This post may contain affiliate links.
This Southern sweet potato pie is creamy, custardy, and warmly spiced, with a silky filling that tastes like the holidays in every bite. It is the pie my family requests every Thanksgiving, and once you taste that smooth, buttery filling you will understand why, so if you love a cozy fall dessert like our pumpkin bars, this one belongs on your table.
It comes together easily with a refrigerated pie crust and a quick microwave shortcut for the sweet potatoes, no boiling required.
Sweet Potato Pie Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 55 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 567kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Creamy, custardy, and warmly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our easy mini cheesecakes
Quick Answer
Microwave sweet potatoes until soft, then peel and whip them smooth. Beat in butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar, then add eggs, heavy cream, flour, lemon juice, vanilla, and warm spices until silky. Pour the filling into a pie crust and bake at 350 degrees until set. This Southern sweet potato pie is creamy, custardy, and ready to cool and slice.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Whipping the potatoes makes it silky. Using a hand mixer to whip the cooked sweet potatoes smooth means a creamy, lump-free filling with that signature custard texture.
- Two sugars add depth. Brown sugar brings molasses warmth and granulated sugar keeps it balanced, for a filling that is sweet but never one-note.
- Warm spices make it cozy. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger give the pie that nostalgic, holiday spice flavor that sets sweet potato pie apart from pumpkin.
- The microwave shortcut saves time. Cooking the sweet potatoes in the microwave is faster than boiling or roasting and keeps the flavor concentrated, not watery.
- A splash of lemon brightens it. A little lemon juice cuts through the richness so each bite tastes fresh and balanced instead of heavy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is creamy, custardy, and warmly spiced, the kind of pie that tastes like the holidays in every bite.
- A refrigerated crust and a quick microwave shortcut for the sweet potatoes make it surprisingly easy.
- It is a make-ahead holiday hero that only gets better overnight, right alongside our easy mini cheesecakes.
Key Ingredients
Simple pantry ingredients turn humble sweet potatoes into a showstopping holiday pie.
- Sweet Potatoes: The star. Microwaving them keeps the flavor concentrated, and whipping them smooth gives the filling its custardy texture.
- Butter, Brown Sugar, and Granulated Sugar: They make the filling rich, sweet, and deeply flavored with a hint of molasses warmth.
- Eggs and Heavy Cream: The custard base that sets the pie into a smooth, sliceable filling.
- Warm Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger give that classic, cozy sweet potato pie flavor.
- Refrigerated Pie Crust: The easy shortcut. Use your favorite store-bought crust or a homemade one if you prefer.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This sweet potato pie is easy to make your own.
- Make it from scratch: Use a homemade pie crust if you have a favorite recipe.
- Add a topping: Finish with whipped cream, a marshmallow meringue, or a pecan streusel.
- Roast the potatoes: For an even deeper flavor, roast the sweet potatoes instead of microwaving them.
- Spice it your way: Use pumpkin pie spice in place of the individual spices, or add a pinch of allspice.
- Love sweet potatoes? Try our savory mashed sweet potatoes for the dinner table too.
How to Make Sweet Potato Pie
- Poke holes in the sweet potatoes and microwave until very soft, flipping halfway. Let cool, peel, and whip smooth with a hand mixer.
- Add the softened butter and mix until fully combined.
- Mix in the brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth.
- Beat in the eggs, then add the heavy cream, flour, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, and warm spices, mixing until silky smooth.
- Press the pie crust into a pie plate, crimp the edge, then pour in the filling and smooth the top.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 to 50 minutes until set, then cool to room temperature on a rack before slicing.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Microwave until really soft. The potatoes should mash with no resistance so the filling whips up perfectly smooth.
- Whip the potatoes well before adding anything else, so there are no lumps in the finished pie.
- Do not overbake. The center should still have the slightest jiggle. A knife inserted near the center should come out mostly clean.
- Cool completely before slicing. The filling sets as it cools, so slicing warm gives you a runny pie.
