Think about how good a baked sweet potato tastes with butter, brown sugar, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Now bake all that flavor into a silky custard pie with warm spices and a flaky pie crust. That’s a sweet potato pie: creamy, cozy, and guaranteed to give pumpkin a run for its money.
And yes, I see y’all typing “Black folks sweet potato pie” into Google the same way you find my 'black folks mac and cheese'. No judgment here, you’re in the right place.
When I was little, my grandma would bake four of them on Thanksgiving just for me when we drove down to her house in Georgia. By the time we headed back home, not a single slice was left. That family recipe is exactly what I'm bringing to the table (and the blog) every Thanksgiving.
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Truly Southern Sweet Potato Pie
My grandma's sweet potato pie is a must-have for the holiday season. If you follow this recipe, I guarantee you'll have perfectly silky, spiced, sweet potato pie every single time using just a few simple ingredients.
First, it's all about roasting those potatoes. It gets rid of excess moisture (so no soupy pie!) and their natural sugars get a caramelized, deeper flavor. We use a potato ricer to strain out the strings in them for a silky texture without any grainy or fibrous filling.
I love the flavor of the roasted sweet potatoes because with the mix of spices, this pie tastes just like candied yams...which are my favorite Thanksgiving side dish. Mix it up with eggs, evaporated milk, spices and vanilla, and we have our pie filling!
Then there's the pie crust. My grandma uses lard with the butter, which gives a seriously amazing crust that's flaky, flavorful, and tender.
Then bake until it jiggles just a little in the middle. It's really that easy honey, and you know I got step by step shots and the full recipe to walk you through it together.
Ingredients Needed
Full ingredients, measurements, and printable instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- All-Purpose Flour.
- Kosher Salt.
- Ice Water - The ice water keeps the pie crust cold while you're working it and making it come together.
- Fresh Sweet Potatoes - I prefer Jewel or Garnet varieties, they're sweet and have a beautiful color. Do not use purple or white sweet potatoes, they're drier and starchier than your classic orange flesh ones.
- Eggs at room temperature - This is a custard pie, it needs eggs to bind together and set. Being room temperature helps the filling bake evenly.
- Ground Ginger, Ground Cinnamon, Ground Nutmeg, Ground Cloves - I also like adding a little black pepper. Don't knock it 'til you try it!
- Evaporated Milk - A must have, cannot use regular milk, cannot use heavy cream. Its reduced water content makes for a richer pie that is sure to set perfectly.
- Vanilla Extract - Gotta use the good vanilla, as Ina Garten would say.
- Light Brown Sugar and Granulated White Sugar to amp up the sweetness
Ingredient Swaps
- No lard? Go for an all butter pie crust, like this one from Sally's Baking Addiction.
- No eggs? Silken tofu is surprisingly a great swap! See how to use silken tofu in custard pie here.
- No evaporated milk? You can make your own by reducing about 2 cups of milk down to the 6 ounces we need.
- Pumpkin pie spice can be used instead of the separate spices.
How to Make Southern Sweet Potato Pie from Scratch
Step 1
Start with the crust.
Blitz flour and salt in a food processor, then pulse in very cold butter and shortening until you see pea-sized bits.
Step 2
Bring the dough together.
Move the mixture to a bowl and drizzle in ice-cold water or vodka, one tablespoon at a time, just until it holds together. The dough should press into a ball without being sticky. Divide into two disks, wrap in plastic, and chill.
Step 3
Bake the sweet potatoes.
Place them on a baking sheet and roast until fork-tender. Run the flesh through a potato ricer (or mash very smooth) into a large bowl.
Step 4
Mix the filling.
Stir in sugar, spices, eggs, melted butter, and evaporated milk until the mixture is silky and combined. Set aside.
Step 5
Roll out the crust.
On a floured surface, roll each disk to about 12 inches wide and ⅛ inch thick. Use one crust to line your pie dish, trimming and patching as needed. Use leaf cutters (or other shapes) to cut decorations from the second crust.
Step 6
Assemble the pie.
Pour the filling into the crust, then top with your cut-out leaves for decoration.
Step 7
Bake until set.
Place in the oven for about 60–75 minutes, until the edges are set and the center has a gentle jiggle. If the crust edges brown too quickly, cover with foil.
Let the pie rest on a wire rack before slicing and cool to set for at least 2-4 hours. Add whipped cream on top for the perfect finish.
Equipment I Used
Chef's Tips for a Flawless Thanksgiving Dessert
- Crust browning too fast? Slip a pie shield or strips of aluminum foil over the edges halfway through baking. That way the filling can finish setting without the crust burning.
- Pie cracked on top? Overbaking is the culprit. It won't affect the taste at all, but if presentation matters, cover the top with whipped cream or go for a bruleed effect like in my bourbon brulee sweet potato pie.
- No potato ricer? Use an electric hand mixer or immersion blender to break apart the stringy potato flesh.
