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Sugar-Free Sweet Potato Pie (Lectin-Free, Gluten-Free)

October 17, 2021 (Last Updated: July 21, 2023)

A sweet potato pie is grounding, warming, comforting, and so perfect for the colder season. This easy sugar-free sweet potato pie is also nourishing and healthy, has no gluten, dairy, or lectins, and is made with wholesome ingredients.

Ditch the sugar

I first had sweet potato pie when I moved to Texas in 2015. Even if, at the time, I was eating sugar, I was still not comfortable with the amount of sugar in Southern desserts. The traditional sweet potato pie is usually made with one cup of sugar to two cups of sweet potato. That’s a sugar bomb!

A few years later, when I removed sugar from my diet, I wanted to make a lectin-free, gluten-free, and sugar-free sweet potato pie version. That was easy because sweet potato is already so sweet and flavorful. And since then, I’ve made this easy pie, or some variations, for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Do sweet potatoes have lectins?

Sweet potatoes don’t have lectins. You can enjoy sweet potatoes as part of a low-lectin diet, but keep in mind that they are carbohydrates and can considerably raise blood sugar. To slow absorption and increase their resistant starch content, cool and/or reheat sweet potatoes before eating. That’s why one of the best uses of sweet potatoes is to make desserts or sweet treats.

Here are a few ways I like to use them:

The ingredients

FOR THE CRUST

  • 1 cup cassava flour
  • 2 tablespoons arrowroot or tapioca flour
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1 tablespoon monk fruit sweetener (or your favorite plant paradox-approved sweetener)
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 pastured eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2/3 cup coconut oil, melted but not hot
  • 6 tablespoons cold water

NOTE on handling the crust: This crust can be a little crumbly, but don’t worry; it’s easy to stitch back together. While you can press it with your fingers into a crust straight in the pie dish, I prefer to roll it out with a pin in between parchment paper sheets, flip it onto the pie dish, and even if it breaks, use those parts to patch the pie crust.

FOR THE FILLING

  • 550 grams cooked sweet potato (about 4 medium to large potatoes)
  • 4 tablespoons cold Nut Pods creamer OR coconut cream
  • 2 small or 3 big pastured eggs
  • 2 tablespoons pecan butter OR hazelnut butter
  • 1 tablespoon sweetener of your choice (monk fruit, erythritol or allulose work)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla (or seeds scraped from a 2-inch vanilla pod)
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon all-spice powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • Optional: pumpkin pie spice mix (use this to spice up the cake and you can skip the individual spices)

FOR THE EGG WASH

  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon milk of your choice (I use hemp or coconut)

NOTE on cooking potatoes: I usually bake whole sweet potatoes. When you peel and boil them, they might get too watery. Steaming is another good option. I also prefer to do this step one day in advance so the next-day process is easy. While you can use canned sweet potatoes, from my experience, they are too watery. Plus, the more we can avoid canned stuff, the better.

How to make this sweet potato pie, step by step

MAKE THE DOUGH

  • Cook the sweet potatoes one day in advance (bake or steam).
  • Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a pie dish by greasing it with coconut oil.
  • Combine the flour, sweetener, and salt in a food processor.
  • Add the eggs, vanilla, and coconut oil and process on high until everything gets mixed together and forms a dough. Add the cold water, one tablespoon at a time, and pulse. Continue until you add about 6 tablespoons or until the dough looks moister and easier to handle.
  • Take the dough out in a bowl and start kneading it. Shape the dough into a ball and leave it for 5 minutes to rest (don’t refrigerate this dough, as it becomes very hard).
  • Prepare a working surface with two parchment papers and a rolling pin. Flatten the ball out on the bottom parchment paper, spreading it into a round. Add the parchment sheet on top and start rolling with a pin until you get a sheet about 1/4 inch thick. The dough will crack a little bit on the edges, but it’s easy to stick back together. Peel the top parchment paper off and carefully flip the dough on the top of the pie dish. Some of the edges will fall off at this point, but don’t worry; they are very easy to stitch back together. Stitch the dough wherever it is broken by pressing with your finger and leveling it as much as possible, removing the excess edges. Pinch the edges with your fingers to create that nice crust edge. Rest in the fridge while you are making the filling.

MAKE THE EGG WASH

  • Beat the egg yolk with the milk

MAKE THE FILLING AND BAKE

  • To make the filling, add all the ingredients to a food processor and combine until creamy.
  • Brush the edges of the crust with the egg wash.
  • Fill the pie dish with the sweet potato filling, and bake for about 50 minutes. The edges should be golden brown, and the top settled and golden.
  • Allow it to come to room temperature before serving.
  • Serve as it is or with a dollop of whipped coconut cream.

