This sweet potato pie is a creamy and comforting Southern classic dessert that makes a wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving spread! The sweet potato filling is easy to prepare and has a smooth texture with a flavorful blend of spices. Bring this pie to your next holiday party, and everyone will be begging for another piece!
Best Homemade Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
Baked sweet potato pie is a silky and delectable custard pie that is popular for Thanksgiving and other holidays! The ingredients are similar to a pumpkin pie, yet this root vegetable is more available throughout the year.
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See here to learn the differences between sweet potato pie vs pumpkin pie!
Sweet potato pie is a well-loved dessert for the holidays among American families and individuals who live in the Southern United States.
Pumpkin pies remained the chosen treat for Thanksgiving for the North, while the South claimed sweet potato pies as their preferred dessert.
🥘 Sweet Potato Pie Ingredients, Notes, & Substitutions
If you are a frequent baker, you will most likely have the majority of these ingredients already! To save time, you can use a store-bought crust if you'd like.
- Sweet potato - 1 pound of sweet potato with the skin left on.
- Butter - ½ cup of butter, softened at room temperature.
- Sugar - ¾ cup of white granulated sugar.
- Milk - ½ cup milk at room temperature. For the creamiest pie filling, opt for whole milk.
- Eggs - 2 large eggs at room temperature.
- Vanilla Extract - 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Pure vanilla extract will yield the best flavor, but you can use artificial in a pinch.
- Ground Cinnamon - 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
- Ground Nutmeg - ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
- Salt - 1 pinch of salt.
- Butter Pie Crust - 1 9-inch unbaked butter pie crust (see my recipe or use store-bought crust).
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make A Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet potato pie is a simple dessert to prepare. Just make sure to let your pie cool completely before serving so it sets correctly! You will need a stockpot (6 quarts), a mixing bowl, and a hand mixer to get started.
This recipe will yield about 10 servings, depending on how large you cut the slices.
Step 1: Boil. Put your 1 pound (453.59 grams) of sweet potatoes in a pot and cover it with water. Boil for 40 to 50 minutes or until the potato is fork-tender. Remove the sweet potato from the pot, run it under cold water, and then remove the skin. Alternatively, you can microwave your sweet potatoes for 8-10. Make sure to pierce them with a fork first, and then peel the skin after they cool.
Step 2: Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4). Prepare your 1 butter pie crust (170 grams) and transfer it into a non-greased pie pan.
Step 3: Blend. Transfer the sweet potato to a bowl and break it down into smaller pieces. Add ½ cup (113.5 grams ) of butter and blend with an electric mixer until you reach a smooth consistency.
Step 4: Add ingredients. Then, in the same bowl, add your ¾ cup (150 grams) of sugar, 2 large eggs (100 grams), ½ cup (118.29 milliliters) of milk, 2 teaspoons (9.86 milliliters) of vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon (1 gram) of nutmeg, 1 pinch (0.1 grams) of salt, and 1 teaspoon (2 grams) of cinnamon and mix until blended. Pour the mixture into your unbaked butter pie crust. *You may replace the cinnamon and nutmeg with 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.
Step 5: Bake. Bake at 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) for 55 to 60 minutes until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean.
Step 6: Serve. Remove your pie from the oven and let it cool before serving.
🔪 What To Serve With Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet potato pie is incredibly delicious on its own. However, if you want to dress it up a bit, I recommend adding a drizzle of toffee sauce and a dollop of whipped cream!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- For extra flavor, replace the cinnamon and nutmeg with up to 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.
- For an extra quick prep time, pierce your sweet potato with a fork and microwave them for 8-10 minutes. Allow them to cool, and then peel the skin.
- If you don't have a food processor and want a superbly creamy sweet potato filling, you can also use a blender. Add all of the filling ingredients and pulse until smooth.
🥡 Storing
Wrap your pie with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing Sweet Potato Pie
Wrap any leftovers in plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil or in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
See my post on how to freeze sweet potato pie for more tips and tricks!
>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<
🤔 Troubleshooting
Check out these helpful tips for solving some common issues with sweet potato pie.
Avoid The Soggy Crust
If you are having issues with a soggy pie crust, there are a few simple ways to fix it. First of all, using a metal pie pan will transfer the heat more efficiently than glass or ceramic. This will help to bake the crust before the filling has time to soak into it.
Additionally, you can par-bake your crust. To do so, fill your crust with either pie weights or dried beans and bake it in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Your goal isn't to bake the crust completely but to let it set just enough before you add your filling and bake as directed.
Baked But The Filling Won't Set
There are two culprits for why your filling may not have set. First, you had too much liquid. Secondly, you didn't bake it long enough.
Make sure you follow the recipe exactly so that you don't have a filling that is too runny. If it is, you could always add some more flour.
You also need to give your pie plenty of time to bake, or it won't set. You'll know it is done when the center has a slight jiggle to it.
You can also test it by poking a toothpick into the center. It should come out clean with no batter clinging to it.
❓ Recipe FAQs
If your pie is soupy or soft, this means that you haven't baked your pie long enough or there is too much liquid in the filling. You can add some flour to fix this issue! Sweet potato pies are done when the center is slightly jiggly and a toothpick comes out clean.
Absolutely! If you plan on eating it that day, you can loosely cover your pie with aluminum foil and store it at room temperature. Any time after that, cover your pie with plastic wrap and enjoy it within 4 days.
This pie is best when served chilled or at room temperature, although you could pop it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to add some warmth if you'd like.
🥧 Best Pie Recipes
- Blueberry Pie - This blueberry pie is filled with juicy blueberries that are cooked with lemon and cinnamon!
- Pumpkin Pie - This warm and comforting classic pumpkin pie is tastier than store-bought!
- Granny Smith Apple Pie - The best apple pie recipe to make during the fall season or any time of the year!
- Pecan Pie - A classic Southern sweet and savory pie perfect to serve at holiday gatherings.
- Chocolate Pumpkin Pie - An elevated and flavorful pumpkin pie loaded with rich chocolate!
- Blackberry Cream Pie - A delicious butter graham cracker crust filled with a sweet and creamy blackberry puree!
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📖 Recipe Card
Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
- 1 lb sweet potato (with skin)
- ½ cup butter (softened)
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup milk (at room temperature)
- 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 butter pie crust (9 inch unbaked, or use store-bought crust)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Put your sweet potato in a pot and cover with water. Boil for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the potato is fork-tender. Remove the sweet potato from the pot and run it under cold water, then remove skin.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare your pie crust and transfer it into an un-greased pie pan.
- Transfer the sweet potato to a bowl and break it down into smaller pieces. Add butter and blend with an electric mixer until you reach a smooth consistency.
- Then, in the same bowl, add your sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, nutmeg, salt and cinnamon and mix until blended. Pour the mixture into your unbaked pie crust
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 55 to 60 minutes until the center is set and a tooth pick comes out clean.
- Remove your pie from the oven and let it cool before serving.
Notes
- For extra flavor, replace the cinnamon and nutmeg with up to 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.
- For an extra quick prep time, pierce your sweet potato with a fork and microwave them for 8-10 minutes. Allow them to cool and then peel the skin.
- If you don't have a food processor, are want a superbly creamy sweet potato filling, you can also use a blender. Add all of the filling ingredients and pulse until smooth.
- To store: Wrap your pie with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- To freeze: Wrap any leftovers in plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil or in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Alyssa says
First time ever making a sweet potato pie - this recipe was easy to follow and turned out really well! Will definitely be using this one next time I make it too.