It’s not November. It’s not the holiday season. It’s not Fall. It’s not anything at all until I get my hands on this pie. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas I can usually be found standing in front of the open refrigerator eating slices of this pie like cold pizza.
This is my Dad’s famous (because I say so) Sweet Potato Pie recipe. I’ve written about this recipe here before… heck, I’ve even written about it in my cookbook. Consider this a can’t stop/won’t stop situation. It’s just so good/too good/ just right/ you’ve gotta try this!
Here’s what I’m thinking….
Thanksgiving is coming up. Pumpkin pie yadda yadda yadda… forget it!
Try a Sweet Potato Pie! It’s bright, beautifully spiced, and it will totally give you street-cred.
And we all know we bake mostly for the street-cred. You’re welcome.
Original photography shot with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III digital SLR. The filmmaker’s camera.
This pie requires some simultaneous work. First the peeled and diced sweet potatoes simmer away with water on the stovetop. While those work away, we break the butter down into the flour for pie crust.
My friend Jon taught me to use a potato masher to break butter into flour. That’s smarts.
This buttermilk pie crust is buttery and shaggy. With a few kneads and some suggestive pressing, the dough will come together into a disk. Throw it in the fridge and we can deal with the potatoes.
I just said ‘suggestive pressing’.
Boiled potatoes are drained and mashed. We’re getting closer to pie filling!
It’s all worth it. I promise.
The mashed potatoes are cooked down with brown sugar, spices, and some evaporated milk.
Heating the mixture before pouring it into the crust will help open up the spices and meld all the flavors together. Once the mixture heats, I used an immersion blender to make it extra smooth.
If it seems like this recipe has a lot of extra steps. Well… it does, but it doesn’t really. Trust me. Still worth it.
Eggs, milk, and a bit more sugar are mixed into the sweet potato puree.
And it’s time to roll out the pie crust too!
Let’s marry.
We’re totally almost there!
Let’s just stop and take a big wiff. Pie air freshener… and it’s only going to get better with the heat of an oven.
If I could bottle the smell of this pie… I’d wear it every single day, and I’d have friends forever.
This pie is luscious (I’ve been using that word a lot lately/sorry), perfectly smooth, sweet, and the spices… beyond. You might not think that coriander would work in a pie filling, but it’s an absolute dream.
How does this pie compare to a traditional pumpkin pie? Well… it’s the same color and consistency, but it’s entirely different (read: waay better!). The spices are more subtle, less cinnamon driven, and work in lovely harmony. This pie tastes like velvet, and compassion, and love, and sweet potato. Everything good (but who eats velvet?).
This pie filling makes a generous amount of filling. It will overfill one of those smaller, more shallow pie tins. I used a 9-inch wide and 2-inch deep pie pan. A deeper pie pan hold this filling like a charm. I used this sort of pie plate.
Other pie recourses you might consider:
How To Make Buttermilk Pie Crust
Dad’s Sweet Potato Pie
For the Crust:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold buttermilk
For the Filling:
2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes, from 2 medium sweet potatoes
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup (10 ounces) evaporated milk, divided
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
To make the pie crust, in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add cold, cubed butter and, using your fingers (or a potato masher), work the butter into the flour mixture. Quickly break the butter down into the flour mixture, some butter pieces will be the size of oat flakes, some will be the size of peas. Create a well in the mixture and pour in the cold buttermilk. Use a fork to bring to dough together. Try to moisten all of the flour bits. Add a bit more buttermilk if necessary, but you want to mixture to be shaggy and not outwardly wet.
On a lightly floured work surface, dump out the dough mixture. It will be moist and shaggy. That’s perfect. Gently knead into a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Allowing the dough to rest in the refrigerator will help rechill the butter and distribute the moisture.
To roll out the pie crust, on a well floured surface, roll the crust 1/8 inch thick and about 12 inches in diameter. Transfer it to a pie pan. Trim the edge almost even with the edge of the pan Fold the edges under and crimp with your fingers or a fork. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 3 hours.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place a rack in the upper third of the oven.
