Look at that gorgeous pie! Sweet potatoes buried under Dandies marshmallows and homemade candied pecans. A great dish for Thanksvegan…I mean Thanksgiving! It was a big hit this year.
I have been making my mother’s recipe for years – it calls for crushed pineapple and orange juice. But this year, I went with something a bit different. I found a recipe by Tyler Florence for Whipped Sweet Potatoes and Bananas. I thought the bananas were a nice touch so I put my own spin on the sweet potato part with my homemade vegan butter and maple syrup and nixed his topping. In my version the topping is perfectly vegan mini marshmallows browned them to perfection and homemade candied pecans. Oh, hello deliciousness!
A few notes: (1) Bake the bananas with the skins on! (2) A 9″ pie plate does the trick for these measurements. (3) Either make the pie part ahead of time or the day of. If made ahead, don’t get upset when it looks like there are brown spots in the mix. The bananas turn a bit but they get covered with the marshmallows so it doesn’t matter. Perhaps a tablespoon of lemon juice next time. Bring to room temperature before placing in the oven. If making right before serving, leave the oven on and after assembling the pie top with the marshmallows, pop it right back in. Either way, bake it until the marshmallows are browned.
Sweet Potato Pie
3 big sweet potatoes or yams
2 bananas, unpeeled
1/4 cup vegan butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons maple syrup
Salt, a big pinch
Dandies, Enough to cover the top of the pie!
Candied pecans (recipe follows), use as much as you want and snack on the rest!
Preheat the oven to 400.
Prick the yams and place them on a baking sheet lined with nonstick foil or parchment paper. (Makes cleanup easier!) Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, depending on your oven and how big the yams are. At the 50 minute mark, check to make sure they are already soft. Then, place the unpeeled bananas on the sheet and bake for 15 minutes more. Everything should be soft!
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut the skins down the middle and squeeze into a large mixing bowl. Cut the top off the banana and peel down one side. Squeeze the banana into the same bowl. Add the butter, maple syrup and salt. Season with a pinch of salt. Use a potato masher to start mashing and then switch to a whisk to whip everything together. Use a spatula to spoon it into the pie dish and smooth out the top.
Top with marshmallows and bake for 20 minutes at 350 or until the marshmallows are browned. Sprinkle with candied pecans. Enjoy!
Candied Pecans
1 cup pecans
1/4 cup coconut sugar
Line a baking sheet. Coarsely chop the pecans and toast for 10 minutes in a 300 oven until fragrant. Let cool.
Place the pecans and sugar together in a small pot and turn the heat to medium. Use a wooden spoon to coat the pecans with the sugar. Be sure to stand there and mix as the sugar is melting. Don’t walk away because sugar burns easily. It should only take a few minutes. (It will kind of look more coated then melted.)
Turn the pecans back out onto the baking sheet, spread them out and let them cool completely. Break up the big clumps and store in an airtight container until ready to use. This can be done up to a week in advance.