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Extra smooth and creamy sweet potato custard pies, perfectly sweet and spiced, served with a simple soft hand-whipped Chantilly Cream.
Author: Mandy Rivers | Publihed: 11/10/26Sweet Potato pie is the Southern equivalent to pumpkin pie and is often served at Thanksgiving and Christmas instead of its pumpkin cousin.
I've yet to meet anyone who prefers pumpkin pie to sweet potato and, if I'm being honest, have never even made a pumpkin pie! We'd all just rather have sweet potato so there's no need to make pumpkin for my family.
I mean, think about it, which tastes better? Sweet potatoes or pumpkins? They have the same texture and consistency when cooked but sweet potatoes are delicious all by themselves. Plus the sweet potatoes are freshly baked, not from a can.
4 TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST SWEET POTATO PIE
- Bake the sweet potatoes (never boil them) and make sure they're good and soft. I bake mine for an hour and a half just to be sure (plus the longer baking time brings out more natural sweetness).
- Choose long, slender sweet potatoes if possible. They will always be sweeter and have a deeper orange color.
- Blind bake the crust on the BOTTOM rack of the oven (but only for 10 minutes). This ensures the bottom of the crust par-bakes without overcooking the top.
- Only use evaporated milk! I'll explain why below!
WHY EVAPORATED MILK IS BEST
Higher Protein - The proteins in the eggs and milk bond together, trapping the liquids and creating a creamy but sliceable structure. The strong protein bonds also prevent the pie from cracking or "weeping" after it cools.
Less Water Content - Evaporated milk has about 60% of its water content removed through a heating process. Regular fresh milk and cream has much more liquid, which can result in a soggy, runny, or poorly set pie.
Lower Density - It provides the creamy, velvety feel of heavy cream while keeping the filling light, sliceable and not overly dense.
FAQ ON SWEET POTATO PIE
Can I use canned sweet potatoes? Not with this recipe. Canned sweet potatoes have a higher moisture content and I don't know what adjustments to make to use them with this recipe.
How many sweet potatoes equals 3 pounds? 3-4 large sweet potatoes usually weigh about 3 pounds.
Can I use less sugar? You may be tempted to back off the sugar since the sweet potatoes are already sweet but we still have to sweeten the eggs and milk too. Plus this is pie so it's supposed to be sweet!
Can I omit the brown sugar and use all white sugar? Sure! I like the hint of flavor from the brown sugar but using all white sugar is OK.
Light or dark brown sugar? I like dark best but either is fine.
All-purpose or self-rising flour? It doesn't matter. We're only using 3 tablespoons so either will work.
Can I reduce the recipe and only make one pie? Absolutely!
Does this pie freeze well? Yes! Refrigerate overnight then freeze up to 3 months. Slowly thaw in the refrigerator overnight to prevent weeping.
WHAT IS CHANTILLY CREAM?
Chantilly cream, by definition, is just heavy whipping cream that is sweetened then whipped until soft to stiff peaks. But in my neck of the South, Chantilly Cream is only ever served soft (almost like a clotted cream).
We make it with granulated sugar (not powdered). The granulated sugar dissolves into the cream and keeps it softer than using powdered sugar.
It it often flavored with vanilla extract or vanilla beans, but we simply use sugar and cream so the flavor of the cream isn't overshadowed.
MORE CLASSIC HOLIDAY PIE RECIPES
Apple Cider Pie - A tried-and-true family recipe for homemade apple pie with a perfectly sweet apple cider filling with hints of vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Classic Pecan Pie - A no-fail recipe with a smooth, caramelly maple-kissed filling and optional homemade crust perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner!
Chocolate Pudding Pie - The EASY semi-homemade chocolate pie recipe made with cook-and-serve chocolate pudding and chocolate chips Mama's famous for!
Old-Fashioned Coconut Pie - The perfect recipe for classic, old fashioned baked coconut custard pie that's both creamy and chewy in all the best ways!
Amish Sugar Cream Pie - Sugar and cream bake together to form a creamy, almost caramelized, satiny smooth filling in this old-fashioned vanilla custard pie recipe.
Recipe for Southern Sweet Potato Pie
Southern Sweet Potato Pie
Extra smooth and creamy sweet potato custard pies, perfectly sweet and spiced, served with a simple soft hand-whipped Chantilly Cream.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs sweet potatoes, baked
- 2 deep-dish pie pastry crusts
- 1 cup salted butter, melted
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- Move oven rack to the bottom position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Pierce the bottom and up the side of the pie crusts with a fork 8-10 times. Place crusts on the bottom rack of the oven then bake at 400 degrees 10 minutes. Remove crusts; set aside to cool.
- When potatoes have cooled at least 1 hour, peel then add to a large mixing bowl, trimming away any bits of skin or blemishes.
- Using a handheld mixer or whisk attachment on stand mixer, mix potatoes on low speed until smooth. As the "strings" from the potatoes (long fibrous strands) catch on the beaters or whisk, remove then discard. Do this as long as it takes to ensure the potatoes are very smooth with no "strings" remaining.
- Increase mixer speed then whip potatoes until light and airy.
- Add melted butter, sugars, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg then continue mixing on medium speed until smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. 1 c. butter, 2 c. sugar, 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1 Tbsp vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- Add eggs, one at a time, and then flour, mixing until smooth. 4 eggs, 3 Tbsp flour
- Pour filling evenly into both pie shells then bake in the center of the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Rotate pies left to right and back to front then continue baking 25 minutes or until edges are set and just starting to get darker but center still has a little jiggle.
- Cool completely at room temperature. Cover with tented aluminum foil then refrigerate until completely set (at least 6 hours but overnight is best).
- Serve with a bowl of Chantilly Cream for topping each slice.
- Combine cream and sugar then whisk by hand in a large, chilled bowl 2-3 minutes or until thickened but not stiff enough to hold a soft peak. Refrigerate until ready to serve (no longer than 6-8 hours).
Notes
- To bake sweet potatoes: Place on a foil or parchment lined pan then pierce the tops of each potato a few times with a paring knife. Bake in the center of the oven 400 degrees for 1.5 hours.
- See article above recipe card for FAQ and more information.
Author: Mandy Rivers
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