Vegan Sweet Potato Pudding Jars

With cinnamon, nutmeg and roasted sweet potatoes, these vegan sweet potato pudding jars are the perfect make-ahead holiday dessert!

This post is sponsored by Ball^® Canning.

These sweet potato pudding jars are kind of like pie. Instead of putting the filling into a crust and baking in the oven, I whipped roasted sweet potatoes with coconut milk for a light and fluffy pudding that’s ready in minutes!

As you know, I am a Ball^® Canning Ambassador. And I’ve enjoyed canning pears this fall as well as finding fun new ways to use jars.  

I’m back this month with a little dessert served up in one of my new faves, Ball^® Half Pint Smooth Sided Jars. I love that the jars let you show off whatever is inside and make it easy to prep desserts ahead of time or drop off some tasty treats to friends and family.

You will need

Baked sweet potatoes
Coconut milk
Brown sugar (or maple syrup)
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Vanilla extract
Salt
Ball^® Half Pint Smooth Sided Jars
Whipped topping (optional, but highly recommended)

Whether you’re serving a holiday meal for one or a few, these easy sweet potato pudding jars are the perfect make-ahead dessert.

This is not traditional sweet potato pudding

Now. When I say pudding, this is not like a custardy vanilla pudding. No. Sweet potato pudding is a southern staple. It’s flavored almost exactly like sweet potato pie but without the crust. It’s typically baked and may seem like a sweet potato souffle. The two are similar but the pudding is more dense.

I kept this one super simple. I whipped roasted sweet potatoes with spices and coconut milk instead of the typical eggs and milk for this vegan sweet potato pudding.

Make the pudding

This recipe has only a few steps. 

The first step is to bake a few sweet potatoes. I prefer baking to help develop the sugars in the sweet potatoes. However, boiling would also work. 

Then, combine the sweet potatoes with the other ingredients.

Be sure to have your jars clean and ready to fill with the warm pudding.

Tips for success

• Whip the sweet potatoes with the sugar and spices while the potatoes are still warm. This will make it infinitely easier to achieve a creamy consistency.

• Along those lines, also use room temperature, not cold coconut milk. 

• Whip using the whisk attachment of your hand or stand mixer. This might take a little time. Sweet potatoes can be quite stringy sometimes. If you find that the mixture is too fibrous, run the mixture through a high-speed blender or food mill for a creamier texture. Work with what you have.

Substitutions

There’s no real substitute for sweet potatoes. Of course, you can use pumpkin or butternut squash. However, those have a lighter texture and tend to have more moisture. So you might need to eat those a little faster.

Not a fan of coconut milk? Well. It’s going to change the flavor significantly BUT you can use another plant milk. Try pea protein milk or cashew for a smooth and creamy texture. You might pump up the spices a little in that case too.

Ran out of vanilla extract? Swap the vanilla extract for rum or coconut extract – or even a splash of bourbon!

No brown sugar? An equal amount of maple syrup will work and keep the dish vegan. 

Here’s a tip. Taste the sweet potatoes before you add the sugar. Some are sweeter than others and you might be able to reduce the overall total sugar or may need more based on your preference.

Ideas for serving

The bright orange color and warm spices are perfect for fall and can be the highlight of your Thanksgiving table or small fall gathering. 

And I promise everyone will LOVE enjoying their dessert in a jar. And if there are any leftovers you get to enjoy them for days to come.

Simply add a spoon into the pudding as I’m showing below or tie a spoon onto the side or top of the closed jars to share the pudding with neighbors.

• Serve the pudding jars cool or at room temperature – with or without whipped cream.
• Dust with a little extra cinnamon on top
• Add graham cracker crumbs layer for a little extra texture.

How long do these keep?

These sweet potato pudding jars can be made ahead of time – up to 3 days in advance. Simply spoon the pudding into the jars and screw on the lid. If you’re using coconut whipped topping, you’ll be OK to add it ahead of time. 

However, regular whipped cream might separate or become runny. So, wait until just before serving if you’re using dairy cream. 

How will you serve this recipe? Please let me know in the comments. I’m always looking for new ideas!