This sweet potato pie recipe combines a creamy sweet potato custard filling with a crunchy brown sugar streusel topping. Make the pie the day before you plan to serve it for easier holiday prep. Move over, pumpkin pie, there’s a new dessert in town!
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I grew up eating baked sweet potatoes with plenty of butter and brown sugar on top and grew up into the type of person that loves sweet potato biscuits and sweet potato cookies and, of course, sweet potato pie.
I first shared my sweet potato pie recipe years ago and have friends for whom this has become their very favorite pie. Which is just about the best compliment you can give to a pie lover like myself.
My version has a silky sweet potato custard filling. It’s perfectly spiced to bring out the flavors of the naturally sweet potatoes. Then the whole thing gets topped with a brown sugar streusel.
The streusel adds both sweetness and a delicious texture to this pie. Combine it all with a flaky pie crust and this pie may just become your family’s new Thanksgiving dessert tradition right alongside no-knead refrigerator rolls and apple cranberry pie (because you definitely need at least two pies!).
What readers are saying
“I have made it several times. It is a massive hit among my family every time I make it. And in between times they’re always pestering me to make it again. Absolute favorite pie of many. It is so delicious. There are quite a few steps to this recipe but the end result is worth all your efforts. Thank you for such a yummy pie!!!” -Paula
Stephie’s testing tricks and tips
- Add half the streusel upfront and the second half partway through baking. The first half sinks into the custard a bit as it bakes. This makes a base for the rest to sit on, so it stays on top and gets perfectly crispy. It’s the best way to get the perfect balance of creamy custard and crunchy streusel in every bite!
- Start the oven at a high temp, then lower it. The high starting temperature sets the crust and helps the bottom of the crust cook through. (No soggy bottoms on our watch!) But baking the pie at this high temperature for the whole time would result in a pie that’s cracked and burned on the outside and raw on the inside. It’s important to lower the oven temperature after 10 minutes so the custard can bake all the way through.
Ingredient notes
For full measurements and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card.
The first thing we’re going to make for our sweet potato pie is the streusel topping. This is a pretty standard streusel that you can use on muffins and bread recipes, coffee cakes, etc. You’ll need:
- All-purpose flour
- Light brown sugar: Dark brown sugar will work, but you’ll end up with a much richer molasses flavor that can more easily overpower the sweet potatoes.
- Cinnamon
- Fine sea salt
- Unsalted butter: Keep this cold and cut it into pieces.
Next, we’ll prepare the sweet potato filling. You’ll need:
- Pie crust: For a single-crust deep-dish pie. I always use a half recipe of my homemade pie crust. It’s tender and flaky and perfect for this pie. But feel free to use whatever crust you like best – store-bought is just fine!
- Mashed and cooked sweet potatoes: 2 large sweet potatoes will typically yield the 2 cups of mashed sweet potato you need for the pie filling. I have some tips for cooking and prepping those under “sweet potato prep tips” below.
- Sugar: A mix of light brown sugar and granulated sugar.
- Spices: A combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger is perfect with the sweet potato. If you want, you could even swap out all 3 of these spices for 1 3/4 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.
- Salt: To round out the flavors in our pie.
- Unsalted butter: This gets cooked on the stove with the custard filling before baking the pie, so don’t worry about what temperature it is at to start.
- Evaporated milk: This filling uses a 12-ounce can of evaporated milk – that’s the larger size that you can find in grocery stores. Make sure you buy evaporated milk and not sweetened condensed milk, as they’re very different things!
- Egg yolks: Just the yolks to thicken the custard and give it a velvety texture.
- Vanilla: I often use vanilla extract, but I really love using vanilla bean paste in this particular recipe when I have it.
Don’t toss the egg whites after you separate your 5 egg yolks. Save or freeze them to make angel food cake later.
How to make my sweet potato pie
There are a few steps to this recipe, but none of them are difficult. You’ll make the streusel, cook the filling, assemble the pie, and bake.
Start by making the streusel topping. Combine all of the streusel ingredients into a bowl and use a pastry blender to cut the butter into dry ingredients.
You want the butter to be in very small pieces and for the mixture to be crumbly. Set the streusel aside in the fridge for now.
Now we’ll make the pie.
Preheat your oven to 450°F and set a rimmed baking sheet in the oven while it preheats.
