SWEET potato pie is a lovely concept, for a variety of reasons: it beautifully marries sweet and savory, it uses a vegetable as the foundation of a dessert, its color is stunning and it’s creamy and crisp all at once.

That’s the concept. Sadly, most sweet potato pie is an overly dense custard in what might as well be a cardboard shell.

This one is different. It features not only a custard that’s rich and light, but an unusual and fabulously flavored crust with a slightly exotic flavor profile. It’s not traditional, but it is exciting.

The pie starts with a simple graham cracker crust, which is already light-years ahead of the premade versions. It’s flavored with warm spices and shredded coconut, which gives it extra flavor and a bit of texture, making it far more than a carrier for the custard. (You could actually substitute another kind of cookie here, like a ginger snap.)