To make the filling, first peel the sweet potatoes. Dice the sweet potatoes into large, 3-inch chunks. Place potato pieces in a large pot and cover with cool water. Place over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are tender throughout, about 20 minutes. Test the doneness of the potatoes using a thin knife. If the knife meets any resistance, simmer the potatoes a bit longer.
Drain into a colander.
In the same large pot place cooked potato pieces, the packed brown sugar, all of the spices, salt, butter, and half of the evaporated milk. Cook on low flame, using a potato masher to mash the potatoes and they cook. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Make sure that the mixture is as smooth as possible. I used an immersion blender to completely smooth the mixture. Once mixture is smooth and fragrant, remove from fire and let cool in pot.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining evaporated milk, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk well. Pour the egg mixture into the warm sweet potato mixture.
Pour the prepared filling into the pie crust. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees F. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and cook until cooked through, about 45 to 50 minutes.
To test the pie for doneness lightly shake the baking sheet. If the center of the pie has a wavy jiggle it needs more time in the oven. If the center of the pie has a lighter, more structured jiggle, it’s done!
Kristina
This recipe is delicious!!! I dropped off a few slices to a friend and she insisted I make her a whole pie the next day lol.
Cassie
Made this after taking your class. Holy hell! My husband says it’s the best sweet potato pie he’s ever eaten and he was raised in the South. It was so fabulous we had it for breakfast too.
Nancy
I ended up with around 1.5 cups of sweet potato and so I reduced the other ingredients accordingly (2 eggs, a bit under 1 cup of evap milk, cut back spices a bit, etc.). I’d say it was a *perfect* fit for a shallow 9-inch pie plate. My personal preference is for the shallow pie pan version: it’s easy to judge the pie’s doneness when cooking, and each slice is plenty rich. The key to the lovely look of this pie is the immersion blending of the sweet potato mixture: it makes for a beautiful presentation.
MizKiz
Hi Joy! I’ve made this recipe before but I remember boiling the potatoes without peeling them. Did you change this part of the recipe? Or is my memory getting really old and feeding me incorrect information? Lol
Btw: It came out perfectly last time. I look forward to making this again and hopefully converting my pumpkin pie loving son without his knowledge as I much prefer sweet potato pie over pumpkin pie.
joythebaker
I always boil the potatoes peeled. And I’m so glad it came out well! It’s a work-horse of a recipe!
Camille
This is so perfect! I cant wait until Fall to try this recipe and only 2 more months!
Ana
I just did this recipe, but isn’t as orange as this :(. Looks more like autumn mix
Jocelyn
Whaaaat with coriander and buttermilk in the piecrust…wow! I’m so trying this. Buttermilk in anything makes everything tastes better recipe and love coriander….this will be exciting…. thanks for sharing.
Tam
The filling is beautiful; smooth and delicious, and it set perfectly without splitting/cracking. I think it needs a blind-baked crust though; it was good on the sides but was soggy on the bottom. Oh well, since the crust is not good enough to serve to anyone else, I guess I’ll just have to eat the whole pie myself…
Andreamy
This was a superb recipe, it came out just like the picture. I changed a few things out of necessity (had not shopped, this is what I had in house) My hubby and kids absolutely love it – I am really proud of my first attempt at SP Pie. thank your Dad for me
my changes:
no buttermilk so created with in a 1/3 cup container – half lemon juice and half whole milk – let sit for 10 minutes stir
used 1 can – 29 oz (1 lb 13 oz) Bruces Yams – drained (so skip 1st paragraph – just heat and mash)
instead of coriander – 1/2 tsp cumin
instead of vanilla extract – 1/2 tblsp lemon extract
Crust was too thick (a little doughy) – used 8in pan, will cook crust 7-10 min right before adding filling
margarine instead of unsalted butter
Peggy
I have made this pie 5 times in 2 weeks, that a how much it’s loved and how quickly it disappears!
Melissa
I made this for Thanksgiving last week, and it was a huge hit! With my brother especially. Thanks for always being solid with the recipes!
