Friends, let me introduce you to my all-time favorite pie, the incomparable Sweet Potato Pie! Ok, I realize that’s a big statement, but it’s true. This creamy Sweet Potato Pie recipe is made with baked sweet potatoes for a deep, caramelized flavor, warm spices, and a flaky, buttery crust. It comes in at under a dollar per serving and it can be made in advance to free up your oven on Thanksgiving day for all of those delicious side dishes. Sweet Potato Pie is definitely a classic Thanksgiving dessert that will steal the show at this year’s holiday dinner!
SWEET POTATO PIE VS. PUMPKIN PIE
Growing up in the South, there was always this fun, light-hearted debate over which pie was better – Sweet Potato Pie or Pumpkin Pie. They both are made with a custard filling and with similar ingredients. However one major difference is that pumpkin pie is made from canned pumpkin puree, and sweet potato pie is made by cooking sweet potatoes (no cans involved). So which is better? Well I don’t want to upset any pumpkin pie lovers out there, so I’ll just say they’re both equally delicious!😉
INGREDIENTS FOR SWEET POTATO PIE
Here’s everything you need to make this dreamy Southern-style Sweet Potato Pie:
- Baked Sweet Potatoes: Baking your sweet potatoes in the oven will give you a deep, rich flavor. You’ll need about 2 lbs. or roughly 2-3 sweet potatoes, depending on the size.
- Salted Butter: Adds to the richness, flavor, and texture of the pie.
- Brown sugar & Granulated sugar: A combination of brown sugar and granulated white sugar sweetens the pie filling. If you’re in a pinch you can use all white sugar, however brown sugar adds a richer flavor.
- Spices: A simple mix of warm spices like ground cinnamon and nutmeg adds amazing flavor to the sweet potatoes.
- Vanilla Extract: A touch of vanilla to further enhance the flavor of the pie.
- Evaporated Milk: Gives the sweet potato pie a creamy and smooth texture.
- Eggs: Eggs help the custard pie filling bind together and set.
- Pie Crust: I like to use a store-bought 9-inch deep dish pie crust to keep things simple, or you can make our 3-Ingredient Pie Crust from scratch.
TIPS FOR THE BEST SWEET POTATO PIE
- Baking vs. Boiling. It may be tempting to peel, chop, and boil the sweet potatoes in the interest of time, but I recommend you bake them instead.
- Baked sweet potatoes have a richer, caramelized flavor that you just can’t get with boiled sweet potatoes.
- To get a head start on making this pie, you can bake your sweet potatoes a day or two in advance. Then once the sweet potatoes are completely cool, just wrap them tightly with foil or store them in an air-tight container in the fridge. They’ll be already cooked and ready to go the next day!
- If you want a velvety smooth texture to your sweet potato pie, add the baked sweet potato flesh to a food processor and pulse for a few seconds until the sweet potatoes are pureed and smooth.
- Although not required, if you prefer a crisp, lightly golden brown crust, I recommend you blind-bake (or at least par-bake) the crust prior to adding the wet custard filling.
- To keep the edges of your crust from over-browning, loosely cover the edge with an aluminum foil pie ring as it bakes.
If you really want to get ahead of your holiday cooking, you can make the entire pie a day or two in advance. Let the pie completely cool at room temperature (for about an hour), then cover the pie with plastic wrap or place it in an air-tight container and store in the fridge. Now that’s one less dish you have to worry about on the big day!
STORING LEFTOVERS
If you’re lucky enough to have any leftovers, this pie stores well in the fridge for 3-4 days. I like to store mine by placing plastic wrap around the entire pie, then I simply slide the pie in a storage bag and place in the refrigerator. Of course if you only have a couple slices left, you can easily just store those in an air-tight container. If you are making the pie in advance, make sure to let the pie completely cool first at room temperature (about an hour) before storing in the fridge.
Please continue to the next page (>) for the full list of ingredients and complete cooking instructions. Enjoy this meal!
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