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A Christmas story – Pumpkin Pie and Sweet Potato Casserole fall in love and have a baby. Enter: Sweet Potato Pie! Using similar ingredients and flavor profiles as both of these classic desserts, sweet potato pie is creamier and more decadent, making this the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas table.
Deliciously Nostalgic Homemade Sweet Potato Pie
Growing up, did you always have Pumpkin Pie at Thanksgiving? Me too. While I really do love my simple (and fail-proof) Pumpkin Pie recipe, my heart is forever with this Sweet Potato Pie. Like I mentioned above, the flavor profiles are similar, but there is a decadence found in this pie that cannot be recreated with pumpkin. There is sweetness from the sweet potato, creaminess from the evaporated milk, warmth from the spices and buttery goodness from the melted butter.
You are in for a treat with this tasty recipe.
Pumpkin vs. Sweet Potato Pie
The main difference between my pumpkin pie and Sweet Potato Pie is one used pureed pumpkin and the other baked sweet potatoes (or yams). Okay, that’s too easy to spot the difference. There’s also a difference in texture with the Sweet Potato Pie being denser and richer. It is also sweeter than pumpkin pie because I sweetened it with brown sugar and granulated sugar!
Now let’s look at the rest of the ingredients to make this delicious pie.
Or if you aren’t a sweet potato person, here are some other pie recipes perfect for Thanksgiving: Homemade Pumpkin Pie Recipe, Classic Pecan Pie, Buttery Apple Pie Recipe, and Cranberry Fluff Pie.
Best Sweet Potato Pie Ingredients
Don’t be intimidated by how big this ingredient list is because this recipe is actually super easy. Okay, ready?
- Pie Crust – to make this recipe even easier use pre-made frozen pie crust. Or if you want to make everything from scratch I have an Easy Pie Crust Recipe or this All-Butter Pie Crust.
- Sweet Potato – or yams! These are baked until soft then mixed with other ingredients.
- Butter – this helps bring in that creamy texture and stabilize the pie with some nice fats.
- Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar – to sweeten up this pie for dessert! Using both types of sugar gives more depth of flavor.
- Evaporated Milk – more creaminess and more sweetness.
- Vanilla – a nice compliment to all of the other flavors.
- Eggs – these help with structure.
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, and Ginger – hello spices and hello flavor!
- Salt – one last ingredient that helps with intensifying and balancing all the other flavors.
How to make a Sweet Potato Pie
- Peel cooked sweet potato and place into the bottom of a large bowl. Should be about 2 cups. Mash or stir until very smooth. Cream in butter and sugars.
- Stir in the evaporated milk, vanilla, eggs spices, and salt. Scrape the sides of the bowl and stir again until the mixture is completely smooth and uniform. Pour into prepared pie shell and bake at 375 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until set.
- Cool completely before serving. Serve with whipped cream and cinnamon, if desired.
The Best Sweet Potato Pie Recipe Tips
- You know the pie is done when the center is slightly jiggly.
- Make sure your pie crust doesn’t burn by lining the edges with aluminum foil when you see it getting too browned.
- Feel free to use a store-bought pie crust instead of homemade. No judging here for shortcuts!
Making this recipe for Sweet Potato Pie in advance
If you are making this recipe ahead of time cool your pie completely, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. This pie should last in the fridge for 2 to 4 days so plan accordingly!
How to Tell When Sweet Potato Pie is done
Sweet Potato Pie is done when the edges are firm but the center is slightly jiggly. A little jiggle is okay in this case because as it cools, the pie will bake the rest of the way. And this way, there will be no cracks! But if you lose track of time and let this pie bake a little longer and it does crack, just cover it with whipped cream. Go ahead, I won’t tell!
Serving the Best Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
So the go-to topping for sweet potato pie is whipped cream. You can use it from a can, or from a cool whip container or even by making it yourself! To make Homemade Whipped Cream follow this link for this amazing how-to!
Now for more adventurous topping ideas see below:
- Flavored Whipped Cream – you can flavor your whipped cream with something else besides vanilla extract. Try maple syrup or even rum extract!
- Nuts – nuts are the perfect compliment to this creamy pie by giving that crunch factor. My favorites to go with sweet potatoes are walnut and pecans.
- Powdering – an easy and pretty finish to this pie could even being sprinkling a mixture of powdered sugar and the spices that went into the pie on top of the pie. This would tie everything together and make it look so so put together.
Sweet Potato Pie Recipe storage
Can you freeze Sweet Potato Pie?
Yes, you absolutely can freeze this sweet potato pie recipe! It is important to note that this sweet potato pie recipe is supposed to be frozen before baking, this is because it will become soggy if you freeze it after it’s baked. It will still taste good but the crust texture will be off.
To freeze, prepare your pie and stop before baking. Wrap your pie completely in plastic wrap about three times over. Then place in a resealable bag and freeze. This pie can be frozen for up to 3 months!
To bake, thaw your pie slowly in the fridge and then pop that baby in the oven to bake!
How Long Does Sweet Potato Pie Last?
If by some chance you do have leftover Sweet Potato Pie, It can last in the fridge for up to 5 days and can be frozen for up to 3 months.
More Sweet Potato Recipes You’ll Love!
- Twice Baked Sweet Potato Recipe with Walnut Streusel
- Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting
- Sweet Potato Cookies with Homemade Streusel
- Sweet Potato Rolls
- Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Make sure to save this recipe by pinning, printing or bookmarking this page. And have a Happy Thanksgiving!
The Best Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 frozen pie crust
- 2 pounds sweet potato (or yams), baked until very soft
- 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Peel cooked sweet potato and place into the bottom of a large bowl. Should be about 2 cups. Mash or stir until very smooth. Cream in butter and sugars.
- Stir in the evaporated milk, vanilla, eggs spices, and salt. Scrape the sides of the bowl and stir again until the mixture is completely smooth and uniform. Pour into prepared pie shell and bake at 375 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until set.
- Cool completely before serving. If making in advance, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Serve with whipped cream and cinnamon, if desired.
I’d to don’t have evaporated milk. Can you use whole milk?
I’m not sure either and I’m using half and half and I’ve doubled the recipe. I messed up this entire recipe due to my fault. I didn’t bring my butter to room temperature but I did somewhat soften it in the microwave and it still has tiny butter lumps but I don’t care! She has good recipes 🙂 I’ll try to report back with the results.