This Sweet Potato Pie is mildly sweet and has the slightest spice. It is your simple, homey dessert to serve this Holiday season.
Okay, I am going to confess. I am more of a sweet potato girl than a pumpkin girl. Yes, while the more popular, more loved Pumpkin Pie gets all the limelight this time of the year, my banner is waving high for a simple Sweet Potato Pie.
I don’t hate pumpkin pie, though. I can eat a big slice with a huge heap of whipped cream on top but Sweet Potato Pie? I just love their earthy sweetness that shines above the spice. I can eat it every day.
How to Make Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet Potato Pie is made of a buttery and crisp pie crust and filled with a creamy and silky sweet potato pie filling. It is a delicious dessert to finish off your hearty, holiday meal.
The Pie Crust
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add the cubes of butter to the bowl and use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture, until it looks like a coarse meal (*as shown in the left photo below).
- Add the cider vinegar and water into the bowl and stir them in until the powders are moistened. The mixture should stick together when you press them with your fingers.
- Turn the dough over onto a lightly floured board and pat and shape the dough together in one piece to form a disc. Wrap this in plastic and chill it in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- After chilling, let the dough rest at room temperature for 5-8 minutes. The goal is for the dough to be not too hard or chilled for rolling yet not warm to the touch.
- On a lightly floured board, use a rolling pin to roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness.
- To place the dough on the pie pan, gently wrap it around the rolling pin, lift it and lower it in the pie pan, easing it into the corners with your fingers. (I have shown how to do this in my Bakewell Tart post.)
- Cut the excess dough hanging on the edges of the pie plate, but leave about half an inch overhang. Make designs on the edges of the crust by crimpling the dough with your fingers. Refrigerate the crust while making the filling.
The Sweet Potato Pie Filling
- Peel 2 medium sweet potatoes (should be about 1 lb together) and cut them into little cubes. Cover them with water in a medium pot. Bring the water to a boil and cook until the sweet potatoes are very soft. Drain them.
- Preheat oven to 375 F. In the same pot combine the cooked sweet potatoes, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, butter and half of the whipping cream.
- Cook them together over low heat. While it is cooking, use a masher to mash the sweet potatoes together with the rest of the ingredients to incorporate them fully.
- Simmer for 5 minutes or so, until the mixture is smooth. Use an immersion blender to smoothen the mixture more. When it is smooth, turn off heat. Let the mixture stand until it is warm.
- In another bowl, whisk together remaining cream, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Stir this mixture to the sweet potato mixture until the color is uniform all throughout.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust. Bake at 375 F for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 325 F. Bake for 45-50 minutes more. Let the pie cool completely before slicing.
You will know if it is done when the sides are set and the center has a slight jiggle.
This pie slices beautifully, it is creamy and just perfectly sweet. It is how I want my pie to be. You can serve this with a dollop of whipped cream on top but it is totally fine without it too.
And there you have it. Your delicious pie for this Holidays, and who knows? You might make the team pumpkin pie swoon!
Are you looking for more pies and tarts? Check these out:
- Bakewell Tart
- Cheese Tart
- Milk Tart
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Easy Egg Pie
- Apple Tart
- Caramelized Apple Tarts
Love sweet potatoes? Try Sweet Potato Scones with Honey Glaze
Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
For the Pie Crust
- 1/2 cup (or 1 stick) unsalted butter chilled and cut into small pieces
- 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp baking powder
- 4 and 1/2 tbsp ice water
- 1 and 1/2 tsp cider vinegar
Sweet Potato Filling
- 2 cups mashed sweet potato from 1 lb sweet potato (2 medium pieces)
- 3/4 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 and 1/4 cup whipping cream divided
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Pie Crust
- In a large mixing bowl, combine and whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Add the bits of butter and use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture, until it turns into a coarse meal.
- Add the ice water and the cider vinegar. Stir it into the mixture until everything is moistened. The dough should stick together when pressed with your fingers. Turn the dough over on a lightly floured board. Pat and shape the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.
- After chilling, take the dough out and let it rest at room temperature for about 5-8 minutes, until it is not too chilled for rolling yet not warm to the touch.
- On a lightly floured board, use a rolling pin and roll the dough into 1/4 inch thickness. Lift the dough by wrapping it around the rolling pin. Lower and place the dough into a 9 -inch pie pan. Ease the dough into the sides and corners of the pan. Cut off any excess dough hanging with scissors but leave about half an inch overhang. Pinch the edges of the dough with your fingers to create some crumpled design on the pie shell. Chill the shell in the fridge while you make the filling.
Make the Sweet Potato Filling
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes, about 2-3 inches. Cover them with water in a medium pot and boil them until they are very soft. Drain.
- Preheat oven to 375 F. In the same pot, combine cooked sweet potatoes, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon salt, butter and half of the whipping cream. Cook the mixture over low heat. While it is cooking, use a masher and mash the mixture to fully incorporate the ingredients together. Simmer until the mixture is smooth, stirring and mashing as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Use an immersion blender to smoothen the mixture more at this point. Turn off heat. Let stand in room temperature until it is just warm.
- In another bowl, whisk together remaining whipping cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Stir this mixture to the sweet potato mixture until the color is the same all throughout. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust.
- Bake at 375 F for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 325 F and bake for 45-50 minutes more. The sides should be set and there is a slight jiggle in the center of the pie.
Notes
Nutrition
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I was really hoping this worked out but sadly it didn’t. I’m disappointed at the pie. It wasn’t sweet enough, bland and the dough was still raw at the bottom. I followed the recipe. Bummer! I made this for my husband on Father’s Day cause he loves sweet potato pie. I love your ube cheesecake recipe.
I would like to make it! It looks delicious. But, my question, is the crust recipe for a 9” deep dish pie shell or a 9”/regular pie shell? Thank you so much!
Hi Cora! Its a regular pie shell. I hope you enjoy it!