- For clean, smooth pie slices, use a sharp knife and carefully wipe it down with a damp towel or paper towel dipped in hot water. Make sure to cut through the entire crust a couple of times before lifting with a cake lifter, otherwise you'll be missing some pieces.
- Keep that pie crust cold! After rolling out the crust, chill it for a few minutes. Anytime it’s been handled or sat out, pop it back in the fridge; cold butter and lard are the secret to a flaky, crisp crust.
Troubleshooting/FAQs
Absolutely. Sweet potato pie tastes even better the next day after chilling. Bake it up to 2 days ahead, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Why didn’t my sweet potato pie set?
Too much water in the potatoes: boiling water-logs them and makes the filling loose. Roast instead for a thicker, sweeter puree.
Underbaking: as a custard pie, it needs enough time at the right temperature to set. Use an oven thermometer to be sure your oven runs true.
Not enough cooling time: the center should jiggle slightly when it comes out, but it needs 2–4 hours (or overnight) to fully firm up before slicing.
Yes. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze the pie for up to a month. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Canned sweet potatoes are too watery to use without the risk of a runny, mushy pie. Fresh are the way to go!
Store: Let the pie cool, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Since it’s a custard pie, it must stay chilled. Bake ahead, then warm gently in a low oven before serving.
Freeze: You also can freeze your baked pie in a freezer-safe container by wrapping it in many layers of both plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and it'll stay good for 3 months.
To thaw: Leave the pie on the counter to defrost.
One Dessert Is Never Enough for Thanksgiving
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Southern Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
Flaky Butter and Leaf Lard Pie Crust
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, + more for work surface
- 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ½ cup leaf-lard or vegetable shortening, chilled
- ½ cup ice water*
Sweet Potato Pie Filling
- 6 sweet potatoes, medium size (about 3.5 cups mashed)
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup evaporated milk, 6 ounces
- Whipped cream, for serving
Instructions
To Make Pie Crust
- In a large bowl or food processor, whisk together kosher salt and all-purpose flour. Add the eight tablespoons of butter and the leaf-lard or shortening.2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 8 tablespoon unsalted butter, ½ cup leaf-lard or vegetable shortening
- With a pastry cutter or the food processor on 'pulse', cut the fats and flour together until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Most of the fat should be the size of sweet peas or beans, and larger sized bits of fat are encouraged.
- Using a tablespoon measuring spoon, pour one tablespoon of ice water at a time in and stir with a large rubber spatula or spoon. Stir after each addition of water. Stop adding water when the dough begins to clump together.½ cup ice water*
- Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. It should be slightly, slightly tacky and come together easily. Form the dough into a ball, then divide it into two halves. Flatten each half into 1 inch thick discs. Wrap each dough disc tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour (but they can stay in the fridge for up to 3 days).
To Make Sweet Potato Pie Filling
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. (180 degrees C)
- Bake the sweet potatoes for 1 hour in the oven on a baking sheet. When done, let cool slightly. Peel the skin off of the potatoes and rice them, with a potato ricer, into a large bowl. Set aside.6 sweet potatoes
- In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until creamy and homogenous. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and salt to the creamed butter and sugar. Stir in evaporated milk, then pour the mixture into the riced sweet potatoes in the large bowl. Whisk together or stir with rubber baking spatula until well incorporated and creamy.1 stick unsalted butter, 1 cup light brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¾ cup evaporated milk
To Assemble Pie
- Remove one pie crust disk from the fridge, unwrap it, and place it on a work surface. Roll out the disk from the center outward, lifting crust slightly and rotating it 90 degrees after every few rolls. Lift and dust underside with flour every so often to prevent the pie crust from sticking. Roll dough out to be about 11 to 12 inches, and about ⅛" thick.
- Repeat with the other pie crust, then use pie crust cutters to create leaf shapes.
- With your rolling pin, roll the flattened pie crust off the work surface to loosely wrap around the pin and carefully it roll out into the pie dish. Trim the edges to ½ inch beyond the lip of your pie dish, then turn the edge under to create the rim. Press the rim against the pan to form an even edge. Use scraps to fill in any tears, thin spots, or holes in the pie crust.
- Refrigerate the pie crust for 15 minutes to chill the fats again.
- Pour the pie filling into your unbaked pie crust at 350 degrees F. Arrange the pie crust cut outs over the pie filling. Bake the sweet potato pie on the bottom rack of your oven for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the center of pie is still slightly jiggly and the edges are set. Cool for 2 hours, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.Whipped cream
Recipe Notes
Freezing, Storing, and Rewarming Instructions
- Store your southern sweet potato pie by letting it cool to room temperature, then wrapping it up in plastic wrap and keeping in the fridge. It is a custard pie (dairy and eggs) and therefore needs to be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- This pie can be baked a few days ahead of Thanksgiving or any other holiday or special occasion and just warm it up in a low oven.
- You also can freeze your baked pie by wrapping it in many layers of both plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and it'll stay good for 3 months.
- To thaw: Leave the pie on the counter to defrost.
- To warm up: Bake at 200 degrees F until warm, about 15 minutes.
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