Old-Fashioned Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Southern Sweet Potato Pie is a staple in my house and not just around the holidays. We just can’t get enough of this fluffy, lightly sweetened pie! Perfect for dessert or with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, this Southern staple is a must-try!

Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

I love the smell of this Southern Sweet Potato Pie baking in the oven.

Pumpkin pies are terrific, but my heart belongs to this sweet potato pie recipe.

I love how easy it is to make—how it is sweet, but still savory, and with a dollop of whipped cream on top, it is my idea of dessert perfection!

Another thing that love about this recipe is that I can do the prep for this pie ahead of time.

I often bake the sweet potatoes up to a few days in advance. To simplify things, I use frozen pie crusts from the grocery store so I don’t need to make the pie dough from scratch.

Plus, you can bake these pies in the morning before the turkey goes into the oven or even make the pies the day before.

This Southern Sweet Potato Pie recipe is perfect for your Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter dinners.

Whether you’re from the South or just love soul food, this pie is a slice of comfort. Serve it with a squirt of whipped cream for the ultimate dessert.

Why You’ll Love This Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

• Fresh Sweet Potatoes Make the Difference: Baking fresh sweet potatoes gives this pie the best, natural sweet potato flavor. No need for canned sweet potatoes here—this is the real deal!

• Simple Ingredients, Big Flavor: You’ll be amazed at how these simple ingredients create such a rich, velvety dessert.

• Perfect for the Holiday Season: This pie is perfect to serve after Thanksgiving dinner or any family gathering during the holiday season.

• Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie Charm: This pie sticks to the tradition of a classic southern sweet potato pie, with no fancy tricks or trendy ingredients. It’s a family recipe that’s been loved for generations.

• Great Make-Ahead Dessert: This pie can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap. It’s the perfect make-ahead dessert for busy holidays, leaving you time to focus on the herb roasted turkey and sides.

Southern Sweet Potato Pie Ingredients

• Sweet Potatoes: You’ll need fresh sweet potatoes, about three medium ones, totaling around two pounds. 

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• Butter: Half a cup of butter at room temperature adds richness and helps create that smooth, creamy filling your gonna love love. 

• White Sugar and Brown Sugar: A half cup of each adds just the right amount of sweetness. The dark brown sugar also brings a deeper, caramel-like flavor that pairs perfectly with the warm spices.

• Cinnamon and Nutmeg: These warm spices give the pie its classic southern charm. 

• Vanilla Extract: Adding a tad bit of vanilla extract adds great flavor to the sweet potato filling. 

• Eggs: These help bind the pie together, giving it structure while keeping it soft and custardy in the center of the pie.

• Heavy Cream: A half cup of heavy cream adds richness and a creamier texture to the filling. 

• Pie Crust: I use a 9-inch store-bought pie crust for ease, specifically a frozen, deep-dish unbaked pie crust. It bakes up with a flaky crust that’s perfect for this southern sweet potato pie recipe.

More Holiday Desserts You’ll Love

• Easy Pumpkin Pie
• Christmas Cranberry Cake
• Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
• Pecan Pie Brownies
• Shortbread Bites
• Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake
• Pumpkin Bread

How To Make Southern Sweet Potato Pie

1. Bake the Sweet Potatoes: Preheat your oven to 425°F. Wash the fresh sweet potatoes and poke holes in them with a fork. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the potatoes on top. Bake for 45 minutes until they’re tender.

2. Cool and Peel: Let the sweet potatoes cool until they’re easy to handle. Remove the skins and discard them. 

3. Mash the Sweet Potatoes: Place the sweet potato flesh in a large bowl and mash them up. You can use an electric mixer to break them apart quickly or a potato masher if you prefer. 

4. Mix the Filling: Add butter at room temperature and the eggs to the bowl. Use your electric mixer to blend it all together until smooth. Then mix in the white sugar, dark brown sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and cinnamon and nutmeg. Keep beating the mixture until it’s creamy and lump-free. 

5. Prepare the Pie Crust: Grab a store-bought pie crust or your favorite homemade pie crust. Use a deep-dish unbaked pie crust for the best results. Set it in your pie plate, and pour the sweet potato mixture into the crust, spreading it evenly.

6. Bake the Pie: Lower the oven temperature to 350°F. Place the pie in the oven and bake for about an hour. You’ll know it’s ready when a knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean, and the crust is golden.

7. Cool and Serve: Let the pie cool on a wire rack before serving. This allows the filling to set and makes slicing easier. 

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• You can make the whole pies up to a day in advance or just get the potatoes ready. Roast them 2-3 days in advance and peel them, and store them in the fridge until ready. Let the sweet potatoes come to room temperature, and they’ll be easier to mix with the beaters or stand mixer.
• Bake the sweet potatoes instead of boiling them for the best texture and flavor. Boiled sweet potatoes could make your pie runny.
• This recipe is easy to double in case you need more pie.
• Bake your pies on top of a baking sheet if they are very full, and this will make moving them into the oven easier with less risk of spilling.

Storage

Store any leftover Sweet Potato Pie in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Print Pin

Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Southern Sweet Potato Pie is a staple in my house and not just around the holidays. We just can’t get enough of this fluffy, lightly sweetened pie! Perfect for dessert or with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, this Southern staple is a must-try!

Ingredients

• 3 Medium Sweet potatoes About 2 pounds
• 1/2 Cup Butter Room temperature
• 1/2 Cup White sugar
• 1/2 Cup Brown sugar
• 1 Tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 Tsp Ground nutmeg
• 1 Tsp Vanilla extract
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Heavy cream
• 1 9inch Pie crust To save time, I use a frozen deep dish pie crust.

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
• Poke holes in your sweet potatoes with a fork. Place on a parchment paper or aluminum foil lined baking trap and bake for 45 minutes. Baking the sweet potatoes gives a less watery sweet potato for the pie and the skin is very easy to remove this way too. Let the baked sweet potatoes cool until they are cool enough to handle; then remove the skins and discard.
• Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees.
• Break the sweet potato flesh apart and place in a large bowl. Add the butter and eggs; mix with an electric mixer until well combined. Add the brown and white sugar, heavy cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, & vanilla. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and let cool before serving.