This Sweet Potato Pie recipe starts with roasted sweet potatoes and real heavy cream. I also tried it with boiled sweet potatoes and evaporated milk, but neither made the cut. Keep reading, and I’ll show you why, plus how to get a silky filling without a soggy crust.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Callee said, “This is so good! I ended up making two and shared one with my daughter’s elementary school; the teachers loved it! I will be making this again. I also made your crust to go with it and it was delicious as well!”
The Best Sweet Potato Pie Starts in the Oven, Not a Pot
I live in Colorado, pretty far from a Southern front porch. That has never stopped me from loving Southern food. A pan of sweet potato casserole, a skillet of cornbread, a slow-simmered pot of greens. It all makes me happy! And here’s my confession: I like sweet potato pie better than pumpkin. So I had to master it.
The secret is how you cook the sweet potatoes. Most old-fashioned recipes boil them, and boiling soaks the flesh with water. That water is what gives you a weepy filling and a soggy crust. Roasting does the opposite. The moisture cooks off, the natural sugars caramelize, and you get a thick, sweet mash that bakes into a creamy custard.
I started with old church cookbooks. You know the ones, splattered and full of handwritten notes! Then I baked this pie about a half dozen times, tweaking the oven temperature, the eggs, and the amount of sweet potato. Baking at altitude taught me a few tricks too, so I’ve included high-altitude tips for my fellow mountain bakers. It’s ready for Thanksgiving or Sunday supper.
Why You Will Love This Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
My recipe testers and I devoured this Southern sweet potato pie and begged for more. Always a good sign, right?
- Spiced, but not too much. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves let the sweet potato shine.
- Silky smooth. A quick whirl in the blender or food processor does it.
- Better the next day. Make it ahead and cross one thing off your list.
- Your crust, your call. Homemade or store-bought, both work.
Sweet Potato Pie Success Tips
I had to kiss a few frogs before landing on this pie! Here is what I learned, so you can skip the most common sweet potato pie mistakes.
- Measure your sweet potatoes. They come in all shapes and sizes, so go by the mash, not the count. You need 2½ to 3 cups. Save any extra for a snack, stir it into chili, or treat your pup!
- Use room-temperature eggs. Cold eggs don’t blend in as smoothly. Forgot to pull them out? Set them in warm (not hot) water for 7 minutes.
- Make the crust ahead. Make it 1 to 2 days early, homemade (I hope you do!) or store-bought. Freeze it for 30 minutes, then wrap it well. Cold fat makes a flakier crust. Making it the same day? Keep it in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to fill it.
- Don’t overbake. Pull the pie when the edges look set and a little dry, and the center still has a slight jiggle, about 175°F in the middle. It finishes setting as it cools. Overbaking is what causes cracks.
- Let it cool, then chill. The pie puffs in the oven and settles as it cools. Let it sit on the counter for about 2 hours, then refrigerate overnight. It really is better the next day!
- Baking at high altitude? Above 5,000 feet, use 3 eggs in place of 2, or add 1 extra yolk. Go by the doneness cues above, not the timer.
Sweet Potato Pie Ingredients
- Pie Crust: Make my 3-ingredient pie crust from scratch, or buy a good store-bought unbaked pie crust. Store-bought crusts run a little smaller than a homemade 9-inch crust, so don’t overfill.
- Sweet Potatoes: Roasted, not boiled. You need 2 to 2½ pounds, which gives you 2½ to 3 cups mashed. My air fryer sweet potatoes get you there even faster.
- Butter: Softened or melted, then mashed right into the sweet potatoes. I use salted, but unsalted works too; you may need to add ⅛- ¼ teaspoon of extra salt to compensate.
- Sugar & Brown Sugar: Use granulated for sweetness and brown for a deeper caramel flavor. I use dark brown for more molasses taste, but light works too. Taste the filling before the eggs go in and adjust.
- Vanilla Extract: Or try my bourbon vanilla. It does amazing things here!
- Eggs: Large, at room temperature. The eggs are what thicken the filling into a custard.
- Heavy Cream: My pick for a custard pie. I tested evaporated milk and didn’t love the flavor or texture, but it will work if that’s what you have. So will half-and-half or whole milk. Skip low-fat milk and sweetened condensed milk.
- Spices: Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. All of them are optional, so tweak up or down to your taste, or swap in pumpkin pie spice.
