Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet potato pie is a classic Southern dessert made with creamy roasted sweet potato purée, warm cinnamon and nutmeg, baked in a buttery pie crust. It's at home on the Thanksgiving table alongside pumpkin pie, and gets better as it sits, so you can make it ahead.
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There’s something special about Sweet Potato Pie. For me, it’s better than a pumpkin pie and a great excuse to get two kinds of potatoes on the holiday table.
I have fond memories of the canned sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows charred in the oven, and I’ve elevated that classic with my Sweet Potato Casserole with Toasted Marshmallow Fluff. But this pie draws on a deeper Southern tradition, one I got to know firsthand when I lived in Lafayette, Louisiana. This version is especially good when served with homemade whipped topping.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The full ingredient list with measurements is in the recipe card below, but here is a brief overview.
You’ll need roasted sweet potato purée, a mix of brown and granulated sugar, a couple of eggs, a touch of maple syrup, and a simple blend of cinnamon and nutmeg. The ingredients are all poured into an unbaked Homemade Pie Crust or the crust of your choice.
How to Make Sweet Potato Pie
This is a whisk-and-bake recipe, once you have your sweet potato purée. Full step-by-step directions with exact timing are in the recipe card below. Here’s a brief overview.
Whisk the sweet potato purée together with the butter, sugars, eggs, maple syrup, spices and milk until completely smooth, then pour the filling into an unbaked crust.
Bake until the center is just set, covering the crust edges partway through so they don’t overbrown. Let the pie cool completely before slicing, so the filling has time to firm up.
Tips for Making Sweet Potato Pie
- Roast sweet potatoes in advance. Use real sweet potatoes, not yams, as their flavor and texture lend themselves better to this pie. Roast the potatoes up to a day in advance and peel and purée them for the pie.
- For the smoothest filling. Blend or purée the sweet potatoes completely smooth before whisking them into the rest of the filling. Any lumps in the purée will carry through to the baked pie.
- Use the crust of your choice. This recipe works with any unbaked pie shell, whether it’s store-bought, gluten-free or my homemade crust. Be prepared to cover the edges of the crust after about 40 minutes so it doesn’t burn. I highly recommend investing in a silicone pie ring vs. trying to battle with strips of aluminum foil.
- Don’t overfill the crust. Leave a little room for the filling to rise as it bakes. It will puff up a bit in the oven.
- Let pie cool completely. You can make this pie a day before serving to maximize the flavor. Chilling the pie will help the filling firm up for easier slicing.
How to Make Sweet Potato Purée
While you can find sweet potato purée canned in the grocery store, the best flavor comes from oven-roasting 1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes to yield 2 cups of purée. Any leftovers can be mashed for a side dish, seasoned with butter, salt, and pepper.
To roast, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Wash and dry the sweet potatoes, then prick them several times with a fork. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 45 to 60 minutes, until very soft. Let cool slightly, then scoop the flesh into a bowl and mash or purée until smooth.
Sweet potatoes can also be cooked quickly in the microwave. Wash and dry the potatoes, then prick all over with a fork. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, then flip and microwave for 3 to 5 minutes longer, until very soft. Let cool, scoop out the flesh and mash or purée until smooth.
Serving Suggestions
- Garnish with chopped pecans for extra texture and flavor.
- Serve with homemade vanilla bean whipped cream. To make: Mix together 1 cup heavy whipping cream with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and about ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean scraped from the pod until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Pipe or spoon onto the pie for serving.
- Try a sprinkle of flaky sea salt right before serving to highlight the sweet potato flavor.
- Pair the pie with warm drinks like Easy Homemade Apple Cider (Stovetop Recipe), espresso or hot tea.
Whether you’re making this Sweet Potato Pie recipe to share with family and friends on Thanksgiving or Christmas, it’s sure to delight everyone at the table.
Storage: Let the pie cool completely, then cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 4 days. To freeze, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months, thawing overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
- 2 cups sweet potato purée, canned or oven-roasted
- ½ cup butter, melted
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 9-inch prepared pie crust
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Position rack in the center of the oven.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweet potato purée, melted butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, whisked eggs, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, kosher salt and whole milk until the mixture is very smooth and fully combined.
- Pour the filling into the unbaked 9-inch pie crust. Place the pie on the center rack and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the center is set. After about 40 minutes, cover the crust edges with a silicone pie crust shield to avoid burning.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 1 hour before serving. Add vanilla bean whipped topping (see notes), if desired.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Combine 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and the seeds from a vanilla bean pod (about ¼ teaspoon).
- Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.
- Pipe or spoon the whipped cream over each slice just before serving.
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Does this pie freeze well?
Yes. Let the pie cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, let thaw overnight in the refrigerator.