Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Name: Southern Sweet Potato Pie
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 135 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs. yams (approximately two large) ((2 cups flesh)); 1 Pillsbury pie crust; 3 large eggs ((beaten)); ½ cup yogurt; 1 T. pure vanilla extract; 3 T. softened butter; ⅓ cup half-n-half; 1 cup packed brown sugar; 2 T. all-purpose flour; ½ tsp. salt; ½ tsp. cinnamon; ¼ tsp. ginger powder; ¼ tsp. nutmeg ((freshly grated))

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This Southern Sweet Potato Pie is similar to Pumpkin Pie, only better. Unlike Pumpkin Pie, which is usually served in Fall, you can enjoy this silky-smooth Sweet Potato Pie any time of the year! And if you're looking for a great No-Bake Pumpkin Pie, look no further!

Why This Recipe Works

I really like Sweet Potato Pie, but my son, Scotty, loves it! As a matter of fact, last year for his birthday, he wanted a Sweet Potato Pie instead of a birthday cake. Luckily, Southern Sweet Potato Pie is pretty easy to prepare.

The silky texture is achieved by doing a thorough job of beating the batter and removing the fibrous strings that are naturally contained in yams. Don't skip this step, it does make a big difference.

The freshly grated nutmeg, along with cinnamon and ginger give this Southern Sweet Potato Pie a delicious flavor, reminiscent of pumpkin bread, but better!

How to Make This Recipe

Preheat oven to 400-Degrees F

Step 1

Wash yams thoroughly and poke each with a fork all around.

Step 2

Bake in the oven, uncovered, for one hour, or until tender. Remove the yams from the oven and allow to cool.

Reduce Oven Temperature to 350-Degrees F

Step 3

Meanwhile, form pie crust in a regular-sized pie pan. Poke the bottom and sides of the crust with a fork and set aside in the refrigerator until needed.

Step 4

Once the yams are cool enough to handle, slice the sweet potatoes in half and cut off the ends (which tend to be stringy).

Step 5

Scoop out the pulp and add to a mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed for a few minutes. Stop occasionally to remove any stringy fibers that collect on the beater.

Step 6

Add eggs, yogurt, vanilla, butter, and half-n-half. Mix on medium until fully incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary.

Step 7

Add brown sugar, flour, salt, and the remaining spices. Mix on medium until all the ingredients are combined. Continue to remove the stringy fibers that form on the beaters. Pour mixture into the formed pie crust.

Step 8

Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake, uncovered, for an hour or until the center of the pie is set. You can test for doneness by inserting a knife into the center of the pie. If the pie is done, the knife should come out relatively clean.

Step 9

Cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge. The pie will be puffed up when you first remove it from the oven but will deflate as it cools. Serve pie with whipped cream, or cool whip if desired.

slice of sweet potato pie with whipped cream

Recipe FAQ's and Expert Tips

1. How do I know when my sweet potato pie is done?

Sweet Potato Pie is ready when the center of the pie is set and springs back when lightly touched. Another way to confirm that the pie is ready is by inserting a clean knife into the center of the pie. If the knife comes out clean, then the pie is ready.

2. What does sweet potato pie taste like?

Sometimes food is hard to describe because of their unique flavor. Not so with Sweet potato Pie. Sweet Potato Pie tastes very similar to Pumpkin Pie, especially when you consider that it has a lot of the same ingredients found in Pumpkin Pie.

Both pies have a velvety-texture, although some Sweet Potato Pies can have a stringy texture if not prepared properly. Additionally, both pumpkin pie and sweet potato pie usually contain similar spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice).

3. What's the difference between yams and sweet potatoes?

There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding the use of yams vs. sweet potatoes to make Sweet Potato Pie. Although it's called Sweet Potato Pie many recipes call for yams, including my recipe.

But here's the thing, the supermarkets have been confusing their customers for years. By mislabeling the two, they've led us to believe that yams and sweet potatoes are two different vegetables or tubers.

In fact, they are both sweet potatoes, just different varieties. The orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are sweeter and less firm than the paler skinned/fleshed sweet potatoes.

Although I've made this pie using both, I much prefer the taste and rich color of what the store calls "yams." And here's another plus, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are usually less expensive than the paler sweet potatoes.

4. How did yams get their name?

African slaves who came to the US called the local sweet potato “nyami,” which translates to “yam” in English. This is because it reminded them of true yams, a food staple they knew in Africa.

In addition, the darker-skinned, orange-fleshed sweet potato variety was only introduced to the US several decades ago. In order to set it apart from paler-skinned sweet potatoes, producers labeled them “yams.” —healthline.com

Cooked Sweet Potato Pie can be frozen for up to 3 months before consuming.
Thaw pie in the refrigerator the night before you plan on serving it.
Prepared pie filling can also be frozen up to 3 months before baking. Just thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking the pie.

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

Stay in touch with me through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and F acebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Why This Recipe Works