Its flavor is reminiscent of the pumpkin variety, but sweet potato pie is not quite as thick or heavy. Serve it any time you want to shake things up a bit this holiday season!
People often confuse sweet potatoes with yams, even though they’re actually two different things. Just keep your eyes peeled at the store. Some sweet potatoes are orange, some are red and some are white…but all work beautifully in this recipe!
Two medium-sized potatoes will yield approximately 2 cups of mashed sweet potato flesh, or about two pounds before cooking. That’s enough to serve a party of 8.
Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
- 2 cups sweet potatoes, mashed, 2–3 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 9 in unbaked pie crust recipe, traditional or einkorn
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 2 eggs, well beaten
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, or dark rum
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 egg, lightly beaten (for egg wash)
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Scrub sweet potatoes clean, pat dry with a paper towel and poke several holes in each potato with a fork. Wrap each potato tightly in aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes–1 hour, until soft and tender.
- While the potatoes are baking, line a 9" pie dish with pie dough and place in the refrigerator until ready to use. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and scoop the soft flesh from the skins and place in a large bowl. Mash the sweet potato into a fine purée, then remove 2 cups of the sweet potato purée and place it in a separate bowl. (Save any remaining potato purée for another use.)
- Add the melted butter, sugar, brown sugar and evaporated milk to the 2 cups of sweet potato. Before proceeding, test the temperature of the filling just to make sure it is cool enough that it won’t cook the eggs, then whisk in the beaten eggs along with the cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla until well blended.
- Brush the edges of the pie crust with the beaten egg then pour the filling into the prepared pie crust and bake 50–55 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. (The center will still be a bit wobbly but the edges will be set.)
- Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack until it reaches room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill. Serve chilled or at room temperature with plenty of fresh whipped cream (dairy or dairy-free). Enjoy!
Don’t just ‘set and forget’ this pie. Keep an eye on it during the baking process. If it seems to be baking unevenly, try rotating it. It won’t ‘fall’ like a cake does, so don’t fret.