NOTE on serving: I prefer it when it is cold from the refrigerator, so this is a perfect dessert to prepare one day in advance.

The Warming Spices

You can use a variety of spice combinations for this pie. If you have the individual spices, follow the recipe; if not, you can go with a Pumpkin pie spice mix, which is usually made of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.

For a low-histamine version, use allspice and ginger to replace all the warming spices that are actually considered high-histamine: cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

In all my fall recipes, I also use my Holiday Warming Spice Blend.

Extras: Coconut whipping cream & decoration

If you want to serve this sugar-free sweet potato pie with a dollop of cream but can’t have dairy, coconut whipping cream is a great option. I found this brand on Amazon, but be careful; it is a pack of 12. Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and beat it with an electric mixer until stiff.

If you feel like going the extra step, especially since a sweet potato pie doesn’t look spectacular, decorate with dry marigold petals and cornflowers.

Other lectin-free and sugar-free pie options

If you want to explore more options, check out this beautiful creation. It does take a little longer than a simple pie, but if you want to elevate the looks of a sweet potato pie, which is rather boring, this is one option. Use both purple (Stokes) sweet potato and orange sweet potato.

LECTIN-FREE SWEET POTATO PIE, TWO COLORS

This was a special request from my sister and her husband for Christmas. They wanted a lectin-free, sugar-free Chocolate Pecan Pie, and I delivered:

LECTIN-FREE BOURBON CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE

And for a crustless, rich, and grounding pie, check this one:

CHESTNUT PIE WITH ROOT VEGETABLES

If you have any questions or suggestions, please comment below.

I hope you love this sugar-free and lectin-free sweet potato pie.

*This post contains affiliated links, which means I get a small commission if you choose to purchase something via one of my links, at no extra cost to you.

Sugar-Free Sweet Potato Pie (Lectin-Free, Gluten-Free)

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (7 votes, average: 4.57 out of 5)
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By Claudia Curici Serves: 8
Prep Time: 40 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes

A sweet potato pie is grounding, warming, comforting, and so perfect for the colder season. This easy sugar-free sweet potato pie is also nourishing and healthy, has no gluten, dairy or lectins, and is made with wholesome ingredients.

Ingredients

  • FOR THE CRUST:
  • 1 cup cassava flour
  • 2 tablespoons arrowroot or tapioca flour
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1 tablespoon monk fruit sweetener (or your favorite plant paradox-approved sweetener)
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 pastured eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2/3 cup coconut oil, melted but not hot
  • 6 tablespoons cold water
  • FOR THE EGG WASH:
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon plant milk
  • FOR THE FILLING:
  • 550 grams cooked sweet potato (about 4 medium to large potatoes)
  • 4 tablespoons cold vanilla Nut Pods creamer OR coconut cream
  • 2 big OR 3 small pastured eggs
  • 2 tablespoons pecan butter OR hazelnut butter
  • 1 tablespoon sweetener of your choice (monk fruit, erythritol or allulose work)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla (or seeds scraped from a 2-inch vanilla pod)
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • Optional: pumpkin pie spice mix (use this to spice up the cake, and you can skip the individual spices)

Instructions

1

MAKE THE DOUGH

2

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a pie dish by greasing it with coconut oil.

3

Combine the flour, sweetener, and salt in a food processor.

4

Add the eggs, vanilla, and coconut oil and process on high until everything gets mixed together and forms a dough. Add the cold water, one tablespoon at a time, and pulse. Continue until you add about 6 tablespoons or until the dough looks moister and easier to handle.

5

Take the dough out in a bowl and start kneading it. Shape the dough into a ball and leave it for 5 minutes to rest (don't refrigerate this dough, as it becomes very hard).

6

Prepare a working surface with two parchment papers and a rolling pin. Flatten the ball out on the bottom parchment paper, spreading it into a round. Add the parchment sheet on top and start rolling with a pin until you get a sheet about 1/4 inch thick. The dough will crack a little bit on the edges, but it’s easy to stick back together. Peel the top parchment paper off and carefully flip the dough on the top of the pie dish. Some of the edges will fall off at this point, but don't worry; they are very easy to stitch back together. Stitch the dough wherever it is broken by pressing with your finger and leveling it as much as possible, removing the excess edges. Pinch the edges with your fingers to create that nice crust edge. Rest in the fridge while you are making the filling.

