Sweet Potato Pie Recipe (2024)

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Think a sweet potato pie is the same as pumpkin, so why bother trying it? Think again! This Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe is a Southern Favorite and staple at holiday supper tables all over the South with good reason.

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Sweet Potato Pie Recipe (1)

Tips for How to make this traditional sweet potato pie recipe

So, you're looking to rival Patti LaBelle's sweet potato pie? Check out these tips and tricks to make sure you're making the best version of this pie you can:

  • use fresh sweet potatoes if you can. They'll give you the best flavor with a lovely natural sweetness
  • Don't omit the flour! For some reason people always want to ... just don't!
  • Bake the pie in a pie dish sitting on a cookie sheet to help it bake more evenly.
  • If your crust starts to brown, tent it with foil until the rest of the pie catches up

What's the difference between sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie?

They're both orange. They both have crust. They both are comfort-food-ily delicious. But a sweet potato pie has a different texture than a pumpkin pie. Traditional pumpkin pie is closer to a custard - a little softer and creamier. Traditional sweet potato pie is a stiffer pie with a more firm, drier texture and generally less spiced than a pumpkin pie.

Sweet Potato Pie Recipe (2)

What is in sweet potato pie filling?

Ahhhh but what is in that pie filling?

  • sweet potatoes
  • flour ( this is the magic ingredient to give the pie a slightly drier texture - in a good way )
  • brown sugar
  • butter
  • eggs
  • lemon ( brings out the flavor of the sweet potato without adding a lemony flavor )
  • half and half ( really any full fat dairy will work! )
  • spices
  • vanilla or bourbon
Sweet Potato Pie Recipe (3)

Can I use canned sweet potatoes or yams?

Look, it's not my preference. BUT - I know things at the grocery store can get weird these days and sometimes it's hard to find exactly what you are looking for. Plus, I'm a big believer in flexibility and making do.

So can you use canned sweet potatoes or yams? YES. It won't be quite as delicious, but it will still be good! Just make sure you are draining them well and aren't using the kind that have already been sweetened. Or if you are using that kind, adjust the sugar down or leave it out entirely in the recipe.

Sweet Potato Pie Recipe (4)

What's the easiest way to make a sweet potato?

I have an entire post about this here: How to Microwave a Sweet Potato. TL;DR is that microwaving is the easiest and BEST way to cook a sweet potato for sweet potato pie. Boiling adds water and baking is really good but takes FOREVER.

Sweet Potato Pie Recipe (5)

If you like this Popular Southern Recipe, You Might Also Like:

  • Sweet Potato Casserole
  • Sweet Potato Marshmallow Appetizer Bites
Sweet Potato Pie Recipe (6)

Sweet Potato Pie

A classic Sweet Potato Pie recipe, with a very mildly sweet Bourbon Whipped Cream topping.

4.58 from 7 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Southern American

Keyword: sweet potato

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings: 8 people

Author: Marianne

Ingredients

  • 1 deep-dish pie crust
  • 8 Tablespoons butter softened ( 1 stick / ½ cup butter )
  • 2 cups cooked peeled, mashed sweet potato ( about 1 lb sweet potatoes )
  • 1 Tablespoon flour
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup half and half can sub whole milk, heavy cream, or evaporated milk if necessary
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract OR bourbon
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

For the bourbon whipped cream and topping:

  • 6 ounces heavy cream
  • 1 Tablespoon bourbon
  • 1 Tablespoon white granulated sugar or powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup toasted walnuts optional

Instructions

  • Cream together butter, sweet potato, and flour in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the remaining pie ingredients ( cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, half and half, and extract).

  • Pour into unbaked 9" deep-dish pie crust. Bake on a sheet pan at 350 for 1 hour 15 min.

  • Using a hand mixer, beat the heavy cream, bourbon, and sugar together until it starts to stiffen. Pile on top of the cooled sweet potato pie, and crumble walnuts on top.

Tried this recipe?Mention @basilandbubbly or tag #basilandbubbly!

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Comments

  1. Sweet Potato Pie Recipe (7)Romona Flowers says

    Hello: I am writing to you because I tried your recipe and noticed that you left the "lemon juice" out of the instructions. Is this an error, or should I assume that this ingredient goes into the mixture with the rest of the ingredients? If so, could you please redo the instructions and update it to include the "lemon juice"? It also does taste good without it, because I forgot to include it.

