Published: Oct 12, 2022 · Modified: Feb 14, 2025 by Tanya · This post may contain affiliate links · 131 Comments

Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Name: Southern Sweet Potato Pie
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
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 light brown sugar; 2 large eggs (lightly beaten); ½ cup evaporated milk; 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg; ¼ teaspoon ground ginger; ¼ teaspoon salt

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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!

southern sweet potato pie on white plate with pie in background

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The full recipe with ingredients/instructions is available on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Important tips/tricks are also included in the blog post.

I love the flavors of fall, lots of warming spices come into play and my thoughts always turn to delicious sweet pies. A traditional Southern sweet potato pie is one of my favorite fall desserts.

The sweet potato filling in this easy sweet potato pie is silky smooth. When it's topped with some whipped cream I'm in heaven! You can make your own pastry crust, but if pushed for time a store bought pastry crust will work just fine.

It's one of my preferred Holiday pies and lucky for me, my kids love it too. So I always end up making this pie most often around the Holidays. This has become my best sweet potato pie recipe and is enjoyed by everyone I serve it up to.

This is a great pie to serve up for Thanksgiving or Christmas along with my Simple Pumpkin Cake! However, it also makes a great weekend treat any weekend during fall, with my family and friends.

Ingredients

Pie crust (store-bought or homemade)
Sweet potatoes - I prefer to use baked sweet potatoes in the skin and then peel them for this recipe, as they provide a creamier texture and richer flavor. Some have boiled sweet potatoes and had great results, but I find baking enhances the overall quality of the dish.
Butter - adds richness and flavor to the pie. I use unsalted butter.
Light brown sugar - this adds an incredible depth of flavor to this pie.
Large Eggs, Evaporated Milk, and Vanilla Extract
Spices - Ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and salt

How To Make Southern Sweet Potato Pie

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mash cooked sweet potatoes in a bowl.

TOP TIP: 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.

Whisking together the ingredients for the filling

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 Sweet Potato Pie ahead of time?

Yes! This is the perfect make-ahead dessert. You can make sweet potato pie ahead of time to save oven space on holidays. 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 or foil, and it will keep well for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Can you freeze Sweet Potato Pie?

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.

A slice of southern sweet potato pie served on a white plate

Tips for Choosing the Best Sweet Potatoes

For the perfect sweet potato pie, select firm, bruise-free sweet potatoes with smooth skin and deep orange flesh. Medium-sized potatoes work best for a rich, creamy filling.

Recipe Notes and Tips

Take the butter out of the fridge 30 minutes before you plan to bake. This allows the butter to soften, making it easier to incorporate into the other ingredients.
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

If you're looking for more delicious sweet potato recipes, try my candied sweet potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes recipes.

Watch this video tutorial and see how I make this sweet potato pie from start to finish.

FAQs:

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

The flavors in both of these traditional Thanksgiving pies are similar, but sweet potato pie is less dense and more light and airy. It's sweeter and more creamy and I find it much richer in flavor.

How do you know when sweet potato pie is done?

The pie is cooked when the pie filling has set and is no longer liquid. You can check but inserting a toothpick into the filling, if cooked it will come out clean.

How do I get the strings out of sweet potato pie?

Whether or not you have strings in your sweet potatoes will depend on the growing conditions of your sweet potatoes. If the soil is too fertile, you'll get stringy sweet potatoes. Try to purchase short plump sweet potatoes to avoid stringiness. If you need to get rid of strings, pulse the sweet potatoes in a food processor after baking them.

If you have tried to make this delicious Southern Sweet Potato Pie, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!

Tanya