Make family gatherings extra special with the best homemade southern Sweet Potato Pie. This easy recipe is the best and it will make you feel like you're making Grandma's Old Fashioned recipe. Learn how to make this perfect pie.
Make this pie for any family get together especially during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. You'll add this to your list of favorites as it has the best ingredients and makes a creamy custard filling.
I first heard about this pie when I lived in the south. I saw it at Walmart and was so intrigued. Then I saw it again in a Paula Deen magazine and I just knew I had to make a version of this delicious pie.
When I first made it for my family we all loved it! We even loved it more than traditional pumpkin pie. Shhh don't tell! If you wanted to have a more pumpkin taste you could substitute 1.5 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mix instead of the cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg
Some of our other southern inspired pies are water pie, chess pie, Buttermilk Pie, and traditional banana cream pie. For a pumpkin pie variation, try our double layer pumpkin pie.
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Sweet and Savory Flavor: We absolutely love the perfect balance between sweetness and savory notes. The natural sweetness of the roasted or boiled sweet potatoes is complemented by ingredients like sugar, and spices.
- Creamy Texture: Just like other squash pies, this pie has a velvety, creamy texture that is incredibly satisfying. This creamy consistency is achieved by blending the cooked sweet potatoes with ingredients like eggs, milk, or cream.
- Comfort Food: In the south this is a classic American dessert often enjoyed during holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. The warm, comforting flavors and the nostalgia of family gatherings make it a beloved treat.
- Versatile: It's really fun to experiment with the flavors of this pie! Try it with a classic, simple recipe, or experiment with additional ingredients like pecans, marshmallows, or even pumpkin for extra depth of flavor.
Ingredients
- Pie crust: You will only need a single pie crust. You don't want to top this pie with more crust. It is an open top pie.
- Sweet Potatoes: It's not a secret ingredient but this is the base of the pie. If you have a scale, it's a great way to measure how much you need. Make sure to peel before using.
- Sugar: White granulated sugar and brown sugar are both used in this recipe.
- Eggs: For best results, we suggest using room temperature eggs. That is the best way to use eggs when baking.
- Milk: Whole milk is best but you can also use half and half.
- Butte: Melt the butter before adding to the ingredients. Use unsalted.
- Spices: Just like the pumpkin pie you love, this pie has cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. The flavors of fall and the holidays.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
For the best results, follow these step by step instructions and refer to the pictures for texture and help.
- Cook the sweet potatoes until the are tender. Poke holes in the potatoes to help the cooking process.
2. Blend together the milk and the sweet potatoes in a blender to make a smooth mixture.
3. Add the sugars, eggs, and spices to the blended potatoes and milk. Mix all together until smooth and creamy.
4. Pour the mixture into the 9 inch pie crust and bake for 10 minutes at 400* F and then 45-55 minutes at 350* F. Let cool for at least 2 hours.
Hint: Make sure the sweet potatoes are cooked thoroughly and then well blended. You want the pie mixture to be smooth.
Sweet Potato Pie vs. Pumpkin Pie
Sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie, both popular desserts in American cuisine, share some similarities but also have distinct differences. While both pies feature a custardy filling with warm spices, the key distinction lies in their base ingredients. Sweet potato pie, as the name suggests, is made primarily with sweet potatoes, resulting in a naturally sweeter and smoother texture.
Pumpkin pie is crafted from pumpkin puree, which tends to be less sweet and has a more subtle, earthy taste. Pumpkin pie leans on the addition of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to enhance its flavor. These differences create unique taste experiences, making the pie with sweet potatoes richer and sweeter, while pumpkin pie offers a spicier, more rustic flavor profile.
Substitutions and Variations
- pumpkin sweet potato pie: To make this a pumpkin sweet potato combo, use half the sweet potatoes and add 1 cup of pumpkin puree.
- Brown Butter: Before adding the melted butter, make brown better and then make as directed.
- With Evaporated Milk: Substitute the whole milk for evaporated milk. Make sure it's regular evaporated milk and not fat free!
- Brown Sugar: Use all brown sugar instead of both brown sugar and white sugar. Do the brown sugar and brown butter for a very tasty fall caramel flavor.
- Purple: Make the exact same way as the original recipe but use purple sweet potatoes instead of traditional sweet potatoes.
