Old-Fashioned Southern Sweet Potato Pie
This old-fashioned Southern Sweet Potato Pie has a smooth, creamy filling flavored with butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Made with simple ingredients and an unbaked pie crust, this treasured family recipe is perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holiday gatherings.
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Servings: 8 slices
Calories: 405kcal
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked pie crust
- 1 pound sweet potato, mashed
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Place the mashed sweet potato, sugar, butter, and milk in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add the vanilla extract, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Mix until the spices are evenly incorporated and the filling is smooth.
- Pour the sweet potato filling into the unbaked pie crust.
- Bake uncovered for 55 to 60 minutes, until the filling is set around the edges and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. If the crust begins browning too quickly, loosely cover the edges with a pie crust shield or aluminum foil.
- Place the pie on a wire rack and allow it to cool completely before slicing. Refrigerate the pie after it has cooled.
Notes
- Salted or unsalted butter will work in this recipe. I normally use salted butter.
- If the mashed sweet potatoes are still hot, softened butter can be added directly to them. If the sweet potatoes have cooled, melt the butter before mixing it into the filling.
- You can use a homemade or store-bought pie crust. If using a frozen pie crust, thaw it according to the package directions before adding the filling.
- The original family recipe made two sweet potato pies. I adjusted the ingredients to make one pie, but the recipe can be doubled if you need two.
- For a lower-sugar variation, reduce the granulated sugar to ½ cup. The finished pie will be less sweet, and the flavor of the sweet potato will be more prominent.
- For a lower-butter variation, reduce the butter to ¼ cup. This may produce a slightly less rich filling.
- Once the pie has cooled, cover it and store it in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Equipment
- Electric hand mixer
- 9-inch pie plate, if using a rolled pie crust
- Pie crust shield or aluminum foil
- Wire cooling rack
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 405 kcal | Carbohydrates: 52 g | Protein: 4 g | Fat: 20 g | Saturated Fat: 11 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8 g | Cholesterol: 78 mg | Sodium: 254 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 30 g
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