If there is a pie I love equally to pumpkin pie, it is sweet potato pie. And if I’m being honest, I might even like sweet potato pie more than pumpkin.

In truth, when I was a kid I probably couldn’t even tell the difference between the two. The flavors and and spices are similar. The texture however is just a bit different.

Pumpkin pie tends to be denser, creamier, and smoother. Whereas sweet potato is lighter and seems to have a little more texture, and oomph to it. for lack of a better, more scientific description.

I grew up in the south, so sweet potato pie has always been a staple on any holiday table.

Sweet potatoes are fairly inexpensive, and easy to find year round, unlike a pie pumpkins that tend to only be available the the fall in winter, when they are in season.

I also really love these vegan hand pies because they bake up so fast, are super easy to make vegan, and work well for serving at parties or as a holiday dessert. They also make nice treat to take into the office to share, or gifts around the holidays.

They work great for bake sales as well because its way easier to walk around holding hand pie than it is trying to walk around with a slice of pie on a plate. That’s just a fact.

So once again our amazing daughter, who is one of the best pie bakers I know, (this is fact, not biased opinion, that kids can out bake most adults I know) came in strong with a delicious crust while I whipped up the filling.

The dough for this vegan hand pie is delicious and also pretty easy to make. If you are not in the mood to make homemade pie dough however, you can always buy a vegan store bought roll out pie crust. Many brands are not vegan but there are brands that are. Often Lard is added to the curst so just be sure to check the ingredients or this vegan pie crust list from PETA.

These vegan sweet potato hand pies are sweet, buttery, gooey, and full of my favorite fall spices. We actually used a chai spice blend for the potatoes and the glaze, but you can use any mix of fall spices, like cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. Whatever you like, or have on hand, add that!

So, if you have never had sweet potato pie but you are a fan of pumpkin, let me encourage you to try it!! Really, it is so delicious. Or if you have and love it as much as I do and need a vegan version of an old favorite, we are happy to oblige!

INGREDIENTS:

THE FILLING:

3 cups of peeled, diced sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoon chai spice blend (see how to make further down the page) or the spices listed below.
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons corn or tapioca starch

THE DOUGH: (or use Pre-made vegan pie dough)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups cold vegan butter
1/4 vegan shortening
2 tablespoons ice water if needed
2 tablespoons plant milk plus 1 tablespoon maple syrup to brush dough with before baking

THE GLAZE:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon chai spice mix (see below) or use a blend of any fall spices you like
enough maple syrup to bring it all togehter

CHAI SPICE BLEND:

This spice can be made and stored in an air tight container and used for all kinds of fall themed desserts!

3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground clove
1/2 tablespoon ground cardamom
1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Begin preparing the dough by adding the flour, sugar, salt , cold butter, and shortening to a food processor or a large bowl. If using a food processor, pulse until a crumbly dough forms. Add the ice water a little at a time if needed to bring it from a crumbly dough to a ball of dough. If using a bowl, mix ingredients with a spoon, again only add the water as needed until dough forms.
Flatten the dough into a rectangle shape and tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Pop the dough in the fridge for AT LEAST 2 hours. You can pre make the dough a day or 2 ahead of time as well.
While the dough is resting begin preparing the filling by brining a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, carefully add the cubed sweet potatoes. Cook unit the potatoes are soft and able to be pierced with a fork. Drain the water and return the potatoes to the pot.
Add the brown sugar, starch, maple syrup, and spices to the pot. Using a hand potato masher or electric hand mixer, mash the potatoes until smooth. Let the mixture completely cool.
Once the dough has rested, remove from the fridge and allow to sit out on the counter for about 5 minutes. On a large, clean, lightly floured surface, begin rolling the dough out into a large rectangle until it is somewhere between 1/8- 1/4 of an inch thick. You don’t want the dough too thin so it rips when you are forming the pies, but not too thick either. (refer to picture above)
Using a small cereal bowl or something similarly sized, cut circles from the dough.
Scoop a few tablespoons for filling into the center of each circle. Gently fold the dough over and use a fork to press into and seal the dough around the edges, making sure the two sides of dough are actually pressed together.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut two slits in the tops of the pies. Mix up about 2 tablespoons plant milk ( oat milk browns really well) and a tablespoon of maple syrup and brush the tops of the pies with the mixture. Place the hand pies on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the pies on the center rack for about 25 to 30 minutes. Or until the pies are browning and seem cooked through.
Allow the vegan sweet potato hand pies to cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
Mix up the glaze ingredients in a small bowl and add just enough maple syrup until you have your desired consistency. Spoon glaze over pies and let set before serving. You can sprinkle some extra cinnamon or chai spice on top of the glaze if you like.
Store hand pies in an airtight container in the fridge or at room temp.

