This is truly the BEST Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie recipe! It’s smooth and creamy, and perfectly spiced. Just add whipped cream!
Step aside, pumpkin pie! This Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie is next-level delicious.
The recipe comes from a vintage Southern church cookbook. It’s a classic recipe, with a simple pastry crust (I used store-bought), sweet potatoes, evaporated milk, sugar, butter, egg, and warm spices.
Sometimes, simple is best. And that’s definitely the case with this old fashioned pie.
I love topping it with whipped cream and a light dusting of cinnamon.
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Top tips
- Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to mash the sweet potatoes. If you want a perfectly smooth pie, put the potatoes through a ricer or food mill instead (this isn’t necessary though—it’s still quite smooth with just a mixer).
- A store-bought pie crust works great here. You can find them in the refrigerated section. There’s no need to bake the crust before adding the filling.
- The pie will set as it cools. It’ll still be jiggly in the center when it comes out of the oven—that is ok!
- Serve the pie with homemade whipped cream and a dusting of ground cinnamon (I like using a tea strainer to dust the cinnamon lightly on top).
Ingredients
- You’ll need 2 medium sweet potatoes. The exact size doesn’t matter—we’ll measure out 2 cups after baking and mashing.
- Butter, evaporated milk, and egg hold the pie together.
- I used granulated sugar for this recipe, but brown sugar works, too!
- Warm spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice flavor the pie.
- You can make your own pie crust or use a store-bought refrigerated pie crust (like I did).
How to make the best old fashioned sweet potato pie
Start by pricking the sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Bake for 55–65 minutes in a 350°F oven, or until you can easily insert a knife into the center. Let cool for 15 minutes.
If you’re using store-bought pie crust, remove it from the refrigerator now, in order to give it 15 minutes at room temperature before unrolling.
Remove the skins from the sweet potatoes (they should slide right off), and place the potatoes in a large bowl.
Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to mash the potatoes until smooth. Measure out 2 cups, and set the rest aside for another use.
Add the melted butter, evaporated milk, sugar, spices, vanilla, and egg. Use the mixer to mix gently until everything is combined.
Gently unroll the pie crust, and place into a 9-inch pie dish. There’s no need to grease the pie dish first.
Use your fingers to gently flute the edges of the crust. You can also use a fork to create a pattern instead.
Pour the filling into the crust, and bake for 55–65 minutes at 350°F. The center will still jiggle a bit, and that’s ok! It’ll set up as it cools.
Let the pie cool completely before slicing.
Serve with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon on top.
Can I make sweet potato pie ahead of time?
You can make Sweet Potato Pie up to 2 days in advance. Store it in the refrigerator, with foil on top. You can either serve it cold, or let it come to room temperature.
Storage and freezing
Store sweet potato pie either at room temperature for up to 24 hours, or in the refrigerator for 5–7 days. Make sure to cover it before storing.
You can freeze the baked pie, tightly wrapped in aluminum foil and sealed in a resealable freezer bag, for up to 2 months.
Let the pie defrost at room temperature for 24 hours before serving.
How to make homemade whipped cream
Whipped cream on top of sweet potato pie is a MUST!
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer), place 1 cup of heavy cream, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, and a splash of vanilla. Beat on high until soft peaks form. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve it with the pie.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s similar in taste. This sweet potato pie is a little lighter and fluffier than a traditional pumpkin pie. It’s also lightly spiced to let the natural flavor of the sweet potatoes shine through.
Yes—substitute ¾ cup of brown sugar for the 1 cup of white sugar.
Yes! Use the pie crust recipe from my Fresh Peach Pie.
The pie will still jiggle in the middle slightly when you take it out of the oven. It’ll firm up as it cools.
More pie recipes
- Fresh Peach Pie
- No-Bake Raspberry Pie
- Brownie Pie
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
- Mississippi Mud Ice Cream Pie
Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or comment below!
📖 Recipe
The Best Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked refrigerated pie crust
- 2 medium sweet potatoes (to make 2 cups when mashed)
- ¾ cup evaporated milk
- 1 egg
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of allspice
- To serve: whipped cream, cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center goes through easily.
- Let cool slightly, peel, and place the potatoes in a large bowl.
- Meanwhile, unroll the pie crust and place in a 9-inch pie plate. Crimp the edges.
- Poke the crust all over with a fork, and place a piece of aluminum foil on the bottom of the crust. Top with pie weights or dried beans, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pie weights and foil.
- While the crust is baking, mash the sweet potatoes with a hand mixer. You should have roughly 2 cups (if it’s more than that, remove any extra so the pie filling doesn’t overflow).
- Add the evaporated milk, egg, sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Mix with the mixer until combined.
- Pour the mixture into the pre-baked pie crust. Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until only the center jiggles a little when you jostle the pie. You can also insert a thermometer—it should read 175°F when the pie is done.
- If the crust is turning brown but the pie it not done, place a sheet of aluminum foil very loosely over the top of the pie until the filling is baked through (the foil can just rest on top of the pie—no need to tuck it anywhere).
- Let cool completely, and serve with whipped cream and cinnamon.
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