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Classic Sweet Potato Pie

Stacey Littleby Updated: Nov 15, 2024

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Classic Sweet Potato Pie is a sweet and savory dessert and the perfect comfort food. This recipe features simple ingredients and loads of flavor!

Sliced Sweet Potato Pie

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Sometimes the old school recipes with simple classic flavors are the best. And that’s exactly what this Sweet Potato Pie is… simple, classic, comforting, and flavorful. This fall favorite is made with roasted sweet potatoes, butter, evaporated milk (the secret ingredient), brown sugar, and a blend of warm fall spices. It tastes pretty close to pumpkin pie, but with a bit of a milder flavor that I much prefer. 

Sliced Sweet Potato Pie on a plate.

Sweet potato pie is a favorite southern dessert served any time of year but mostly during the crisp, fall months and holiday gatherings. This dessert pie features a filling of mashed sweet potatoes, sugar, milk or cream, eggs, and spices, like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Then it is poured into a pastry or graham cracker crust and baked in the oven. 

As compared to pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie is sweeter in flavor than the pumpkin pie. It is also typically lighter in density and more of a custard-like consistency than pumpkin pie.

Why roasting is supreme…

Roasting sweet potatoes for your pie is like upgrading your recipe to first class—it makes a huge difference! Here’s why roasting reigns supreme:

  1. Concentrated Flavor: Roasting draws out the natural sweetness of the potatoes by caramelizing the sugars. This gives your pie a richer, deeper flavor that boiling or steaming just can’t match.
  2. Perfect Texture: Roasted sweet potatoes are smooth and creamy, which translates to a silkier pie filling. Boiling, on the other hand, can leave your potatoes waterlogged, diluting the flavor and making the texture a bit grainy.
  3. Less Moisture: Roasting helps reduce excess water, so your filling sets beautifully. Too much moisture from other cooking methods can lead to a runny pie that just doesn’t hold up.
  4. Enhanced Aroma: As the potatoes roast, they release a warm, nutty aroma that adds a subtle, roasted complexity to your pie.

Sure, it might take a little longer, but trust me—it’s worth it. Once you try roasted sweet potatoes in your pie, you’ll never go back!

Sliced Sweet Potato Pie

Why should you use evaporated milk?

For me, using evaporated milk in this is a must. Some folks refer to it as Carnation milk or canned milk. Now, this is not the same thing as sweetened condensed milk – which my grandmother still calls “Eagle Brand Milk.”

While they both are concentrated milks, sweetened condensed milk is sweetened – just as the name implies. Evaporated milk, on the other hand, is concentrated but no extra sugar is added. It is also denser and creamier than regular milk, and it has a slightly caramelized flavor because of the high heat at which it is cooked. 

Evaporated milk makes this pie super rich and creamy. That said, if you can’t get your hands on a can of evaporated milk, heavy cream will work as a substitute. 

Slice of Sweet Potato Pie with whipped cream
Slice of Sweet Potato Pie with whipped cream

Ingredient FAQs

Sweet Potatoes – Now, my recipe calls for you to roast the sweet potatoes to get them cooked before they go into the pie filling. Many recipes, though, call for you to boil them. Either way will work just fine. I just think I prefer the flavor of them better when they’ve been roasted. 

Light brown sugar – Pack it down y’all! No skimping on the sugar!

Eggs – Let your eggs sit out to warm to room temperature before you begin your mixture. This allows the eggs to more easily mix in with the other ingredients.

Butter – I recommend unsalted butter, but if all you have is salted butter… don’t let that get in the way of you and this delicious dessert!

Evaporated milk – I know it sounds like an odd choice, but trust me on this one. And, if you want my reasoning behind using evaporated milk, check out the section above.

Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt – You can use whatever brand you have on-hand or can easily find in the baking and spice aisle of your local grocery store.

Vanilla extract – Any brand will do. Just make sure you have at least 1 teaspoon.

Pie crust – I suggest a 9-inch unbaked deep dish pie crust.