7

MAKE THE EGG WASH by mixing the egg yolk and water

8

MAKE THE FILLING AND BAKE

9

To make the filling, add all the ingredients to a food processor and combine until creamy.

10

Brush the edges of the crust with the egg wash.

11

Fill the pie dish with the sweet potato filling, and bake for about 50 minutes. The edges should be golden brown, and the top settled and golden. Allow it to come to room temperature before serving.

12

Serve as it is or with a dollop of whipped coconut cream.

13

If you feel like going the extra step, especially since a sweet potato pie doesn't look spectacular, decorate with dry marigold petals and cornflowers.

Notes

NOTE on handling the crust: This crust can be a little crumbly, but don't worry; it's easy to stitch back together. While you can press it with your fingers into a crust straight in the pie dish, I prefer to roll it out with a pin in between parchment paper sheets, flip it onto the pie dish, and even if it breaks, use those parts to patch the pie crust. NOTE on cooking potatoes: I usually bake whole sweet potatoes. When you peel and boil them, they might get too watery. Steaming is another good option. I also prefer to do this step one day in advance so the next-day process is easy. While you can use canned sweet potatoes, from my experience, they are too watery. Plus, the more we can avoid canned stuff, the better. NOTE on spices: For a low-histamine version, use allspice and ginger to replace all the warming spices that are actually considered high-histamine: cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. NOTE on serving: I prefer it when it is cold from the refrigerator, so this is a perfect dessert to prepare one day in advance.

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8 Comments

  • Reply
    Elise
    November 7, 2023 at 1:54 am

    Hello! I can’t wait to try this recipe! Do you have an alternative ingredient for the nut butters to make this nut free? Do you have an alternative for the creamers as well? Could I use butter instead of the creamer? Thank you!

    • Reply
      Claudia
      November 8, 2023 at 11:59 am

      Hi Elise! That’s a tough one. The nut butter gives it the taste and the creamy texture. For a creamer, you can use half and half, no problem. If I couldn’t use nuts, I would try it with a seed butter, like hemp seed butter (you find it on Amazon). Are you following a lectin-free diet? If not, sunbutter could also be an option. I hope this helps xx -Claudia

  • Reply
    Annabelle
    June 16, 2023 at 2:20 am

    Hello, could the crust be baked a little bit prior to the filling? I hate soggy crust. Thank you.

    • Reply
      Claudia
      June 17, 2023 at 8:05 am

      Hi Annabelle, this crust is not soggy at all. I think that it will get burnt if you you precook it. – Claudia

  • Reply
    Herb G
    January 30, 2022 at 8:09 am

    The crust was very good on this reciepe but I found the filling to be bland and lacking sweetness. Has anyone else modifired this to have an enhanced taste? The pie looks great and was excited to have a slice, but with being 4 weeks in on a lectin free/sugar free diet I found the filling wanting. Thank you for the receipes for tis lifestyle.

    • Reply
      Claudia
      January 30, 2022 at 12:22 pm

      Thank you for getting in touch. I’m not surprised the filling seems a bit bland in the beginning, imagine that we are up against one cup of sugar in the traditional recipe :))). That’s a lot of sugar that can’t be matched by anything. The whole point behind a sugar-free diet is to re-educate your palate to not want the sweet taste anymore. The less sugar you eat, the more sensitive to the sweetness you’ll become. Things that seemed delicious once will be way too sweet for you at one point if you continue on this journey. There are a few things that can enhance sweetness and flavor: add more sweetener (but not too much as that’s not healthy either), add more spices, especially cinnamon and vanilla, they lend flavor but also a natural sweetness. Licorice powder will also add sweetness to foods. A pinch of salt can do miracles. Drizzle the pie with a little bit of Yacon Syrup when you eat. But also be patient, your palate will get used to the new tastes and you will learn to appreciate cleaner flavors. Dr Gundry says in the plant paradox book, “it’s not the sugar, is the sweetness” – your brain will not be able to make the difference of where the sweet taste is coming from, so it will ask for more sweetness – that’s why I don’t recommend using too much sweetener. I hope this helps. xx

  • Reply
    Lori
    October 18, 2021 at 9:31 am

    Hi Claudia. This recipe looks amazing.
    When using the Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix – how much should I use?

    • Reply
      Claudia
      October 18, 2021 at 12:15 pm

      Hi Lori, to my taste, 1 teaspoon will give a light flavor, and 2 teaspoons a strong one. But it really depends on taste. I would add 1 1/2 teaspoon. xx

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