Sweet Potato Pie Best Recipe

Is Sweet Potato Pie a Black Thing?

Sweet potato pie originated in the Southern U.S., where the main ingredient is abundant and easy to grow. African-American communities within the South have long used sweet potatoes, so in a way, it is. That said, people from all backgrounds and ethnicities love a big slice. 😉

Recipe Ingredients

1. Pie Crust – A store-bought works fine, but a homemade pie crust recipe is even better.
2. Sweet Potatoes – Sweet and oh-so-creamy when boiled and mashed, they make the perfect pie filling.
3. Butter – Adding richness and that telltale Southern flavor, butter is a key ingredient in both this pie’s crust and filling.
4. Sugar – You’ll need both granulated and brown sugar for this recipe
5. Evaporated Milk – Use a can or make your own evaporated milk to deliver the perfect creamy texture.
6. Eggs – This ingredient helps bind the filling and create an easy-to-slice pie.
7. Spices – Warm and earthy nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon spices go beautifully with sweet potatoes.

How to Make Sweet Potato Pie

Blind Bake the Pie Crust

• Prepare the Crust – Line the bottom of the pie crust with parchment paper, then add dried beans on top. The beans will ensure that the bottom of the crust does not rise.
• Bake for 5-6 minutes in the preheated oven, remove from the oven, and let it cool.

Prepare the Filling

• Prep Sweet Potatoes – Rinse, peel, and cut the sweet potatoes into chunks. Then, add them to a medium saucepan and cover them with water.
• Cook – Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat. Cook until tender and potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork, about 12 minutes. You may need more time depending on the size of the potatoes. (Photo 1)
• Drain water and simmer the potatoes for about 1 minute or until water has evaporated.
• Mash – Add them to a mixing bowl. Then, mash the sweet potatoes with an electric mixer or potato masher.
• Mix – Add the remaining ingredients: softened butter, sugar, evaporated milk, eggs, egg yolk, nutmeg, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract. Continue mixing until all the ingredients are fully incorporated. (Photos 2-8)

Bake Your Pie

• Assemble – Pour the filling into the pie crust. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is nice and browned or when a tester (skewer, toothpick, etc.) inserted in the middle comes out clean. (Photo 9)
• Serve – Remove and serve topped with whipped cream, candied pecans, and/or caramel sauce.

Recipe Variations

1. Ginger-Infused – Add a bit of grated ginger to your filling. Mix top it with homemade whipped cream. 😋
2. Smores – Use a graham cracker crust and add a layer of marshmallows on top before baking. Then drizzle with chocolate sauce before serving.
3. Pumpkin Pie – Replace the sweet potato puree with pumpkin puree. That was easy!

Tips and Tricks

1. Make miniature sweet potato pies for bite-sized fun if you have leftover pie filling.
2. Cover the sweet potatoes with at least an inch of water so they cook evenly.
3. Your pie should jiggle, not ripple, in the middle when it’s ready.

Make-Ahead Instructions

Feel free to make this sweet potato pie ahead of time. It will stay fresh for 3-5 days in the refrigerator or 2-3 months in the freezer when stored well. Cool completely, cover it well with plastic wrap (2-3 layers). Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then take it out 30 minutes to an hour before serving.

Serving and Storage Instructions

Sweet potato pie is delicious when it cools to room temperature. Let it rest for about half an hour after coming out of the oven so it firms up. Then, cut and serve. Or serve it chilled the next day.

Store leftovers in the fridge. This pie has eggs and milk, so it shouldn’t stay on the counter for more than two hours. You can also freeze sweet potato pie for three months in an airtight container.

FAQs

What Goes With Sweet Potato Pie

For an upgrade on a classic holiday dinner, try turkey tenderloin, smoked baked potatoes, and cornbread stuffing. For a fancier sweet potato pie, top it with whipped cream! 🤩

More Favorite Pie Recipes to Try

1. Apple Pie
2. Chocolate Pecan Pie
3. Tomato Pie
4. Pineapple Pie
5. Chess Pie
6. Southern Buttermilk Pie

Conclusion

Whip up this Southern sweet potato pie recipe everyone will love. Did you do a recipe variation? Share what you did in the comments.❤️

Watch How to Make It

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”Vk5mAFkI” upload-date=”2020-11-25T11:17:50.000Z” name=”Sweet Potato Pie” description=”Creamy, tasty, and insanely delicious SWEET POTATO PIE makes the holidays a lot better. This traditional southern masterpiece made from real sweet potatoes and an indulgent homemade pie crust takes “desserts” to another level. Truly a crowd-pleasing comfort food you can easily make at home.” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”]

This blog post was originally published in November 2020 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.