- Whipped Cream or Marshmallow Fluff: For serving. Add a dollop of whipped cream or toasted marshmallow fluff.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
How to Make Sweet Potato Pie
Step 1 – Prep the Sweet Potatoes
Oven Method: Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Scrub the sweet potatoes and prick each one 4 to 6 times with a fork. Place them on a baking sheet (line with foil if you like) and roast for 45 to 50 minutes, until tender. I roast at 400°F because the higher heat cooks them faster and brings out more caramelized flavor.
Air Fryer Method: Place the prepared sweet potatoes in the air fryer at 390°F, no need to preheat, and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. Air fryer sweet potatoes are my favorite!
Let them cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Peel, scoop the flesh into a large bowl, and pull out any stringy bits. Mash first, then measure. You want 2½ to 3 cups.
Make Ahead: Roast and mash the sweet potatoes up to 3 days early. Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge.
Step 2 – Make the Pie Crust
Making your own crust? Try my all-butter pie crust, and make it now while the sweet potatoes roast.
Roll homemade or store-bought dough into a 12 to 14-inch circle. Fit it into a 9-inch pie plate, keeping it from getting too thick, and crimp the edges however you like. Place the crust in the freezer until you are ready to fill it.
Deep Dish vs Regular Pie Plates
This recipe is written for a standard, shallow 9-inch pie plate. In a deep-dish plate, the filling won’t reach the top. That’s okay with me. More crust = more yum!
Step 3 – Make the Filling (3 Ways)
If you roasted the sweet potatoes in the oven, leave it at 400°F (205°C). If you used the air fryer, preheat the oven to 400°F now and give it a good 30 minutes. Move a rack to the lower third of the oven, one rack below the middle.
In a large bowl, mash the sweet potatoes and measure out 2½ to 3 cups. Eat the rest for lunch, or feed it to your pups! Mix in the soft or melted butter until smooth.
Now pick your method. Whichever one you use, add the eggs last. That way you can taste the filling first and add more sugar if you want it.
Blender or Food Processor Method
This was my favorite in testing. Add the sweet potato mixture and the remaining ingredients, in the order listed, to a blender or food processor. Blend for a few seconds until smooth and creamy.
Hand Mixer Method
Using a hand mixer, beat in both sugars, the vanilla, cream, and spices. Then beat in the eggs until well combined. Mine still came out slightly lumpy in testing, and that’s fine!
By Hand
Whisk everything together. Your filling will be a little lumpy. It will taste great, just not as creamy and smooth. Whisk hardest once the liquids are in. You should be tired when you’re done! 🙂
Set the chilled pie crust on a sheet pan and pour in the filling. With a store-bought crust, the filling will mound a bit. Just don’t overfill it. It puffs and settles as it bakes.
Optional: For a glossy crust, brush the edges with egg wash (one egg beaten with one tablespoon of water).
How Long to Bake Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet potato pie bakes for about 55 minutes total: 15 minutes at 400°F (205°C), then about 40 minutes at 350°F (175°C).
Place the pie, on a sheet pan, on the rack in the lower third of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes at 400°F. Then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for about 40 minutes more.
The pie is done when the filling is puffed, the edges look set and slightly dry, and the center still jiggles slightly. That’s about 175°F in the middle. Don’t overbake it! It keeps baking as it cools. If the crust edges brown too fast, cover them with foil or a crust protector.
Cool the pie on a cooling rack. You can slice it after 40 minutes, but it will be very soft and won’t cut cleanly.
For clean slices, cool it for about 2 hours at room temperature. Then cover it lightly with foil or plastic wrap and chill for 4 to 6 hours, or overnight. In my opinion, sweet potato pie is better chilled overnight and served the next day!
How to Serve Sweet Potato Pie
Serve Southern sweet potato pie warm, at room temperature, or chilled. I think it’s at its best after a night in the fridge.
Want it warm? Reheat the chilled pie in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
If you’re feeling fancy, top it with:
Marshmallow fluff, spread over the cooled pie and toasted with a kitchen torch or under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes
- Add a dollop of whipped cream
- Or a scoop of vanilla ice cream
- And maybe a drizzle of caramel sauce
How to Store Sweet Potato Pie
Let the pie cool on the counter for about 2 hours. Then cover it with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate. It keeps for 3 to 4 days.
Does Sweet Potato Pie need to be refrigerated?
