I wish I knew how to make a slab pie when I was struggling in my first apartment. It was just me, my clothes, shoes and a television. I had a frying pan and a cookie sheet. The truth is, I never baked anything because I didn’t have pie pans or cake pans. A slab pie is basically pie crust spread out on a cookie sheet instead of in a pie pan. The filling you would make is the same but it’s the presentation that is different.
Slab Pie to the Rescue
When it comes to sweet potato pie, there can never be enough in my house. We all love the flavors of the yams, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla spices. A slab pie is actually larger and reminds me of a New York style Sicilian pizza. When I made this pie, I was able to serve many square slices and once topped with whipped cream, it was a huge success. Can you just imagine their reaction if I added a side of vanilla ice cream?
Keep it Simple
There are few ingredients to this sweet potato slab pie. I like to keep it simple with a ready made crust and the yams are the star. This recipe calls for butter and eggs but you can absolutely substitute coconut milk and achieve a delicious dessert. So glad to discover this pie option and even though I now have pie pans and cake pans, I think it’s kind of fun to roll out a crust and create something new. I can’t wait to try this with apples.
Ingredients
2 nine-inch pie crusts
1.5 lb of cooked yams
1 can of sweetened condensed milk (14oz)
2 eggs
4 tbs softened butter
1 tsp each of cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla
The Process
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dust your counter or surface with flour. Place the unrolled pie crusts one on top of the other. Take a rolling pin and roll the crust out so that it now fits your cookie sheet. That’s how it becomes crust for a slab pie. I used a 15x10x1 inch pan. If you don’t have a rolling pin, you can lay parchment paper over your crust and roll it out with a smooth water bottle or wine bottle.
Use a hand mixer to blend yams, condensed milk, eggs, butter and spices. Once you get to a creamy consistency, pour your mixture onto your cookie sheet and ensure even distribution. Place in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. Be sure to check to see that it is done by sticking a toothpick or knife into the center. It should come out clean.
Let your sweet potato slab pie cool and serve solo, with whipped cream or ice cream.
LA Dunn is a plant-based advocate with an occasional sweet tooth who is having fun remixing recipes and adding more plants to her plate. If you have twenty minutes, listen to an episode of The Black Girls Eat Podcast. Sign up below to receive updates.