Grandma Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie Recipe is easy to make, creamy, flavorful, and the simply the best! Topped with toasted marshmallow- this pie is amazing!
Sweet Potato Pie is so delicious and is a hit every time I make it.
Growing up we always had sweet potato pudding with our holiday meal and then sweet potato pumpkin pie for dessert.
It wasn’t until a few years ago I made sweet potato pie for dessert and it was so delicious!
Sweet potato pie is extremely flavorful, smooth, creamy, plain amazing. It is everything about Fall that we all love and can’t get enough of.
For more holiday pies check out:
This grandma old fashioned sweet potato pie recipe is so easy to make, requires no evaporated milk, and will have all your friends and family raving about it.
It’s one of those recipes that everyone will want, but you might not want to share- that kind of good.
First things first: store bought crust or homemade?
I’ve used both and they taste great!
I did notice the pie filling fills a 9.5” pie dish perfectly, while when baking it in a 9“ pie dish from the store there was about a cup of filling left over.
Also, the smaller pie didn’t crack at all when cooling but the larger pie did- even though I baked and cooled them the same. However, since I add a marshmallow topping to this pie I don’t really care about any cracks.
How to make pie dough from scratch?
- Combine flour, sugar and salt.
- Toss large chunks of butter in the flour and then smash each chunk with your thumb and index finger.
- Add water and stir to form a dough- while still keeping the butter as chunky as possible.
- Chill for 10 minutes
- Roll dough out into a rectangle, fold the short sides in to the center, then the long sides together to form a book. Cut in half and refrigerate for another 10 minutes.
- Roll one half of the dough into a circle, lay in your pie dish and gently push the dough into the corners, cover and refrigerate for at least 2.5 hrs
- Keep the other half for another pie
Watch how to make my homemade crust over on Youtube!
Do you bake the crust first for sweet potato pie?
Yes! Prebaking helps keep the crust from getting soggy.
How to prebake a pie crust?
- Pierce the bottom and sides of the pie dough with a fork- this keeps bubble from forming while baking
- Place a piece of parchment over the pie dough- large enough so that there is extra hanging over the edge
- Fill the pie dough- pouring onto the parchment paper- with pie weights. You can use store bought pie weights or fill the pie with rice or sugar.
- Bake the pie dough for 11 minutes, then remove the parchment and pie weights (I like to grab all four corners of the parchment and lift all the rice out all at once. The return the pie crust to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes – the crust will start to brown.
How to make Grandma Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie Recipe?
- Combine heavy cream, eggs, yolks, and vanilla.
- Over medium heat combine sweet potato, sugars, maple syrup, salt, and spices
- Then remove from heat and whisk in heavy cream mixture
- Strain the filling (optional but recommended)
- Pour the filling into precooked crust and bake
- Enjoy!
Sweet Potatoes vs Yams?
In the US sweet potatoes and yams are typically the same thing. They come in different variety’s and colors, but for the most part are interchangeable.
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Real yams typically come from Asia or Africa, have a coarser bark like exterior, and are drier and starchier.
For this recipe use the run of the mill orange sweet potato/yam found in the grocery store.
Can I use canned sweet potato? Canned Yams? Candied Yams?
Yes! If you use any canned item that is already pureed, make sure to drain it and then either mash it or puree it before using it in the recipe.
What is the difference between canned yams and candied yams?
Candied yams are usually seasoned with spices and canned in a sugar syrup, where as canned yams are just yams.
How do I make sweet potato puree from sweet potatoes?
To make sweet potato puree preheat oven to 425°F. Wash and dry a medium sized sweet potato. Using a fork poke holes in it then wrap in foil. Bake in oven for 45-60 minutes or until fully cooked and squishy. Let the sweet potato cool and then peel it. Put it in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Have leftover puree? Use it to make my sweet potato cupcakes!
How long does sweet potato pie last?
I recommend eating within 5 days of making.
Do I need to refrigerate sweet potato pie?
Yes, after it has cooled to room temperature (1-2hrs) refrigerate it until you are ready to eat and refrigerate any leftovers. I recommend adding the marshmallow topping (and toasting it) right before serving.
Can you freeze sweet potato pie?
Absolutely. Bake pie in a disposable aluminum pan. Allow to cool fully then wrap tightly in plastic wrap or foil and place in a freezer safe storage container/ziploc bag. It last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Just allow it to thaw in the fridge for a 12 hours/overnight before serving and add the marshmallow topping right before you are ready to serve.
Tips for making the best sweet potato pie:
- You will want to strain the sweet potato pie filling before baking- it makes it so beautifully smooth.
- Bake your pie on a baking sheet for ease of removing it from the oven.
- Use a glass or metal pie pan- not ceramic. Ceramic heats up differently and we don’t want to complicate things.
- Bake pie on the lowest rack in the oven.
- Bake until the edges of the pie are set and the center still jiggles slightly- it will continue to cook when you take it out of the oven and the middle will set up nicely.
Let’s talk about this topping for a second.
A marshmallow topping is the perfect addition for a sweet potato pie.
