The Best Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
This homemade sweet potato pie recipe is the perfect way to enjoy the fall season! Made with fresh sweet potatoes, and a tempting flaky pie crust, this pie is full of sweet potato flavor and has a wonderfully moist texture. The delicious filling is made with a mix of brown sugar and spices and is topped with whipped cream. This pie is sure to be a hit at your next family gathering or holiday party!
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Why you’ll love this easy pie recipe
- It’s a beautiful blend of sweetness, spice, and a touch of earthiness from the sweet potatoes. Each bite is like a little symphony of flavors.
- The filling is so incredibly smooth and velvety that you can’t help but savor every spoonful.
- Move over pumpkin pie; this is going to become a new family favorite!
- You can enjoy it on any occasion, whether it’s Thanksgiving holiday season, a Sunday brunch, or just because you crave a slice of goodness.
- Sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamins and fiber, so you can feel a little less guilty about indulging in this dessert.
- You can tweak the spices and sweetness to suit your taste buds. It’s your pie; make it just the way you like it.
- You don’t need fancy ingredients or master baking skills to create a fantastic Sweet Potato Pie. It’s all about the simple pleasures of life.
- You can make this pie ahead of time, leaving you more time to spend with your guests on the big day.
Ingredients you’ll need
This is the best sweet potato pie recipe and uses simple ingredients. You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below.
The best sweet potato pies are homemade, filled with love, and brimming with happiness, taking you back to happy times filled with family and friends.
How to make sweet potato pie with step-by-step instructions
Making our sweet potato pie is easy if you follow our simple instructions
A full printable recipe and the US customary and metric measurements are available in the recipe card below.
Preheat your oven to 350F/175C.
Place the fresh sweet potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, with the cut side facing down, and prick holes in the skins using a fork or a paring knife.
Now, line the inside of your frozen pie crust with parchment paper, fill it with rice, dry beans, or pie weights, and place it alongside the sweet potatoes.
Bake for 45 – 50 minutes, turning halfway to ensure an even cook.
When the potatoes are ready, they’ll be fork-tender; remove them from the oven and let them cool until you can handle them.
The pie crust should be golden; if it is, remove it from the oven at the same time as the sweet potatoes and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.
When the potato flesh can be handled, peel off the skins, transfer the flesh to a large bowl, and roughly mash the potatoes using a potato masher, fork or food processor.
Then, whisk the potatoes and add one egg at a time, whisking until each egg is incorporated.
Then whisk in melted butter, cinnamon, dark brown sugar, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and salt into the mashed sweet potatoes, then add the half and half to the sweet potato filling, and whisk until fully combined.
Place your cooled pie shell in a pie pan and pour in the sweet potato pie filling. Place it in the oven and bake until the filling slightly puffs at the edges, and when a toothpick is inserted, it comes out clean, approximately 45 – 55 minutes.
When the sweet potato pie is ready, remove it from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.
Garnish with optional whipped cream, cool whip, or ice cream.
Enjoy your sweet potato pie!
Recipe notes and expert tips
- Choose the Right Sweet Potatoes: Select fresh, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes for the best flavor and color.
- Proper Cooking: Boil or bake the sweet potatoes until they are tender. You should be able to pierce them with a fork easily. Avoid overcooking, as it can lead to a watery pie.
- Balanced Spices: Balance the spices to your taste. Start with a little and add more if needed, as spices can vary in potency.
- Prevent Cracks: To prevent cracks on the surface, avoid overbaking. The center should still have a slight jiggle when you remove it from the oven.
- All puffed up: When you remove it from the oven, you’ll notice that the pie filling is all puffed up, but it will settle as it cools.
- Canned sweet potatoes: If time is against you, you could use canned potatoes; make sure that you drain them well, or your pie crust will become soggy.
- Cool Gradually: Allow the pie to cool gradually at room temperature before refrigerating. Sudden temperature changes can cause cracking.
- Storage: Store in the fridge for up to three days and freeze for up to three months.
Can I make it ahead
It’s perfect to make ahead.
Yes, you can make and store sweet potato pie ahead of time, cool the pie completely, and then store it either in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap, in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Can you freeze sweet potato pie?
Yes, southern sweet potato pie freezes well, cover the baked pie with aluminum foil and store it in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.
Remove it from the freezer the night before you want to serve it, and place it in the fridge to defrost.
How long does sweet potato pie last?
When stored in the fridge and covered, sweet potato pie will keep for up to three days.
