Sweet Potato Pie
Published November 12, 2019. Updated November 14, 2019
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The perfect Sweet Potato Pie recipe! Made with a tender and flaky, buttery pie crust and a lightly spiced, perfectly sweetened, browned butter sweet potato pie filling.
Then you have your choice to top with sweetened whipped cream or a toasted homemade marshmallow topping! This is how we celebrate the holidays!
Sweet Potato Pie
If you like pumpkin pie you’ll love sweet potato pie. They’re very similar in taste but this recipe is made with fresh, baked sweet potatoes (instead of canned pumpkin) and it includes browned butter so you know it’s going to be good!
There are a few steps to the process of making it but it’s worth every step once you get to taste this luscious pie.
So What Makes the Best Sweet Potato Pie Recipe?
So I learned a few things in testing and creating this recipe:
- Blind baking the crust will keep you from ending up with a soft and gooey pie crust.
- Using baked sweet potatoes instead of boiled sweet potatoes concentrates their flavor rather then ending up with water logged boiled sweet potatoes.
- Browning the salted butter adds adds some depth of flavor to the pie filling. Salted browned butter and sweet potato were made to go together (have you tried my browned butter mashed sweet potatoes yet?)
- Keeping it light on the spices lets the sweet potato flavor shine.
- I personally preferred the classic texture of using mashed by hand sweet potatoes vs. those pureed in a food processor.
- The lightly caramelized flavor of evaporated milk was preferred to the flavor of milk or cream.
- Tent pie crust edges with foil to prevent over-browning.
- And being careful not to over-bake the pie prevented deep cracks from happening (but if they do no big deal, just cover with the topping).
This is easily my favorite sweet potato pie recipe! And I prefer the marshmallow topping for that nostalgic flavor combination, plus I feel that’s what will really set it apart from pumpkin pie but feel free to use either whipped cream or marshmallow topping.
If you use the marshmallow topping you’ll want to prepare and toast it when it’s time to serve (which is the only drawback), so it’s nice and fluffy.
Sweet Potato Pie Ingredients:
- Unbleached all-purpose flour – this is used to make the base of the pie crust. Standard bleached flour will work too if that’s what you have, unbleached just has better flavor.
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar – the white sugar is used in the pie crust to add a faint sweetness and the brown sugar is used for the filling. The added molasses of the brown sugar pairs perfectly with the sweet potato flavor.
- Salt – this brings out the flavors of the pie crust and filling so it doesn’t taste flat.
- Unsalted and salted butter – unsalted butter is used in the pie crust (unsalted butter stays cold better), and salted butter for the filling. Salted browned butter tastes so much better than unsalted.
- Ice water – be sure to add lots of ice to the water, stir and rest before you use it. This helps the butter stay cold so you end up with a flaky crust.
- Sweet potatoes – I like to use red garnet variety. Other orange varieties work as well but don’t use white or purple sweet potatoes.
- Evaporated milk – I like to use the small 5 oz. can so I don’t have leftover but if you only have a larger can that will work but be sure to measure amount listed.
- Eggs – this helps bind the pie filling together and make a custard type filling. They are crucial to the recipe.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger – with the ratios here I recommend sticking with each separate spice rather than using a spice blend.
- Vanilla extract – this adds another faint background flavor in the pie. Use real vanilla for best flavor.
Scroll down for full printable recipe.
How to Make Sweet Potato Pie Filling:
- Prepare pie crust dough. Chill, roll, shape and chill. Blind bake.
- Bake sweet potatoes until soft.
- Brown butter.
- Prepare filling and pour into crust.
How Long to Bake Sweet Potato Pie?
- Bake until pie edges are set and center just wiggles slightly, this will take about 40 – 50 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Let cool at room temperature 2 hours. Serve or chill (I prefer it served cold).
Can I Make It in Advance?
This pie can be made 1 day before serving. Store in the refrigerator. Wait until the day of serving to prepare topping.
Can I Use Canned Sweet Potatoes or Yams?
For best flavor and pie consistency I recommend using fresh sweet potatoes. It’s almost just as easy, just baking and scooping out the flesh – no peeling and chopping.
