This gluten-free sweet potato pie recipe turned out better than I could have ever imagined. My take on the classic Southern dessert has a light and fluffy filling with just the right amount of warm spices and sweet brown sugar.
And this sweet potato pie is special because I included an optional marshmallow meringue if you really want to wow your guests.
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I grew up eating pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. And don't get me wrong, I adore the classics. Pumpkin pie, pecan pie... yep love 'em.
But this sweet potato pie has me swooning! And after doing a few recent recipe tests- my taste testers agreed. Sweet potato pie is truly superior. Well, at least this version.
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📖Why This Recipe Works
Sweet potatoes are naturally sweeter than pumpkins. When making the perfect sweet potato pie you actually need to go light on sugar and no pumpkin pie spices.
Instead, the seasoning tends more toward ginger and we added a bit of maple syrup for richness.
Of course, it has the extra flaky crust thanks to my all-butter gluten-free crust recipe.
🧾Ingredient Notes
Sweet potato puree is the star here, and no you can't use canned puree. Unfortunately, it will be too watery. Fortunately, roasting the whole sweet potatoes is entirely hands-off!
You can substitute purple sweet potatoes, great for Halloween or Easter desserts.
You can use this recipe with a traditional pie crust or gluten-free pie crust. Premade, or my homemade GF pie crust recipe. Because I use this recipe for all my traditional pies I do not repeat it on every pie post.
Half and Half- The creamy part of the filling is half and half. You can substitute half milk and half heavy cream for the half and half.
Maple Syrup- For a fun twist try barrel-aged syrup.
Brown Sugar- You can use light or dark brown sugar. Or even brown coconut sugar. Just don't use white sugar in this recipe.
Seasonings- Ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and kosher salt.
You will also need eggs and vanilla extract.
Marshmallow Meringue Topping
If you want to make the meringue topping you will need 3 more eggs (whites only), a jar of marshmallow fluff or marshmallow cream, and sugar. The cream of tartar is optional but very helpful.
See the recipe card for exact quantities.
⏲️How to Make GF Sweet Potato Pie
The sweet potato filling is incredibly simple to make but first we need to prep our pie crust and bake the sweet potatoes.
Typically I prep the crust while the potatoes are roasting but for the sake of explaining the recipe we will deal with the pie crust in one swoop.
Step 1- Par-Bake the Pie Crust
Remove your pie crust from the plastic wrap and place it on a lightly floured surface. Use your rolling pin in a forward motion turning it 90 degrees to the right after each stroke.
I prefer to do this on a Silpat or pastry mat so I can simply flip the crust into the pie plate.
Press your pie crust into the pie pan and ensure there are no air bubbles. Trim the edges and fold them over. Flute the edges or crimp using a fork.
At this point you can chill the crust until the sweet potatoes are done roasting.
To par-bake the crust you need to dock the dough (i.e. poke the bottom of the pan with a fork) all over. Line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
Bake at 425 F degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. The edge will begin to turn golden but the bottom will be fairly raw still.
Step 2- Make the Sweet Potato Puree
The sweet potatoes need to bake at 400 F degrees for at least 50 minutes. They are ready when they are fork tender. Allow them to cool until you can safely handle them.
Cut the sweet potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh. Measure out the quantity needed, save the rest for smoothies or a root vegetable puree.
The roasting of the sweet potatoes can be done 2 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Step 3- Make the Filling
The easy part! Be sure to turn the oven temperature down at this point.
Combine the sweet potatoes with the remaining filling ingredients. Puree until smooth. You can do this with a hand mixer or a food processor.
Pour the filling into the par-baked crust.
Note that this recipe is for a 9-inch crust and my photos are of a 10-inch deep dish pie pan. I made a double batch of the filling and used two-thirds of it my regular pie and one-third for a smaller marshmallow topped pie.
Step 4- Bake
Sweet potato pie bakes low and slow at 350 F degrees. The pie is ready when the center is still slightly jiggly. This takes about 50 minutes if you properly cooked your oven after baking the crust.