Whipped topping – Some may decline it, but I’m definitely not some. If a dollop of Cool Whip on the top of my sweet potato pie is wrong, I don’t want to be right. Or even better… marshmallow cream! Hit the top with a blow torch to get it all toasty… Wooo, doggie, that’s some good stuff right there! Y’all enjoy!

The Science of Deliciousness

When it comes to nailing the perfect sweet potato pie, the magic number is 195°F. While the top may look set and have a beautiful golden color, using a kitchen thermometer to check the internal temperature is the best way to ensure it’s fully cooked. Temp the pie in the center, and once it hits 195°F, you’ll know the filling is firm and creamy without being overbaked. This little step guarantees the ideal texture every time—because no one wants a pie that’s underdone or dry!

If you tried this Classic Sweet Potato Pie recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments below.

Slice of Sweet Potato Pie with whipped cream.
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5 from 33 votes

Recipe Card

Classic Sweet Potato Pie

Author Stacey Little
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 398kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 (9-inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425° and line a rimmed baking sheet it aluminum foil. Wash the sweet potatoes and prick them a few times with a fork. Place them on the baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool enough to handle. Peel the potatoes when cool.
  • Using a mixer, mash the potatoes until smooth. Add the sugar, eggs, and melted butter and mix to combine. Add the evaporated milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and vanilla and mix until combined and smooth.
  • Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Place the unbaked pie crust on a foil lined, rimmed baking sheet. Pour the pie filling into the crust and bake in the center of the oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the pie is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Allow the pie to cool. It may sink some as it cools. Refrigerate if desired. Serve topped with whipped cream or toasted marshmallow cream, if desired.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 328mg | Potassium: 326mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 8509IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 1mg


* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.

Slice of Sweet Potato Pie with whipped cream.
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Stacey Little of Southern Bite

Hey, y’all! I’m Stacey…

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5 from 33 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  2. Jimmie

    This is a delicious pie. This is the recipe I use every time I make a sweet potato pie. It’s delicious! I highly recommend it!

    Reply

  4. Sandy Eggan

    5 stars
    Great recipe! Everyone at potluck loved it. I added chopped pecans to top of pie after it was baked, may try adding them into pie filling next time.

    Reply

  7. Vicki D.

    Can I roast the sweet potatoes ahead of time? Then can the pie be made the day before with the pre-roasted sweet potatoes? (I’d bring them to room temperature ahead of time)

    Reply

  9. Barbara H

    5 stars
    I used this recipe to make my very first sweet potato pie. The directions are clear. I used dark brown sugar because I didn’t have light brown sugar on hand. The pie turned out to be incredibly delicious. We may not go back to pumpkin. I’m making my second pie. For people who don’t have a scale but lots of potatoes, 1 pound yields sabout 2 cups mashed.

    Reply

    • Stacey LittleStacey

      I’m so thrilled to hear your first sweet potato pie was a success—what an honor to be part of that! Dark brown sugar sounds like a fantastic twist for extra richness. And thank you for sharing that helpful tip about the potatoes—it’s sure to come in handy for other readers. I love that this pie might take over pumpkin in your house!

      Reply

  11. Jody

    5 stars
    I used puree and i cant believe this came out! Im a displaced southerner feeling right at home in the NW. Thank you Stacey!!

    Reply

    • Stacey LittleStacey

      Using purée? That’s awesome—I love a little kitchen creativity! I’m so glad the recipe brought a taste of home to you up in the NW. Sending you some Southern vibes, and thank you for sharing your sweet comment!

      Reply

  12. Pam

    Greetings Stacey
    I am in need of some help. I have Canned Organic Sweet Potato Puree. Can You tell me how much Canned I can use to substitute the 1lb of Sweet Potatoes? I would greatly appreciate your help. Thank You Much!

    Reply

  14. Natacha

    Hi there, I am baking it right now and the consistency seems watery. Is that right? Also how many cups is 5oz can. The can I have is 12oz, so I used 1/2cup plus 1/8cup. Is that correct?

    Reply

  16. Brenda

    5 stars
    I have made many sweet potato pies over the years. This is my favorite. The only ingredient I changed was instead of ginger, I used 1/8 teaspoon of cloves. Everyone loved it.

