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.
Why This Recipe is the Best
This Sweet Potato Pie is a true Southern classic, perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter gatherings. With a silky smooth custard filling and warm, spiced flavor, it’s a cozy, comforting pie that quickly became a family favorite. Inspired by Southern roots and first spotted in a Paula Deen magazine, this recipe delivers the homemade taste you've been craving, far better than any store-bought version. Once you try it, you'll understand why it’s a staple on our holiday dessert table year after year.
Some of our other southern-inspired pies are Pecan Pie, Black Bottom pie, and Buttermilk Pie.
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Key Ingredients
Below is a list of ingredients needed for this recipe. Follow our tips on each ingredient for the best results.
- 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.
- 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. After a lot of recipe testing, we strongly advise against using 2%, 1% or skim milk. It won't turn out the same!
- Spices- Just like the pumpkin pie you love, this pie has cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. The flavors of fall and the holidays.
How to Make Sweet Potato Pie
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.
- Blend together the milk and the sweet potatoes in a blender to make a smooth mixture.
- Add the sugars, eggs, and spices to the blended potatoes and milk. Mix all together until smooth and creamy.
- 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.
Common Mistakes
During recipe testing, I found the easiest (and quickest!) way to cook the sweet potatoes was in the microwave. You are welcome to bake them in the oven, but I feel that if you follow our directions in the microwave, you will like your results.
I hadn't had a sweet potato pie before living in the south, and I worked hard to create a sweet potato pie that was authentic to southern cuisine and had the very best texture and flavor.
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.
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.
- If your sweet potatoes aren't fully cooked, you will have little lumps of sweet potato in the pie.
- Be very careful not to over bake your pie! If it's over baked it will lose its silky smooth texture.
- We have not tried freezing this pie.
- This makes a great make ahead pie for Thanksgiving! Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Sweet Potato Pie vs. Pumpkin Pie
Sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie are both popular desserts, particularly for Thanksgiving. They share a lot of similarities- both feature a custardy filling with warm spices. Sweet potatoes are sweeter than pumpkins. It has less added sugar and is slightly sweeter than pumpkin. Pumpkin pie needs additional spices to fill out the flavor, whereas sweet potato pie is usually made with fewer spices; they just aren't needed.
Substitutions and Variations
If you loved this recipe, you have to try this fun variation, Sweet Potato Pie Swirled Cheesecake. Check out our other variations below.
- 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 butter and then proceed 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.
How To Serve
This is a great cozy holiday pie. 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.
Storing Sweet Potato Pie
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.
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 hours 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.
This can result from one of 2 things. If your sweet potatoes are underbaked, there will be little lumps remaining. The other option is that if you overcook the pie, it will lose its satiny smooth texture. Make sure not to over-bake!
Andrea says
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.