    Reply

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Sweet Potato Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How many sweet potatoes for 2 cups? ›

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SWEET POTATO AND A YAM?
FreshCannedCooked & Mashed
2 medium sweet potatoes3 to 41 1/4 cups
3 medium1 pound can2 cups
4 medium (23 ounces)3 quart cans2 l/2 cups

Why does my sweet potato pie fall apart? ›

Why does my sweet potato pie fall apart? You may not have drained your sweet potatoes well enough. If your pie is falling apart, you must watch your measurements as this will effect the finished product.

What is pie filling made of? ›

Fruit, sugar, cornstarch, acid, extras. These are the only things you need to remember to turn out a perfect pie filling. You've already read our step-by-step guide to the flakiest, butteriest pie crust.

What is the difference between sweet potatoes and yam pies? ›

From a culinary perspective, the biggest difference between sweet potatoes and yams becomes more apparent when they are cooked. Yams are starchy and dry, but sweet potatoes are fluffier and the right consistency for this rich autumn tart.

How many sweet potatoes is 3 cups worth? ›

One pound raw fresh sweet potatoes = 3 cups shredded, cubed or sliced = 1 3/4 cups cooked, mashed. Sweet Potatoes have the ability to slow the pro- gress of macular degeneration.

What does 1 serving of sweet potato look like? ›

“One serving of sweet potatoes is generally about 4 to 5 ounces,” says Mackenzie Burgess, RDN, registered dietitian nutritionist and recipe developer at Cheerful Choices.

Why freeze sweet potatoes before baking? ›

Freezing sweet potatoes drives excess water out of the potato, resulting in an interior with more concentrated flavor. Freezing also lowers the starting temperature of the potato, allowing more time for amylase enzymes to convert starch to sweet-tasting maltose.

Should homemade sweet potato pie be refrigerated? ›

Sweet potato pies usually contain milk and eggs, so they are essentially baked custard pies and should be stored in the refrigerator. Rule of thumb: If a pie contains milk, cream and/or eggs, refrigerate it. You'll also want to refrigerate pies containing evaporated or condensed milk products.

Why is my sweet potato pie watery? ›

Many recipes for sweet potato pie call for steaming or boiling the sweet potatoes before making the filling. This leads to water-logged sweet potatoes.

Why is my sweet potato pie jiggly? ›

*TIP: To test a sweet potato pie for doneness, lightly wiggle the baking sheet. If the center of the pie has a pronounced, wavy jiggle, it needs additional time in the oven. If the center of the pie has a lighter, more structured jiggle, it's done. Remove from the oven, place the pie dish on a wire rack, and let cool.

Who makes sweet potato pies for Walmart? ›

She leads a team of professionals to bring quality bakery products to over 4,500 store locations. A notable accomplishment is that Kinna is the person responsible for creating the Patti Labelle Sweet Potato Pie.

Who eats sweet potato pie? ›

Particularly beloved in Black and Southern households, this traditional delicacy has a rich history that travels from the forests of Peru to kitchens of the antebellum era. This dish is so rife with nostalgia that the popularity of sweet potato pie rivals even that of its autumnal rival, pumpkin pie!

What is the black bottom on Norma's sweet potato pie? ›

Norma's sweet potato pie has a thin layer of brown sugar on the bottom crust. Not only does this “black bottom” give flavor, it helps keep the filling from making the crust soggy. Her recipe makes a good amount of the delicious filling—this isn't one of those skimpy sweet potato pies.

What does a sweet potato consist of? ›

Sweet potatoes are mainly composed of carbs. Most of the carbs come from starch, followed by fiber. This root vegetable is also relatively low in protein but still an important protein source in many developing countries.

What parts are used in sweet potato? ›

Flesh colors may be white or various shade of cream, yellow, orange or even purple (Alam et al., 2016, 2020c) (Fig. 2). Almost every parts of sweet potato (for instance, stem, leaf, and root) can be eaten and these parts may vary in terms of the nutrients, bioactives, non-nutrients, and antinutrients composition.

What goes with sweet pie? ›

When it comes to flavors, vanilla ice cream is the traditional pie-topper, but if you're feeling adventurous, we think a scoop of strawberry, butter pecan, or even maple walnut would make for a delicious alternative.

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