Yes. Sweet potato pie is a custard pie made with eggs and cream, so it has to be refrigerated. Once it has cooled, don’t leave it out for more than 2 hours.
Can you freeze Sweet Potato Pie?
Yes, sweet potato pie freezes well for up to 2 months, just like pumpkin pie.
Cool the pie completely, which takes a couple of hours. Flash freeze it for 30 minutes. Then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, followed by foil, to prevent freezer burn. Label it with the date.
Thawing and Serving: Thaw the pie in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours. To serve it warm, unwrap it and reheat in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Easy as pie! 😉
Reheating from Frozen: Unwrap the pie and place it on a baking sheet. Reheat at 300°F (150°C) for 40 to 50 minutes. Cover the edges with foil or a protector if they brown too fast.
Sweet Potato Pie Recipe FAQs
You can, but I don’t recommend it. I tested plain canned sweet potato puree, and the pie was just okay. It reminded me of the boiled version. If you use it, measure out 2½ to 3 cups. Skip canned yams packed in syrup. They are too sweet and hold too much liquid.
Yes, you can, but the filling may turn out runnier and the crust soggier. Roasting gives you a deeper, richer flavor.
Usually, the sweet potatoes were boiled, or there was too much liquid, or the pie needed more time in the oven. Eggs thicken the filling, and they need the full bake to set. If your pie looks wet or very jiggly, bake it a little longer.
Usually the pie baked a little too long or cooled too fast. But sometimes it just happens, even to careful bakers, and it’s more common at high altitude. I got cracks in my test pies even when I pulled them right at 175°F. It drove me crazy! The pies were still delicious. I covered the cracks with whipped cream and nobody knew.
Start with a cold crust and a hot oven. The first 15 minutes at 400°F set the crust before the filling soaks in, so you don’t need to pre-bake it. Don’t roll the crust too thick. And serve the pie within 24 hours, because the crust softens as it sits.
Yes, and it’s better that way! Bake it the day before, chill it overnight, and serve it within 24 hours for the best crust. After that the pie is still good for 3 to 4 days, but the crust starts to soften. To get further ahead, roast and mash the sweet potatoes up to 3 days early, or freeze the baked pie for up to 2 months.
Sweet potato pie is naturally sweeter and richer, with a lighter, fluffier texture. Pumpkin pie is denser and leans more on its spices for flavor. They look almost the same. My taste testers all thought this was pumpkin pie until the first bite!
Sweet Potato Pie Variations
- Sugar Swap: Use all brown sugar or all granulated sugar if you prefer.
- Spice Swap: Replace the four spices with 1 to 1½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. Or, as some recipes do, leave the spices out.
- Make it Boozy: Add 1 tablespoon of bourbon or spiced rum to the filling.
- Citrus Punch: Add 2 to 3teaspoons of orange zest.
- Nutty Crunch: Sprinkle chopped pecans or a pecan streusel over the pie before baking.
- Crust Swap: Try a cookie crust or a graham cracker crust.
- Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pie: The filling is naturally gluten-free, so only the crust changes. Use your favorite homemade crust or a store-bought gluten-free crust. I swap these crusts in all the time for my pies.
- Dairy-Free Sweet Potato Pie: Swap the heavy cream for full-fat coconut milk and the butter for a plant-based butter. I haven’t tested this one myself, but it should work.
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This post was originally published in October 2024 and updated in October 2026 with new photos, clearer step-by-step instructions, more of my testing notes, and answers to your most-asked questions.
Equipment
- Shallow 9 inch pie plate
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch unbaked pie crust homemade or store-bought, see note 5 for gluten-free
- 2 – 2 ½ pounds sweet potatoes baked, see note 1
- ½ cup butter softened or melted, I used salted
- ⅓ – ½ cup granulated sugar take a taste before adding the eggs to determine if it needs more sugar.