    Reply

  17. Ken Brewer

    5 stars
    We love sweet potato pie and casseroles. Have used several recipes but this is the favorite.
    Made three. Two for reunion and one to keep home. All recipes from Stacy I have used have been excellent. Get many through ALFA magazine.

    Reply

  19. Marci

    5 stars
    This pie recipe is good!!! 40 yrs ago I tried a swt. pot. pie at a festival, it was OK, but it wasn’t anything special. This was so incredibly rich and buttery. I didn’t have a 5 oz can of evap. milk, so I added 5 fl.oz of half & half and a rounded 1/3 cup of dry skim milk, omitted the salt & baked it in a buttered 9″ square pan. (I have to strictly limit sodium.) I never understood why some people preferred sweet potato pie to pumpkin pie. Now it makes sense.

    Reply

  20. Elaine Splett

    I made this pie last night. It was delicious. The only thing I did differently was I used 3/4 of a cup of brown sugar and no nutmeg. I will make this again.
    Thanks for the fantastic recipie.

    Reply

  22. Tomas Cartier

    5 stars
    Whats “giner”? Had to make a second batch because it calls for one can of evaporated milk. Well its a a small can of 5oz not a 12 ounce. I also added less sugar. 3/4 cup of sugar made my brain seem happy and mouth water.

    Reply

    • Stacey LittleStacey

      Thanks for catching the spelling error, Tomas. I try really hard, but can’t be perfect all the time. In reference to the evaporated milk, the recipe does call for a 5-ounce can. Glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply

  23. Mrs. Jones

    5 stars
    Excellent sweet potato pie recipe! I made two for thanksgiving and both were gobbled up! My husband loved it. Said it reminded him of his fathers sweet potato pie. I plan on making more very soon. Thank you!

    Reply

  25. Angie

    5 stars
    This pie is SO GOOD. Almost too sweet but so much flavor. I put everything in a blender to get it smooth and poured it right into a gluten free crust, so easy. Also a good tip is to blend it all up except for the eggs, taste for spices, then add them in. Thank you!!

    Reply

  26. Doris

    5 stars
    This is a wonderful recipe Stacey and you are right … roasting the sweets give them a depth of flavor much better than boiling…. as Mama said , to each his own but we know better.. right? LOL.

    Reply

  27. Lisa

    I accidentally baked my frozen pie crust for 10 min. Can I still bake it with the filling in it for the same amount of time?

    Reply

  29. Linda Suit Studdard

    Stacey,
    Sweet potato pie was a standard in my family, especially for holidays! My grandmother always added about 1/4-1/2 tsp almond flavoring in addition to the vanilla.

    Reply

  30. Edna Turner

    I love this recipe. But I prefer to peel and boil the potatoes. Roasting in the oven is messy because they tend to drip. I use a lot of sweet potatoes because I make more than one pie at a time

    Reply

  33. Susan

    5 stars
    Wonderful recipe. I made it with a gluten free pie crust and it was perfect! Definitely a keeper.
    Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

  35. Katherine A Dietz

    Stacey,
    Could you or any of your cooking friends provide me with high altitude adjustments for your pie? I used to have a recipe for Denver that used Vanilla Butter Nut extract but I lost it and it was much like your recipe. I live at 6200 feet in Morrison, Colorado. Thanks for the help.
    Katherine

    Reply

  36. Brenda

    This is pretty much my recipe except I add a little honey, extra butter and a little of either orange juice or lemon juice. I prefer lemon. I also mix my sugars. Half light and half dark. I don’t really know why the honey, juices or dark sugar. But that’s how I was taught to do it and it’s delicious! The dark sugar does give it a nice color and richer flavor and the juice adds a freshness. The honey and extra butter gives it a nice shiny top and makes it taste richer. I learned long ago that’s it’s better and easier to roast the potatoes! Happy Thanksgiving!🦃

    Reply

  38. Renee Spencer

    Absolutely, the first sweet potato pie recipe that resembles my grandma’s. I was beginning to think my grandma was the only one who could make the best pie ever. She never wrote anything down I just called her and went by taste. And, now I’m the only person in our family who can replicate her strawberry cake.

