Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Pie

Prep 20 mins
Cook 1 hr 50 mins
Total 2 hrs 10 mins
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Looking for the best sweet potato pie recipe? Then you havLooking for the best sweet potato pie recipe? Then you have to try this classic Southern Sweet Potato Pie recipe made with baked sweet potatoes and brown sugar. It’s perfectly creamy, dense and filled with sweet potato flavor!

My Favorite Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

This Sweet Potato Pie is a Southern classic that absolutely deserves it’s prime spot on your Thanksgiving dessert table! While pumpkin pie may be the king of Thanksgiving, I highly recommend you give this recipe a try instead! I precisely remember the first time I had a bite of Sweet Potato Pie and falling immediately in love. It’s similar to pumpkin pie, but with a softer flavor. Since that first bite, I have been on the hunt for my version of a perfect sweet potato pie and I have finally got it just right.

My sweet potato pie recipe is sweet, creamy and perfectly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of cloves. It’s in a basic pie crust and uses baked sweet potatoes to keep it extra moist and easy to make. Brown sugar gives it a slightly caramel flavor that is beyond delicious!

I’m excited to share this recipe and all my tips and tricks on how to make the best sweet potato pie!

What is Better: Sweet Potato Pie or Pumpkin Pie?

This is the ultimate Fall dessert debate isn’t it? If you ask me they are both must-make pies this time of year. Why not make a sweet potato pie and a pumpkin pie? Or if you want to mix things up slightly, you could make a Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake.

An up close image of sweet potato pie on a white plate with a fork.

Baked Sweet Potatoes Make the Best Sweet Potato Pie

I highly recommend you bake your sweet potatoes for this sweet potato pie recipe. Why?

  • Keeps your sweet potatoes moist: When you boil your sweet potatoes in water on the stove top, once you mash the sweet potatoes, they are actually much drier when compared to a baked sweet potato. By contrast, when you bake a sweet potato, the moisture inside the potato stays inside.
  • Less dishes to clean! Another bonus to baking your sweet potatoes — you won’t dirty a big pot boiling them or have to watch them on the stove top as they boil. You just need foil and a baking sheet to bake the sweet potatoes in the oven! It’s easy hands off prep time that you don’t have to worry about.
  • More flavor: When you bake your sweet potatoes you get a hint of caramel that comes from sugars in the sweet potato cooking in the oven. It’s an incredible combination with the brown sugar in this recipe!

Note: If you do decide to boil your sweet potatoes, you may need to add a little extra butter and milk to your pie mixture. Otherwise, the finished pie may turn out very dry.

Ingredients for pie in bowls on a blue background.

Sweet Potato Pie Ingredients

There are a few key ingredients to ensure this Sweet Potato Pie recipe turns out perfect:

  • Sweet potatoes – I like to bake my sweet potatoes for sweet potato pie. Baked sweet potatoes are much more moist than boiled sweet potatoes. If you are in a time pinch, you can also make the in the instant pot (Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes). The instant pot makes them extra moist as well!
  • Unsalted butter – At room temperature so it is easier to mix in. If you have little butter lumps in your pie batter, don’t worry, it will bake just fine!
  • Granulated sugar
  • Brown sugar
  • Whole milk or evaporated milk – Do not use a milk with lower fat content.
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla extract
  • Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg (freshly grated is great if you have it), cloves, and salt. You could also use a little pumpkin pie spice instead. I recommend doing 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice in place of the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
  • 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust – I use my favorite homemade pie crust, but you can also use a store bought pie crust.

How to Make Sweet Potato Pie from Scratch

This sweet potato pie is easy to make! Here’s how you do it:

  1. Bake the sweet potatoes: Heat your oven to 400F. Wrap the sweet potatoes in foil and bake them on a cookie sheet until soft, about 45 minutes. Allow them to cool when done.
  2. Skin sweet potatoes: Once cooled, remove the skins from your sweet potatoes. You can do this by just pulling the skins back and scooping out the soft sweet potato flesh.
  3. Heat oven to 350°F. 
  4. Make the sweet potato pie filling: Mash the sweet potatoes and room temperature butter together in a large bowl. Whisk in the sugars, milk, eggs, vanilla, spices and salt. Keep whisking until the filling is well combined.
  5. Bake your pie: Pour the filling into an unbaked pie crust. Bake for 50-6o minutes. You will know your sweet potato pie is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The pie will rise while baking and then deflate after it cools.
  6. Serve. You can serve it warm or chilled. If you chill your pie you can add a dollop of whipped cream or marshmallow fluff on top!
Sweet potato pie sliced into pieces on a cutting board!

Toppings Ideas

You absolutely do not need any toppings for this particular sweet potato pie recipe, it is perfect as is! However, I have a few suggestions of possible fun toppings you can add:

  • Whip Cream
  • Marshmallow Fluff (as seen in the photos)
  • Ice Cream
  • Cool Whip

I personally like mine best topped with a dollop of Marshmallow Fluff and then if I am feeling fancy I hit it with a cooking blow torch. Second best topping option, is a dollop of homemade whip cream. It’s the most classic topping and always delicious.

An up close image of sweet potato pie on a white plate with a fork.

Can I make this pie ahead of time?