- ½ cup brown sugar packed, light or dark
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or try bourbon vanilla extract
- ½ cup heavy cream see note 2
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon see note 4
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 large eggs room temperature, use 3 eggs at high altitude, see note 6
- Whipped cream or marshmallow fluff optional, see note 7
Instructions
- Roast the sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 400ºF (205ºC). Scrub the sweet potatoes and prick each one 4 to 6 times with a fork. Place on a baking sheet, lined with foil if desired, and roast for 45 to 50 minutes, until tender. Or cook them in an air fryer at 390°F (do not preheat) for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Peel, scoop the flesh into a large bowl, and remove any stringy parts. Mash, then measure 2½ to 3 cups. Save the rest for a snack, stir into chili or serve to your pup!2 – 2 ½ pounds sweet potatoes
- Make the crust: If you are making my 3 ingredient pie crust, make it while the sweet potatoes roast. Roll homemade or store-bought dough into a 12 to 14-inch circle. Fit it into a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edges. Place the crust in the freezer until ready to fill.(Note: if using a deep-dish pie dish, the pie filling may not entirely fill it, but for me, that’s okay; more crust = more yum!).1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
- Prep the oven: Keep the oven at 400°F (205°C), or preheat it if you used the air fryer. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven, one rack below the middle.
- Mash: In a large bowl, mash the measured sweet potatoes with the soft or melted butter until smooth.½ cup butter
- Make the filling: Add the eggs last, so you can taste for sweetness first. Blender or Food Processor (my favorite): Add the sweet potato mixture and the remaining ingredients, in the order listed, and blend for a few seconds until smooth and creamy. Hand Mixer: Beat in both sugars, the vanilla, cream, and spices, then the eggs. It may be slightly lumpy, and that’s fine! By Hand: Whisk everything together. It will be a little lumpy, but it tastes the same.⅓ – ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ½ cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, 2 large eggs
- Fill the crust: Set the chilled crust on a rimmed baking sheet and pour in the filling. Optional: Brush the crust edges with egg wash (one egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water) for a glossy crust.
- Bake: Place the pie, on its baking sheet, on the lower third rack. Bake for 15 minutes at 400°F (205°C).
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). Bake for about 40 minutes more, until the filling is puffed, the edges look set and a little dry, and the center has a slight jiggle, about 175°F. Do not overbake.
- Cool: Cool on a wire rack. You can slice it after 40 minutes, but it will be very soft and won’t cut cleanly.
- Chill: For clean slices, cool for about 2 hours, then cover lightly with foil or plastic wrap and chill for 4 to 6 hours or overnight. The crust is at its best within 24 hours of baking. Serve warm or chilled with whipped cream or a marshmallow topping, see note 7.Whipped cream or marshmallow fluff
Notes
- Sweet Potatoes: You need 2½ to 3 cups of mashed sweet potatoes, which is about 2 to 2½ pounds whole. Roasting gives the best flavor and texture. For a quicker option, air fry them at 390°F for 30 to 35 minutes. You can roast and mash them up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container.
- Dairy: Evaporated milk, half-and-half, or whole milk can replace the heavy cream. Don’t use low-fat milk, or the filling may not set. I tested evaporated milk and prefer heavy cream for flavor and texture.
- Spices: All of the spices are optional. You can also swap in 1 to 1½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice if you prefer.
- Dairy-Free: Use full-fat coconut milk in place of the cream and a plant-based butter. I’ve never tried this swap, but it should work.
- Gluten-Free: Use your favorite gluten-free pie crust, homemade or store-bought.
- High Altitude (above 5,000 feet): Use 3 eggs instead of 2, or add 1 extra yolk, for a better set. Moisture evaporates faster at altitude, so the top and crust may look done before the center is. Go by doneness cues instead of the timer: the edges should be set, the center should have a slight jiggle, and the center should read about 175°F. Cover the crust edges if they brown too quickly.
- Marshmallow Topping: Wait until the pie is completely cool. Spread the marshmallow fluff over the top, then toast it with a kitchen torch or under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes. Cover the crust with foil and watch it closely.
- Storage: Cool the pie at room temperature for about 2 hours, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 to 4 days. The crust is best in the first 24 hours.
- Freezing: Wrap the cooled pie in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Nutrition
Callee
This is so good! I ended up making two and shared one with my daughter’s elementary school; the teachers loved it! I will be making this again. I also made your crust to go with it and it was delicious as well!
Love that! So glad you liked it Callee!
Susan
Is there a measurement for the sweet potatoes? Two to three large potatoes is a big quantity difference.
Yes in the recipe. It’s about 3 cups.
Debra Ulrich
Hey there! The link to save and email recipe isn’t working
And why are you calling out 2 pie plates?
Hi Debra, thanks for pointing that out. I’ll have my developer see why it’s not. It’s just a good deal on those two standard pie plates. You only need one for the recipe.