November 12, 2023
Review RecipeSweet Potato Pie
This southern classic sweet potato pie recipe is full of warm spices baked in a buttery pie crust, perfect to serve this holiday season.
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Wonderfully spiced and deliciously silky, this Southern-inspired sweet potato pie is a staple at many holiday tables. Soft sweet potatoes are combined with buttery and creamy goodness, as well as plenty of warm spices in this lovely dessert.
Sweet Potato Pie Ingredients
The star ingredients of this pie are mashed sweet potatoes, which provide earthy sweetness, and melted butter for richness.
Sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla add sweetness, while evaporated milk ensures a velvety texture.
Spices like pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon create warm, aromatic notes. Baked in a golden pie shell, this dessert is finished with a light Cool Whip topping.
You’ll need:
- 2 cups of cooked, mashed sweet potatoes (about 2 medium sweet potatoes)
- ¼ cup of unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup of granulated sugar
- ¼ cup of packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup of evaporated milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon of salt
- 9-inch deep-dish pie shell (uncooked) – check out our homemade pie crust recipe
- 1 cup of Cool Whip
Substitutions And Additions
PUMPKIN PIE SPICE: If you can’t get hold of the spice blend, you could make your own.
Mix together 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg and ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves.
This will give you more than you need for this recipe, but you can store the rest in a spice jar in your spice cabinet.
PIE CRUST: Any brand of store-bought deep-dish pie crust will work for this pie recipe.
If you have a favorite pie crust recipe, you could make your own as well. Check out our pie crust recipe for a popular choice.
SWEET POTATOES: If you can’t find fresh sweet potatoes, canned sweet potato puree can be a convenient substitution. Just make sure it’s unsweetened and unseasoned.
You can also experiment with other varieties of sweet potatoes, like Japanese or purple sweet potatoes, to give your pie a unique twist.
BROWN SUGAR: Experiment with different types of brown sugar, like dark brown sugar or coconut sugar, to vary the sweetness and add caramel notes to your pie.
Keep in mind that using a different sugar may slightly affect the pie’s color and flavor.
VANILLA EXTRACT: While vanilla extract is a classic choice, you can personalize your pie by using almond extract or maple extract for a distinct flavor twist.
Be cautious when substituting, as these extracts can be stronger, so a little goes a long way.
COOL WHIP: Instead of Cool Whip, consider topping your pie with freshly whipped cream.
To make it even more special, add a dash of vanilla extract and a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg for a homemade whipped cream with a delightful aroma and flavor.
How To Make This Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
Once you prepare the sweet potatoes themselves, we will show you how to assemble this delicious pie.
STEP ONE: Bake sweet potatoes and let them cool before scooping out the filling.
The quickest way to bake these is to wash and dry the whole sweet potatoes. Poke each several times with a fork.
Place both potatoes on a microwave-safe plate and cook in the microwave for five minutes.
Flip potatoes and cook for another three to five minutes until potatoes are tender.
Set aside and let cool, then scoop potatoes out of the skin. Don’t include the potato skin in the pie. Mash well.
PRO TIP:
You can also puree the cooked potatoes in a food processor, but mashing them with a potato masher works just as well and gives them the classic texture that everyone loves.
STEP TWO: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
STEP THREE: In a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat together sweet potato, butter, white sugar, brown sugar, evaporated milk, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt.
Beat just until mixed.
STEP FOUR: Pour sweet potato pie filling into the unbaked pie crust.
PRO TIP:
If you are using a premade crust and it comes in a foil pie tin, we’d recommend putting your foil pie pan inside a glass pie plate for added stability.
STEP FIVE: Place pie on a baking sheet just in case there’s a spill, and bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes until the middle no longer jiggles.
PRO TIP:
If you find your crust is browning too quickly, tent the pie crust edges with foil.
STEP SIX: Let the pie cool completely before topping with whipped topping.
How To Serve
This amazing pie is a tasty alternative to pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dessert.
