Grandma’s Sweet Potato Pie Always Vanished Before the Pumpkin Pie, and This Recipe Shows Why

In a lot of Southern families, the pumpkin pie is just there for show. The pie that disappears first is Grandma’s sweet potato pie, with its silky orange filling, warm spices and buttery crust. It is the pie people guard on the counter and the one cousins argue over when there is only one slice left. One video of grandmas tasting and judging each other’s sweet potato pie has been watched more than 14 million times on YouTube. Here is a homemade sweet potato pie worth every bit of that love..

Why sweet potato pie means so much

For many Black families and Southern families, sweet potato pie is more than dessert. It is the pie that shows up at Thanksgiving, Christmas and church dinners, made from a recipe that was never written down. Ask how much nutmeg goes in and you will hear “enough.” Every grandma had her own way, and every family swears theirs is the best.

The pie even made national news once. In November 2015, a singer named James Wright posted a video of himself singing a joyful review of a store-bought sweet potato pie. It spread fast, and NPR reported that the store sold about a pie per second the following weekend. People were not just buying a dessert. They were chasing that taste of home.

Sweet potato pie vs pumpkin pie

They look alike, but they are not the same. Sweet potato pie is a little denser and naturally sweeter, with a deeper, almost caramel flavor from the roasted potatoes. It usually leans on butter, vanilla and a gentle hand with spice. Pumpkin pie is smoother and lighter, and it is often built around a bigger dose of cinnamon, ginger and cloves. If you love pumpkin, try making both this year and let the family vote.

Homemade sweet potato pie recipe

This makes one 9 inch pie, about 8 slices. Plan about 1 hour to roast the sweet potatoes, 30 minutes of hands on time, about 1 hour to bake and at least 2 hours to cool. Roasting instead of boiling is the first secret: it keeps the potatoes from getting watery and makes the flavor richer.

You will need

• All butter crust: 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, 1 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 cup (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter cut in cubes, 3 to 5 tbsp ice water. Or use one store bought deep dish crust.
• Filling: 2 lb sweet potatoes (about 3 medium, enough for 2 cups mashed), 4 tbsp unsalted butter, 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 3/4 cup evaporated milk, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp lemon juice (optional).
• To serve: whipped cream and a pinch of cinnamon.

How to make it

1. Roast the sweet potatoes. Heat the oven to 400F. Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and roast on a foil lined pan for 50 to 60 minutes, until very soft and the sugars start to ooze. Cool, peel and measure 2 cups of flesh.
2. Make the crust. Whisk flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the cold butter until you see pea size pieces. Add ice water a spoon at a time until the dough holds together. Flatten into a disk, wrap and chill 30 minutes.
3. Blind bake. Roll the dough to a 12 inch circle and fit it into a 9 inch pie dish. Crimp the edge and chill 15 minutes. Line with parchment, fill with pie weights or dry beans and bake at 400F for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and bake 5 minutes more. This keeps the bottom crisp instead of soggy.
4. Brown the butter. Melt the butter in a small pan and cook, swirling, until it smells nutty and turns golden brown, about 4 minutes.
5. Blend and sieve. Blend the warm sweet potato with the brown butter, brown sugar, eggs, evaporated milk, vanilla, spices, salt and lemon juice until smooth. For a filling that is truly silky, press it through a fine mesh strainer to remove the strings.
6. Bake low and slow. Lower the oven to 350F. Pour the filling into the warm crust and bake 50 to 60 minutes, until the edges are set and the center still jiggles a little when you nudge the pan. Cover the crust edge with foil if it browns too fast.
7. Cool. Let the pie cool at least 2 hours at room temperature so the filling sets. Then refrigerate any leftovers.

Tips for a sweet potato pie with no cracks

• Do not overbake. Cracks usually mean the pie baked too long or too hot. Pull it while the center still wobbles slightly. It finishes setting as it cools.
• Mix gently. Blending too long whips air into the filling, which can puff up and then crack.
• Cool slowly. Let it cool on a rack away from drafts. A sudden temperature change can split the top.
• Pick the right potatoes. Orange fleshed sweet potatoes, often sold as yams in US stores, give the best color and sweetness.

Make ahead and freezing for Thanksgiving week

Sweet potato pie is a great make ahead dessert. Roast and mash the sweet potatoes up to 3 days ahead and keep them in the fridge, or freeze the mash for up to 3 months. You can bake the whole pie 1 to 2 days before the holiday. Because it is a custard pie with eggs and milk, keep it covered in the fridge once it has cooled, and set it out about 30 minutes before serving.

To freeze a baked pie, cool it completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw it overnight in the fridge. The crust is best when the pie is baked fresh, but a frozen pie still tastes wonderful with a cloud of whipped cream on top.

Bake or buy? What a homemade sweet potato pie saves you

A bakery pie can cost a lot during the holidays, and store pies sell out fast. Most of what goes into this homemade sweet potato pie is cheap and easy to find: a few sweet potatoes, a stick or two of butter, eggs, a can of evaporated milk and spices you probably already have. Bake two and you have one for the table and one to share. It is the kind of gift that gets remembered. If you have extra sweet potatoes, look through our sweet potato recipes that go way beyond the casserole.

How to serve it

• Classic: a big spoon of whipped cream and a pinch of cinnamon.
• Crunchy: a handful of toasted pecans on top.
• Fancy: a thin drizzle of caramel sauce and a little flaky salt.
• Grandma style: a slice straight from the fridge the next morning with a cup of coffee.

Who makes the sweet potato pie in your family, and what is their secret? Save this recipe, bake it this Thanksgiving and see if it disappears before the pumpkin pie. We think it will.