This Black folks sweet potato pie recipe will give you all the vibes of those old school pies your grandmama and em used to make. It’s packed with tender sweet potatoes, warm spices and buttermilk that makes it silky smooth. Add that filling to a flaky crust and you won’t want another pie for the holidays.
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This Black folks sweet potato pie recipe is inspired by Patty Pinner’s cookbook, “Sweets: Soul Food Desserts & Memories”.It has similar notes to my big mama’s sweet potato pie as well.
How to Make Black Folks Sweet Potato Pie
Prep the Potatoes
Step 1: Cook the sweet potatoes in a large pot until the potatoes are tender. This will take place 30 to 40 minutes. Then drain, cool, and peel the potatoes.
Step 2: Mash the potatoes in a large bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer.
Make the Filling
Step 3: Add the melted butter, corn syrup, and sugar to the bowl.
Step 4: Beat on medium speed. Then make sure the mixture is smooth and discard the long, stringy fibers that collect around the electric beaters. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after adding it. Add the buttermilk, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat the mixture until the filling is smooth y’all.
Bake it Up
Step 5: Add the filling to the prepared pie crust.
Step 6: Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the pie from the oven and cool it completely on a wire rack.
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Black Folks Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet potatoes
- 1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup dark corn syrup
- 1 1/4- 1/2 cups granulated sugar can go up and down depending on how sweet you like your pie
- 2 large eggs beaten
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ 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 and serve it up.
Notes
How to Store Black Folks Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
Store your pie in the fridge after it’s fully cooled. I recommend placing it in an airtight pie container or wrapping it well.How long will African American sweet potato pie last in the fridge?
It will last in the fridge for up to three days.Can I freeze black folks sweet potato pie from scratch?
Yep boos for sure. Wrap it up well and store it in the freezer for up to three months. Allow the pie to thaw in the fridge overnight when you want to serve it up again.Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Room Temperature Ingredients. The ingredients for the soul food sweet potato pie recipe should all be at room temperature!
- Don’t Overcook the Potatoes. A fork should pierce the potatoes easily but they should not fall apart.)
- Don’t Skip the Garnish. A bit of whipped cream takes it to the next level!
- Give it Time to Cool. This pie sets up as it cools so make sure you give it plenty of time to cool down.
Recipe Help
Yep you can boos! You can make it up to three days in advance and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. It also works to freeze it for up to a month before you are ready to serve.
Both methods work! If you’re boiling, be sure to boil the potatoes with the skin on so they don’t become waterlogged and cause issues with your pie filling. Just fyi, baking slowly does seem to sweeten the flavor of the sweet potato flesh a bit more.
They are both bomb y’all but Black folks overall tend to prefer sweet potato pie as it is a part of African American culture and heritage.
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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.
Yaaaassss to this recipe! I’ve been following your recipes for the past few months and have enjoyed everything I’ve tried. This sweet potato pie recipe along with your flaky pie crust recipe (OMG!) were a success this Thanksgiving. Keep em coming…I’m obsessed! ☺️
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.
I baked my sweet potatoes and it turned out great. I love all of these recipes
MY COUSIN TURNED ME ON TO THAT.. ITS WHOLE NEW BALL GAME !!
Hi Jocelyn,
I am a Delk also by marriage. Originating from Va and NJ. There must be a relation because your sweet potato pie tastes just like my mother-in-law’s. It is absolutely delicious. Thanks for sharing!
I made 2 pies last night as a test for Thanksgiving. I forgot to add the vanilla, but it was still delicious! I didn’t have allspice so I used some ginger and pumpkin pie saice.