The Sweet Potato Pie features a buttery, flaky crust filled with an ultra-creamy, smooth sweet potato filling and topped with clouds of brown sugar whipped cream. It is bursting with flavor and doesn't crack as it cools!
What is sweet potato pie? Sweet potato pie is a popular Fall dessert, particularly in the Southern United States. Made by blending cooked sweet potatoes with sugar, eggs, milk, and a medley of spices, it has a luscious, creamy, and sweet filling baked within a pie crust.
Although pumpkin pie and sweet potato pie are flavored with fall spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, a pumpkin pie is made using pumpkin puree and has a lighter, creamier, and smoother texture. It is a must-have on the Thanksgiving table across the country, like yukon gold mashed potatoes or pumpkin cake.
Sweet potato pie is more prevalent in the Southern United States and is made from cooked and mashed sweet potatoes, like for the sweet potato biscuits, resulting in a sweeter and slightly denser pie than pumpkin pie.
Although cooking cut sweet potatoes in the stovetop works great for the sweet potato souffle recipe, I find it best to use roasted and mashed sweet potatoes for this pie recipe.
It is the easiest and most hands-free method to cook them, and roasting intensifies the caramelization, deepens the flavor, and results in a thicker texture due to moisture evaporation.
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Why you'll love this?
- It is made using roasted sweet potatoes, resulting in a sweeter, nuttier, pronounced sweet potato flavor with a caramel-like taste.
- Uses a rich, buttery and super flaky pie crust.
- No pre-baking is needed.
- The custard filling is exceptionally creamy, setting perfectly without any cracks, and yielding clean, neat slices when cut.
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Pie crust - As for all pie recipes, I like to use my all butter pie crust recipe. The recipe yields enough dough for one 9-inch pie and is perfect for this sweet potato pie recipe.
- Sweet potato - Like for the sweet potato muffins, opt for orange-fleshed sweet potatoes like Beauregard, Garnet, or Jewel, which feature a vibrant orange color and a naturally sweet, smooth texture. I would avoid white-fleshed varieties, known for their drier, starchier, and less lovely texture.
- Eggs - Like for the pecan pie without corn syrup, eggs set up the sweet potato filling, giving a rich and luxurious texture.
- Sugars - While most sweet potato pie recipes use only white sugar, I have found that adding brown sugar enhances the caramel notes in the cooked yams and deepens the color and flavor.
- Butter - Use softened unsalted butter that is at room temperature for proper creaming.
- All purpose flour - A touch of flour helps set up the filling. It makes it sturdier and firm while keeping everything smooth.
- Flavorings - I keep it simple and use vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt. Other spices that pair well can include nutmeg, ginger allspice, orange zest and bourbon.
How to roast sweet potatoes?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
1.Prick the sweet potatoes in a few places with a fork for the steam to escape.
2. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake in a 400-degree oven for 40 to 55 minutes or until soft to the touch. Cool until warm or room temperature.
3. Slit open the cooled yams, scoop the flesh into bowl, and mash until smooth and lump free, like in healthy mashed sweet potatoes.
Tip: Did you know you can roast sweet potatoes in the air fryer?
How to make sweet potato filling?
1 & 2. Add butter and both sugars into a large bowl, and cream using an electric beater until creamy, for about 30 seconds.
Tip: While creaming the butter and sugars until they become creamy and fluffy is a common practice in baking recipes, I suggest limiting the creaming to no more than 30 seconds for this recipe; otherwise, it may introduce excess air into the filling, potentially resulting in cracks.
3 & 4. Add mashed sweet potato, eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Beat until it is very smooth and creamy.
Prepare the pie crust according to recipe instructions, chill, roll out, and shape into a 9-inch pie plate and place in the refrigerator until you make the filling. Do not bake.
5 & 6.Transfer into the prepared pie crust, spread evenly and bake until the filling is set and the pie crust is golden is golden brown.
Tips to achieve a perfectly smooth sweet potato pie filling
- Cook your sweet potatoes until thoroughly cooked until they are soft and easily mashable.
- Mash until very smooth and lump free. You can also use a food processor or blender to puree them to help break down any fibrous texture and result in a smoother consistency.
- Pass the sweet potato puree through a fine-mesh sieve or strainer for an extra-smooth filling. This will remove any remaining lumps or fibrous bits.