- With graham cracker crust: Use a graham cracker crust instead of traditional crust. Use a store bought or homemade crust.
Tips and Tricks
This is a really fun pie to make. We have arguments on what's better, this pie or traditional pumpkin pie. You can enhance the flavors of this thanksgiving favorite by experimenting with other flavors, like trying our brown sugar brown butter version or brown sugar version (see above for measurements).
Make this pie ahead of time so you have time to make other pies for big days around the holidays. It lasts up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
How To Serve
This is a great cozy holiday pie. It's a tasty comfort food. Serve this with a traditional thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner. We love making this with sides like Sweet Potato Casserole, Green Bean Casserole, and ocean spray cranberry sauce.
Equipment
For this recipe you will need a Mixing Bowl to mix the filling in. A blender is also helpful in order to make the sweet potatoes as smooth as possible. You will also need a 9 inch Pie Pan.
Storage
Store cool cooked pie with a lid or plastic wrap over the top in the refrigerator. It will last up to 5 days. This is a great pie to make ahead of time in order to save some time during the holidays.
This recipe freezes well and makes for a really easy way to make ahead of time and then eat when ready. Make sure to thaw in the refrigerator before eating. Store for 2-3 months in the freezer.
Top tip
Getting the sweet potatoes perfectly smooth will create the best texture for your pie. To do this, make sure they are fully cooked and nice and soft, then blend with the milk in a blender (preferably high speed) until perfectly smooth.
FAQ
To make sweet potato pie you will need to cook and puree sweet potatoes until smooth. Then add sugar, milk, eggs, butter, and spices. Cook the smooth mixture in a pie crust for 55 minutes, or until set.
Cook the pie for 10 minutes at 400* F and then lower the temperature to 350*F. Cook for another 45 to 55 minutes. The pie will need to cool for at least 2 hours to properly set.
Yes, you can freeze sweet potato pie! Freezing sweet potato pie is a convenient way to make it ahead of time for special occasions or to save leftovers for later enjoyment. To freeze a sweet potato pie, first allow it to cool completely after baking. Then, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, ensuring there's minimal exposure to air to prevent freezer burn. You can also place the wrapped pie in an airtight container or a heavy-duty freezer bag for extra protection. Label the package with the date so you can keep track of its freshness. When you're ready to enjoy it, simply thaw the frozen pie in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight before reheating it in a preheated oven to restore its texture and flavor. Properly frozen and stored, sweet potato pie can stay good in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
Yes, sweet potato pie should be refrigerated to maintain its freshness and prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. Due to its dairy and egg-based filling, sweet potato pie is considered a perishable item, and leaving it at room temperature for extended periods can lead to food safety concerns. After baking, allow the pie to cool at room temperature for about 2 hour to prevent condensation inside the container, then cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place it in the refrigerator. Properly stored, sweet potato pie can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with sweet potato pie:
Recipe
Sweet Potato Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 single pie crust
- 2 large sweet potatoes about 1 ¾ pounds or 800 grams
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs large, at room temperature
- ¾ cup whole milk can also use half and half
- 2 Tablespoons butter melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cook sweet potatoes by poking holes in the potatoes with a fork. Cook for 3 minutes in the microwave, turn over and cook another 3 minutes. Place a knife in the sweet potato. If it goes in easily, the potatoes are done. If there is any resistance, keep cooking in 30-60 second intervals until they are completely cooked. Allow the sweet potatoes to cool for 10-20 minutes then remove the skins.
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Place pie crust in 9" deep dish pie plate. If using a homemade pie crust, do a blind bake. If using store bought, you don't need to blind bake it.
- Place sweet potatoes and milk in a blender and blend on high until silky smooth.
- Transfer to a bowl, and use an electric mixer to combine the sweet potato mixture, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, milk, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Beat until smooth then pour into the prepared pie plate.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then turn down the temperature to 350° F and bake an additional 45-55 minutes, until the pie has set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
- Is using small sweet potatoes, reduce microwave time down to 2 minutes each side to start with.
- For more of a caramel-y flavor, switch the white sugar for brown sugar.
- You can also bake your sweet potatoes in the oven, if desired.
Andrea
I first heard about sweet potato pie when we lived in the south. I saw it at walmart and thought I had to try it. I fell in love with it and this recipe is better than any one I've had before. I will be making this again for Thanksgiving.