How do You Make Marshmallow Topping?
I use this recipe (topping portion) for Marshmallow topping. You’ll have enough for a big mound on the pie or enough to add to a second pie.
How Do You Make Whipped Cream?
All you need to know to make the perfect batch of whipped cream for all your pies can be found here.
More Delicious Pie Recipes to Try:
- Chocolate Mousse Pie
- Coconut Cream Pie
- Dutch Apple Pie
- French Silk Pie
- Key Lime Pie
- Pecan Pie
- Pumpkin Pie
Follow Cooking Classy
Sweet Potato Pie
The perfect Sweet Potato Pie recipe! Made with a tender and flaky, buttery pie crust and a lightly spiced, perfectly sweetened, browned butter sweet potato pie filling. Then you have your choice to top with sweetened whipped cream or a toasted homemade marshmallow topping!
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 cup (142g) unbleached all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
- 2 tsp (8 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp (heaping) salt
- 8 Tbsp (113g) unsalted butter, well chilled, cut into small cubes
- 3 - 5 Tbsp ice water
- 1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes (about 3 medium), such as red garnet
- 6 Tbsp (85g) salted butter, diced into 1 Tbsp pieces
- 1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk (2/3 cup)
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- To make crust: In a medium mixing bowl whisk together 1 cup flour, 2 tsp sugar and heaping 1/4 tsp salt. Add butter and cut into mixture using a pastry blender until there are just small pea size clumps of butter throughout.
- Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time and toss until mixture is just moistened and comes together in bigger clumps. Gather mixture into a ball and shape and press into a smooth, 6-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Cover and refrigerate until dough is more firm, about 60 minutes.
- Remove dough, roll out into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Fold in half then into a quarter or wrap around a rolling pin and transfer to a 9-inch standard pie plate and unwrap. Fit to plate, flute edges if desired.
- Refrigerate until well chilled about 1 hour or freeze for 15 minutes. Meanwhile preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Line crust with a sheet of foil or parchment paper (cover to edges), add dry beans, rice, sugar or pie weights to fill just level to the top. Bake pie in preheated oven 15 minutes.
- Hold all four corners of foil and remove beans. Prick bottom of pie crust about 10 times. Return to oven and continue to bake until it's starting to dry, about 8 - 12 minutes longer. Remove crust and let cool on a wire rack.
- To bake sweet potatoes: (You can do this step while the pie dough is chilling) prick sweet potatoes once on each side with a fork. Wrap each potato individually in a sheet of foil. Place on a baking sheet.
- Bake sweet potatoes in 400 degree oven until very soft all the way through when pierced with a knife or skewer, about 50 - 60 minutes (depending on their size). Let cool about 30 minutes until just warm.
- To brown the butter: while sweet potatoes are cooling brown the butter in a light colored medium skillet. To do so add butter to skillet, set over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until butter has a nutty fragrant smell and light brown flecks. Careful not to burn it. Transfer butter to a dish to cool so it doesn't continue to cook and burn.
- To make sweet potato pie filling: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Halve sweet potatoes, scoop out flesh. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and mash very well with a potato masher until nearly smooth. There should be 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes.
- Add browned butter, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt and vanilla. Using an electric hand mixer blend mixture until combined.
- Pour mixture into prepared pie crust. Place on a baking sheet, tent edges with foil. Bake in preheated oven until center just wiggles slightly, about 40 - 50 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool 2 hours. Chill until ready to serve. When serving top with sweetened whipped cream or homemade marshmallow fluff if desired.
Notes
- Pie can be made 1 day in advance, store in refrigerator.
- Nutrition estimate does not include topping.
Nutrition Facts
Sweet Potato Pie
Amount Per Serving
Calories 438
Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Fat 23.03g35%
Saturated Fat 14.05g88%
Cholesterol 111.08mg37%
Sodium 318.64mg14%
Potassium 403.79mg12%
Carbohydrates 52.45g17%
Fiber 3.1g13%
Sugar 24.97g28%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 12803.24IU256%
Vitamin C 2.38mg3%
Calcium 103.86mg10%
Iron 1.76mg10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.