Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie Bars

5 from 2 votes

These vegan and gluten-free sweet potato pie bars comes from Naturally, Delicious Desserts! It’s the newest cookbook from Danny Seo.

Yield: 8-inch square pan

Prep Time55

Chill Time4

Total Time4 55

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Asian

Servings: bars

Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Allow parchment paper to hang over the edges of the pan. This will allow for easy unmolding. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together almond flour, almond butter, ground flax meal, sugar, salt, and water until dough forms. Use a spatula or use gloved hands to bring dough together.
Transfer dough to prepared baking pan. Use a tamper or the flat bottom of a measuring cup or drinking glass to press dough into an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes. Set aside.
Filling: Peel sweet potatoes. Cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks. Place sweet potatoes in sauce pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, until sweet potato is tender. Drain well. Add sweet potatoes to a blender.
Pour coconut milk, agar powder, and agave nectar in a small sauce pot. Stir contents often. Simmer until agar has dissolved.
Add agar mixture, vanilla extract, and salt to blender with sweet potatoes. Process mixture until thick and smooth.
Pour sweet potato puree mixture on top of baked crust. Spread filling into an even layer. Let mixture cool for about 20 minutes before transferring to the refrigerator. Chill for at least 4 hours until filling is set.
Use a sharp clean knife to slice sweet potato pie into desired bar sizes.

Agar Notes:

Agar, also known as agar-agar, is derived from seaweed (red algae). It is a vegan alternative to gelatin.
Agar sticks, agar flakes, and agar powder are the most commonly sold versions. The original recipe calls for agar flakes.
1 Tablespoon agar flakes = 1 teaspoon agar powder.

Recipe ingredients reprinted and paraphrased with permission from Gibbs Smith Publisher