Place your pie crust into a 9-inch deep dish pie plate. Trim and crimp the edges and pop the pie plate in the fridge to keep the crust cold while you make the filling.
In a medium saucepan, add the mashed sweet potatoes, sugars, spices, salt, butter, and half of the evaporated milk. Cook this mixture over medium-low heat, whisking frequently, until the butter is melted and the mixture starts to bubble. It does not need to boil.
This will take about 5 minutes. Once you reach this stage, take the pan off the heat.
In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining evaporated milk and vanilla. Slowly drizzle in about 1 cup of the hot sweet potato mixture, whisking constantly.
Add the now-warm egg mixture back into the pot with the rest of the sweet potato filling, whisking well to combine.
Remove the pie crust and streusel from the refrigerator. Pour the pie filling into the crust and top with half of the streusel – store the rest of the streusel in the fridge until you need it later.
Baking the pie
Carefully place the pie onto the baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes at 450°F. After 10 minutes, leave the door closed and reduce the oven to 325°F. Continue baking for 20 more minutes.
After the 20 minutes are over, carefully add the rest of the streusel to the top of the pie. Continue baking at 325°F for 40-45 minutes.
The pie is done when the edges and center are puffed and the center only shakes slightly when you wiggle the pie plate. A sharp paring knife or tester inserted into the center should come out clean.
Let the pie cool for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving. You can serve this pie while it is still a bit warm or, as my family prefers, chill it before serving.
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and enjoy the compliments that will roll in.
Make ahead and storage
Because you can serve this sweet potato pie chilled, it’s the perfect make-ahead holiday recipe.
Make the pie up to a day before Thanksgiving or your Christmas dinner. Once it has cooled to room temperature, cover tightly with plastic wrap or pop into a pie keeper and store it in the refrigerator until time to serve.
You can also cook and mash the sweet potatoes up to 2 days ahead of time to cut down on prep time on the day you’re making the pie. Just store the cooked sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge. If you’re also making sweet potato casserole, cook all of your sweet potatoes at once and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to make everything.
Store any leftovers well wrapped or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Sweet potato prep tips
This sweet potato pie recipe calls for 2 cups of mashed sweet potatoes.
There are a few different ways you can prep the sweet potatoes for the filling:
- Poke the whole sweet potatoes all over with a fork or paring knife. Microwave on high until cooked through (time will depend on the size of the potatoes). Let cool slightly, then scoop out the sweet potato flesh and mash with a fork or potato masher, mix with an electric mixer, or run it through a food processor or immersion blender for an ultra-smooth texture.
- Poke the whole sweet potatoes all over with a fork or paring knife. Wrap in foil and bake the potatoes at 425°F for 40-50 minutes, or until cooked through. Let cool slightly, then scoop out the flesh and continue as noted above.
- Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into a rough dice. Place in a saucepan and cover with cold water; bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, until soft. Drain, then mash as noted above.
Streusel-Topped Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
For the streusel:
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 Pinch of fine sea salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cold, cut into pieces
For the pie:
- 1 unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie crust
- 2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes see notes
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk divided use
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
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Instructions
Make the streusel:
- In a medium bowl, combine the streusel dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until butter is in very small pieces and the mixture is crumbly. Place in the refrigerator until needed.2/3 cup all-purpose flour, 2/3 cup light brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 Pinch of fine sea salt, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Make the pie:
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven while it preheats.
- If the pie crust is not already in a pie plate, place it in a 9-inch deep dish pie plate, trimming and crimping the edges as desired. Keep the crust cold in the refrigerator until needed.1 unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie crust
- Place the sweet potatoes, both sugars, all of the spices, salt, butter, and half of the evaporated milk in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, whisking until butter is melted and the mixture is well blended and starts to bubble. Remove from heat.2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes, 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/4 cup unsalted butter, ½ (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
- In a medium bowl, beat together the egg yolks with the remaining evaporated milk and the vanilla. Very slowly drizzle 1 cup of the hot sweet potato mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the now-warmed egg mixture into the pot with the rest of the sweet potato mixture, whisking thoroughly.½ (12-ounce) can evaporated milk, 5 large egg yolks, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Pour pie filling into the unbaked pie crust. Top evenly with half of the streusel mixture, placing the rest into the refrigerator until needed later. Place the pie on the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes at 450°F. After 10 minutes, reduce heat to 325°F and bake for 20 more minutes.
