A staple on my childhood table at Thanksgiving was canned sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows that charred in the oven. That flavor unlocks some sentimental memories of that time in my life. You’ll find an elevated version of that combination in my recipe for Sweet Potato Casserole with Toasted Marshmallow Fluff.
Now I’m revisiting sweet potatoes for the Thanksgiving table in dessert form – my Sweet Potato Pie, which could be a good replacement for your traditional pumpkin pie this year. It has a similar look and texture to pumpkin pie and still brings that autumnal color to your dessert offerings.
Recipe tips for success:
- Roast sweet potatoes in advance. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Poke holes in the sweet potato and roast on a lined baking sheet for at least 50 minutes, until a fork easily pierces through the entire potato. Once cool to the touch, peel off and discard the skin and purée in a food processor to achieve the smoothest texture.
- Use the crust of your choice. This recipe works with any unbaked pie shell, whether it’s store-bought, gluten-free or a traditional scratch-made pie crust. Just 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 or metal pie ring vs. trying to battle with strips of aluminum foil.
- Let pie cool completely before decorating. You can make this pie up to 2 days in advance, let cool completely and cover tightly to store in the refrigerator. Just before serving, decorate with the toppings of your choice. I prefer a homemade maple whipped topping piped in a decorative way. This also helps cover any cracks that might have formed in the pie.
Ingredients
- 2 cups sweet potato, puréed (from 1 large or 2 medium)
- 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 oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in the middle of the oven.
Add 2 cups sweet potato purée to a medium bowl with the rest of the filling ingredients – ½ cup melted butter, 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 and ½ cup whole milk – and whisk until well combined and smooth.
Pour filling into prepared 9-inch unbaked pie shell. Place on the middle rack of preheated oven and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until center is set. You’ll want to cover the exposed pie crust after about 40 minutes to keep it from burning.
Let cool for at least 1 hour and decorate with whipped topping (optional) to serve. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.