Peggy
Being raised on sweet potato pie, I wondered if this would be different from what I know and it blew my family experience away. THE ABSOLUTE CHAMPION of sweet potato pies. My sister said, the best I’ve ever had! Thanks!
Daniela
Hey, I make this pie every Thanksgiving an it is our absolute favorite! This year I really want to do mini pies using a jumbo muffin pan but I have no idea how long to bake them, what do you think? Thank you!
Chris
I just baked the pie and it was awesome! I have some questions that you may be able to answer for the second time I attempt this. Should the crust be prebaked prior to filling? If so, how long ? I Asked because I ended up not baking crust alone and it seems that the bottom was slightly undercooked and I would love for it to be a little more done. How should I address something like this?
joythebaker
I like this pie without pre-baking the crust because I think it bakes up with the filling nicely. But if you would like to pre-bake, I totally understand. I would use the method used to pre-bake this Brownie Pie: https://joythebaker.com/2017/10/the-fearless-bakers-brownie-pie/
Amber
what can i substitute for a coriander allergy?
joythebaker
You could try a pumpkin pie spice, but it will change the flavor of the pie. I understand it’s for an allergy need.
txu
Your wholehearted writing is always… a joy. Thank you for brightening my days and for the inspiration to attempt pie making. What kind of sweet potatoes do you recommend using?
joythebaker
The orange flesh, purple skinned ones!
ElleJay
I found this recipe for this year and just made it this evening – I’m dry running recipes for Thanksgiving. I really like the way the crust turned out, but I put the ingredients in my food processor and pulsed the butter and flour ever so lightly, then put the buttermilk in by hand. I just have no patience for cutting butter in by hand :) Thanks for the great recipe for this year!
Kirti Yadav
That Potato Pie looks so delicious and tempting that I just kept staring at the picture for few seconds…Great recipe.
jenny
can you make this with canned yams?
joythebaker
I haven’t tried this recipe with canned yams so I’m not certain.
Michel G. Gomez
Now this is a good looking sweet potato pie :D . Instead of boil I bake my potatoes so no flavor is lost in water. Going to try the crust,sounds good :D :D
Michel G. Gomez
Now this is a good looking sweet potato pie :D . Instead of boil I bake my potatoes so no flavor is lost in water. Going to try the crust , sounds good :D :D
anice
Hi Joy! I would like to know if it is ok to leave out all of the spices (the coriander, nutmeg, and cinnamon), and will I have to substitute it in with something else. Also will it effect the overall flavor of the pie?
joythebaker
Yes if you leave out all of the spices it will certainly effect the overall taste of the pie. I would say keep the spices in if you can.
Imabaker
hi! my mom doesn’t like cinnamon so will it be fine if I just leave it out? or should I substitute it with something else.
joythebaker
You can leave it out if you’d like!
Imabaker
Hi! thanks for replying, will it be ok if I leave out all the spices too? (the coriander, grated nutmeg, and cinnamon)
Angel_Twins
Healthy and yummy.
Florence Jensen
I made this pie yesterday, and the filling was so worth it–the best I’ve ever had!!
I roasted the sweet potatoes in a slow cooker the day before, and this cut down on peeling and boiling (loss of flavor). I then mashed and whipped them with an electric mixer till smooth (just as good as a food processor).
I did not care for the pie crust–there was too much handling of the dough–and would make a standard vegetable shortening pie crust n/ext time, or even a graham cracker crust.
Your website is nothing short of amazing! I have made your Classic Birthday Cake and Everybody’s Birthday Cake with great results. I know I can trust your recipes, and that means everything to me. I intend to try many, many more:) In the slow cooker right now is a brisket which is being made as part of your Brisket Breakfast Bicuits. Breakfast can’t come soon enough …
Cherie
I discovered this recipe a few years ago and I’ve never looked back. Thank you for sharing!
Murphy Adams
Watched your tutorial on Food 52 and decided to give it a try. The crust was a dream to work with, I grated the butter for the first time and it worked wonderfully. The coriander adds magic, this pie was incredible and I’ll make it on Thanksgiving as well . Thanks Joy!
joythebaker
This makes me so happy! I’m glad it was such a success!
