When it comes to a straight up authentic Southern sweet potato pie recipe, this is it boos. This one comes straight from my Mississippi big mama Maggie. Sweet potatoes are baked until tender and caramelized then the filling is whipped until smooth with milk, warm spices, and sugar before baking in a butter crust. This is how the South truly makes it. You won’t find none of that imposter Southern mess around these parts.
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Sweet potato pie recipe ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes: Grab the best quality.
- Oil: We rub the potatoes in this so to promote more even uniform baking.
- Salted Butter: If you don’t have salted, grab unsalted and just add a bit more salt to the mixture.
- Granulated Sugar: For sweetness. To add a touch of molasses, use brown sugar instead of granulated.
- Eggs: Make sure they are room temp so the custard sets up.
- Vanilla Extract: Grab authentic and not artificial for better flavor.
- Evaporated Milk: Big mama’s liquid of choice was the PET brand. You can also use heavy cream or half-and-half instead to make the filling creamier.
- All-Purpose Flour: Just use cornstarch as a replacement.
- Spices: Big mama never used cinnamon so you won’t find it in this recipe. She loved her some nutmeg though. That warm spice plus a pinch of salt brings all the flavors together.
- Pie Crusts: We go with homemade here but trust that you can also use store-bought to keep this even easier.
How to make sweet potato pie
Bake the Potatoes
Step 1: Clean your sweet potatoes then stick a fork all over each potato multiple times to allow steam to escape. Rub oil on the surface of each potato then add on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Step 2: Bake for about 50 minutes, flipping the potatoes halfway through. We want them to be nice and tender inside.
Step 3: After 10 minutes while potatoes are still hot, carefully remove the skin from the potatoes.
Mix it Up
Step 4: While potatoes are warm, add peeled potatoes to a stand mixer bowl.
Step 5: Turn the mixer on medium low for about 20 seconds then stop and remove the whisk and rinse the fibrous strings from the whisk. Repeat this two or three times, each time rinsing the strings from the whisk. This helps us get an unbelievably smooth filling!
Step 6: Add butter to warm potatoes and mix on medium until butter has melted and absorbed.
Step 7: Slowly add sugar on medium low and mix until incorporated. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl if you need to.
Step 8: Add eggs one at a time, waiting for each to get cozy in the batter.
Step 9: Slowly add vanilla and evaporated milk. Scrape bottom of the bowl to make sure everything mixes up perfectly.
Step 10: Finally add the flour, nutmeg, and salt and mix it up.
Step 11: Your batter should be silky smooth just like this.
Bake it Up
Step 12: Prep 2 pie crusts by letting them pre-bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes.
Step 13: Pour 3 ¾ cups of batter into each prepared crust (it may seem like the crust is too full but it’s all good).
Step 14: Bake for 10 minutes on 400 F, then reduce oven temp to 325 F and continue baking until the middle of the pie is set (there will be a slight jiggle but this is fine), about 45 minutes. Bring to room temp then chill in the fridge before serving.
Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes 44 ounces total
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil or any neutral oil like canola
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup evaporated milk PET brand was big mama's fave brand
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground nutmeg
- pinch of kosher salt
- 2 pie crusts either homemade pie crust or store-bought
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the rack in the middle position. Prepare sheet pan by lining with parchment paper.
- Scrub, rinse, and dry sweet potatoes. Stick a fork all over each potato multiple times to allow steam to escape.
- Rub oil on the surface of each potato. Place on the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, flipping the potatoes halfway through. Use a toothpick or skewer to check for doneness; the toothpick should slide easily into the potato with no resistance. If not done, bake for a few more minutes.
- Remove potatoes from the oven and let cool slightly on parchment paper, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, line two 9-inch glass pie plates with my homemade pie dough or store-bought dough. Prick with a fork, line with parchment, add pie weights and blind bake for 10-15 minutes in the 400℉ oven. Remove from the oven and cool.
- Carefully remove the skin from the potatoes. You should have 4 cups of mashed potatoes. (You can gently press on them with a fork or whisk and measure them into a large measuring cup.)
- While warm, place the potatoes in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment. Turn the mixer on medium low for about 20 seconds then stop and remove the whisk and rinse the fibrous strings from the whisk. Repeat this two or three times, each time rinsing the strings from the whisk. We want this pie to be unbelievably smooth!