Yes! This Sweet Potato Pie is delicious served warm, room temperature or chilled. You can’t go wrong, it’s all about personal preference. However, no matter which way you choose to serve it, you can easily bake this Sweet Potato Pie up to 24 hours before and no one will be the wiser!

How to Store Homemade Sweet Potato Pie

  1. Allow sweet potato pie to cool completely on the counter. If you try to put it into the fridge too early, the top can crack and condensation can form and ruin the top of the pie.
  2. Wrap the sweet potato pie tightly with saran wrap (or cling wrap/foil) and place in the fridge.

You can serve the sweet potato pie chilled, reheat a slice for 20 seconds in the microwave to serve it warm or serve it at room temperature.

Can I Add Buttermilk?

I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe, but it sounds like you are looking for my other classic recipe for a slightly tangy sweet potato pie. While very similar, my Buttermilk Sweet Potato Pie is made with buttermilk to give it a little different flavor.

A slice of sweet potato pie being picked up by a pie server.

More Delicious Thanksgiving Recipes

If you are looking for more awesome Thanksgiving recipes, make sure and check out these other classics that my family loves:

Yield: 1 pie

Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Slice of sweet potato pie with marshmallow on top.

This creamy homemade Sweet Potato Pie Recipe is an ultimate Southern classic made with baked sweet potatoes, butter, milk, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon & nutmeg!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb sweet potatoes
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • a pinch of ground cloves
  • 1 (9 inch) unbaked homemade pie crust (or store bought)

recommend topping options:

  • whip cream (or cool whip)
  • marshmallow fluff

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap sweet potatoes with foil and bake on a cookie sheet until soft, about 45 minutes (or longer if your sweet potatoes are extra large).
  2. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
  3. Once sweet potatoes are cooled, preheat oven to 350°F. Remove foil and skin from sweet potatoes.
  4. In a large bowl, mash sweet potatoes and butter until completely smooth. Whisk in sugar, brown sugar, whole milk, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves. Whisk until mixture is well combined.
  5. Pour filing into unbaked piecrust. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The pie will rise while baking and then deflate as it cools.
  6. Serve warm or chilled with a dollop of whip cream or marshmallow fluff!

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10 slices

Serving Size:

1 slice

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 299Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 165mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 2gSugar: 23gProtein: 4g

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19 Responses
  1. Kim

    I followed the recipe and it has good flavor and texture, but it’s too sweet. I served it with homemade whipped cream that was lightly sweetened. I’ll look for another recipe next time or try reducing the sugar to about 2/3 cup total.

  2. Elvira

    First time I’ve ever made a sweet potatoe pie. It came out so beautiful and delicious. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. Merry Christmas.

    1. A woman holding a camera standing in front of some shelves.
      Jessica

      Baking sweet potatoes in foil keeps them more moist (the moisture is trapped inside while it cooks and it essentially helps to steam the sweet potato from the inside). Marshmallow fluff is a jarred version of soft marshmallow cream.

  3. Allyson

    So, my family’s recipe, going back a couple generations so it legit says “Oleo” instead of margarine because butter back then was not cheap, has always called for Eagle Brand Condensed Milk and both sugars but since I’ve taken up the pie-making. I’ve been omitting the white sugar because it’s just too sweet for me now that I’m an adult and now can control the amount of sugar in my food. We’ve always boiled the potatoes with the skins on. I plan to try baking them this time on Thursday morning. I’m always looking to try new things and make family recipes better. Also, never thought to do marshmallow fluff. I might try that on one of the pies. The family recipe makes 2 pies because the first one is always gone within minutes of dessert time. I also made our recipe and brought the pie to a Christmas dinner with my ex-boyfriend’s family. There was a relative born and raised in Louisiana there and he said it was the best sweet potato pie he’d ever had. So, of course, I want to make it even better!

  4. Take A Slice Of These Four Fall-Inspired Pies | BMW of Owings Mills

    […] and a great alternative for those who don’t want pumpkin pie. While the flavors are similar, Sweet Potato Pie has a much milder flavor than pumpkin pie. For this recipe, it’s important to bake your sweet […]

  5. DonnaB

    This is an easy to make sweet potato pie and DELICIOUS. I boiled my potatoes in their skins then removed skin promptly when cool enough to handle, insuring sugars melt. I used 2 cups of mashed sweet potatoes. Next time will bake. This is my 2nd pie, 1st one was eaten within an hour.

  6. Stacy

    Thank you very much, this is my first time making a sweet potato pie, it came out very good. I follow all your instruction, I even made some homemade whip cream to go with my sweet potato pie. I gave some to my friends and they all love it. I used fresh grated nutmeg, clove.

  7. Sara Welch

    What a great recipe and perfect for fall! Looking forward to enjoying this over the next few weeks! Delish!

  8. Whits@amusebouche

    This recipe is easy and delicious. It is a light consistency. I added pecan strudel on top. My son loved it.

  9. Linda

    Re sweet potato pie recipe- do you mean ground cloves?They don’t appear in the instructions. I guess we mix them in with the other spices. Thank you. 

Welcome!

Jessica
I'm a trial & error, self taught, sugar addict who thankfully learned how to survive in the kitchen! I am also a wife, mama of 3.
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