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

Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang on two sides. Mix together almond flour, almond butter, ground flax meal, sugar, salt, and water until a crumbly dough forms. Press firmly into prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool completely.
Cook sweet potatoes: Peel and cut sweet potatoes into 1½-inch chunks. Place in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until tender. Drain well.
Prepare agar mixture: In a small saucepan, combine coconut milk, agar powder, and agave. Simmer while stirring frequently until agar completely dissolves, about 3-5 minutes.
Blend filling: Add drained sweet potatoes to a high-speed blender. Pour in the coconut-agar mixture, vanilla, and salt. Blend until completely smooth and thick.
Assemble: Pour filling over cooled crust and spread into an even layer. Cool at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours until firm.
Slice and serve: Use a sharp, clean knife to cut into 12 bars. Wipe knife between cuts for clean slices.

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