I grew up eating the toasted marshmallows off of my mom’s sweet potato casserole and I had to add marshmallow to the top of this pie one way or another.
It is the perfect compliment to this old-fashioned sweet potato pie. Just make sure to watch it as you broil it so it doesn't burn!
And there you have it- one of the best and probably most underrated holiday pie! I hope you enjoy this delicious sweet potato pie as much as I do!
For more holiday recipes check out:
Video
Grandma's Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
Flakey pie crust
- 1 ⅔ cups flour – plus more for dusting
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tbs sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup cold water
Sweet Potato Pie Filling
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups sweet potato puree* or drained canned yams or candied yams pureed/mashed, (40 oz can)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Marshmallow Topping
- 1 container marshmallow fluff 7 oz container
Instructions
Make Homemade Pie Crust
- Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.1 ⅔ cups flour – plus more for dusting, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 tbs sugar
- Cut butter into large cubes. Emphasis on large. I recommend cutting each stick into four chunks and then each chunk into four more chunks. Then place the butter chunks in the flour mixture and toss to coat with flour.1 cup unsalted butter
- Once tossed, smash each chunk of butter between your fingertips. Smash each flat, then move on to the next chunk. You don’t need to cutting the butter in or anything else because you want the butter to stay in large chunks.
- Once each chunk is smashed, using a spatula stir in the water. Stir the dough until it forms a sticky ball. You will need to use the side of the bowl to bring the dough together.½ cup cold water
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead a few more times to finish bringing the dough together. Place the dough back into the bowl and refrigerate for 10 minutes- you want to keep the dough cold and the butter from melting.
- Roll out the dough on the floured surface (adding more when needed), into a large rectangle (roughly12x10 inches). Make sure to flip the dough, add more flour if sticking and don’t hesitate to put it back in the fridge if the butter starts melting and sticking.
- Fold the 10-inch sides to the center of the rectangle then fold the other ends together like closing a book. Cut in half and then refrigerate both halves for 10 minutes.
- Bring out one piece of dough and roll into a circle large enough to fit your pie plate. Place in your pie plate, pressing into the corners, and then cut the extra dough that hangs over the edge using scissors.
- Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to relax for at least 2 hours in the fridge or overnight.
- The second half of pie dough can either be frozen and used later or used immediately for a second pie. If freezing, place in a freezer bag and freeze for 2 months. To use just allow it to thaw in the refrigerator then follow the instructions from step 8. If using the second piece right away simply repeat what you did with the first half.
Prebake the crust- If using a store-bought crust, follow the package instructions for prebaking, if using my crust recipe follow the instructions below.
- Preheat oven to 400°F and pierce pie crust bottom and sides with a fork.
- Lay a piece of parchment paper on top of the pie crust then fill the pie crust with rice, sugar, or pie weights. Bake for 11 minutes, then remove the rice/sugar and parchment and continue bake for another 10 minutes. The crust will start to brown.
- Set aside until ready to fill.
How to make the Grandma's Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie
- While baking crust, whisk heavy cream, milk, eggs and yolks, and vanilla together until well combined.1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup whole milk, 3 large eggs, 2 large egg yolks, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- In a large sauce pan over medium heat combine sweet potato puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt to a simmer. This will take 15-20 minutes.3 cups sweet potato puree*, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup packed brown sugar, ¼ cup maple syrup, 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*, ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- After mixture is well combined remove from heat and whisk in the heavy cream mixture. Once that is fully incorporated strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. This step isn’t a must, but it really does make for a very smooth pie filling. I totally recommend it. Use a spatula or large spoon to press the solids through the strainer.
- Place your pie pan (with cooked crust) on a baking sheet and then pour the filling in the pie crust.
- Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position. Place the baking sheet with the pie in the oven. * Bake for 10 minutes at 400° then reduce oven temperature to 300° and bake for 25-30 more minutes. You want the edges of the pie to be set and the center to be slightly jiggly.
- Once done remove from oven and let cool at room temperature.
Marshmallow Topping
- Preheat broiler on high
- Spread the marshmallow fluff over the top of the cooled pie.1 container marshmallow fluff
- Broil on high until the marshmallow is golden brown. This will only take a minute or two depending on how close your pie is to the broiler. Please just watch the pie the entire time. It can go from not toasted to burned very fast!
- Enjoy!
Notes
- *Homemade Sweet Potato Puree: If you are making your own sweet potato puree you will want to plan ahead since it adds about an hour of time to the pie making process.
- To make sweet potato puree preheat oven to 425°F. Wash and dry a medium sized sweet potato.
- Using a fork poke holes in it then wrap in foil. Bake in oven for 45-60 minutes or until fully cooked and squishy.
- Let the sweet potato cool and then peel it. Put it in a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Alternatively, you could use canned sweet potato puree, candied yams, or canned yams for this recipe.
- *Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice: If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice just make your own!
- To make your own combine 4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, and ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg. Then use 2tsp of this mixture for the pie filling.
- Save the remaining spice mix in a sealed jar for other recipes (like pumpkin pie, pumpkin cupcakes, and sweet potato pudding).
Nutrition
Post updated 12/20/21
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