If you’re looking for a show-stopper gluten-free Thanksgiving dessert look no further! This homemade sweet potato pie has a nutty cookie crust, sweet potato custard and a pillowy marshmallow meringue.
Want more gluten-free Thanksgiving desserts? Try this Crustless Pumpkin Pie or this Gluten-Free Gingerbread! This Gluten-Free Cheesecake also turns out perfect every time.
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This Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pie makes a delicious alternative to pumpkin pie! It’s unique, beautiful and sure to be a hit at your next holiday gathering. The combination of the cookie crust with sweet potato custard and toasty meringue is irresistible!
One of my favorite things about this pie is that it looks so impressive, but it’s actually easy to make. Rolling out gluten-free pie crust can be difficult, but this pie is made with an easy press and bake crust.
The crust is made with gluten-free graham crackers and pecans. I also add a little sugar, butter and The Spice Hunter Highland Harvested Saigon Cinnamon. The crust turns out spiced, buttery and crispy which is the perfect compliment to the sweet potato custard!
Once you steam the sweet potatoes, the sweet potato custard comes together quickly. Lately, my favorite way to steam the sweet potatoes is in the instant pot. It’s so easy to do and the sweet potatoes come out perfect every time.
Cooking Sweet Potatoes in the Instant Pot
- Place a rack in the instant pot and add 1 cup of water.
- Place the washed sweet potatoes on the rack and cook on MANUAL (high pressure) for 15 minutes.
- Allow the sweet potatoes to natural release until the valve drops on its own.
- The sweet potatoes will be soft and easy to peel!
I add more The Spice Hunter Cinnamon and The Spice Hunter Madagascar Pure Vanilla Extract to the custard along with eggs, cream and brown sugar. The Spice Hunter uses a proprietary cold press process to make their vanilla for the best flavor and you can totally tell a difference.
For your Thanksgiving meal, the Spice Hunter also has a delicious all-in-one turkey brine kit. The kit includes a brine mix and a brining bag that fits up to a 25lb turkey. I LOVE brining my turkey and this kit makes it so easy. The brine includes a savory blend of lemon, herbs, garlic and spices.
If you want to keep this pie dairy-free, you can also use coconut milk in place of cream in the sweet potato custard. The meringue topping is naturally dairy-free so this pie makes a great gluten-free/dairy-free Thanksgiving dessert option for guests with food allergies.
The secret ingredient for this pie is a jar of marshmallow creme in the meringue topping. Sweet potatoes and marshmallows taste lovely together and the marshmallow creme also gives the meringue great stability and texture.
If you’re intimidated by making a meringue, don’t be! It’s actually really easy to do.
Making Marshmallow Meringue:
- Whip up the egg whites
- Fold them into the marshmallow cream
- Bake the meringue for a few minutes until toasty and set
The meringue tastes like toasted marshmallow when it’s done! You’ll just want to be sure to make the meringue no more than 6 hours before you want to serve the pie. The crust and filling can be made the day before, but the meringue is best eaten the day it is made.
This sweet potato pie definitely has that wow factor every time I make it for a holiday gathering. I hope your family loves it as much as mine does!
If you try this recipe be sure to leave me a comment below! Also be sure to follow The Spice Hunter on Instagram for more holiday recipe inspiration!
Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- ⅔ cup 3oz pecans
- 4 oz gluten-free graham crackers
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon The Spice Hunter Highland Harvested Saigon CinnamonTM
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
For the Custard:
- 1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes about 3 medium/large sweet potatoes
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon The Spice Hunter Highland Harvested Saigon CinnamonTM
- 1/2 teaspoon The Spice Hunter Madagascar Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 2 eggs
For the Meringue:
- 1 7 oz jar Marshmallow Creme
- 3 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon Spice Hunter Madagascar Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
Instructions
Make the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate. In the bowl of a food processor, add all the ingredients for the crust except the melted butter. Pulse 5-6 times until the mixture forms crumbs. Add the butter and pulse 2-3 times until incorporated.
- Press the crust evenly into the prepared pie pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Set aside.
Make the Custard:
- Meanwhile, cook the sweet potatoes for the filling.
- In the INSTANT POT (preferred method): Place a rack in the instant pot and add 1 cup of water. Place the washed sweet potatoes on top of the rack. Cook on MANUAL (high pressure) for 15 minutes. Allow the sweet potatoes to natural release, until the valve drops on its own.
- On the STOVE TOP: Place the sweet potatoes (whole and unpeeled) in a large pot and covering with water. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. then puncture each sweet potatoes 3 times. Boil for another 20-30 minutes until cooked through.
- Peel the sweet potatoes and place them in a bowl. Allow them to cool slightly then add all the ingredients except the eggs. Using a hand mixer, whip the sweet potatoes until smooth. Add the eggs and continue to whip until very smooth.
- Pour the sweet potato custard into the pie crust and smooth the top. Bake for 40 minutes, until set. You may need to cover the top/edges of the crust with foil to prevent over-browning.
- Let the pie cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Then transfer to the fridge and let cool for at least 4 hours before topping with the meringue.
Make the Meringue:
- Position an oven rack in top third of oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Scrape the marshmallow creme into a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites, salt and vanilla in another large bowl until foamy. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff and glossy peaks form.
- Add 1/2 cup of the beaten egg whites to marshmallow creme and stir with a rubber spatula until incorporated to lighten the marshmallow creme. It will be very sticky at first but will get easier to fold in as you add the egg whites.
- Gently fold in remaining whites in two additions, until just incorporated being careful not to stir too much. Spread the meringue over top the cold pie, mounding slightly in center and swirling with the meringue to create peaks.
- 10. Bake the pie for 5-7 minutes until the meringue is set and starts to turn golden brown. Let cool at room temperature for 1 hour before serving. Once the pie has cooled for an hour, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours before serving.
Oh my goodness, this crust is absolutely divine! The filling and the marshmallow topping were the perfect accompaniments…yum!