Healthy Plant-Based Ube Pie

Ingredients

• 1 pre-made pie crust (Trader Joe's brand recommended; can use your preferred store-bought or homemade crust)
• 1 lb purple sweet potatoes (ideally use actual ube/purple yam if available)
• 0.125 cup cornstarch (sifted)
• 1 cup pitted date fruit
• 0.75 cup plant-based milk (unsweetened and unflavored; soy milk recommended)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ube flavor extract (essential for flavor; typically found at Asian grocery stores)
• 0.125 tsp salt
• coconut whip cream (optional topping)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. 2

   Prepare the filling by placing the whole purple sweet potatoes in a steamer basket inside a large saucepan.

3. 3

   Add water to the saucepan so the level is just below the steamer basket. Bring the water to a boil.

4. 4

   Cover the saucepan and steam the potatoes for 15-20 minutes, or until they are tender when pierced with a fork.

5. 5

   Place the steamed sweet potatoes under cold running water to cool them down.

6. 6

   Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slip off and discard the peels.

7. 7

   Sift the 1/8 cup of cornstarch into a food processor.

8. 8

   Transfer the peeled sweet potatoes to a bowl and lightly mash them.

9. 9

   Add the mashed sweet potatoes to the food processor with the cornstarch.

10. 10

    Add the pitted dates, plant-based milk, vanilla extract, ube extract, and salt to the food processor.

11. 11

    Process the mixture until it is completely smooth.

12. 12

    Spoon the filling into the pre-made pie crust and smooth the top with a spatula.

13. 13

    Bake the pie (if the crust instructions require it) or chill for at least 1 hour before serving to set.

14. 14

    Optional: Top with coconut whipped cream before serving.

Notes

The author notes that while purple sweet potatoes are used here, authentic ube (purple yam) is the ideal choice if you can find it. The ube flavor extract is considered a non-negotiable ingredient for the correct flavor profile.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• plant-based
• vegan
• vegetarian
• dairy-free
• ube
• pie
• purple sweet potato