- Mix all the filling ingredients thoroughly until they are well incorporated for a consistent texture.
- While mixing the ingredients thoroughly is essential, avoid overmixing the filling, as excessive mixing can lead to a denser texture.
How to serve?
Allow the pie to cool completely for the custard filling to set. I prefer to complement it with brown sugar whipped cream for a delicious contrast in both texture and flavor. A scoop of either vanilla or caramel ice cream also makes for a delightful pairing.
For an added layer of texture, consider incorporating chopped toasted pecans, candied pecans, or walnuts. Additionally, a drizzle of caramel sauce enhances the sweetness and imparts a delightful caramel flavor.
Looking for more Thanksgiving dinner recipes? You might also like the cranberry sauce or apple hand pies.
Make ahead and freezing instructions
It is best serve slightly chilled, or room temperature. To make ahead, once the sweet potato pie has cooled completely, cover it with two layers of aluminum foil, store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. However, I recommend decorating the whipped cream on the day of serving.
To freeze: You can freeze a sweet potato pie for up to three months, however keep in mind that the texture may change slightly. If freezing, wrap the cooled pie in a double layer of plastic wrap, then double wrap in foil, and freeze for up to two months. To serve, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.
Helpful tips
- Cook your sweet potatoes until thoroughly cooked until they are soft and easily mashable.
- Mash until very smooth and lump free. You can also use a food processor or blender to puree them to help break down any fibrous texture and result in a smoother consistency.
- You can freeze a sweet potato pie for up to three months, however keep in mind that the texture may change slightly.
- Make sure not to cream your butter and sugar for longer than 30 seconds.
Recipe FAQs
To prevent cracks in your pie:
1. Avoid overbaking. Remove it when the filling is set and the crust is golden brown in color.
2. Be cautious of overmixing, as excessive mixing can introduce too much air into the filling. Mix the ingredients just until they're combined.
3. Ensure the filling is thoroughly mixed and has a smooth, custard-like consistency to promote even setting and minimize the risk of cracks.
Yes, canned sweet potatoes are a convenient and time-saving option for making sweet potato pie. They are typically pre-cooked, so you won't need to cook them again before filling. Just drain and mash them well to achieve a smooth consistency. However, I prefer to use freshly roasted sweet potatoes for their sweet, deep caramel flavor and texture.
More desserts
Sweet Potato Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Homemade pie crust click link for recipe
Filling
- 2 cups mashed sweet potato puree about 2 medium to large sweet potatoes
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1 stick
- ½ cup sugar, white
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs, large
- 1 tablespoon flour
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Whipped cream (optional)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- As per instructions, prepare, chill, roll out, and shape into a 9-inch pie plate and place in the refrigerator until you make the filling. Do not bake.
Cook sweet potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prick the sweet potatoes in a few places with a fork for the steam to escape.
- Place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 40 to 55 minutes, depending on the size, until it feels soft to touch. Cool for at least one to two hours.
- Slit open the cooled sweet potatoes, scoop out the flesh a wide bowl and mash using a potato masher until very smooth and lump free. Measure two cups for the recipe, packing firmly while measuring.
Make filling
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Add butter and both sugars into a large bowl, and cream using an electric beater until creamy, for about 30 seconds. Tip: Don't cream more than 30 seconds. It may introduce excess air and potentially result in cracks.
- Add mashed sweet potato, eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Beat until it is very smooth and creamy.
- Transfer into the prepared pie crust, spread evenly and bake until the filling is set, 40 to 50 minutes and the pie crust is golden brown.
- Let pie cool completely, decorate with whipped cream, if using.
Brown sugar whipped cream
- Pour cold heavy whipping cream, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl. Beat using an electric beater, on high speed until medium to stiff peaks form, about 1 minute. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe swirls on the pie or simply spread with a spoon.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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Kelly @ Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats
I love using oat flour! These waffles look right up my alley #breakfastgoals
Maria Doss
Thank you Kelly:)
Jill
How long do you bake this for? 20 mins? An hour? The recipe just says until filling is set.
Maria Doss
Hi Jill, Bake for 40 to 50 minutes at 350°F. We sincerely apologize for the oversight in omitting that crucial information. The recipe has been updated and corrected - Maria