- Add butter to warm potatoes and mix on medium until butter has absorbed, about 1 minute. Slowly add sugar on medium low and mix until incorporated. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
- If you see more strings at this step, remove them. Add the eggs one at a time, waiting for each to incorporate into the batter.
- While the mixer is on low, slowly add vanilla and evaporated milk. Scrape bottom of the bowl to ensure batter is mixed evenly.
- Finally, add the flour, nutmeg, and salt and mix into the batter. Pro tip: If you want to smooth out the filling even more, you can pour it through a strainer so it is super silky before baking.
- Pour 3 ¾ cups of batter into each prepared crust- REMEMBER THIS MAKES TWO PIES (it may seem like the crust is too full but it is fine). Bake for 10 minutes on 400 F, then reduce oven temperature to 325 F and continue baking until the middle of the pie is set (there will be a slight jiggle but this is fine), about 45 minutes. The filling will rise slightly during baking, but not spill over.
- Remove both pies from the oven and let sit until it comes to room temperature, about 30-40 minutes. Then place in the refrigerator until chilled and set, about 3 hours.
- Serve room temperature or slightly warmed.
Video
Notes
How to store & reheat sweet potato pie
It’s best to store your homemade sweet potato pies in the fridge. I like to cover mine with plastic wrap then with foil. When you are ready to serve, just slice and let come to room temp for about 20 minutes or heat in the microwave if you want a warm slice.How long will Southern sweet potato pie last in the fridge?
It should last for about 3-4 days in the fridge.Can I freeze?
Oh for sure boos! In fact, my big mama’s sweet potato pie stores super well in the freezer. Wrap super well in plastic wrap then in foil. It should last in the freezer for up to 2 months.Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Roast Those Potatoes: Some sweet potato pie recipes call for boiling the potatoes but I find that baking them brings out more natural sweetness without making them watery in the process.
- Go Room Temp: Make sure those eggs, butter and milk are room temp so they create a super smooth well-mixed pie filling.
- Keep It Smooth: Getting rid of those annoying strings on your beaters will ensure you end up with the silkiest pie ever y’all.
- Just a Jiggle: It’s all good if your filling still has a little jiggle before you take the pie out. It will continue to set as it rests.
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Serving suggestions
- Dollop it Up: Just a little fresh whipped cream on top.
- Warm with Ice Cream: Whether you go classic with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or add something a bit more fun like cookie butter ice cream or coffee ice cream, it’s a whole mood y’all.
- Drizzle it Up: Add some caramel sauce on top of a slice
- Thanksgiving Pie Buffet: Make sure you have my big mama’s sweet potato pie on the table along with pecan pie, my big mama’s egg pie, chess pie and vinegar pie.
- Southern Sunday Supper: Serve up fried chicken, collard greens, baked mac and cheese and cornbread before this pie.
Recipe Variations and Additions
- Spice it Up: Add a touch of cayenne to the batter to give it a kick.
- Gluten-Free: Besides replacing the flour with cornstarch or a gluten-free all purpose flour, make sure you use a gluten-free crust recipe as well.
- Vegan: Use vegan butter, plant-based milk and flax eggs as replacements in the recipe. You can also replace the butter in the dough with vegan butter.
- Crust Switch Up: Go with a graham cracker crust to add a different texture and sweetness to the mix.
Recipe help
Yep you know it boos. In fact, it will taste better if you make it ahead since it lets all those flavors mingle and blend better the longer it sets. Make up to 2 days ahead of serving. You can just store in the fridge until you are ready to serve it up.
It may be because you didn’t bake it long enough boo. We also add flour in so the filling gets a little extra help setting up too.
You probably didn’t prebake it boo. Adding that extra step ensures against a soggy crust at the end of the day.
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When I put my pies in the oven they started swelling out of the pans. I had to throw everything out. Do you know why this happened? Thank you
Oh no! I am sorry to hear that. Did you use a deep dish, 9-inch pie plate, or an 8-inch? If you use the 8-inch it would probably do that.
This very sweet, if you prefer more spice than sweet reduce the sugar.
I don’t agree that it is really sweet. I think that’s kinda subjective.
I’ve used this recipe at least five times now and have been nothing but pleased, as is my guests. I’m making two more as I write this. Just a refresher. I wil look to you for an update on my greens and fried chicken as I struggle with it. Thank you to you and your grandmother, as she is rockin my kitchen from afar.
I’m so so glad you enjoyed this pie so much! Thank you!!!