- After 20 minutes, add the remaining streusel to the top of the pie. Continue baking for 40-45 minutes, until the edges and center are raised and puffed and the center only shakes slightly. A sharp pairing knife or tester inserted into the center should come out clean.
- Remove from oven and cool for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving. Can be served warm or chilled.
Notes
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes (just under 2 pounds) will typically yield about 2 cups of mashed potato.
- Sweet potatoes can be cooked in any way you prefer – I typically poke the whole sweet potatoes all over with a fork and microwave until cooked through. Scoop out the flesh and mash with a potato masher or fork, or run the cooked sweet potato through a food processor or puree with an immersion blender for a super smooth texture. Refer to the post for additional details on cooking the sweet potatoes.
Assembly and baking
- If you do not have a 9-inch deep dish pie plate, you can use a regular 9-inch or 10-inch pie plate. If using a regular 9-inch pie plate, you will have extra filling — don’t try to fit it all into the crust. When using a regular (not deep dish) pie plate, you will likely need 10-15 minutes less total baking time, so your final baking time after adding the remaining streusel will be about 30-35 minutes.
- If at any point you feel the edges of your pie crust are getting too dark, cover them gently with foil or a pie guard – this will prevent them from browning further while the pie finishes baking.
Storage
- Pie can be stored loosely covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Yes, a regular 9-inch or 10-inch pie pan will be fine, but you won’t be able to fit all of the filling in it. Add just enough filling to come to the base of the rim of the pie plate—don’t try to overfill it. Refer to the notes of the recipe card above for baking time adjustments when using a regular pie plate.
About Stephie
Stephie is the creator of Stephie Cooks, a food blog that focuses on creating memories around the food we share, with family recipes at the site’s heart. Stephie lives in Central Illinois with her husband, daughter, and a menagerie of cats and dogs. When she’s not in the kitchen or at her computer writing, you can usually find her curled up with a book or working on one of her many grandma-esque hobbies. Learn more >
Oh my goodness, I can’t believe this recipe hasn’t been reviewed yet. I have made it several times. It is a massive hit among my family every time I make it. And in between times they’re always pestering me to make it again. Absolute favorite pie of many. It is so delicious. There are quite a few steps to this recipe but the end result is worth all your efforts. Thank you for such a yummy pie!!
Thank you SO much! I love that your family loves this pie so much!!
My family was supposed to come for our Sunday supper. So I decided to try your version of Sweet Potato Pie. Since I saw it (another version) on a Food TV show it was always on my mind… the colour…the texture and the “wow”, “tout à fait succulent” I could hear when they tasted it. The chef who presented it is a restaurant owner here in Montreal. As sweet potatoes is rather new in our food habits I was glad and proud to present it to my family. Unfortunately we received quite a lot of snow yesterday (yes I know.. March 30!) and we decided to postpone our reunion. I couldn’t wait longer to taste this pie that was waiting there, waving me every minute!! Dear Stephie….it’s ….. sorry I have to go to work… will continue later 😉
Yay, get on the sweet potato train with me! And I suspect you didn’t reeeally have to go to work…you probably just dashed off to eat another piece of pie. 😉
Well,I had to go to work but… I also ate another piece… can you imagine: a sweet potatoe pie for breakfast… please keep this secret for you! And to finish my previous sentence, it’s decadent!!! My gosh this pie will go on –Not to have in my house when I feel lonely!— list: to hard to resist. By the way, I cooked the sweet potatoes in my oven as stated in your instructions. But for the rest, I used my Thermomix. It worked great as it cooks and blends (no I’m not a sales rep – only a very satisfied customer). If they approach you for a review don’t hesitate! Did I thank you for this recipe?
I made this for my family for christmas this is now the only way I will ever make it. Thanks so much for sharing. I did leave out the butter but its only because I changed my eating habits. I didn’t miss the butter like I thought I would. So yummy.
I’m so glad! That is the nice thing about sweet potatoes: they are great with the extra fat, but their texture helps to make it optional! Thank you for your comment!
Aw Stephie, I am so sorry to hear about the tornado! I feel so far away here in Australia… we’ve mostly been hearing about the devastation in the Philippines (and our prime minister being hated in Indonesia due to a phone tapping scandal) over the past few days, I wasn’t even aware of what happened where you are! Glad that most people were safe, despite the damage. Situations like this definitely remind us that we’re vulnuerable as humans but like you, I also believe that God is in control during these troubled times. Take care and I’ll be wishing and praying for a swift repair of the damage and calm weather for the rest of the winter months. Oh, and your pie looks incredible. Yum! Hugs xxx
Thank you, darling. 🙂
The photos of the devastation were all over the news here in Australia. How incredibly sad for everyone.