- Cover the crust edges with foil if they brown too fast before the filling is set.
- Make it ahead. Sweet potato pie tastes even better the next day after the flavors meld in the fridge.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Sweet potato pie is a Southern holiday classic, best served at room temperature or chilled with a generous dollop of whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon. It is right at home on any Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert table.
Round out the dessert spread with a mix of textures and flavors, like our easy mini cheesecakes or a bright lemon blueberry trifle, so there is something for everyone.
Leftovers keep beautifully in the fridge for several days and the filling only gets creamier. Enjoy a cold slice with coffee, or warm it slightly and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an easy treat.
Sweet Potato Pie FAQs
Both are creamy, spiced custard pies, but sweet potato pie has a denser, fluffier texture and a richer, sweeter flavor from the whipped sweet potatoes and brown sugar. Pumpkin pie is smoother and slightly more savory. Sweet potato pie is especially beloved in Southern cooking.
Yes. Sweet potato pie is a great make-ahead dessert. Bake it up to 2 days in advance, cool completely, then cover and refrigerate. The flavor actually improves as it sits. Bring it to room temperature or serve chilled with whipped cream.
Absolutely. Cool the baked pie completely, wrap it well, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving. The custard texture holds up nicely, making it easy to bake ahead for the holidays.
The pie is done when the edges are set and the center has just the slightest jiggle. A butter knife inserted near the center should come out mostly clean, or the internal temperature should reach about 175 degrees. It will finish setting as it cools.
Yes, peel the sweet potatoes after cooking. Once microwaved until soft, the skins slip off easily. Removing them gives you a smooth, silky filling without any stringy or tough bits of peel.
Lumpy filling usually means the sweet potatoes were not cooked soft enough or not whipped smooth before adding the other ingredients. Make sure they are very tender, then whip them with a hand mixer until completely smooth before mixing in the butter, sugars, and eggs.
Looking for more holiday desserts? Try our cozy pumpkin bars next.
Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet potatoes
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temp
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 9- inch refrigerated pie crust
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Poke holes all over the sweet potatoes and place them on a microwave-safe place. Microwave for 5 minutes flipping the potatoes over halfway through. Poke a knife through the potato, if there is no resistance they are ready, if not place them back in the microwave in 30-second intervals until soft. Let the potatoes cool to room temperature.1 pound sweet potatoes
- Take the peel off the potatoes and place them in a large bowl. Whip them with an electric hand mixer until smooth.
- Add in the butter and mix until combined.½ cup unsalted butter
- Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar, mix until smooth.½ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Add the eggs and mix until smooth.2 large eggs
- Add the heavy cream, flour, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg, mix until smooth and combined, scrape the sides if needed.½ cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Place the pie crust into a pie plate and crimp the edge.9- inch refrigerated pie crust
- Add the filling and smooth out the top.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until set. It might be the slightest bit jiggly, it is ready when a butter knife inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Or, an internal temperature reaches 175°F.
- Let the pie cool to room temperature on a wire rack before slicing to serve, or chill first.
Notes
- Microwave for Speed: Microwaving the sweet potatoes is the fastest method to soften them. It keeps the pie-making process quick and easy.
- Use Fresh Sweet Potatoes: Fresh sweet potatoes offer the best flavor. Avoid canned sweet potatoes if you can, as they tend to be watery.
- Don’t Skip the Lemon Juice: The lemon juice adds a slight tang that balances the sweetness of the pie and enhances the overall flavor.
- Use an Electric Mixer: Using an electric mixer ensures the sweet potato filling is smooth and creamy with no lumps.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure the butter, eggs, and cream are at room temperature before mixing to ensure everything blends smoothly.
- Test for Doneness: To check if your pie is done, insert a knife into the center of the pie. If it comes out mostly clean, the pie is ready.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
Follow @ThisSillyGirlsKitchen on Instagram and @danadevolk on Pinterest for more!
