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When it comes to holiday desserts, Southern Sweet Potato Pie is where it’s at. This pie is packed with those warm, comforting flavors that take you right back to Grandma’s kitchen. It’s creamy, perfectly spiced, and just sweet enough without being overly rich. Let’s be real, nothing beats that moment when the first slice is cut, revealing the silky, vibrant orange filling underneath.
This sweet potato pie recipe is my grandmothers recipe. It’s perfectly balanced and the best southern sweet potato pie recipe ever (I might be biased). My grandma was from Memphis, TN and she passed this recipe down to me.
Ingredients for this southern sweet potato pie recipe
- Sweet potatoes: The star of the show, adding natural sweetness and a smooth texture.
- Evaporated milk: Adds creaminess without thinning out the filling. It’s not a southern
- Butter: Gives the pie richness and helps with that silky texture.
- White and brown sugar: Balances sweetness with a hint of molasses flavor from the brown sugar.
- Eggs: Binds the filling and adds structure.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances the flavors, making the pie taste even more homemade.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger: The warm spice trio that gives the pie its cozy, holiday flavor.
- Pinch of salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances flavor.
- Frozen deep dish pie crust: The perfect, flaky base for this creamy pie filling.
The full written recipe with measurements is below on the recipe card.
How to make Southern Sweet Potato Pie
Preheat your oven to 400°F and bake the sweet potatoes until soft.
Once the sweet potatoes are soft take them out of the oven. Reduce the oven to 350°F. Blind bake the frozen pie dish according to package instructions.
Peel & mash the cooked sweet potatoes with softened butter, then blend until smooth.
Gradually add the sugars, spices, vanilla, evaporated milk, and eggs, mixing until everything’s incorporated.
Pour the mixture into the pie crust, and bake for an hour.
Let it cool on a rack before cutting. The pie may be a bit puffy on top out of the oven but it will settle while it cools.
Serve with whipped cream if desired.
Recipe Tip
Cook the sweet potatoes a day or two in advance. This way it will be a breeze when it’s time to make the sweet potato pie. If you do this, the butter needs to be melted before putting into the pie mixture.
Commonly Asked Questions
Absolutely! This pie can be baked a day ahead. Just store it in the fridge and bring it to room temperature before serving.
The pie is ready when it’s slightly puffed on top and a toothpick comes out mostly clean. It will set as it cools.
Cover the pie with plastic wrap or foil, and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Please remember to leave a review if you make this recipe. The feedback helps me to become a better cook and develop amazing recipes for you.
Check out more holiday recipe here =)
Southern Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
- 1 lb sweet potatoes
- ½ c evaporated milk
- ½ c unsalted butter, softened
- ½ c white sugar
- ½ c brown sugar, light or dark
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- Pinch salt
- 1 Frozen deep dish pie crust, 9 inch deep
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the sweet potatoes wrapped in foil for an hour until soft. *see notes
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and lower the heat to 350. Blind bake the frozen pie dish according to package instructions.
- Peel the potato skin and mash the potatoes with a mixer to get any strings out. Add the butter and mix until blended together.
- Add the sugar and spices and mix until combined. Next add the vanilla, milk & eggs. Mix with a mixer until everything is incorporated and smooth.
- Pour into the pie crust and bake for an hour.
- Let it cool completely on a cooling rack, eat and enjoy! I like to serve it with a little bit of whipped cream.
Video
@theres.food.at.home Replying to @bina2785 Sweet Potato pie. I revamped the recipe a bit. Ingredients: 2 sweet potatoes (1lb) ½ c evaporated milk ½ c softened butter ½ c white sugar ½ c brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground nutmeg ¼ tsp ground ginger Pinch of salt Frozen deep dish pie crust Directions: Cook the sweet potatoes whole, whatever way you like until soft. I like to bake them wrapped in foil on 400 degrees for an hour or boil them until soft. You can even microwave them, totally up to you. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mash the potatoes with the butter in a mixing bowl. Then blend together with an electrical mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and spices and mix until combined. Next add the vanilla, milk & eggs. Mix with a mixer until everything is incorporated and smooth. Pour into the pie crust and bake for about 45 minutes to an hour. Let it cool on a cooling rack, eat and enjoy! I like to serve it with a little bit of whipped cream. Notes: The pie may look puffy on top when finished, that’s okay and it will deflate while cooling. #foodtiktok #pie #sweetpotato
♬ original sound – There’s Food At Home
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is soooo good. The recipe is so easy to follow. Thank you. Please name one after me. Lol
Thank you! haha I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I am making this recipe tonight for my grandma and I know it’s going to be good. Question about the pie crust….you cooked it first before putting the filling in it, then cooked it again??
Hi Melissa, yes I blind baked the frozen pie crust according to directions on the package before adding the pie filling. I think it said 10-12 min for the pillsbury brand frozen crust. =)
Thank you for your reply. This recipe is 10 out of 10. Husband and I had no shame eating it all by ourselves!
Thank you!!! I’m so glad to hear it!
Hello I would like to know if you can freeze extra filling thanks
Hi, yes you can freeze extra filling. =)
Thank you for this recipe! Added a dash of lemon extract. Perfect!!
Thank you! Lemon extract sounds like a yummy addition.
I am going to make it for Thanksgiving.
I haven’t tried it yet, but it looks delicious and the ingredients are very similar to what I use. I always make 3 or 4 pies at a time. So, I will bake at least bake two pies.
Thanks for sharing!!!
I used this recipe to make my first sweet potato pie for Thanksgiving. It was a HUGE success- even my mom loved it! She’s renowned in our family/friends circle for her cooking. She requested another one for her birthday! My husband loved it so much, he wanted me to make it for his family’s Christmas lunch. Thank you for sharing this easy to make recipe!