The Best Sweet Potato Pie

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This classic sweet potato pie has a smooth filling made with browned butter, brown sugar and just the right amount of spice!

This post is sponsored by Challenge Butter, but all opinions are my own.

Sweet potato pie is like pumpkin pie‘s under-appreciated cousin. Pumpkin pie definitely gets the main spotlight for Thanksgiving, but if you’re looking to try something different or shake things up, sweet potato pie is definitely worth sampling. It’s so good.

Why You’ll Love This Sweet Potato Pie

• Flavor-packed. This pie is made with sweet brown sugar, earthy cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, and nutty brown butter! Browned butter adds a level of flavor that you just can’t get with anything else and it doesn’t take long to make.
• Perfect texture. Flaky, buttery pie crust filled with a thick, creamy sweet potato filling is simply to die for.
• A holiday favorite. You can make this sweet potato pie for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just because!

What You’ll Need

There are a few elements to this pie – the crust, the filling, and the whipped cream. The crust is pretty straightforward. You’ve got flour, salt for flavor, butter, and water. To learn more and go in depth on the crust, check out my post on this flaky all butter pie crust. I use the same crust in this pie, but cut in half so that you only have one crust.

Also, if you’re looking for exact ingredient amounts, check out the recipe card below!

For the Filling

• Sweet potatoes – Be sure you’re using the classic orange sweet potatoes. Believe it or not, there are white ones out there with a pinker, thinner skin. Don’t be fooled by them, you want the orange ones.
• Butter – The butter in this recipe is browned, which gives this pie a deeper, better flavor. It’s an extra step, but it’s totally worth it. And using a quality butter is always a must – in both the pie crust and filling! I used my favorite Challenge Butter. Challenge Butter is a high quality, creamy butter that goes from farm to fridge in just two days, ensuring that it’s nice and fresh. It has no added hormones, artificial flavors, or fillings, so you can feel good about feeding it to your family. If you haven’t tried it before, you definitely need to. It will definitely elevate your baking and cooking.
• Brown sugar – I recommend using light brown sugar.
• Milk – I used 2%, but whole milk would work as well.
• Eggs – The eggs bind everything together. Be sure to use large sized eggs.
• Spices – This pie has just the right mix of flavor with some nutmeg, cinnamon, and a bit of ginger.
• Salt – Feel free to use kosher salt, sea salt, or whatever kind of salt you generally bake with.
• Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract is essential for this recipe!

For the Whipped Cream

• Heavy whipping cream – Make sure it’s nice and cold before you start.
• Powdered sugar – This keeps the whipped cream stable, so it won’t wilt.
• Vanilla extract
• Ground cinnamon

How to Make Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet potato pie takes a fair amount of time to prepare and bake, but the steps are really easy to follow. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full set of directions.

Prepare the Crust

• Make the crust. As I mentioned above, there’s a whole separate post just for the pie crust, so definitely check that out. I make the crust in a food processor, but you can also do it by hand. You’ll combine part of the flour and the salt, process the butter into the flour until you have a crumbly dough with large crumbs, and then add the remaining flour and process until it resembles sand. Next, add the water until the dough comes together, then form a ball, wrap, and refrigerate.
• Prep and blind bake the crust. After refrigerating the crust, roll it out and add it to your pie plate. Blind bake your pie crust until partially baked, then set it aside.

Make the Filling

• Cook and prep the sweet potatoes. You can do this while the crust is chilling by either boiling or baking them.
  • To boil them, put the sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 45-60 minutes, depending on size. When the potatoes are done, drain and set them aside to cool.
  • To bake them, prick the potatoes all over with a fork, wrap them individually in foil, and place them on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees until fork tender, 45-60 minutes, depending on size. Set them aside to cool until warm enough to handle. Peel and mash the potatoes, then add them to a food processor to smooth them out further. You don’t have to do the food processor step, but I prefer the smoother texture of the pie that way.
• Brown the butter. While the potatoes cool, brown the butter. Add the butter to a pan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until it has a nutty smell and light brown flecks. Be careful not to burn it. Pour the browned butter into another bowl until you need it so that it doesn’t continue to cook and burn.
• Combine filling ingredients. Add the browned butter to the mashed sweet potatoes and mix to combine. Then, stir in the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined.

Assemble the Pie

• Bake. Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes, or until the pie is set but still wiggles a bit. It will puff up while baking and fall while cooling. Allow the pie to cool completely on a wire rack, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Add whipped cream. To make the whipped cream, add the cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Pipe the whipped cream onto the pie as desired and sprinkle with some cinnamon or nutmeg, if desired.

Watch The Video

Check out the video below for step-by-step visuals on how to make the best sweet potato pie:

Read Transcript

Tips & Recipe Variations

• Try canned sweet potatoes, if needed. I haven’t tested this recipe with canned sweet potatoes, but I imagine you could. I would still puree them. And since they are often sweetened, you may want to reduce some of the sugar in the pie. They may also have a little extra moisture, so you may need to bake the pie a little longer.
• Use room temperature butter and eggs. This will ensure that your filling mixes together smoothly.
• How to know when the pie is done baking. If the center of the pie has a wavy jiggle, it needs more time. If it’s a lighter, more structured jiggle, it should be done.
• Make the pie ahead to save time during the holidays. Sweet potato pie can be made ahead and refrigerated until ready to serve. It should be fine in the fridge for up to 4 days.

How to Store

• Fridge: You can store this sweet potato pie in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Make sure to store the whipped cream separately in the fridge!
• Can I Freeze It? Yes, but keep in mind that the texture of the pie could change a bit. Be sure to wrap the pie well before freezing it (for 2-3 months), then thaw it in the fridge prior to serving.

More Easy Pie Recipes

If you loved this sweet potato pie, check out some of these other classic pie recipes too!

• Classic Pecan Pie
• Homemade Apple Pie
• Chocolate Cream Pie
• Key Lime Pie
• Caramel Pecan Pie

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