Classic Sweet Potato Pie

If your family is torn between pumpkin pie and pecan pie, bake something everyone can agree on: sweet potato pie.

Sweet potato pie gains its sweetness from roasted sweet potatoes, accented with a light dose of warming spices and brown sugar, to make this an instant Thanksgiving favorite. This from-scratch pie takes a little bit of effort, but we have a feeling that even Grandma will be coming back for a second slice. 

Learn how to make a classic Southern sweet potato pie, and impress your family with this special holiday dessert.

Sweet Potato Pie vs. Pumpkin Pie

Sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie are traditional Thanksgiving pies, much loved for their tender, custard centers and warmly spiced flavors. But beyond their muted orange colors and creamy filling, they're a bit different.

Pumpkin has a milder flavor, so more spices and sweeteners are used, such as maple.

Roasted sweet potato is sweeter and more flavorful than pumpkin, so it often has fewer spices but extra special because of the potatoes' natural sweetness and flavors.

Sweet Potato Pie Ingredients

Get out your apron. This sweet potato pie requires some hands-on work, but it really pays off in the end.

• Pie crust: Homemade pie dough comes together in your food processor, making it one of the easiest pie crust recipes we've developed to date. The crust is buttery and flaky, and thanks to the blind baking, it stays crisp even once the filling is added. This recipe also works with store-bought pie crust if you don't have time to make your own (trust us, we get it), but we’re of the belief that homemade pie crust is always worth it.
• Sweet potatoes: Roasting the sweet potatoes concentrates their flavor and sweetness without adding any unwanted moisture into the pie (which can happen if you boil your potatoes). The potatoes are then pureed with butter and brown sugar for some richness and added sweetness. 
• Heavy cream and eggs: The sweet potato custard filling is set with cream and eggs, which make the pie filling smooth and silky.
• Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger are the spice trio that lend this pie its warm, autumnal flavor. It’s just lightly spiced so that the sweet potato flavor can shine through.

How To Make Sweet Potato Pie

If you need to break up the steps of making sweet potato pie, You can even make it ahead of time if you've got a busy day of cooking for the holidays. (More on that below.)

• Make the crust: Use the food processor to blend flour, sugar, and salt. Then mix in butter and water to bring the dough together. Dump the mixture onto plastic wrap, and gently knead together into a disc. Chill. Roll out, then fit into a pie plate, crimping the edges. Parbake to golden brown.
• Make filling: Roast sweet potatoes, and remove potato from skins. Add roasted potato to a food processor, and mix with light brown sugar, butter, eggs, and heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and spices.
• Bake pie: Pour filling into parbaked crust, then bake pie and cool. Top with whipped cream or other glaze or sauce.

Tips for the Best Homemade Crust

Since you're making homemade dough, there are a few tricks to keep in mind so it's flaky and buttery.

• Keep it cold: Whenever you’re handling homemade pie dough, you want to keep it as cold as possible, which will prevent the butter from melting. Take care to use cold ingredients, and be sure to let the dough chill for at least 1 hour in the fridge; this time will allow the dough to fully hydrate, making it easier to roll out later.
• Don't overwork it: You’ll want to pulse the ingredients until it just starts to come together; it will still be dry and crumbly, but will further hydrate in the fridge. Overworking the dough will lead to gummy, tough pastry.
• Blind bake the crust: Blind baking, or par-baking the pie crust on its own before adding the filling, helps you achieve the coveted crispy bottom and flaky, golden pastry. You can use pie weights or dried beans to weigh down the crust, preventing it from bubbling up.
• Break out the food processor: We use this gadget twice in this recipe: first to make the pie crust, then to blend the sweet potatoes. It helps us achieve a super-flaky pie shell and a smooth, silky filling. If you prefer your pie to have more texture, you can use an electric hand mixer (or a potato masher, then a whisk) to mix the filling.

Can I Make Sweet Potato Pie Ahead of Time?

Yes, you can make sweet potato pie ahead of your meal. Bake up to three days in advance, and you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge.

If you want to bake fresh, you can still prep parts of the pie in advance. Make the pie dough and roast the sweet potatoes up to 2 days in advance. Then, roll out the dough, mix the filling, and bake the day you plan to serve the pie.

Can You Freeze Sweet Potato Pie?

You can—and you should if you're working in advance of a holiday meal. First, bake the pie in an aluminum pie plate. While not as fancy as a ceramic dish, pies in this thin metal plate freezer faster and more easily, which reduces the risk of ice crystals forming. Once baked, cool the pie completely. Wrap in storage wrap. Finish with a layer of aluminum foil, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, and add whipping cream or sauce before serving.

How To Store Sweet Potato Pie

Cover leftover pie with aluminum foil or a pie cover, and store in the fridge up to 3 days.

How To Serve Sweet Potato Pie

Enjoy this pie as a sweet end to your holiday meal. Top with whipped cream and freshly shaved nutmeg; enjoy with a big mug of coffee or warm cider. You can also serve with a salted caramel sauce or Brown Sugar-and-Ginger Whipped Cream.

Editor's Note: This recipe was developed by Nicole Hopper; the recipe tips were written by Zoe Denenberg.