Southern-Style Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Ah, sweet potato pie — a close relative of pumpkin pie, though an often overlooked and under-appreciated one at that. If you like pumpkin pie, then there's no doubt that you'll enjoy sweet potato pie, especially when you follow recipe developer Catherine Brookes' Southern-style rendition. Unlike pumpkin, which is actually quite bland without the addition of spices, sweet potatoes have a wonderfully earthy, sweet, and starchy flavor all on their own. Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg work together to highlight those flavors, leaving you with a perfectly rich, custardy pie that may have you putting that pumpkin pie recipe on the back-burner.

"I love the rich, soft texture, and combination of sweet and spicy flavors in this pie," Brookes says. "It's such a classic fall or winter dessert!" While we tend to associate sweet potato pie as a holiday dessert, there's no stopping you from whipping one up any time of year. And, sweet potatoes are accessible in most grocery stores year-round, so you'll never struggle trying to find these pie ingredients. Whether you want to whip up a cozy, warming dessert on a cold winter's night, or you just need to use up those sweet potatoes you bought weeks ago, this Southern-style pie recipe has you covered.

The ingredients list is pretty straightforward here — you'll need sweet potatoes, of course — about 500 grams worth once it's cooked and mashed up. Brookes finds that 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes provide enough bulk to get the job done here, but you can also go with a canned option. "Canned sweet potato or purée should also work well here," she notes. "The key is getting the sweet potato nice and smooth."

Aside from the sweet potatoes, you'll also need a premade 9-inch pie crust, or shortcrust pastry. As for the filling, you'll round it out with eggs, melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, evaporated milk, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and salt. 

First things first, get your oven preheating to 350 F. Then, roll out the pie crust across a 9-inch fluted pie pan, and gently push the crust into the pan. Cut off most of the crust's overhang, leaving just about 1 inch around the edge. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork, which will help prevent the crust from ballooning when it bakes. Place a sheet of parchment paper over the crust, then add baking beans (uncooked rice or pie weights also work here) to the bottom. 

Pop the crust into the oven to bake for an initial 20 minutes, then pull it out, remove the beans and parchment paper, and bake for 7 more minutes. "Par-baking the crust before adding the filling ensures that it doesn't become soggy or undercooked," Brookes explains. This method is pretty standard when it comes to custard pies. Once the crust is done par-baking, use a knife to trim away any excess crust — be sure to do it while the crust is still warm. 

Now, it's time to focus on the sweet potato filling. First, peel those sweet potatoes, and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Add the chunks to a pot of boiling water, and boil for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are nice and tender. Drain the water, then mash the sweet potatoes in that same pot. Make sure to mash them well — no one wants a chunky sweet potato pie. 

With the potatoes thoroughly mashed, add in the eggs, sugar, and melted butter, then beat well using a hand mixer or whisk. Add in the evaporated milk, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla extract, then beat once again until you have a smooth, cohesive filling. 

Pour the filling into the par-baked crust, then place the pie in the oven, allowing it to bake for about 55 minutes. You'll know that it's ready to go when the pie is set, and there's just a slight jiggle left in the middle. If the pie is still really jiggly, even at the edges, then it's not quite ready. Once you remove the pie from the oven, allow it to cool completely before cutting into it, about 2 to 4 hours — the pie will set even more as it cools, so premature cutting could result in a runny pie. 

Once the pie is cooled, go ahead and slice into it, and serve as desired. While Brookes does note that "This pie would be great to serve for Thanksgiving or during the holidays," it would be unfair to our tastebuds to limit the confection to such a short timeframe. So whip this pie up for any occasion, big or small — and, when you serve up a slice, don't skimp out on the whipped cream. "It's also great served with ice cream, custard or crème fraîche," Brookes adds.