Mini Sweet Potato Pies Recipe (Gluten-Free) – Steph Gaudreau (2024)

Mini Sweet Potato Pies are the perfect small sweet bite to end your holiday meal.

You might be wondering who the heck I am even. See, I rarely make baked dessert recipes for a bunch of reasons.

First, dessert recipe development just isn’t my forte. I’m terrible at it.

Second, when it comes to food, I really lack the type of precision and patience it takes to bake. I’m more of a “toss it all in the pan and get it done” type of gal.

And third, I dunno, there’s already a bajillion gluten-free, grain-free dessert recipes out there.

That being said, sometimes, inspiration hits me out of the blue. And these these Mini Sweet Potato Pies are exactly the result of that.

Interesting side note: Did you know the Greeks and Romans considered “genius” to be an external spirit that would follow a person around? Sometimes it wouldn’t be there, sometimes it would.

So, you “had a genius”…you weren’t a genius. I quite think that takes the pressure off creative people to “be” a certain way. Anywho, that was a bit of a tangent. You probably came for the Mini Sweet Potato Pies recipe, not my philosophical musings…haha!

I’m gonna preface this one by saying it’s one you’ll want to make if you have some time on your hands. If you’re rushing to get to a party or dinner’s happening in an hour, it’s probably not the one.

But if you’re in for a relaxing afternoon and want to make a bit of a special treat, these Mini Sweet Potato Pies may do you well.

How to Make Mini Sweet Potato Pies

Here’s the low down and how it all comes together in a muffin tin:

First, you’ll make a simple crust. It gets pressed into the bottom of each muffin cup and gently baked until set.

While the crust is baking, you’ll make the filling. It comes together so easily! Just pop all the filling ingredients in a blender and whiz until smooth.

You’ll add the filling to each muffin cup. Then, it’s time to top with some pecan halves and bake.

These Mini Sweet Potato Pies are super fun because they’re basically bite-sized pies. (Okay, maybe two bites.) For some reason, mini anything is way more fun, am I right?

They’d be great to take to a holiday party or bake sale.

And the best part is that unlike traditional pie, these are lightly sweetened and have no refined sugar. That means no sugar coma to worry about.

Let’s dig into this Mini Sweet Potato Pies recipe a bit more:

The Gluten-Free Crust

The “crust” is gluten-free and grain-free. I recommend using a super-fine, blanched almond flour for the best results. Click here to see the almond flour I used.

I used coconut crystals to lightly sweeten the crust, and I think you’d have best results sticking with a non-liquid sweetener. Swapping it with honey or maple syrup, for example, introduces more moisture and could affect baking time.

Feel free to test out substitutes, but remember that baking is quite precise. You may not get the same result so swap things out at your own risk.

Instead of a traditional crust that must be rolled out – seriously, I don’t have patience for that – the mixture is pressed into the bottom of each muffin cup. Easy.

The Sweet Potato Pie Filling

This is a sweet potato filling. I highly recommend using canned sweet potato chunks. Click here to see what I used.Yes, these are also called yams…don’t be confused.

These canned chunks often have added sugar, but you’re draining any syrup away. Give it a rinse if you’re extra concerned. And if you’re gonna stress out about it too much, get the puree in a can. You do you, boo.

If you can only find canned sweet potato puree or you’re going to use whole roasted sweet potatoes, the filling may come out more dense and take longer to cook.

I used maple syrup in the filling because I think the flavor pairs well with the sweet potatoes and pecans. But feel free to swap honey if you’d like.

The arrowroot helps thicken the filling just a bit. If you can’t find arrowroot, tapioca flour works just the same.

If you can’t eat coconut milk, try swapping almond milk instead.

The Sweet Potato Pie Topping

Walnuts or almonds more your style? Rather have no topping? Each of those options works.

Being the fussy food photographer I am, I painstakingly arranged the pecan halves on top of these Mini Sweet Potato Pies. If you’re not feeling that, you could also chop the pecans up and sprinkle them on top once the mini-pies are baked.

And if you’re feeling extra extra fancy, serve with a dollop of whipped heavy cream or whipped coconut cream.

Final Notes on These Mini Sweet Potato Pies

If you’re looking for an egg-free recipe for the holidays, I recommend my Paleo Pumpkin Sweet Potato Custard recipe instead. It’s thickened with gelatin instead of eggs.

As always, oven times can vary. I recommend setting a timer for each step and checking frequently. It’s easy for things to burn if you’re not careful.

I like to err on the side of caution, cook it for less time, then add more if needed.

Pin these Mini Sweet Potato Pies for later!

Questions? Let me know in the comments below.