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A slice of sweet potato pie on a large metal plate with a napkin and a knife.
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4.56 / 9 votes

Southern Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet potato pie is a classic holiday favorite in the South. A brown sugar pie crust holds the sweet, festively spiced, custard filling perfectly.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 15 minutes
Total Time2 hours 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Southern
Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Calories: 401

Equipment

  • 9-inch deep-dish pie plate or 10-inch pie plate

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds orange or garnet sweet potatoes, (1 to 2 potatoes) or 2 cups canned sweet potato purée
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses or sorghum
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground mace
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 recipe Shortcut Pie Crust, (made with brown sugar and prebaked in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate)
  • Whipped cream, (optional)
  • Freshly grated nutmeg, (optional)
US - Metric

Instructions

  • If using whole sweet potatoes, preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Wrap the potatoes in aluminum foil and bake them until fork-tender, 60 to 70 minutes, depending on the size. Let cool slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (176°C). Unwrap the sweet potatoes and slip the skins from the potatoes. Mash the potatoes with a fork, handheld potato masher, immersion blender, food processor, or potato ricer until smooth.
    If using canned sweet potatoes, preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Place the canned sweet potatoes in a bowl.
  • Add the cream, eggs, and molasses or sorghum to the sweet potatoes and whisk until completely incorporated.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars, flour, cardamom, cloves, mace, ginger, and salt. Add the sweet potato mixture and stir until smooth.
  • Pour the filling into the prebaked pie crust. (If not using a deep-dish pie plate, you may have some leftover filling, which you can pour into buttered ramekins and bake as custards, if desired.)
  • Bake the pie for 60 to 70 minutes, until the filling is firm around the edges but still jiggles slightly in the center when you gently shake the pie plate. The filling will continue to firm up as it cools. You may need to loosely cover the pie with foil after 50 minutes to prevent it from over-browning. Let the pie cool completely before slicing and serving. If desired, heap the whipped cream on top and sprinkle it with nutmeg.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 401kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 217mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 34g