Serve it cold, topped with whipped cream and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and you’ll have an exquisite and heavenly dessert on your hands.
Easy dessert recipes are one of the best things this time of year.
Check out our candy cane dessert and gingerbread fudge.
Both are super easy to make and taste fantastic!
MORE PIE RECIPES
Storage
Now that you’ve whipped up a scrumptious sweet potato pie, you might be wondering how to store it to keep that homemade goodness intact.
MAKE AHEAD: If you want to get ahead of the game, you can make this sweet potato pie a day or two in advance.
Simply prepare the pie following the recipe instructions, let it cool to room temperature, and then cover it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
Store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
IN THE FRIDGE: Store leftover homemade sweet potato pie in the fridge in a sealed food storage container or covered in plastic wrap for three to four days.
IN THE FREEZER: Store leftovers of this delicious pie in the freezer for up to a month.
Why We Love This Recipe
RICH COMFORTING FLAVOR: This comforting dessert is bursting with the rich, earthy sweetness of sweet potatoes.
EASY HOMEMADE TREAT: Despite its impressive taste, this pie is surprisingly easy to make.
MAKE AHEAD CONVENIENCE: This pie is a fantastic make-ahead dessert. Whether it’s for a holiday feast or a special occasion, you can prepare it in advance.
Simple ingredients, including fresh sweet potatoes, a buttery crust, and warm autumn spices, plus minimal prep time, make this our favorite sweet potato pie recipe ever! Serve this Southern sweet potato pie alongside pumpkin pie or even in place of pumpkin pie this holiday season.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I turn this recipe into sweet potato tarts?
This would be a great way to use up any extra filling you might have left over. Pour remaining filling into tart shells and bake at 350°F for 8 to 12 minutes.
Can I make this old-fashioned sweet potato pie recipe with canned yams?
You could use canned yams in a pinch but not that the texture and flavor may not turn out quite the same. As well, yams often come sweetened, so you may want to add less additional sugar to your pie filling.
Why is my sweet potato pie runny?
Your pie may be runny for a few reasons. It may be underbaked. If so, you can pop it back into the oven until the filling is set. It’s also possible that the liquid ingredients were not measured correctly or that the sweet potatoes weren’t drained enough if you cooked them on the stovetop.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Arkansas Possum Pie
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Sweet Potato Pie
This southern classic sweet potato pie recipe is full of warm spices baked in a buttery pie crust, perfect to serve this holiday season.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes (about 2 medium sweet potatoes)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup evaporated milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 deep dish pie shell uncooked (9-inch)
- 1 cup Cool Whip
Instructions
- Bake sweet potatoes and let cool before scooping out the filling. The quickest way to bake these is to wash and dry the potatoes. Poke each several times with a fork. Place both potatoes on a microwave-safe plate and cook in the microwave for 5 minutes. Flip potatoes and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes until potatoes are tender. Set aside and let cool, then scoop potatoes out of the skin (don’t include potato skin in pie) and mash well.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together mashed sweet potatoes, butter, sugar, brown sugar, evaporated milk, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Beat just until mixed.
- Pour pie filling into the unbaked pie crust.
- Place pie on a baking sheet (just in case there’s a spill) and bake for 50 to 55 minutes (until middle no longer jiggles).
- Let the pie cool completely before topping with whipped topping.
- Serve topped with Cool Whip.
Notes
- You can also puree the cooked potatoes in a food processor, but mashing them with a potato masher works just as well and gives them the classic texture that everyone loves.
- If you are using a premade crust and it comes in a foil pie tin, we’d recommend putting your foil pie pan inside a glass pie plate for added stability.
- If you find your crust is browning too quickly, tent the pie crust edges with foil.
Nutrition
Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 193mg | Potassium: 211mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 5005IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 1mg
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Comments
Gloria says
Such a delicious classic!
Lee says
Thanks So much โค๏ธ
RONDA says
First time ever making sweet potato pie I’m happy to say with this easy recipe I made the best sweet potato pie thank you so much it was soooooo good I did add nutmeg, ginger