Sweet Potato Pie

Content… Is It a Black Thing? Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage Instructions FAQs What to Serve More Amazing Pie Recipes to Try Conclusion Watch How to Make It

Is Sweet Potato Pie a Black Thing?

Yes and no. Sweet potato pie originates in the Southern U.S., where the main ingredient is abundant and easy to grow. And sweet potatoes have long been widely used by African-American communities within the South, so in a way, yes. Sweet potato pie is a dearly loved recipe by us black folks, and we have a long history with it. That said, people from all backgrounds and ethnicities love a big slice. 😉

Recipe Ingredients

1. Sweet Potatoes – A bright orange root vegetable that’s just a little sweet and oh-so-creamy textured when boiled and mashed, making the perfect pie filling.
2. Butter – Adding richness and that telltale Southern flavor, butter is a key ingredient in both this pie’s crust and filling.
3. Sugar – You’ll need both brown and granulated sugar for this recipe
4. Evaporated Milk – Use a can or make your own to bring the filling ingredients together with the perfect creamy texture.
5. Eggs – This ingredient helps bind the filling together and makes an easy-to-slice pie.
6. Spices – Warm and earthy nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon spices go beautifully with sweet potatoes.

How to Make Sweet Potato Pie

Blind Bake the Pie Crust

• Prepare the Crust – Line the bottom of the pie crust with parchment paper, then add dried beans on top. The beans will ensure that the bottom of the crust does not rise.
• Bake for 5-6 minutes in the preheated oven, remove from the oven, and let it cool.

Prepare the Filling

• Rinse, peel, and cut the sweet potatoes into chunks, then add them to a medium saucepan and cover them with water.
• Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat. Cook until tender and potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork, about 12 minutes. You may need more time depending on the size of the potatoes. (Photo 1)
• Drain water and simmer the potatoes for about 1 minute or until water has evaporated.
• Add them to a mixing bowl. Then, mash the potatoes using a handheld mixer. Next, add the remaining ingredients: softened butter, white and brown sugar, evaporated milk, eggs, egg yolk, nutmeg spice, ground ginger spice, cinnamon spice, salt, and vanilla extract. (Photo 2-7)
• Continue mixing until all the ingredients have been fully incorporated. (Photo 8)

Bake Your Pie

• Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is nice and thoroughly browned or when a skewer inserted in the middle of the pie comes out clean. (Photo 9)
• Remove and serve topped with whipped cream, candied pecans, or caramel sauce (or all of it😉) for a decadent treat.

Recipe Variations

1. Ginger-Infused – Add gingery goodness to your pie by zesting a bit of ginger into your filling. Mix some sour cream with your whipped cream to help balance out the flavors. 😋
2. Smores – Add a layer of marshmallows as the pie topping before baking. Drizzle with a chocolate sauce before serving, and if you want to go all out, swap out the regular pie crust for a graham cracker crust.
3. Pumpkin-Spiced – Infuse your filling with homemade pumpkin spice for a cozy version of this Southern classic.

Tips and Tricks

1. If you have any leftover pie filling, use it to make miniature sweet potato pies for some bite-sized fun.
2. When boiling the sweet potatoes, make sure you have them covered by at least an inch of water to help them cook evenly.
3. Another way to tell if your pie is done is by looking at how set it is. It should just jiggle in the middle when it’s ready. It might take a few tries to be able to tell if your pie is done by sight only, but you’ll get the hang of it.

Make-Ahead Instructions

Feel free to make this pie a few days in advance. It will stay good for 3-5 days stored properly in the fridge. Cover it well with plastic wrap and pull it out of the fridge whenever you are ready to serve it.

Serving and Storage Instructions

Though I usually serve this deliciousness at room temperature, you can serve your sweet potato pie toasty warm if you’d like. Simply let it rest for about half an hour after coming out of the oven and then cut and serve. This pie is equally good chilled, though, so you can always serve it the next day after it’s been refrigerated.

Store leftovers in the fridge. This pie has eggs and milk, so it shouldn’t stay out on the counter for more than two hours. You can also freeze sweet potato pie for three months in an airtight container.

FAQs

What Goes With Sweet Potato Pie

Serve sweet potato pie soul food recipe as a follow-up to a smoked turkey with homemade stuffing – it’s a match made in heaven. As for drinks, you can go for Southern sweet tea in the heat of the summer or homemade eggnog if it’s chilly out.

If you want to fancy up your sweet potato pie, top it with homemade whipped cream, candied pecans, and some homemade caramel drizzle too! 🤩

More Amazing Pie Recipes to Try

1. Apple Pie
2. Chocolate Pecan Pie
3. Tomato Pie
4. Pineapple Pie
5. Chess Pie
6. Southern Buttermilk Pie

Conclusion

Get out your baking gear and whip up this black folk’s sweet potato pie for a Southern treat that the whole family will love. How did it turn out for you? Drop me a comment below to let me know or to share your best tips, tricks, and variations on this recipe.❤️

Watch How to Make It