Sweet Potato Pie (Southern Classic)

Enjoy the comforting flavors of a Southern sweet potato pie, a timeless dessert that epitomizes the essence of the South. With its velvety texture and heavenly blend of warm spices, this pie is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser at any gathering.

 

This Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe epitomizes the essence of the South

For those occasions when you want a make-ahead dessert, but don’t want it to be overly sweet, or difficult to make or assemble, there is nothing like the comforting flavors of a sweet potato pie. It’s served cold or at room temperature so you have to make it ahead of time.

Sweet potato pie is a classic dessert that is beloved throughout the South, and for good reason! It’s creamy, sweet, and a real crowd-pleaser. Though similar in texture and flavor to pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie is served all year round, not just during the holiday season. You will see it more often than a pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving around here.

It’s an easy pie to make any time of the year, you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry.

It’s also a great pie to include when you are serving multiple desserts for the holidays because it will compliment other flavors. Try serving it alongside a cherry streusel pie.

The sweet potatoes have a thicker texture than a pumpkin filling making this an easy pie to slice. This classic Southern sweet potato pie is perfect when served with whipped cream for a slightly sweet and creamy ending to any meal.

What is Southern Sweet Potato Pie?

Baked sweet potatoes are combined with spices, sugar, eggs,cream and butter to create the creamiest custard like filling for the best sweet potato pie recipe around.

You can use a store-bought pie crust, but I really suggest making your own pie crust using this buttery pie crust. It’s worth the extra effort when you bite into the tender, flaky pastry that is hard to duplicate with a store bought crust. However, the filling is so rich and creamy, it can make up for a less than perfect pie crust.

My philosophy is to cut corners where you need to and if the pie crust would keep you from making this pie, then by all means use a store bought pie crust.

Why you’ll love this Sweet Potato Pie Recipe (Southern Classic)

• It’s creamy and sweet with a beautiful silky texture.
• It’s easy to put together and can be made ahead of time.
• It will go with any type of meal.
• Simple ingredients.
• Sweet potatoes are always available

Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe ingredients

• Sweet Potatoes – Fresh sweet potatoes are the star of this classic Southern dessert. The size doesn’t matter much as long as you have enough to get 2 cups mashed once they’re cooked, that is generally about 2-3 sweet potatoes.
  
• Spices – Ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg are classic warm spices for pies and pair beautifully with the flavor of the sweet potato. 

• Orange Zest – Orange zest provides brightness and a citrus aroma that plays perfectly with the other flavors in this dessert.

• Half-and-Half – The fattiness of the half-and-half brings flavor and creaminess to the filling. You can use heavy cream to make it even creamier.

• Eggs – Eggs bind the filling together creating a custard like texture.
  
• Pantry Staples – Butter, vanilla, salt, brown sugar.

• Pie Crust – For a flaky pie crust, make your own with butter. You can also use a store bought pie crust.

How to make Southern Sweet Potato Pie

Step 1: Prepare the crust.

Whether you use a store-bought crust or a homemade one, place the crust into a pie pan. Cover with a piece of parchment paper and add in pie weights, uncooked rice, or dry beans. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the weights and parchment, and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Here is a complete guide for how to partially bake a pie crust.

Step 2: Prepare the sweet potatoes.

Microwave or roast the sweet potatoes until soft. Allow them to cool, then peel and beat the potatoes until very smooth with a hand mixer or a stand mixer.

Step 3: Mix the sweet potato filling. 

Add in softened butter and beat until smooth. Then add the eggs, spices, orange zest, and brown sugar and mix until fully combined. Finally, stir in the vanilla and half and half. 

Step 4: Assemble the pie. 

Pour the sweet potato pie filling into the prepared pie crust and bake until the center of the pie is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Serve with whipped cream on top.

Tips for making Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie

•  Cook the sweet potatoes until they are cooked throughout. This will create the smooth and creamy texture you want in a sweet potato pie. 
• The pie crust must be pre-baked (also called a blind baking) to ensure the bottom of the crust doesn’t get too soggy. 
• When baking, check on the pie about 20 minutes after you place it into the oven. If the crust looks like it is getting too brown, cover the pie shell with aluminum foil for the rest of the baking time. 

If you loved this recipe, give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #butterandbaggage and tagging me @butterandbaggage.