Fall means all things pumpkin but I’m a big fan of the sweet potato as well. The often overlooked cousin is still just as orange and can be made with the same spices as the fancy pumpkin. It even has a similar texture too so you can use it in many of the same ways. OK, probably not a sweet potato spice latte but you can use it in muffins and even pie.
Sweet potato pie is a really great invention if you ask me. Last week I was taking a cooking class and it got me fired up to try some new recipes. After class, I drove across the street to a fancy grocery store to wander. I had a few minutes to kill before picking up The Kid after work so why not.
I wandered the potato aisle. YES, a whole aisle dedicated to different kinds of potatoes. I saw these weird, small dark potatoes and discovered they were purple sweet potatoes. My brain immediately thought about sweet potato pie in a gorgeous royal shade of purple. So I grabbed some purple and some orange ones, and I played around with a crust-less sweet potato pie.
For the recipe, I made an orange layer for the bottom and a purple layer on top. I just liked the idea of two colors to make it pretty. If you can’t find purple or you want to use all one color, it will taste the same so don’t worry about using two. You can even get white sweet potatoes and do purple and white, all white, or layer all three!
For instructions on layering your pie with colors, see the notes section.
High Protein, Crust-Free Sweet Potato Pie 
- 1 lb sweet potatoes (444g total, approximately 2 cups mashed)
- 1 heaping scoop (45g) vanilla protein powder
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 2 Tbsp calorie-free baking stevia
- 2 tsp (5g) Truvia Nectar syrup (or agave, honey, maple syrup)
- 2 tsp (10g) coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp salt
Line a 4×8 bread pan with foil or spray with non-stick spray. I opted for foil so I could just lift the bars out when I was done. Peel the sweet potatoes if desired and cut them into 1/2 cubes. Microwave them for 4-6 minutes until they are tender and can be mashed slightly with a fork.
Mix the sweet potatoes with the remaining ingredients in a blender, food processor, or Magic Bullet. Blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water or almond milk. You don’t want a lot but just enough for your blender to be able to puree it. It should still be thick.
Spread the mixture in the prepared bread pan and freeze for about 3 hours so that they firm up for slicing. Slice into 8 squares and enjoy with a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg on top. Keep the squares in the fridge or store them longer term in the freezer and let them soften slightly before eating.
Makes 8 bars at approximately 88 calories for a 2×2 inch square – 5.5g protein, 12.25g carbs, and 1.75g fat each.
Notes
- To make the layers, divide the ingredients in half and blend them separately. I used 222g of sweet potatoes, 6 Tbsp of protein, 6 Tbsp almond milk, and half of everything else. I blended the first batch, spread it in the pan, and popped it in the freezer while I made the other color. Once the second color was done, I spread the top layer on and returned it to the freezer to chill for 3 hours.
- My protein scoop is 30 grams or about 1/4 cup, so I used 45 grams or 6 Tbsp of protein powder total in this recipe.
- I used Truvia Nectar which is a sticky syrup but you can substitute honey, agave or other sticky syrup. You want something gooey to help the ingredients stick together. Sugar or regular table syrup won’t work as well here.
If you would rather have a traditional pie shape instead of squares, you can make them in a round pan or dish. Sweet potato pie and shut my mouth!
You can still enjoy fun foods while working towards your health goals. Why not make it fun by playing with flavors, colors, textures and ingredients. Food shouldn’t be about stress and I’d love to teach you ways to incorporate healthier choices into your life. If you’re struggling with finding that balance, you can learn more about working with me.
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