Southern Sweet Potato Pie

With a creamy, smooth filling, and just the right blend of sugar and spices, this Southern Sweet Potato Pie is sure to warm your insides. The wonderful thing about this pie recipe is that it is hard to get wrong. So, even if you are not an avid baker, there is no need to panic, as it will turn out wonderfully. Trust me, even your neighbors will be wanting a slice of this pie. Making this pie is easy. Simply follow this recipe and make it with love.

Ok, let me not be too sappy and sweet… (See what I did there?) If I am giving you tips on this recipe, I have to tell you the whole truth. If there is anything difficult about following this recipe, it would be the waiting for the pies to be finished baking. The aroma just wafts through the house, making you hungrier and hungrier by the minute; but do not panic for long because once even the slightest piece of this pie hits your taste buds, you will understand how it was well worth the wait.

First things first—It is important to bake your sweet potatoes. Baking them helps to bring out their natural sweetness and flavor. It also gives the pie a smoother texture. You can roast your sweet potatoes and refrigerate them a couple days ahead of time if you do not have enough time the day you actually make the pie. I remember being shocked (because I could not even tell) when my relatives in North Carolina used pre-roasted sweet potatoes.

Now, for the crust—it is entirely up to you whether you want to use a homemade version or a store-bought one. Although I do love a homemade pie crust, I also like to cut down on time. For this recipe, I used a quality store-bought crust that I simply rolled out with my rolling pin and placed into my pie dish while ever so lightly pinching the edges. If you decide to use a store-bought crust it’s best to use one that taste the closest to homemade. Remember, it does not have to look perfect. It is just great that it is made from the heart.

I believe it is extremely important for your food to not only taste good and look good, but to smell good as well. That is why I love making this pie so much because the smell that the ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg create when they blend together is absolutely phenomenal. Trust me when I tell you that your whole house will smell of this delicious aroma.

Southern Sweet Potato Pie

3.3 from 124 votes

Recipe by Madison

Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy

Servings

16

servings

Prep time

1

hour 

Cooking time

45

minutes

Ingredients

• 3 large sweet potatoes

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/3 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup milk

• 2 unbaked 9-inch pie shells

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400˚ F (200˚ C).
• With a fork, pierce sweet potatoes all over. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake sweet potatoes for 50 minutes or until tender.
  
• Remove sweet potatoes from oven and lower oven temperature to 375˚ F.
• Allow sweet potatoes to cool slightly before cutting each one in half and scooping out the flesh with a spoon into a large bowl.
  
• With a hand mixer or whisk, mix sweet potatoes together until smooth.
• Mix in softened butter, granulated sugar, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice until everything is well combined.
• Pour mixture into pie shells and smooth so the top is flat.
• Place pies in oven (375˚ F) and bake for 45 minutes.
  
• Remove from oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes before slicing.
  
• Serve with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg.  
  

Notes

•  Although you can boil or microwave the sweet potatoes, roasting gives off a syrup like no other.
• Be sure to not over mix. You only need to mix until everything is combined.
• If needed, cover the crust with a pie guard or aluminum foil before baking to ensure the crust does not get too brown too soon.

Finally—the best way to serve this pie is with a hearty dollop of whipped cream, a scoop of ice cream and some nutmeg sprinkled on top. 

I am hoping this sweet potato pie recipe brings as much joy to your kitchen as it does to mine. You can thank me later!