Leftover sweet potatoes
Got leftover sweet potatoes? We’ve got lots of sweet potato recipes! Sweet potato cubes or sweet potato wedges are a quick and easy snack, and when dunked in dipping sauce, they are delicious.
Use your leftovers to make sweet potato casserole (this is our favorite recipe) sweet potato fritters or sweet potato soup, which freezes great, so you can batch cook it and freeze it if you have lots of leftovers.
More easy dessert recipes for you to try at home
If you love our sweet potato pie, then you should try these easy dessert recipes.
The Best Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Sweet potatoes scrubbed and cut in half lengthwise
- 1 x 9 Inch frozen pie shell
- 2 large Eggs
- 2 tbsp Unsalted butter melted
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- ½ cup Packed dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp Ground ginger
- ½ tsp Nutmeg ground or freshly grated
- ¾ tsp Salt
- 1½ Cups Half and half
- Whipped cream, cool whip, or ice cream optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Place the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet with the cut side facing down and prick small holes in the skins with a fork or a paring knife. Line the inside of your frozen pie crust with parchment paper and place it on the baking sheet alongside the potatoes, then fill the shell with rice or dry beans3 Sweet potatoes, 1 x 9 Inch frozen pie shell
- Bake for 45 – 50 minutes, turning halfway to ensure an even cook. When the potatoes are cooked, you'll be able to easily insert a fork or knife into them. Remove them from the oven and let them cool until you can handle them. The pie crust should be golden and if it is, remove the pie crust from the oven at the same time as the potatoes, and place it on a wire rack to cool
- When the potato flesh can be handled peel off the skins and transfer the soft potato to a large mixing bowl and, using a potato masher or fork roughly mash the potatoes. Whisk the potatoes and add one egg at a time, whisking until each egg is incorporated. Then, whisk in the melted butter. cinnamon, brown sugar, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Then whisk in half and half2 large Eggs, 2 tbsp Unsalted butter, 1 tsp Cinnamon, ½ cup Packed dark brown sugar, 1 tsp Ground ginger, ½ tsp Nutmeg, ¾ tsp Salt, 1½ Cups Half and half
- Place the pie crust in a pie pan and pour in your sweet potato mixture. Bake until the filling slightly puffs at the edges and a toothpick comes out clean, approximately 45 – 55 minutes
- When ready, remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. When cool garnish with optional whip cream, cool whip, or ice cream. Enjoy your sweet potato pie!Whipped cream, cool whip, or ice cream
Notes
- Choose the Right Sweet Potatoes: Select fresh, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes for the best flavor and color.
- Proper Cooking: Boil or bake the sweet potatoes until they are tender. You should be able to pierce them with a fork easily. Avoid overcooking, as it can lead to a watery pie.
- Balanced Spices: Balance the spices to your taste. Start with a little and add more if needed, as spices can vary in potency.
- Prevent Cracks: To prevent cracks on the surface, avoid overbaking. The center should still have a slight jiggle when you remove it from the oven.
- All puffed up: When you remove it from the oven, you’ll notice that the pie filling is all puffed up, but it will settle as it cools.
- Canned sweet potatoes: If time is against you, you could use canned potatoes; make sure that you drain them well, or your pie crust will become soggy.
- Cool Gradually: Allow the pie to cool gradually at room temperature before refrigerating. Sudden temperature changes can cause cracking.
- Storage: Store in the fridge for up to three days and freeze for up to three months.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Please note that nutrient values are estimates only. Variations can occur due to product availability and manner of food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of origin, preparation, freshness of ingredients, and other factors.
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I love sweet potato pie, it really does taste like fall! Thanks for the great tips on how to make this at home.
Doesn’t it just? So pleased you like it!
This was a hit! Love how savory it turned out. I’ll surely make this pie again. YUM!
Loved this! My daughter has been asking for pumpkin pie for the past couple of weeks, but could I find a good pumpkin anywhere (no pumpkin puree in Aus)?!? Made this instead and it has satisfied her cravings and then some 🙂
This pie recipe is going to be added to my Thanksgiving dessert rotation. So easy to make and has amazing sweet potato flavor.
I may switch up my usual pie recipe for the holidays. This one is a keeper!
Tastes like Thanksgiving! Loved this recipe, and loved how easy it was to make!
This was such a hit. I made my meringue to top it… And wow. Will be making again.
Sweet potato pie doesn’t get enough love – which is a shame considering how much easier and faster they are to cook than pumpkin. This recipe was very well seasoned and flavored!
We’re so pleased that you enjoyed the pie!