This Southern Sweet Potato Pie is the perfect fall and Thanksgiving dessert to make and share with family and friends. Easy to make with simple ingredients, it’s the perfect make ahead sweet treat!

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blog post.
A true Southern sweet potato pie is one of my favorite fall desserts. The filling is silky smooth and when it’s topped with some whipped cream I’m in heaven!
It’s one of my preferred Holiday pie and lucky for me, my kids love it too. So I always end up making this pie most often around the Holidays.
This is a great pie to serve up for Thanksgiving along with my Simple Pumpkin Cake!
How To Make Southern Sweet Potato Pie
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Mash cooked sweet potatoes in a bowl. I like to either bake my sweet potatoes in the air fryer or microwave them for 8-10 minutes. I never boil them.

- Add remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth and combined.

- Pour in prepared pie crust. You can see my crust broke a little, lol. It was still mighty good though.

- Bake for 40-45 minutes until pie is set in the middle.

Can you make it ahead of time?
Yes! This is the perfect make ahead dessert. In fact you want to let the pie sit for at least an hour before serving it. Once the pie has cooled to room temperature, cover it loosely with plastic wrap of foil and it will keep well for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Can you freeze it?
If you are super organized and planning ahead, then you can freeze the pie. It’s best to freeze the pie before you bake it or it can become soggy once thawed.
Place the filling in the crust and then wrap securely in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Defrost the pie in the fridge overnight before baking. The pie will keep well frozen for up to 3 months.
What’s the difference between pumpkin pie and sweet potato pie?
The flavors in both of these traditional Thanksgiving pies are similar, but sweet potato pie is less dense and more light an airy. It’s sweeter and more creamy and I find it much richer in flavor.

Recipe Notes and Tips
- Sweet potato pie is best when it has cooled, so wait to serve it.
- The best sweet potato pie is made at least a day ahead and chilled. Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Don’t boil the sweet potatoes or they will take on too much liquid and the filling will be soggy.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
- Chess Pie
- Watergate Salad
- Sweet Potato Pudding
- Blueberry Biscuits
- Homemade Chocolate Pudding
- Air Fryer Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes
Southern Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
- 9- inch pie crust store-bought or homemade
- 1.5 lbs sweet potato about 2 medium sweet potatoes
- ¼ cup butter softened
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Bake or microwave the sweet potatoes:
- Air fryer – 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes.
- Oven – 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 45-50 minutes.
- Microwave – prick potatoes all over, microwave for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Mash sweet potatoes in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth and combined. Pour in prepared pie pan.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until pie is set in the middle. Remove and allow to cool for at least 1 hour.
Notes
- Prepare pie crust according to your recipe or package directions.
- Sweet Potato Pie is best when it has cooled, so wait to serve it.
- The best sweet potato pie is made at least a day ahead and chilled. Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Don’t boil the sweet potatoes or they will take on too much liquid and the filling will be soggy.
Michele
Friday 5th of March 2021
Can you use yams instead of sweet potatoes?
Tanya
Monday 8th of March 2021
Yams have more starch so it wouldn't come out as creamy.
Mama
Thursday 4th of February 2021
Pie is great but I added a pinch of cloves and I’m in love
Tamara
Friday 25th of December 2020
I definitely enjoyed the recipe, however I did boil my sweet potatoes and I used store brought crust. I didn’t pre bake the crust, I filled my crust and baked my pies for 50 minutes and they turned out beautiful !!!
Tanya
Friday 25th of December 2020
Thanks so much for the feedback Tamara!So glad you liked the pie :)
Kimberlee Nelson
Saturday 19th of December 2020
I love that your pie crust broke. Sometimes perfect gets exhausting. I am looking forward to trying this recipe. Thank you!
Tina
Thursday 3rd of December 2020
I really enjoyed this recipe it was so delicious Just enough of sugar and spices. I'm truly a sweet potato fan. So thank u so much for sharing!💕