Sweet Potato Pie (Southern)
intro
Creamy, warmly spiced classic Southern dessert with smooth roasted sweet potato filling in a flaky buttery crust, a beloved holiday table staple.
Ingredients
Steps
Roast the sweet potatoes
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Scrub sweet potatoes clean under running water, pierce each 4-5 times with a fork to release steam, and place them directly on the middle oven rack. Roast for 45-50 minutes until a paring knife slides easily through the center with no resistance. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes until safe to handle.
Prep the pie crust
Unroll the chilled all-butter pie crust and press it evenly into a 9-inch (23cm) glass pie dish, crimping the edges decoratively with your fingers or a fork. Place the crust-lined dish in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes while you prepare the filling; this prevents crust shrinkage during baking.
Make the filling base
Slice the cooled roasted sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, scoop out the soft orange flesh into a large mixing bowl, and discard the papery skins. Add the 57g of melted unsalted butter to the warm sweet potato flesh, and mash with a wire potato masher for 2 minutes until completely smooth, with no remaining fibrous lumps.
Blend filling ingredients
Add 100g granulated sugar, 100g packed light brown sugar, 2g ground cinnamon, 0.5g grated nutmeg, 1.5g fine salt, and 5ml vanilla extract to the mashed sweet potato. Stir with a wooden spoon until fully combined, then add the 2 room-temperature large eggs, mixing gently just until incorporated (do not overmix to avoid air bubbles). Slowly stir in 120ml evaporated milk until the filling is silky and uniform in consistency.
Assemble the raw pie
Remove the chilled pie crust from the refrigerator, and pour the smooth sweet potato filling directly into the crust, spreading it evenly across the surface with a spatula so it sits perfectly level. Tap the pie dish gently on the counter 2-3 times to release any trapped air bubbles that could cause cracks during baking.
Bake the pie slowly
Reduce the oven temperature to 175°C (350°F). Place the assembled pie on the middle oven rack, and bake for 50-55 minutes. The pie is done when the outer edges are fully set, and the center 2 inches jiggles slightly like set Jell-O; the center will firm up completely as the pie cools.
Cool before serving
Remove the baked pie from the oven, and transfer it to a wire cooling rack. Let it cool completely at room temperature for 2 full hours before slicing, to allow the filling to set fully. Serve at room temperature or lightly chilled, topped with freshly whipped cream if desired.
Tips
2.Do not overmix the filling once eggs are added: overmixing incorporates too much air, which causes the filling to puff excessively, crack, and sink as it cools.
3.If the crust edges start to brown faster than the filling sets, wrap them in a 2-inch wide strip of aluminum foil halfway through baking to shield them from burning.
OMG this is the exact sweet potato pie my grandma used to make for Thanksgiving every year! I was so nervous I’d never get the spice balance right, but this recipe nailed it. The whole family fought over the last slice at our Sunday dinner. SO good, 10/10 will make every holiday from now on.
Made this for my kid’s fall bake sale and it sold out in 10 minutes flat! I added a tiny extra dash of nutmeg because that’s how my mom always made it, and people were asking for the recipe left and right. Only note: make sure you leave enough time for the pie to fully cool before slicing, I cut mine too early the first test run and it was a little runny.
Game changer. I’ve always been a pecan pie guy, but my wife begged me to try this sweet potato pie recipe for our Friendsgiving and I’m a convert. The crust was flaky, the filling was perfectly sweet not cloying, even my picky brother in law went back for a second slice.
Has anyone tried making this with a gluten free pie crust? I have a celiac kiddo and really want to bring this to our extended family Thanksgiving, but don’t want the texture to be off if I swap the crust.
Y’all, I grew up in Louisiana eating sweet potato pie at every family gathering, and this recipe is the real deal. No weird canned filling, no overpowering cinnamon, just that smooth, creamy sweet potato flavor I remember. I baked mine a little longer than the recipe said because my oven runs hot, and it came out perfect.
First time ever making a pie from scratch and this didn’t turn out half bad! I was intimidated by the medium difficulty rating, but the steps were super easy to follow. My roommates devoured half the pie before it even finished cooling, so I’m counting that as a win.
Solid recipe, but I cut the sugar by a quarter cup because I prefer my sweet potato pie less sweet, and it was perfect for my taste. Also added a tiny splash of bourbon to the filling for a little extra depth, highly recommend that tweak if you’re feeling fancy.
Made this for our church homecoming dinner last Sunday and got so many compliments! The texture was so velvety, no lumps at all because I ran my mashed sweet potatoes through a food mill first. Even the ladies who’ve been making sweet potato pie for 50 years said it was top tier.
Wait, I thought this was going to be way too labor intensive for a weeknight, but I pre-roasted the sweet potatoes last night and threw the whole pie together after work today. It came out amazing, perfect cozy fall dessert for when the evenings start to cool down here.
Took this to my office potluck yesterday and people were coming back to my desk three times to ask if I had any extra slices. I topped mine with a little dollop of homemade whipped cream spiced with cinnamon, and it paired perfectly. 10/10, will be making this for Thanksgiving too.
Help! I followed the recipe exactly but my filling cracked really bad on top while it was baking. Did I do something wrong? It still tastes good, but it looks a little messy for the family dinner I’m bringing it to tonight.
I’ve tried like four different sweet potato pie recipes over the last year and this one is hands down the best. The balance of cinnamon, nutmeg, and a tiny hint of ginger is perfect, not too much spice so the sweet potato flavor still shines. I’ll never use another recipe again.
My kids loved it! I was worried the spice level would be too much for my 6 and 8 year old, but they both asked for seconds and begged me to put a slice in their lunch boxes for tomorrow. Win for mom!
I made this for a Friendsgiving potluck last weekend and I will say, the 2 hour cook time is no joke! Block off enough time, y’all. I tried to rush it and almost missed the party because I misjudged how long it would take. It was worth it though, every single person asked for the recipe.
Grew up eating my great aunt’s sweet potato pie every Thanksgiving in east Texas, and this tastes exactly like hers. The only thing I did different was add a handful of toasted pecans to the top of the filling before baking, for a little extra crunch. Absolute perfection.
Has anyone tried making this ahead of time and freezing it? I’m doing all my Thanksgiving meal prep this weekend to save time day of, and I want to know if this freezes well.
I used evaporated milk like the recipe said, but I accidentally grabbed the vanilla flavored kind instead of plain, and it was such a happy accident! It added a little extra vanilla depth without being overpowering, I’m gonna do that on purpose from now on.
Don’t skip the blind bake for the crust, y’all. I got lazy and didn’t do it the first time I made this, and the bottom crust was soggy. Tried it again a week later, blind baked for 12 minutes, and it was perfect, flaky top to bottom.
I made this vegan by swapping the butter for coconut oil and using coconut evaporated milk, and it was so creamy no one even noticed it was dairy free! I was worried the coconut flavor would be too strong, but it blended right in with the spices.
This pie is the ultimate comfort food. I made it after a really long week at work, and a warm slice with a cup of coffee after dinner made everything feel better. It’s not too fussy, tastes like home, 10/10 would recommend to anyone looking for a classic sweet potato pie recipe.