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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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.
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.
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
- Pecan Pie
- Purple Sweet Potato Pie
- Chess Pie
- Pumpkin Pie
- Old-Fashioned Pinto Bean Pie
- Watergate Salad
- Sweet Potato Pudding
- Homemade Chocolate Pudding
- Air Fryer Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes
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:
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.
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.
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!
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 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
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.
Make the pie
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Peel the sweet potatoes and mash them 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.
Video
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.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on 8/17/2020. It has been updated with additional helpful tips.
Amari says
I’m confused on the notes section of this recipe about the freezing process. Does the pie go into the fridge overnight before baked then cooked the day off and freezed in the fridge again? Or does the pie get baked in the same day then chilled in the fridge?
Tanya says
HI Amari, I suggest baking the pies a day ahead of time and then chilling them in the fridge overnight. When ready to serve, remove them at least 30 minutes before bringing them to room temperature. This isn't a necessity but I think it makes the pies taste even better.
Renee says
Is the filling sufficient for a deep dish pie crust?
Tanya says
Hi Renee, I have used it for a deep dish pie crust, it just didn't go to the very top.
Cassandra says
Do you think white sweet potatoes would work the same in this? I know they differ in texture some, but I'm not sure how much, as the white are the only ones I buy.
Tanya says
Hi Cassandra, they wouldn't work the same exactly. White sweet potatoes tend to be a little drier. It could be tweaked though. You would likely need to add a bit more liquid and sugar to get a similar result.
JUDY says
Love this recipe not crazy about spices. Only used cinnamon and it was great .
Carrie says
Amazing flavour!! Hubby and his work crew loved it!! Thanks so much. This is a keeper!
Tanya says
Thank you, Carrie! So happy you all liked the recipe.
Tanya says
I just whipped this recipe up and put in the oven a few seconds ago. I tasted the remaining mix left over in the bowl and it's AMAZING. I am so happy to have found this recipe.
Thank you for sharing.
Ps. This is my first time making sweet potato pie from semi scratch (I used premade pie shell) can't wait for tomorrow to serve it. ❤️
Tanya says
Thanks Tanya! Love your name by the way 🙂 Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy the finished pie 🙂
Katie says
Made (and consumed) my first sweet potato pie thanks to your delicious recipe! I would say I followed the recipe to a tee, but I had a slight mishap and ended up having to blend the pie filling. Thankfully it still turned out fantastic. 🙂
Tanya says
Thanks Katie! So happy the pie worked out for you.
Taleya says
@Katie, 😂🤣😂 I just had to blend my filling. It taste great! I couldn’t get past the lumps. Blender to the rescue!!!
Ivy Brantley Reid says
Very good! I added meringue. Very similar to my grandma’s!
Tanya says
Thanks Ivy! Love that you added meringue too. Sounds delicious!
Mona Anderson says
Very delicious! A few of my small sized potatoes didn’t cook all way through ( forgot to poke holes before baking) so I picked those little chunks out of the mix. The spices were on point. Thank you for sharing.
Tanya says
Thanks so much Mona! Glad to hear the pie worked out in the end.
Emma says
Fantastic!! I made this with mashed potatoes as the “crust” because my father is unable to swallow anything but soft foods! It looks amazing!🤗
Pat says
Tanya
Do you cook your pie crust first before you fill it for sweet potato pie to put in the freezer? Thank you in advance for answering
Tanya says
Hi Pat, yes I do.
Karren says
@Tanya, does the pie crust overcook/burn when you take it out of the freezer and bake it?
Tanya says
Hi Karen, it doesn't. It has to be defrosted and then baked on a lower temp to reheat it, about 300F until warmed through.
Michaela says
I substitute honey for light brown sugar & almond milk for the evaporated & the pie tastes AMAZING ! The thank you for sharing your recipe
Carolyn Calhoun says
I use the blender for my pies, and that gets rid of any strings, and makes a smoother filling.I add a tablespoon of flour and a tsp of lemon and rum flavoring. Try it.
Sandra Dee says
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS RECIPE...THANK YOU FOR NOT ADDING PURE CANE SUGAR. BROWN SUGAR IS PERFECT! I MADE TWO PIES. ONE W/THE GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST AND ONE W/REGULAR DEEP DISH CRUST. THEY BOTH WERE AWESOME! THANK YOU SO MUCH😉
Tanya says
Thank you Sandra Dee 🙂
Elaine W. says
How did you get ride of the strings in the sweet potatoes ?
Tanya says
Hi Elaine, I honestly didn't have any strings to get rid of. The number of strings depends on the growing conditions, therefore not all sweet potatoes are stringy and I haven't had a stringy sweet potato in years. However, stringy potatoes do exist and if you happen to get a stringy sweet potato, you can try cutting off the excess strings before mashing. Most strings are closer to the peel. You could also try blending the sweet potato mixture, but if you don't get rid of the strings before doing that, the strings will just get caught in your blender blades.
Michelle Hall says
@Tanya, I was taught from my husband’s grandmother that if you use the med to small sweet potatoes you won’t have the string.
Amber says
@Michelle Hall, beat the filling for 5 minutes washing off the beater no strings