If the edges of the pie begin to brown you can cover them with a cake shield.
Cool the pie on a rack in a cool space, but not in the refrigerator, for at least 2 hours and then move to the fridge and chill an additional 4 hours. The custard needs time to properly set.
Serve your pie with whipped cream or add the marshmallow meringue right before serving.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tip
To get a smooth cut on your pie slices warm your knife under hot tap water. Dry with a towel and wipe on just a dab of olive oil. The heat will easily cut trough the pie and the oil will prevent the custard filling from sticking to the knife.
💭 Marshmallow Meringue Topping
I know traditional sweet potato pie doesn't have marshmallows but I could resist a fun twist for the most decadent holiday treat.
The topping is made by beating egg whites until stiff and glossy. Then slowly, and gently, mix it with the marshmallow fluff.
Spoon and swirl the meringue on the fully chilled pie. Bake for 10 minutes or until it was set.
🌡️Storage
Cover leftover pie with aluminum foil and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days. But who are you kidding? It isn't going to last that long.
More Gluten-Free Baking Recipes
💬Frequently Asked Questions
No, pumpkin pie relies on more spices and sugar to develop flavor. Thanks to the natural sweetness, sweet potato pie filling is lighter with more of ginger kick.
Always use fresh sweet potatoes for sweet potato pie. Canned puree will have too much water causing your pie crust to have a soggy bottom.
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📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
- ½ recipe gluten-free pie crust plus GF flour or rice flour for rolling
- 3 medium sweet potatoes about 1 ½ pounds, scrubbed and pricked all over with a fork
- 1 ¼ cups half and half
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Marshmallow Meringue (optional)
- 3 egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 7 oz jar marshmallow creme
Instructions
- Preheat temperature to 400 F degrees. Arrange sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 1 hour. Remove and let cool on a baking rack.3 medium sweet potatoes
- While the potatoes are baking, lightly flour a piece of parchment paper, roll out the dough into a 13-inch round, about ⅛-1/4 inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch pie dish. Using kitchen shears, trim to a 1-inch overhang; fold under. Lightly prick the bottom of the dough with a fork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.½ recipe gluten-free pie crust
- Increase oven temperature to 425 F degrees. Line the chilled pie crust with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Blind bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edge of the crust just begins to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool while you make the filling. Turn oven down to 350°F.
- When cool enough to handle, peel sweet potatoes, discarding the skins. Place flesh in a large bowl and beat until smooth with a hand mixer. You need 2 cups of potato puree, if you have more you can reserve it for another use. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.1 ¼ cups half and half, 3 large eggs, ½ cup light brown sugar, 3 Tablespoons maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- Remove the weights and paper from the pie shell. Pour the filling into a pie shell and bake for 40-50 minutes. The pie is ready when the center is just barely jiggly. If the crust starts to darken too much, place a pie shield or foil over the edges.
- Cool the pie for 2 hours at room temperature and then place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours. Serve with whipped cream or top with marshmallow meringue.
Marshmallow Meringue (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Scoop the marshmallow creme into a large bowl. Add the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt to a large glass owl. Using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites, until foamy. Add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff and glossy peaks form.3 egg whites, ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar, ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Add ½ the beaten egg whites to the marshmallow creme and stir with a rubber spatula to lighten the marshmallow creme. It will be extremely sticky. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites.1 7 oz jar marshmallow creme
- Spread the meringue over top of the chilled pie, swirling with the meringue to create peaks. Bake the pie for 5-7 minutes until the meringue is set and starts to turn golden brown. Place on cooling rack and let meringue cool before serving.
Video
Notes
- This recipe uses my homemade gluten-free pie crust recipe, you can also use a store-bought crust.
- Puree can be made ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Monika says
For the 1 ½ sweet potatoes: Is that the weight BEFORE or AFTER peeling? Thanks!
Jen Wooster says
Great question Monika! That is before peeling, so purchase weight. You will actually measure out sweet potato after cooking. Happy pie making!