Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet Potato Pie is a classic southern recipe.  It reminds me of home and my Auntie. Growing up, I only had one Auntie, my mother’s older sister.  She, in many ways, was the OG Side Gig/Hustler.  After serving in the Air Force, she drove taxis from the airport, there was a Mary Kay phase, and an AmWay phase.  But the hustle that she was most known for was filing people’s taxes. 

She did everyone’s taxes in the neighborhood, mine included until I was almost 30 years old and a barred attorney that specializes in tax law!  None of that mattered.   The week leading up to Thanksgiving, I would go over to her house and help her make what felt like a million sweet potato pies.  Then on the actual holiday, people would drop by her house to pick up their pie.  While they were there she’d remind them that tax season was around the corner.  If there was ever a marketing strategy, this was it. 

Jump to:

• Sweet Potato Pie Ingredients
• Kitchen Equipment
• How to Make Sweet Potato Pie
• Tips and Tricks: 
• Storing Sweet Potato Pie 
• Want more recipes that use sweet potato puree?
• Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
• Recipe

My Auntie taught me how to make sweet potato pie, but this is not her recipe.  First, she didn’t make the pie crusts.  Instead she bought the frozen pie crusts from the store, because she didn’t have the time.  Second this pie doesn’t include copious amounts of alcohol in the batter– her signature baking ingredient.  Besides, I don’t know y’all like that to be giving away family secrets. 

Sweet Potato Pie Ingredients

• Sweet potato puree 
• Cinnamon
• Ground ginger
• Nutmeg 
• Salt
• Unsalted Butter
• light brown sugar
• Evaporated milk
• Large eggs
• 9 inch pie crust, frozen

Kitchen Equipment

• Food processor/hand mixer
• Mixing bowl
• Measuring cup/spoons
• Spatula
• Baking sheet
• Aluminum Foil 
• Pie Weights
• Parchment Paper

How to Make Sweet Potato Pie

1. Make the Sweet Potato Puree. This part takes some advanced planning.  I wrote a whole post on how to make a smooth sweet potato puree. The best way to make sure you don’t end up with the dreaded stringy sweet potatoes is to roast the sweet potatoes in the oven for over an hour.  Once the sweet potatoes are very soft to the touch, take them out and let them cool before blending them in a food processor.  
3.  Get the Pie Crust Together.   If you’re buying a store bought crust, follow the directions on the package.  If you want to make a homemade pie crust, I recommend this Vodka Pie Crust recipe.  
4. Blind Bake the Crust.  Blind baking is the process of baking the crust without the filling to prevent the bottom crust from turning out soggy.  To blind bake you’ll bake the crust filled with weights at a high temperature for 15-20 minutes.  The “pie weights” can be actual store bought pie weights, or you can use pantry staples, beans, rice or granulated sugar to fill the pie shell.  After 15-20 minutes the pie crust should be starting to brown, take the weights out of the shell and bake for a couple more minutes to make sure that the bottom of the crust is no longer shiny and has a matte appearance. Remove the pie crust from the oven and let it cool. 
5. Whisk together the Filling. Mix the cooled sweet potato puree with the rest of the ingredients and whisk until smooth. 
6. Bake it. Pour the sweet potato filling in the cooled pie crust and bake!

Tips and Tricks: 

1. Marinate the sweet potatoes. This is completely optional and something I discovered by accident. If time allows, stir in the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt to the sweet potato puree.  Pour the puree in a bowl with a cover and refrigerate overnight.  The spices will have time to fully meld with the sweet potatoes creating a more flavorful sweet potato pie. 
2. Start with a  Frozen Pie Crust. If you’re making your pie crust from scratch, make sure the pie crust is frozen before baking. This is the best way to make sure that your pie crust doesn’t shrink and holds its shape.  
3. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.   Bake the pie on the lined cookie sheet to make for easy clean-up if something crazy happens. 

Storing Sweet Potato Pie 

Sweet potato pie needs to be refrigerated y’all. After baking, let the pie cool all the way to room temperature before covering and refrigerating the pie.   Sweet potato pie is a variation of a custard pie, which features eggs and milk.  The eggs and milk become a breeding ground for bacteria if left at room temperature for too long.  Don’t be the person that gives everyone you’ve ever met food poisoning.  Just put the pie in the fridge, okay?

Want more recipes that use sweet potato puree?

From cinnamon rolls, to flaky biscuits.  There are so many wonderfully delicious things you can do with sweet potato puree. 

Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

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