This sweet potato pie will be perfect for Thanksgiving. (Americans celebrate where they are, right?)
We absolutely do! It’s next Thursday. 🙂
I’m in Australia so we celebrate on Friday since we’re 15 hours ahead. We end up celebrating at about the same time my kids in Atlanta do. 🙂
You know that pie plate? Yeah. Saw it in an antique store on Wednesday. Well, not this exact one, but the first cousin. Plus, I saw my favorite brown and blue bowls that I use (almost bought more of those). Yeah. I limped a bit more on the way out, feeling my age. Decided that meant we had been married a long time. 🙂
AND YOU DIDN’T BUY ME ANY OF THESE THINGS???? :-O
How do you know that I didn’t? Well, I didn’t on the pie plate, because I was like, how many pie plates do you need and I have one. Didn’t think that you would want one. The pyrex stuff was kind of pricey, but still tempting. It was at the EP antique mall, so not hard to get to. 🙂 We’ll talk.
Thoughts and prayers are with all your friends and family! I am so glad to hear they are all safe and that help is being provided. God is good always. And this pie, definitely part of the answer. Big (((hugs)))
Stephie, I am so happy to hear that your friends and family are safe, yet so saddened by the disaster. Thank you for the important reminder to give back, to count our blessings, and to hold onto what matters. I also was really touched by the personal story you shared about your past. You are so wonderful!
And yes, this pie is DEFINITELY part of the answer.
But can I rock a local TV news segment like you? Highly doubtful. 😉 Love you, girl.
I’m so so sorry to hear about this. All those years living in MN, I hated hearing the tornado warnings go off. Here in CA, it’s earthquakes, without any warning. I’ve been through a few of those… mother nature can be so unkind :/ So yes, we should always have perspective, be grateful for what we have, and eat pie. Always eat pie.
My parents’ house is actually RIGHT NEXT to one of the tornado sirens. Hearing that thing go off is the worst sound ever. The beagles always hate it, too.
Oh, nothing tears my heart out like watching the news after these natural disasters, and seeing all the homeless animals. *sob*
So completely apropos for my week. I have had several friends dealing with some really bad stuff this week. Earlier today I was thinking how fortunate I am to be able to give back some of the kindness people have shown me. Thank you for posting!
What a difficult time to see people we love dealing with bad things. How blessed we are to be able to show love and kindness to them and help them through!
I am so happy your friends and family are all safe! It is times like these that you really see the good in people. What horrible devastation but, I know they will rebuild as people always do. You are so right that in times like this even the smallest gestures mean a lot.
You and yours are in my thoughts, Stephie. And while I am so happy to hear that they got through unscathed, I know that others were less fortunate, which is why I so appreciate your reminder to, now and throughout the holiday season, remain thankful and thoughtful of those who are struggling.
In other news, your pie looks amazing; I love outside-of-the-box pie recipes and yours is a true winner!
Thanks, Meagan! Let’s put streusel on everything and see if it solves any of the world’s problems. 😉
Ugh, I’m so so sorry that your hometown was in the line of those nasty storms this weekend. Prayers and hugs going out to your friends and family.
And this post — just so good. Thanks for the reminder to be thankful (and for some yummy pictures of yummy pie) :).
I figure that pie is a pretty good mood-lifter. Especially when there’s streusel involved.
Your post brought me to tears. I’m sorry to hear about all the damage that has been done…it’s amazing how we can go from being these empowered individuals to realizing mother nature is bigger than us…there are things over which we have no control. My heart and warm wishes go out to everyone effected by the Tornado, and thank you for bringing awareness to the matter.
My family went through something similar to yours when I was a kid. Our vegetables were canned green beans and corn, and we ate fish sticks alllll the time. Hamburger helper and Tuna helper were definitely staples. I forget about these times and am bad about not being thankful that times have improved, my family is healthy and safe. You always open my eyes, my dear…not only are you an amazing cook, but your wisdom and gratitude in life astounds me. I want to squeeze you!
Aw, let’s just hug this love-fest out! xoxo