Yields 9-10 pies, or you can make smaller pies using a smaller bowl and it would yield more

If you like this recipe, then try these:

I want to tell you a short story about how this cake is the product of a couple epic fails. One of those happy accidents, or maybe one of those Hail Mary passes in baking where you think you are done but give it one last shot, fingers crossed.

Why am I telling you this? Well in hopes of encouraging you. To let you know that even food bloggers have their fare share of kitchen disasters just like everyone else. And even though I bake all the time, and like to toot my own horn at veganizing just about any recipe I find that I want to try, sometimes I fail and fail hard.

I found a beautiful fall cake in a magazine that I could not wait to turn vegan. It never even crossed mind that it could go south the way it did.

Whenever adding fruit to a baked good you add moisture, and it does not always work in your favor. Long story short I ended up with three super dense, 9 inch pancakes instead of cakes.

I then came to the conclusion that I would not waist any more of my time on that cake and would just make a fall inspired spice cake for the delicious looking frosting in the original cake. It called for cool whip but I was convinced I could make a butter cream that was close. I was SO wrong.

Once again, certain fruits and butter cream only end in disaster. Thus the candied pecans stepped in, along with a maple butter cream, and I am not lying when I say this is now hands down my favorite cake on the website.

Its fluffy with the right amount of spice, the butter cream has a hint of maple and the candied pecans are the perfect sweet and salty crunch the cake needed. This cake would work beautifully for Thanksgiving or any fall gathering.

And remember, when a recipe seems like a failure, its not the end of the story. Just shake it off and keep baking. Something delicious may just come out of all the mess. Happy fall y'all !

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all purpose white flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup aquafaba (whipped chickpea liquid, you are measuring out the WHIPPED aquafaba - not the liquid)
1 cup oat or almond milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup vegan butter

Spiced Maple Buttercream:

1/2 cup vegan butter
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoons vanilla extract

Candied Pecans:

1 cup pecan halves
2 teaspoons vegan butter
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons maple syrup
pinch of salt

Instructions:

preheat oven to 350 degrees

Prepare (2) 8 inch cake pans by first coating with a thin layer of vegan butter, then lightly dusting pans with flour.
Prepare the aquafaba according to instructions. (follow link to recipe and instructions)
In the bowl of your stand mixer, or a large bowl if using a hand mixer, whisk together all of your dry cake ingredients.
Add the butter, and all of the milk into the dry ingredients. Cream on medium speed for a few minutes until completely smooth. Add vanilla and mix for a few more seconds.
Next, with a spatula, gently fold in the aquafaba, careful not to over mix. You do not want to deflate the aquafaba. If you do, your cake will not be as fluffy.
Evenly divide batter between the 2 prepared pans and bake cakes for 40 -45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
While the cakes are cooking, prepare the candied pecans by heating a small skillet on medium heat. Melt the butter, next adding the pecans, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt. Lower the heat a bit and continue moving the pecans around the pan with a spoon while the sugar melts, and begins to get sticky. The nuts and sugar can burn quickly, so be sure to keep the pecans moving until the sugar becomes fully melted and looks like caramel. This can take between 5 and 10 minutes depending on the pan. Once pecans are done, pour them out onto a plastic cutting board or a piece of wax paper allowing them to cool, and the sugar to harden. Once they have cooled you can break them apart and into pieces. Set the pecans aside.
Allow cakes to cool in the pans on a wire cooling rack for about 20 minutes.
While cakes are cooling, prepare the frosting by mixing together the butter and shortening in your stand mixer or using an electric hand mixer. Add in the vanilla, spices, and maple syrup. Continue mixing until well incorporated. Slowly begin beating in the powdered sugar. If the frosting seems too stiff, add a few teaspoons of milk at a time until it has reached a spreadable constancy.
Once cakes have cooled for 20 minutes, turn them out onto the cooling rack to cool completely. Once cakes are completely cooled, begin frosting by adding a layer of buttercream on one cake layer, and spreading evenly to the edges. Sprinkle half of the candied pecans evenly on the first layer. Place second cake layer on top and cover the cake with remaining buttercream and sprinkle with remaining candied pecans.
Slice to serve. Store cake in an airtight container.