want to warm them to thin the consistency
sweet potato puree – you can make your own puree or buy it. I recommend using canned puree if possible. NOTE: I’ve made this recipe using peeled, cooked sweet potatoes, but the weight of baked or boiled sweet potatoes is a bit heavy. See the recipe notes below for more information.
Gluten-free flour – you’ll need both coconut and tapioca flour
spices – ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg
baking powder – be sure to test baking soda for freshness before using it
unsweetened shredded coconut or coconut flakes
optional toppings – chopped nuts and/or whipped coconut cream. Feel free to mix in the nuts, or put them on the top!

Video: How to make paleo sweet potato pie

Want to know how impossibly easy this dessert is to make? Check out the recipe video!

Crustless Sweet Potato Pie (Paleo, Gluten Free Recipe)

Watch this video on YouTube

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the wet ingredients. You can use a blender or a hand mixer for this step. You’ll want to incorporate the milk, butter, eggs, and syrup before mixing in the puree.
If you’re using a blender, transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
Combine dry ingredients. In another small bowl, sift together the coconut flour and tapioca flour. Whisk in the spices, salt, baking powder.
Add dry ingredients to the large bowl of wet ingredients. Using a wooden spoon, gently incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet. THEN, stir in the coconut flakes.
Pour batter into greased pie pan.

pouring sweet potato batter into white pie dish

Bake, cool, garnish, and serve! Bake for 40 minutes, insert a toothpick into the middle of the sweet potato pie to check for doneness. If it doesn’t come out clean, then rotate the pie pan, cover it with foil, and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.

side view closeup: slice of crustless sweet potato pie on pie serving spatula

Recipe notes

Baking times vary depending on your oven and the type of milk you use. Keep watch after 45 minutes.
Sweet potatoes – Pureed sweet potato (canned) is the best option but you can use fresh sweet potato. That being said, baking times will vary and the texture will be a little more dense. The taste is still spot on!
Color of pie will vary. The color depends on the oven temp and what grade of maple syrup you use. I’ve made it several times, and the color on top was a little different each time, but the middle was always the same; beautiful orange.
Mixing wet batter with a blender works best, creating a fluffy custard-like texture. You can mix by hand, but the pie will not rise as much.
Make ahead and storing – If you are not serving this right away, place the crustless sweet potato pie in the refrigerator to set more. It will still be custard-like in the middle. Place in oven to warm again before serving. The pie will not have as much height after cooling and being refrigerated, but the flavor is still the same.

side view closeup: slice of Thanksgiving pie topped with vegan whipped cream

Alright my friends, time to get baking! If you have any questions are need substitutes, please comment below. I’m happy to help!

By the way, are you team sweet potato pie or pumpkin pie? Gah, that’s a close call here. But honestly, I have to say sweet potato will always be a favorite. If you’re team pumpkin, check out our crustless chocolate pumpkin pie.