Sweet Potato Pie
The flavors in this southern sweet potato pie recipe are so on point! Earthy roasted sweet potatoes with brown sugar & spices, baked in a flaky crust.
I’m back today with another fabulous recipe for the holiday season: sweet potato pie!
My husband is a huge lover of all things soul food. He is crazy for buttermilk biscuits, pecan pie, peach cobbler, cornbread… anything from the south, really.
And since sweet potato pie might be THE most quintessentially southern soul food dessert there is, I knew when I set out to make this that I’d darn well better get it right.
Well, I think I really did. The earthy sweetness of the sweet potatoes really shines, and there’s just the right balance of spices. The filling sets up beautifully as it bakes, and the contrast between silky-smooth filling and flaky pastry crust is absolute perfection.
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, there’s truly no better time to whip up this sweet potato pie recipe!
WHAT DOES SWEET POTATO PIE TASTE LIKE?
Sweet potato pie has a flavor that’s very similar to pumpkin pie. Many of those same warm baking spices are used, like cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. And the texture is quite similar as well.
But I especially like this recipe because the roasted sweet potatoes lend an earthy sweetness that’s really in a class by itself.
IS IT SWEET OR SAVORY?
While this recipe (like most other desserts on this site) is a little less sweet than most, sweet potato pie is definitely sweeter than it is savory.
It’s perfect served for dessert, especially around the fall and winter months. Those spices are just so iconically “holiday!”
HOW TO MAKE SWEET POTATO PIE
To make this easy recipe, you’ll start by roasting the sweet potatoes.
Prick them with a fork so the steam can escape, and bake them in the oven until they’re soft and squishy.
There are a lot of recipes out there that will tell you to boil your sweet potatoes, but I think roasting them is really the way to go. The flavors concentrate as they bake, and they won’t become waterlogged. This is like a guarantee that your filling will set up nice and firm.
Once the sweet potatoes are nice and soft, scoop out the flesh and place it in a big bowl along with some softened butter.
Whip the sweet potatoes and butter together until satiny-smooth.
Now mix in the eggs, one at a time.
Next it’s time for the flavorings: brown sugar lends a deeper sweetness, and cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg bring out all the best in the earthy sweet potatoes.
The last ingredient is cream. I keep cream on hand at all times. I believe it’s essential for a well-stocked baking pantry.
A lot of sweet potato pie recipes will call for evaporated milk. That is not an ingredient that I typically keep on hand, but I have found that heavy cream can be substituted, in equal measure, without any problem whatsoever.
That said, if you want to use evaporated milk, you totally can!
THE CRUST
For this pie, I like to use my favorite homemade pie crust recipe. It utilizes a special technique that creates the most unbelievably flaky layers!
You’ll just need half a batch, since this is a single-crust pie. Par-bake it for about 20 minutes before adding the filling, so the bottom doesn’t get soggy.
I have not tried it myself, but I think that a graham cracker crust would work just fine for this as well. Just keep in mind your pie will come out a little sweeter if you use this type of crust.
Transfer the filling to the prepared crust, and bake it in the oven until puffy and set around the edges.
The filling will still seem quite wobbly when you take this pie out of the oven. It’s ok! Keep in mind that it will continue to cook and firm up as the pie cools.
IS SWEET POTATO PIE HEALTHY?
You can find lots of info on the nutritional value of this dish in the recipe card below.
For a vegan sweet potato pie, sub in margarine for the butter, and soak 2 tablespoons of ground flax or chia seeds in 1/3 cup of water. Allow this mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes, until gelled, and use it in place of the eggs. Canned coconut milk (full fat) can be used in place of the cream.
HOW TO SERVE SWEET POTATO PIE
This recipe can be served at chilled or at room temperature. While I would not recommend slicing into it straight from the oven, it would be ok to re-warm it slightly too.
I love a slice served with a dollop of soft, sweetened whipped cream, and a little sprinkling of cinnamon.
It would also be great with a handful of chopped cinnamon pecans, or a drizzle of salted caramel sauce.
DOES THIS NEED TO BE REFRIGERATED?
It’s fine to leave this out on your dessert table for a few hours, but any longer than that and it should probably go into the fridge. Wrap it loosely with plastic wrap, and it should keep for a week or so.
CAN YOU FREEZE IT?
There is some controversy over whether or not custard pies can be frozen. Some say that pumpkin, custard, and cream pies do not freeze successfully.
Others say that they do, but you may want to consider doing that before it’s baked, so the crust doesn’t become soggy.
You can find more info on how to freeze sweet potato pie here.
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Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
- 1/2 batch perfect homemade pie crust, , prepared & chilled
- 2 sweet potatoes , (approx. 2 pounds)
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter,, softened
- 2 eggs, (large)
- 3/4 cup (110 g) light brown sugar, , loosely packed
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, (or several scratches of whole nutmeg on a microplane grater)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, prick the sweet potatoes with a fork, and roast them for 75 minutes or until soft.
- Place a sheet of parchment over the prepared pie shell and top it with ceramic pie weights or dry beans.
- Bake the pie crust for 20 minutes, then set aside.
- When the roasted sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, split them and scoop the flesh into a large mixing bowl.
- Whip the sweet potatoes and butter together until smooth.
- Blend in the eggs, one at a time.
- Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, nutmeg, and salt, mixing until combined.
- Stir in the cream, and transfer the filling to the partially-baked pie crust.
- Bake the pie for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F, then lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for another 40 to 50 minutes, or until the edges are set but the center is still a little wobbly. (The filling will continue to cook and firm up as the pie cools.)
- Cool completely before slicing.
Hi Allie, this is the best Sweet Potato Pie I’ve every tasted!!! This is the perfect recipe for the Fall and Winter season. Thank you so much for sharing this. I love how you cover all my questions in your instructions. =)
I’m so happy to hear that Lynn! You’re so welcome and thank you for the 5-star review!