This Vegan Coconut Sweet Potato Pie is creamy and packed with all the fall flavors. The crust is buttery and the filling has just the right amount of sweetness to it. It is warming to have and great for Thanksgiving.

Even though my mom loves to cook, there are days when she has no idea what to make and only wants a simple meal. She doesn’t eat a lot and can be full easily. Whenever we go to the supermarkets, we always stop by the reduced produce section scouring for anything that is still good that we can buy instead of the more “perfect” produce. Oftentimes, produce at the reduced price section has a minor bump to them or just not the ideal shape or size. They are still good and can last over a week when kept well.

Something my mom often gets are potatoes, especially sweet potatoes. We would buy a bag or two. After returning home, she would boil a large pot with water and steam half the sweet potatoes to just eat whenever she wanted to snack on something or have for lunch.

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Surprisingly, I was not the biggest fan of potatoes at that time and only liked them with soups or curries. However, grown-up now, I enjoy eating them as is just like my mom. You don’t need to add anything to them to make them good. Their sweetness in raw form is enough for me and they are so filling!

After they are done, my mom would turn the heat off and transfer the pot to our countertop, leaving it there for anyone who wanted some. She would grab a paper towel and wrap 2-3 sweet potatoes in it and head to the living room to binge-watch any Chinese drama she was watching at that time. Oftentimes, that was all she would eat for lunch, being full just from them.

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It might not be the most nutritious meal, but to my mom, that is all she wants- simplicity. She taught me to appreciate the little things and to value simpleness in life. She is happy to be able to cook for her family, have a warm home to live in, and most importantly, knowing my siblings, my dad and I are safe. We might not have a lot, but the love she has for us nourished her soul just like food nourishes our body.

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This is what I thought of when I was making this Vegan Coconut Sweet Potato Pie, the simplicity of the ingredients and the process. Yet, a recipe filled with love and flavor. If you want to make this coconut sweet potato pie with me, let’s start baking!

How do you make this pie?
Prepare the crust. Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and pinch of salt in a bowl. Mix well to combine. Add the vegan butter. Using your hands, knead the dough until it is smooth. If the dough is too sticky, add a little flour at a time until the dough is smooth. Add 1 tbsp of the cold water at a time if the dough is dry. Divide the dough in half. Form into a disk shape. Cover and leave in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight if you want to prepare it ahead of time.

When the dough is about ready, preheat the oven to 425F. Prepare the filling. Combine all the ingredients for the filling except for the toasted coconut flakes. Mix until smooth and well-combined. Dust a clean surface with some flour. Roll one of the dough out thinly into a circular shape. Transfer the dough onto a 9-inch pie pan. Roll the other dough out. Using leaves cookie cutters, cut the dough into leaf shapes. You can also leave it simple with just the crust. Add the filling. Decorate the top of the pie with the cutout leaf shapes.

Place the pie in the fridge for 15-20 minutes before baking. Make the glaze. Combine the maple syrup with the melted vegan butter. Remove the pie from the fridge after 15-20 minutes. Brush the crust with the maple glaze. Sprinkle with some raw cane sugar if desired.