This PERFECT Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe is filled with tender baked sweet potato, indulgent fall flavors and baking spices in a flaky buttery crust. This is the South’s favorite pie, and it is absolutely perfect for the holiday season or Sunday supper dessert. If you love other Southern pies like this Sheet Pan Pie with 3 flavors in 1, Pumpkin Pie, Sweet Potato Pecan Pie, Buttermilk Pie , Pie Trifle, Sweet Potato Cobbler, or Southern Peach Cobbler, you will love this! Also try my Sweet Potato Chess Pie for a nice twist!
HOW TO MAKE SWEET POTATO PIE RECIPE (SOUL FOOD)
SOUTHERN SWEET POTATO PIE RECIPE
I first purchased Patty Pinner’s cookbook and treasure “Sweets: Soul Food Desserts & Memories” five years ago. I was instantly connected to the stories and photographs because I saw fragments of myself intertwined in the pages. Growing up mesmerized by my Big Mama’s cooking and baking (especially her southern sweet potato pie recipe) made me relate to Patty on so many levels.
HOW DO YOU MAKE A SOUTHERN SWEET POTATO PIE?
Making a southern sweet potato pie is not a difficult as it might seem. There are two essential ingredients to make a wonderful sweet potato pie: perfect pie crust and delicious pie filling (read more below on each). One huge tip I love to share about making a southern sweet potato pie is the ingredients should be at room temperature! Also, it never hurts to add a dollop of fresh whipped cream to a cut slice of the completed pie.
EASY SWEET POTATO PIE CRUST
The crust is so essential when making a homemade pie. Patty’s pie crust recipe utilizes shortening instead of butter or margarine.
It does result in a very flaky crust so it is definitely worth giving a try. You can also replace some of the shorting with butter or use a butter flavored shortening if you want the additional flavor. I personally love the flavor of butter so I always make my pie crusts with butter. You can find my Perfect Pie Crust recipe here.
“BLACK FOLKS” SWEET POTATO PIE RECIPE FILLING
To make a Black Folks Sweet Potato Pie recipe, it starts with the pie filling. The key ingredients are the following:
- Sweet Potatoes (You can either boil these on stovetop or you can bake them until the insides are completely tender)
- Butter (and lots of it!)
- Corn syrup
- Sugar
- Eggs (creates stability for the pie, make sure they are room temperature)
- Buttermilk
- Spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and vanilla!)
There is lots of butter in this recipe so just know that it is definitely for a special occasion like the holidays. What I found interesting was the addition of buttermilk, which gave a nice tangy flavor to this Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe.
For the sweetness, there is a combination of sugar and corn syrup that’s used. I found this to be very unique, and it tastes phenomenal.
For the spices, it is everything you would find in a pumpkin pie if that is your thing. The cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice really heighten the flavor of the sweet potatoes creating something really rich and enhanced.
Southern Sweet Potato Pie Variations
If you love sweet potato, you will adore my Sweet Potato Casserole, Sweet Potato Chess Pie recipe or my Sweet Potato Cheesecake recipe or even my Sweet Potato Pound Cake recipe or Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow.
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Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
This PERFECT Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe is filled with tender baked sweet potato, indulgent fall flavors and baking spices in a flaky buttery crust. You won't taste another one like this! This is the South's favorite pie, and it is absolutely perfect for the holiday season or Sunday supper dessert!
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Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 474kcal
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet potatoes
- 1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- whipped cream for garnish
Instructions
- Wash the whole sweet potatoes and drain them.
- Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot and add cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat, and cook until the potatoes are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. (A fork should pierce the potatoes easily but they should not fall apart.) When the potatoes are done, drain and cool them.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare the pastry for a 9-inch single-crust pie.
- When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and mash them in a large bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer.
- Add the melted butter, corn syrup, and sugar. Beat on medium speed. Discard the long, stringy fibers that collect around the electric beaters as you beat the filling. In the end, you want a smooth, string-free filling.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Beat well after each addition.
- Pour in the buttermilk. Add the nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat until the filling is smooth. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Garnish with whipped cream.
Notes
All of your ingredients should be at room temperature for this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 474kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 180mg | Potassium: 229mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 56g | Vitamin A: 7355IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1.1mg
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Oh my goodness! I made your Sweet Potato Pie at Christmas and it was absolutely delicious!!!
Looks great! Sweet potatoes can vary wildly in size. Do you have an estimate amount of mashed sweet potatoes for this recipe? Can’t wait to make this.
My first time making a sweet potato pie! Awesome!!
Hello would light corn syrup be fine and if so do I use sa.e amount?
Thank you
First time making sweet potato pie and this was a HIT! Thank you!
Although it’s the day after Thanksgiving, I still wanted to bake my favorite pie. This was my first time ever making a sweet potato pie. I must pat myself on the back and give myself an award. My pie turned out perfect. It reminds me of my grandmother pie almost. This was a wonderful recipe. Thank you.
Made this for my dad this Thanksgiving. His mom died years ago and always talks about how much he misses her sweet potato pie. He (and the rest of the family) LOVED it. Honestly, I sway on the side of pumpkin pie before sweet potato but I will never sway that way again with this recipe. It is amazing. I always yuse your pie crust recipe as well. Thanks for making this Thanksgiving special!
I haven’t tried to veganize your recipe yet but, I give you 4 stars for pointing out the need to mix and discard the strings collected on the mixer. I remember my grandmother doing this when I was a child. I made a vegan sweet potato pie one year without collecting the fibrous strings and it was not pleasant. The taste was ok but the texture was disturbing. I will try your sweet potato pie recipe next holiday, but I’ll be making your cornbread (veganized) later today. Thanks for your awesome recipes, have a blessed & safe Thanksgiving Day.
That’s what my grandmother did and that is what we do. Thanks so much!
Hi!
Do you ever bake your sweet potatoes instead of boiling them?
We don’t since this is how we make it but you can certainly do that.
MY COUSIN TURNED ME ON TO THAT.. ITS WHOLE NEW BALL GAME !!