Creamy, tasty, and insanely delicious SWEET POTATO PIE makes the holidays a lot better. This traditional southern masterpiece made from real sweet potatoes and an indulgent homemade pie crust takes “desserts” to another level. Truly a crowd-pleasing comfort food you can easily make at home.

“Sweet Potato Pie!” is something you might say when you’re surprised. More than just an expression, this treat is one of my favorite desserts to serve especially during the holidays. The only problem I have with this is that everyone finishes the whole thing before I can have a slice. It’s that good!

I make it a point to make at least two every time I bake. Today, I’m going to show you my sweet potato pie recipe that you can make for Thanksgiving dinner. I’m sure you and your family will love it! 

What is Sweet Potato Pie?

Sweet Potato Pie originates from the Southern part of the U.S. where the main ingredient is abundant. Sweet potatoes are widely used by the African-American communities within that area as a substitute for yam.

This is a true blue southern dish. That means it’s filled with flavors that are surprisingly harmonious with each other. It is often a mix of sugar, spices, milk, and sweet potatoes.

Creamy vegetable pies were quite popular in medieval Europe. So when they came to America, they were introduced to a new set of flavorful veggies. One fine person tried to make sweet potato pie and it became a hit! The rest is history.

Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

My sweet potato pie recipe uses simple ingredients so we can be as close as possible to the original taste. You’ll have to prepare some ingredients such as the pie crust and, of course, the sweet potato. Here’s a list of everything you’ll need for this recipe.

• Sweet potatoes
• Butter
• Granulated sugar
• Evaporated milk
• Whole eggs
• Egg yolk
• Ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and cinnamon spice
• Salt
• Vanilla extract (homemade HERE)
• Homemade unbaked pie crust which you can see the RECIPE HERE

Recipe Variations

What I really like about simple recipes such as pie is it’s really easy to innovate. Add a little of this and a little of that and we’ll have an amazing version of this sweet potato pie. Here are my top picks on how you can make this dish truly your own.

Ginger-infused

Add gingery goodness to your pie by zesting a bit of ginger to your filling. Just be careful not to overdo it because ginger already has a powerful taste. Mix some sour cream to your whipped cream to help with the flavor mix.

Smores

You can also opt for a more playful dish with this sweet potato pie topped with smores. Simply line up a layer of marshmallows as the pie topping and bake. If you’ve already baked your pie before adding the marshmallows, simply lightly torch the topping until it browns.

Pumpkin-spiced

Infuse your filling with some of this homemade pumpkin spice. It’s not yet too late to pumpkin spice everything. So cozy up with your family with this dish.

Merengue-topped

This is a classic topping for sweet potato pie recipes but not everybody knows how to make it. It’s actually just whipped egg whites, with salt, sugar, and cream of tartar. Torch it a bit to stiffen the topping and that’ll be good to go.

 

What to Serve with Sweet Potato Pie?

There are a lot of dishes and add-ons you can serve with sweet potato pie. You’ll be amazed at all the spectacular combo you can mix and match with this dish. Here are some of my favorite dishes paired with this recipe.

Southern Sweet Tea

Although both are sweet, these dishes vary in the type of sweetness. The beverage comes with a fruity kick of sweetness while the pie has an earthier and spiced kind of sweet. The contrast of these flavors makes a great afternoon delight.

Homemade Eggnog

This homemade eggnog paired with the delicious filling and buttery crust of the pie makes a perfect holiday pair! Both are creamy and soft to the palate so the blend in texture would be seamless!

Smoked Turkey

Before you raise an eyebrow, hear me out. You might love this combination not simultaneously but as a whole meal. The pie will serve as a palate-cleansing dessert after eating a delicious smoked turkey. It’s truly a popular holiday feast combo!

Homemade Whipped Cream

No pie is complete without a glorious topping. This homemade whipped cream will totally do you well. It’s as easy it is to make as to apply it on top of your sweet potato pie.

Caramel Sauce

For an extra delicious serving, a smooth drizzle of caramel sauce makes a big difference. Don’t worry about it being too sweet. The earthy tone of the sweet potatoes and the flavors of the spices will balance it out.

Can You Freeze Sweet Potato Pie?

This lovely pastry is obviously tasty; however, it comes with the price of short shelf life. Simply refrigerating it in an airtight container will give it 4 days of shelf life. You can freeze this sweet potato pie and that should extend its life to about a month in the freezer.

More Amazing Pie Recipes

• Apple Pie
• Chocolate Pecan Pie
• Tomato Pie
• Pineapple Pie
• Chess Pie

How to Make Sweet Potato Pie

 

Preheat oven to 350 °F. 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. Rinse, peel, and cut the sweet potatoes into chunks, then add to a medium saucepan. Water should cover the potatoes at least an inch. 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 or more depending on the size of the potatoes. Drain water and simmer for about 1 minute or until water has evaporated. Add to a mixing bowl, mash the potatoes using a handheld mixer. 

 Next, add the remaining ingredients: softened butter, white sugar, brown sugar, evaporated milk, eggs, egg yolk, nutmeg spice, ground ginger spice, cinnamon spice, salt, and vanilla extract. Continue mixing until all the ingredients have been fully incorporated. 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. Remove and serve the top with whipped cream, pecan, and/or caramel sauce for a decadent treat. Enjoy!

 

Watch How To Make It