Sweet Potato Pie
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Bring a slice of the South to your kitchen with this classic sweet potato pie, a holiday favorite richly flavored with brown sugar and warm spices.
This sweet potato pie recipe comes from Mable Smith, a wonderful lady who has been a dear friend of my family for over 35 years. Originally from South Carolina, Mable is known for her Southern-style pies, which she bakes by the dozen to give away over the holidays. Her recipe calls for a store-bought frozen crust, which I think works perfectly well, but if you’d like to make your own, my favorite pie crust recipe will take it up a notch. The flavor of this pie improves over time, so go ahead and make it a few days ahead.
“This is the PERFECT Sweet Potato Pie Recipe! It has become one of our family’s favorites, so I make it often. Thank you for your easy to follow recipes that always turn out fantastic!!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Sweet Potato Pie
- Sweet potatoes – The base of the pie filling, baked sweet potatoes add natural sweetness and a smooth, creamy texture.
- Unsalted butter – Adds richness and enhances the flavor of the sweet potatoes.
- Packed light brown sugar – Sweetens the pie with a warm, molasses flavor.
- Egg – Provides structure and helps the filling set.
- Egg yolks – Add extra richness and create a silky, custard-like texture.
- Vanilla extract – Enhances the overall flavor with a subtle sweetness.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness and deepens the flavors.
- Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger – Classic warming spices that give the pie its signature cozy, spiced flavor.
- Evaporated milk – Adds creaminess and helps bind the filling without making it too heavy.
- Frozen or homemade pie crust – Store-bought works perfectly, but a homemade pie crust takes it up a notch.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Roast and Mash the Sweet Potatoes
Many sweet potato pie recipes call for boiling the sweet potatoes but in this recipe they are roasted. Roasting takes a bit longer but is completely hands-off, and you don’t have to worry about peeling or slicing them.
Simply poke the sweet potatoes with a fork five or six times and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast until very tender, about 1 hour.
Let cool, then scoop the pulp out of the skin into a medium bowl. Using a potato masher or fork, mash until smooth. (Feel free to roast the sweet potatoes several days ahead of time and store the flesh in an airtight container in the refrigerator until needed.)
Step 2: Blind Bake the Crust
Blind baking is the process of pre-baking a pie crust before a wet filling is added. It is always necessary when pies have unbaked fillings (such as cream pies) but I blind bake the crust for all of my pies, as it helps keep the crust crunchy. Different crusts will have different instructions for blind baking, so follow the instructions on the package. Once the crust is blind baked, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
Step 3: Make the Sweet Potato Pie Filling
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until the mixture is moistened and crumbly, about 1 minute.
Beat in the egg.
Then add the yolks, one at a time, until the mixture is creamy and smooth, a few minutes.
Add the vanilla, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger; beat until just combined.
Add 1¾ cups of the mashed sweet potatoes (use any remaining sweet potatoes for another purpose or discard).
Mix to combine.
Finally, add the evaporated milk.
Mix on low speed to combine. Don’t worry if the mixture has a grainy or slightly curdled appearance; that’s normal.
Pour the sweet potato filling into the pie crust and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
Step 4: Fill and Bake the Pie
Place the pie on a baking sheet (for ease moving the pie in and out of the oven) and bake until the filling is set, 55 to 60 minutes. Set the pie on the counter and let cool completely before slicing, 2 to 3 hours.
Step 5: Whip the Cream and Serve
Up to 3 hours before serving, whip the cream on medium speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When it starts to thicken, add the confectioners’ sugar. Continue to whip until it forms stiff peaks.
Before serving, slice the pie into wedges and top each slice with a dollop of whipped cream.
Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions
The pie can be made up to two days in advance, covered with plastic wrap, and stored in the refrigerator. The baked pie can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving.
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Sweet Potato Pie
Bring a slice of the South to your kitchen with this classic sweet potato pie, a holiday favorite richly flavored with brown sugar and warm spices.
Ingredients
For the Pie
- 2 large sweet potatoes (about 2¼ pounds)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 9-in deep-dish frozen pie crust (no need to thaw) or homemade pie crust
For the Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- 2 tablespoons Confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Poke each sweet potato with a fork five or six times and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Roast until very tender, about 1 hour. Let cool, then scoop the pulp out of the skin into a medium bowl. Using a potato masher or fork, mash until smooth.
- Follow the instructions on the package (or homemade recipe) for blind baking the crust.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until the mixture is moistened and crumbly, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg and yolks, one at a time, until the mixture is creamy and smooth, a few minutes. Add the vanilla, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger; beat until just combined. Add 1¾ cups of the mashed sweet potatoes (use any remaining sweet potatoes for another purpose or discard) and mix until incorporated. Finally, add the evaporated milk and mix on low speed to combine. Don't worry if the mixture has a grainy or slightly curdled appearance; that's normal.
- Pour the sweet potato filling into the pie crust and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Place the pie on a baking sheet (for ease moving the pie in and out of the oven) and bake until the filling is set, 55 to 60 minutes. Set the pie on the counter and let cool completely before slicing, 2 to 3 hours. Before serving, slice the pie into wedges and top each slice with a dollop of whipped cream.
