Alton Brown’s Sweet Potato Pie – PALEOized

One thing I love to do — and something I get questions about most often — is how to turn classic recipes into Paleo-friendly recipes. It’s actually where the inspiration came from for my Paleo Sweets book!
The paleo diet focuses on avoiding processed foods and also excludes dairy, grains, sugar, and processed oils. Since a lot of the classic recipes rely heavily on those things, it may seem like you’ll have to cut out all of your favorite foods and recipes if you’re eating Paleo.
But it’s just not true!
There are a lot of Paleo-friendly ingredients out there so that you don’t have to feel deprived, and can still make all of your favorite foods with some simple ingredient swaps.
Paleo baking is part art and part science, though! A lot of the ingredients you will see in traditional recipes don’t always have a 1:1 paleo substitution, or won’t give you the same taste and texture as the original recipe. So, it can take some experimenting to get things right!
Luckily, I’ve done all the heavy lifting for you with this recipe. This is a twist on Alton Brown’s Sweet Potato Pie recipe. Sweet potatoes are a great source of beta carotene, the plant version of vitamin A, which is important for healthy skin and eyes. Cooking the potatoes actually makes it easier for your body to absorb the vitamin!
This recipe is perfect for a healthier holiday treat, an alternative to pumpkin pie, or can be used throughout fall and winter when root vegetables are readily available.

Alton Brown’s Sweet Potato Pie – Paleoized
Description
This delicious twist on a classic dessert makes it the perfect finish to your holiday meal.
Ingredients
1lb 30z sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 c coconut cream (taken from the top of a can of coconut milk placed in the fridge overnight)
1/2 c applesauce
1/2 – 3/4 coconut palm sugar, to taste
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
5 egg yolks
salt
1 c chopped pecans
1 Tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350º. Steam sweet potatoes until tender, 15-20 min. Remove the sweet potatoes from the steamer and mash.
Combine all ingredients except maple syrup and pecans in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, mix until completely combined and well incorporated. Pour filling into prepared crust. Sprinkle pecans evenly over the pie. Drizzle with maple syrup. Bake 50-55 min. Allow the pie to cool completely before serving. Store pie in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
Notes
You can find Alton Brown’s original recipe here.
If you want more truly healthy baking recipes right at your fingertips check out my book Paleo Sweets – it’s free, you just cover a small shipping fee. You’ll get 70+ tasty recipes for paleo versions of chocolate chip cookies, vanilla cheesecake, caramel brownies, carrot cake, mint chocolate chip ice cream, pumpkin pie and more!