Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
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This Southern Sweet Potato Pie is an heirloom recipe loved for generations! A delicious Southern favorite made with simple ingredients and perfect for Thanksgiving!
Sweet Potato Pie has been a well-loved dessert here in the South for generations and is gaining popularity in other regions now, too. I think it’s wonderful that many more people are trying – and loving – this classic southern pie! Like Sweet Potato Casserole, it is a definite family favorite!
Southern Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet Potato Pie is a delicious southern classic and one of my favorite pie recipes! It’s simple, creamy and delicious and is absolutely perfect in the fall – or anytime! This pie recipe is a family recipe passed down from my great grandmother. It’s a favorite at family suppers during the fall and has always been a part of my family’s Thanksgiving dessert table!
What Makes Sweet Potato Pie a Favorite Pie Recipe?
Easy to Make Ahead: Time is precious during the holidays or before big family meals and this is easy to make ahead of time!
Made with a Few Simple Ingredients: There are only a few simple ingredients in the filling for this pie. Chances are, if you have sweet potatoes on hand, then you probably already have the other ingredients for the filling in your pantry, too!
Mild, Simple Flavors: There are no spices added to this pie. The flavor comes from the creamy sweet potatoes and the buttery, flaky pie crust. My recipe is like many other traditional, old fashioned southern sweet potato pies in this way. Other recipes may use various spices, making them very similar to pumpkin pie. While I make and love pumpkin pie too, I don’t use those same spices in this pie. If you prefer, you can absolutely add ground cinnamon, ginger, and/ or ground nutmeg or even a teaspoon of my pumpkin pie spice to this recipe.
Baked Sweet Potatoes Make the Best Pie
First things first. You will want to bake sweet potatoes for the pie. Baked sweet potatoes provide a creamier texture and a deeper flavor and richness to the pie that boiled sweet potatoes just does not provide in my opinion.
How to Make the Best Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet Potato Pie Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes – I like to use medium sweet potatoes.
- Butter – Softened butter will mix more easily into the baked sweet potatoes when making this pie.
- Sugar – My family has traditionally used granulated sugar for this pie. If you are looking for a brown sugar version, I’ve included how to make it later in this article and in the recipe notes.
- Vanilla extract – The vanilla extract enhances the flavor of the pie. I do recommend using pure vanilla extract rather than imitation vanilla flavoring as I believe you can taste the difference in the baked pie.
- Eggs – You’ll need 2 large eggs for this pie recipe. I also like to have them at room temperature to mix into the pie filling more easily.
- Milk – Use your preference of whole milk, heavy cream, or evaporated milk in this recipe. You will not want to use a lower fat content milk.
- Unbaked Pie Crust – There is NO need to pre-bake these pie crusts. While I hope you try my homemade pie crust recipe, you can also use your favorite 9-inch pie crusts from the store if you wish.
Step by Step Instructions
This pie is so simple to make! Here’s how I make it:
Bake Sweet Potatoes. Once baked and slightly cooled, peel the skins off of the sweet potatoes and place them into a large mixing bowl.
Make the Sweet Potato Pie Filling. Heat oven to 350º F. Mash the peeled sweet potatoes with the softened butter. Add the sugar(s) and the vanilla extract and mix until well combined and pour in the milk and eggs. Mix until the mixture is well combined. I use a simple potato masher, but you can also use an electric mixer if you prefer.
Bake the Pie. Pour the pie filling mixture into unbaked pie crust. Bake until the center of the pie is just set and does not jiggle in the center when moved, about 60 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
Serve. Serve slightly warm or allow to cool to room temperature and store in the refrigerator to serve later.
How to Serve
This pie is delicious served perfectly plain, but I also love to serve this pie with a few toppings:
- Homemade Whipped Cream
- Toasted Marshmallow Fluff
- Homemade Ice Cream
- Salted Caramel Sauce
Can You Make Sweet Potato Pie Ahead of Time?
Yes! You cake easily make your pie ahead of time. I think besides it tasting fabulous, this is another reason it is such a favorite pie recipe!
How to Store Sweet Potato Pie
Once baked, allow the pie to cool completely. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Can You Freeze Sweet Potato Pie?
Yes! It freezes beautifully!
Allow the pie to cool completely and then store the pie in a freezer-safe container covered well with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw the frozen pie in the refrigerator overnight. Then, slice and serve as normal.
Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Pie
To make this pie a brown sugar sweet potato pie, you simply have to modify the sugar used. Rather than 1 cup of granulated sugar, use instead:
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
Follow the rest of the recipe as given.
More Favorite Fall Pie Recipes
Here’s the recipe for my family’s Sweet Potato Pie. I hope you love it as much as we do.
Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 medium (342 g) sweet potatoes, baked
- 1/2 cup (113 g) butter
- 1 cup (198 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons (9 g) vanilla extract
- 2 large (100 g) eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup (114 g) milk, whole or evaporated
- 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust
Optional Toppings
- whipped cream
- marshmallow fluff
Instructions
- Bake the sweet potatoes. Preheat the oven to 400º F. Scrub the sweet potatoes until clean, prick them 4 to 5 times with a fork. Place onto a baking sheet and bake for 45 – 50 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender when pricked with a toothpick. Remove from the oven and allow to cool until they can easily be handled. Peel the skin from the sweet potatoes and place the sweet potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Reduce the oven heat to 350º F.3 medium sweet potatoes, baked
- Make the Pie Filling. Add butter to the sweet potatoes and mash until smooth. Add the sugar(s) to the sweet potatoes and mix until well combined. Add the vanilla extract, milk, and the eggs. Mix until well combined. Pour into the unbaked pie crust.1/2 cup butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust
- Bake the Pie. Bake the pie until the center of the pie is set, about 1 hour. Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
- Serve. Serve the pie warm or allow to cool before slicing. Top with whipped cream (or your favorite topping) and serve.whipped cream
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn
thank you so much I will try this recipe my first time doing sweetie potato pie
I hope you enjoy the pie, Sylvia.
this is the same my family has used for years. I usually don’t add the the eggs until I know it is sweet as I want. Sweet potatoes can vary in sweetness. When it is to my taste, then I add the eggs. Also, instead of regular milk we use evaporated milk undiluted. So now my secret is out. lol
How many sweet potatoes did you
use for 2 eggs
Dorothy, I used 3 medium sweet potatoes, baked, for this recipe. I hope you enjoy.
Thanks for the recipe. I lost my copy. Blessed
Hope you enjoy, Sylvia.
If I’m baking 2 pies at once, does that change the oven temp or bake time?
Ghana, it may take 5 or 10 minutes longer to bake. Don’t increase the oven temperature. Be sure your pies aren’t touching to allow even heat flow around the pies. One may bake faster than the other, so check each one for doneness. I hope this helps.
Before this pie even comes out of the oven, i want to thank you for your recipes little touches that help immensely. #1 putting the ingredient amounts with the mixing instructions, brilliant. #2 having an option to avoid screen going dark while my hands are busy, brilliant. I’m sure there is more for me to discover. Your forethinking is enough for me to look at more of your recipes! Thanks!, Bill the cook who loves to bake….
Thanks so much, Bill. I, too, love that you can keep the recipe open without screen going dark while you are cooking. I’m so glad you let me know you like this feature. I hope you find many recipes on here that you love.
I made this recipe today trying to replicate one from my childhood. The pie turned out well. Next time I will cut back vanilla to one teaspoon however.
Hey Robyn, what topping is in the picture is it fluff?? If so can I ask what you did with it?? I’m in the UK so sweet potato pie isn’t really a thing so I’m desperate to try it also fluff isn’t really that easy to get either….so this is quite a gastro adventure I can’t wait for.
Sam, I did add marshmallow fluff to one of the pies in the photos. Once the pie has baked, top the pie with the marshmallow fluff then place in the oven on Broil. Watch the pie closely and remove from the oven once the topping has turned a light brown color. Hope this helps
Which is sweeter white sugar or brown?
Bobby, white sugar or granulated sugar is sweeter than brown sugar.
how many pies does 3 baked potatoes make? do you thaw out the crust before you bake the pie in it
Janet, this recipe with the 3 baked potatoes makes one pie. You don’t need to thaw the pie crust. In fact, the crust will be flakier if it is not thawed before adding the sweet potato mixture and bake.
If I wanted to do the brown sugar version I would just swap the granulated sugar for brown sugar , correct?
Kayla, you would substitute the granulated sugar with 3/4 cup brown sugar (light or dark). I hope you enjoy!
Best sweet potato pie I’ve ever made. I did add a few little things – a few dashes of cinnamon, a couple of nutmeg, and a little bit of ginger. It was great, thank you very much!
I am so glad that this pie has no spices it is like my mom made. I wanted to know about how many cups of sweet potatoes. I didn’t want to mess this up and is this deep pie crust or regular pie crust. I love sweet potato pie. Thank you
Donna, the 3 medium baked potatoes would equal about 2 cups of mashed potatoes. The crust recipe is for a regular pie crust. I hope you enjoy!
Does the whipping cream or marshmallow fluff work better with this pie? Getting ready to make it and undecided what would work best. Thanks
Lori, it is just a matter of taste. I like each one of them with the sweet potato pie so can’t tell you which I like better.
Hi Robyn,I just made this sweet potato pie with a little bit of twist since I get hurtburns on sugar I used condensed milk and just a tsp .of vanilla extract,no cinnamon.It was so delicious,thank you .By the way I used frozen butter not softened,milk instead of water on my pie crust,lol
love this recipe, so simple yet so delicious
💖💯
Thanks, Clarissa. I’m so glad you love this sweet potato pie recipe.