    Reply

  39. Anne

    That is not a deep dish pie crust in the picture. I’m confused! Deep or not. Sounds good and want to try as a surprise for a relative who remembers it fondly as a favorite in her household. Thanks. Anne.
    dunvegan21@gmail.com

    Reply

    • Stacey LittleStacey

      I’m not 100% sure I understand the question. You can certainly double it, but you’d want to make two pies. If you just double the filling, it will create too much filling for the one crust.

      Reply

  41. KC

    5 stars
    I made this pie last night with a few adjustments. I live at 4800 ft. Altitude adjustments are not uncommon for me. I added a TBS of flour to help thicken up the pie. I also separated the egg whites and beat them till they formed soft peaks. I added the yolks to the whites. I folded the eggs into the sweet potato mixture last. The pie was wonderful. Light, set by 58 minutes of baking and the best I have ever eaten. No more store bought pie for me.

    Reply

  42. Brenda

    5 stars
    I made this recipe and yes, 425 degrees for 55 minutes was perfect in my oven. And I must say this is the best sweet potato pie I have ever had!! Thank you Stacey for this wonderful recipe.

    I do have a tip though, my new container of nutmeg clumped a little because I added my spices after adding the milk and it did not incorporate as well as it should’ve if I had added them at the proper time. And I will also blend my spices together before adding them to the filling, I think it would help to keep any of them from clumping.

    Reply

    • Paula J. Rowell

      Hello Brenda, just a tip for you. Use fresh nutmeg not nutmeg from the container. As soon as you open that container the nutmeg will begin to lose flavor. Buy a jar of nutmeg nuts, get a small grater and grate them. You won’t regret it. And be careful not to use a lot of fresh nutmeg, it’s a stronger spice but oh so worth it for the flavor.

      Reply

    • June

      Brenda you bake the sweet potatoes in the oven at 425 degrees and when the potatoes are done you reduce your oven temp. to 350 degrees to bake the sweet potato pie.

      Reply

  44. BobbieJean Brewer

    Hello Stacey I Will Be Trying This Sweet potatoes Pie And The Pineapple Juice Cake I Will Let You Know If The Family Keep Me Or Say Bye Bye????

    Reply

  45. Carolyn Lewis

    Hi Stacey,
    This recipe sounds like something I am craving tonight. I think sweet potato is my favorite pie! Could you guesstimate how many cups of cooked sweet potato would make this recipe. I already roasted my potatoes today and wonder if I could use a pound of the cooked or would it be a pound of potatoes before cooked? Thanks for any help. The potatoes are so good plain that they will for sure make a great pie!
    Thanks for all these wonderful recipes!!!
    Carolyn

    Reply

  46. Linda Copeland

    5 stars
    Hi Stacey! Can ya; see me wavin’ at ya’ from GA? LOL Could you please tell me if you used salted or unsalted butter in this? Your recipe is very much like mine, and I use the salted kind, only diff is the 3 spices. I’m going to be really adventurous and add them thar’ spices next time and I know it will be tummy- yummy. Never occurred to me to use them except in pumpkin pie (now ain’t I in a rut?). When cooking for my parents I always stuck to Mom’s old fashioned recipe I’d always made. They loved the plain sweet potato flavor that came through and I did too, but it’s time for a change. Thanks SO much for sharing another of your great recipes.
    Hugs & Blessings to all,
    Linda

    Reply

    • Stacey LittleStacey

      Hey over there!! I use unsalted, but either will work. When I have a recipe where it makes a big difference, I try to specify. If it’s not super important, I usually just say “butter.” Hope you’ll enjoy it and hugs to y’all, too!

      Reply

  47. DavidF

    Okay, you have redeemed yourself with this recipe. This is (for sure) Pie, not some other name like: Pumpkin Pudding (maybe). He he he … No, that was cornbread or more cake-biscuits … not Biscuits in a pan. Come on, Stacey, Man. That was so confusing in your other recipe …

    Reply

    • Stacey LittleStacey

      Well, I’m glad to hear that. Though, I assure you no cornmeal was used in that other recipe so there’s no way it could have been cornbread! LOL! 🙂

      Reply

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