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A slice of black folks southern sweet potato pie topped with fresh whipped cream on a dessert plate.
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4.92 from 24 votes

Southern Sweet Potato Pie

This irresistible Southern sweet potato pie is a beloved family recipe made with roasted and mashed sweet potatoes, sugar, evaporated milk, and warm spices baked in a buttery homemade crust. No Thanksgiving in the South is complete without sweet potato pie and this recipe will be your family's new favorite!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 10 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Southern US
Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 357kcal
Author: Ashley Boyd

Ingredients

Pie Crust

Pie Filling

Instructions

For the pie crust

  • Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the cold cubed butter to the food processor and pulse to break the butter up into small chunks.
  • Slowly pour the ice water in through the chute, while pulsing, until the dough starts to clump together. Do not over-process the dough! Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
  • Shape the dough into a ball and use a bench scraper to cut the dough ball in half. Shape each half into a disc, wrap each disc in plastic wrap, refrigerate the disk that you use for the sweet potato pie, and freeze the other for later use. Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour up to overnight.
  • Unwrap the pie crust and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough from the center with a floured rolling pin until the pie dough is about ⅛ inch thick. Spray a 9-inch pie dish with baking spray and place the pie crust in the center of the plate.
  • Press the pie dough lightly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Trim any excess overhang, fold the edges under, and crimp the top edges of the pie crust. Place the crust in the refrigerator while you prepare the pie filling.

For the pie filling

  • Scrub the sweet potatoes clean, pierce them all over with a fork, and bake the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet at 450°F for 50 to 60 minutes until very tender. Allow them to cool enough to handle, then remove the skins.
  • Lower your oven temperature to 350°F. Place the sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl and use the beaters of a handheld electric mixer (without the mixer turned on) to break the sweet potatoes apart. Add the butter to the bowl and beat the sweet potatoes and butter on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
  • Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, evaporated milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add the eggs and continue to beat until the filling is smooth. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust and smooth it out into an even layer.
  • Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 55 to 65 minutes until the center is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Allow the pie to cool on a wire rack. Serve sweet potato pie chilled or at room temperature with fresh whipped cream.

Notes

  • Southern sweet potato pie requires sweet potatoes with orange flesh. Sometimes labeled "yams" in grocery stores, look for sweet potatoes with brown or purple skin and dark orange flesh, such as Jewel or Garnet sweet potatoes. If you are unsure what color the flesh of a sweet potato is, lightly scrape the skin with your fingernail to reveal the flesh underneath.
  • Southern sweet potato pie is made with evaporated milk to give it a signature richness that is so good! However, you can also use regular whole milk, buttermilk, or a combination of milk and cream if you like.
  • This pie can be made with just granulated sugar instead of a combination of granulated and dark brown sugar. Your sweet potato pie will have a lighter color and a more vanilla-like flavor.
  • For an extra-smooth filling, pulse the roasted and peeled sweet potatoes in a food processor before making the filling to get rid of the "stringy" bits. 
  • Leftover sweet potato pie can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 43.8g | Protein: 4.2g | Fat: 19.2g | Saturated Fat: 9.2g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 158mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 1.9g | Sugar: 26.5g | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 1mg