For the Whipped Cream
- Up to 3 hours before serving, whip the cream on medium speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When it starts to thicken, add the Confectioners' sugar. Continue to whip until it forms stiff peaks. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The pie can be made up to two days in advance, covered with plastic wrap, and stored in the refrigerator. Let the pie sit out on the counter for a few hours to come to room temperature before serving.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The baked pie can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 371
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Sugar: 33 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 167 mg
- Cholesterol: 126 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Jenn Help,
I just made the sweet potato pie-I made the 1¾ C mashed sweet potatoes the day before. refrigerated and kept it out for a couple hours to have it come to room temp. Followed recipe exactly (read and re-read and read again) but batter curdled. I still put it in the oven but it doesn’t look anything like your pic or any other pumpkin pie recipe I have ever made in my 50+ years of baking. What could have caused this? I know sometimes batter can go grainy but once you add flour it comes back together. But not the case here.
Hi Jacquie, I’m so sorry you had trouble with this! It’s hard to say what might have gone wrong without seeing it — are you able to send me a photo of the pie at jennifer@onceuponachef.com?
All the little white specks evidently dissolved while baking-Pie was Delicious!
But, I did do some research and it was likely due to temp change. Butter, sweet potato pulp were at room temp, then eggs were cold (right from fridge) and evaporated milk then again room temp…. I can’t figure it out otherwise? Your recipes are always spot on, so I know that was not the case. Funny, I looked at this particular recipe video (usually I do not) and your pics and my bowl looked the same until the milk was added…
Pie is half gone…LOL
Glad they dissolved white while baking and that the pie turned out nicely! Also, good to know where they may have come from – based on what you’re describing, it sounds like that could’ve been the case. 🙂
I had the same problem, Jacquie. Fingers crossed that it comes out good like yours! 🤞 if it’s a dud, I still have an excellent pecan pie. I can live with that. : )
How is a recipe from South Carolina anything to do with Canada? It may be good, but as a Canadian from Manitoba, we ever had sweet potato anything growing up!
I have a question. My mother in law asked me to make a sweet potato pie, and she picked up some sweet potatoes for me. Unfortunately, she picked up the sweet potatoes that are white on the inside and not orange. Are yams the orange one or are they sweet potatoes? Because she picked up the ones that said sweet potatoes and they turned out to be the white ones. So, what potato should I use for this recipe technically?
Hi Ashley, I think there are a variety of yams, but most of them are white inside versus the orange flesh that sweet potatoes have. (Some grocery stores label both of them as sweet potatoes, but they are different.) For the best results, I’d use sweet potatoes with the orange flesh.
I want to make this as more of a pudding and skip the crust. Do you think I can get away with baking it same as the pie, or do you think I should make the extra effort of using a water bath? Thanks!
Hi Rosie, I haven’t tried it this way, but I think you could get away with it. Keep in mind that it will definitely be a firm pudding (and I think you can skip the water bath). I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
I have eaten a few store bought sweet potato pies because I like the Song of The South. This year I decided to bake my own and save money. I used your recipe and it is so good I will cut the sugar back and use it in my cardiac diet. I am 83 years old and want to live longer. Thank You
Yes, I’ve done just the filling many times as to cut calories out from the crust. Just bake as directed!
This is the PERFECT Sweet Potato Pie Recipe! It has become one of our family’s favorites, so I make it often. Thank you for your easy to follow recipes that always turn out fantastic!!!
Yum on YUM! I make sweet potato pie every year and always have to recheck the recipe. I found this recipe, made it and loved it! The spice combination and balance of 1 egg and 3 yolks is key! This is now my go to recipe! Thank you!
Another winner! Spice combo and quantity is perfect. I made this last night and ate a small slice this morning after breakfast with no guilt. It’s too good to feel guilty and my taste buds are too happy. This is by far my favorite recipe site. Thank you.
I have made this before with great success, but today for some reason the batter turned grainy. It all looked good and creamy until I dumped in the sweet potato, but as soon as the potato hit the egg/sugar/butter mixture, it lost its creaminess and there were grainy white specks throughout the batter. I decided to bake it anyway and although it tasted great, the texture was off. It was cooked through but still kind of watery.
Any idea what happened? This is such a great pie and has turned out so well before – I want to make sure I don’t repeat my mistake (whatever it was!).
Hi Cole, were the sweet potatoes still hot when you added them to the butter/sugar/egg mixture? From what you’re saying, it sounds like perhaps the eggs started to cook a bit giving the batter that grainy appearance.
Do you have a favorite store-bought pie crust?
Any chance I can use almond milk instead of evaporated milk? I’m dairy-free. I love all your recipes and easy ingredient lists. Lifesaver for cooking and cooking and cooking….. lol Thx!!
Hi K, So glad you like the recipes! I think you could probably get away with using almond milk here; just keep in mind that it may impact the texture of the filling. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!