Sweet Potato Pie

There's nothing like a freshly baked sweet potato pie to usher in the holiday season. The autumnal dessert just tastes like home, doesn't it? This top-rated sweet potato pie recipe, which is subtly spiced with ingredients you probably already have on hand, has been beloved by the Cookdap community for decades.

Learn how to make, store, freeze, and serve the best sweet potato pie of your life with this community favorite recipe.

Sweet Potato Pie Ingredients

If you have fresh sweet potatoes and a few kitchen staples, you likely have everything you need to make this homemade sweet potato pie.

• Sweet potato: This recipe calls for a pound of whole sweet potatoes. Fresh produce will give you the deepest, richest flavor. If you’re in a rush, you can substitute canned sweet potatoes (just be sure to drain them first).
• Butter: Like so many baked goods, butter is essential to sweet potato pie. It adds moisture, flavor, and texture to the custard filling.
• Sugar: Obviously, granulated sugar adds sweetness. It also helps keep the pie filling soft by locking in moisture.
• Milk: Whole milk serves as the liquid base that’s essential for dissolving the dry ingredients and creating a cohesive filling. It also adds creamy flavor and texture.
• Eggs: Traditional sweet potato pie has a custard filling, which means the filling relies on eggs (particularly the yolks) to bind the ingredients together. Make sure to allow the eggs to come to room temperature before incorporating them into the mixture.
• Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and VanillaVanilla extract and warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg are responsible for the cozy flavor that you likely associate with sweet potato pie. For extra flavor, consider adding a touch of ginger or allspice.
• Unbaked Pie Crust: Use our top-rated Butter Flaky Pie Crust for guaranteed delicious results. Of course, a frozen or refrigerated crust will work in a pinch.

Sweet Potato Pie vs. Pumpkin Pie

Sweet potato and pumpkin pies are both autumnal desserts that are popular during the cooler months, particularly during the holiday season.

Pumpkin pie has a milder flavor that’s typically flavored with a lot of spices. Sweet potatoes are naturally a bit sweeter and flavorful, so sweet potato pie doesn’t usually feature as many spices.

Pumpkin pie is also generally quite dense, while it's sweet potato-based counterpart is slightly more airy.

How to Make Sweet Potato Pie

It's easier than you think to make a bakery-worthy sweet potato pie. You'll find the full recipe below, but here's a brief overview of what you can expect:

1. Boil and drain the sweet potatoes, then peel off the skins.
2. Use a hand mixer or blender to combine the sweet potato flesh with the other ingredients.
3. Bake the mixture in the unbaked pie crust and bake until a knife or toothpick comes out clean.

Can You Make Sweet Potato Pie Ahead of Time?

Yes, you can make sweet potato pie ahead of time! It's a great idea if you're prepping for a holiday and want to conserve oven space on the big day.

How to Store Sweet Potato Pie

Store sweet potato pie in the fridge, covered tightly in storage wrap or aluminum foil, for three to four days. You should refrigerate the pie as soon as it has cooled to room temperature.

Can You Freeze Sweet Potato Pie?

You can absolutely freeze sweet potato pie — and you should if you want to get a jump-start on holiday baking.

To freeze sweet potato pie, bake it in an aluminum pie plate (aluminum is thinner than ceramic alternatives, so it will help the pie freeze faster and prevent the development of ice crystals). Cover the cooled pie in several layers of storage wrap. Top the storage wrap with a layer of aluminum foil.

Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Cookdap Community Tips and Praise

“This pie lasted all of about 5 minutes in my house,” says CALLMEVAN. “Everybody enjoyed a change from the usual pumpkin pie.”

"Smells terrific while it's baking and the taste is amazing! We topped ours with real whipped cream mixed with a little vanilla."

“This is a wonderful recipe,” raves Geri. “The first time I followed the directions exactly. It was really good. The second time I used the blender to mix all of the ingredients and it was even better.”