Bettye
Thank you for this recipe. Will certainly try it and add it to my collection of SP pie recipes. I always wondered why it wasn’t considered a standard also for the holiday season as it is in the South. We grew and ate Sweet Potatoes not
Pumpkins.
A.J. Muldrow
Hi there, I wanted to make this pie for our Thanksgiving dinner which we’re doing this Saturday. I was trying to figure out what I could prepare ahead of time. If I prepare the filling and pie crust now and put it all together to bake on Saturday (in 2 days) will it come out ok?
joythebaker
Keep the pie crust unrolled and in the refrigerator and the filling in a Tupperware in the refrigerator. Then you can bake the pie on Friday, the pie is great at room temperature.
Amy
The color of that pie is amazing
Virginia Joines
Late to the party, but I’m so glad I made this! I was nervous about the coriander, but it is true genius. Thank you so much for this taste of perfection!
Kelsey B.
I think I messed up… the filling is more of a sweet potato bisque than pie filling. I doubled the recipe for a slab pie and obviously erred somewhere along the way… is there a way to fix this? Or is it supposed to be thin and will bake into a custard should I roll the pastry dough into a traditional pie, scraping the slab pie format?
joythebaker
Maybe you added to much milk? It’s hard for me to know. Did you bake the filing in the slab pie? I’m curious how it turned out.
thefolia
I love me some sweet potato pie…in fact all little bears loves Papa Bear’s sweet potato pie in our nest. I will have to try this and do a throw down with Papa Bear next time he makes his pie. Happy feasting!
Kim
Hi, I made this pie today and it was AMAZING. Would you normally bind bake the pie crust first or simply fill and bake?
gadok
Totally distrusted the coriander thing, but decided to stick to your recipe… all I can say is that your father is the god of pies.
everett
joy, i have followed your blog for years and have never made this pie. this pie (two of them, in fact) are in the oven right now, today, thanksgiving.
joy, my biggest weakness is laziness. i didn’t make the crust from scratch; i bought the most expensive pre-made pie crust, assuming price = quality. I bought too many sweet potatoes. I even bought molasses to make my own brown sugar. but joy, I didn’t buy spices.
i put curry powder in your dad’s sweet potato pie. please don’t tell him, I don’t want to break his heart. but joy, it tastes good.
please don’t hate me.
joythebaker
I don’t hate you at all!!
Nicole
I tried this recipe last Thanksgiving my family loves it. They made me make it for Christmas three weeks later. Once again, I’m making pie for Thanksgiving. This recipe rocks! Thanks so much for sharing!
KAPP
Just took this pie out of the even. Love the way it makes the house smell and gets the rest of my cooking/baking on a g roll. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Such a huge hit last year…it has become a baking tradition now.
Emily
Hi! Can I use milk instead of condensed milk? Maybe thicken a little with a bit of flour or cornstarch if that will make it too runny?
joythebaker
It’s evaporated milk, not to be confused with sweetened condensed milk. I would stick to evaporated milk if you can!
Bethany
This is my second year using this recipe. The first time I tried it, I got a little choked up, because it tastes exactly like my Dad’s recipe. He passed several years ago. When I was little he made these every year by the dozens. He always set 5 or 6 aside just for me the “baby” that no one was allowed to eat but me. Thank you from the bottom of my soul for sharing this. May you be blessed abundantly.
joythebaker
Bethany, let’s make eye contact and have tears in our eyes. I feel like that’s what we need.
Michelle
Is this pie better served chilled or hot out of the oven? Thanks!
joythebaker
Definitely definitely chilled.
Giuliana
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I made it yesterday to test it out for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit! I do have one question though- Did you use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar?
Thanks again!
joythebaker
Thanksgiving practice! I like your style. Either light or dark brown sugar is great!
Arlie
Alright, Joy. You’ve always been there to help with your great recipes, but I need a little extra help this time. Please give me some advice. I am the baker in the family. For the last few years we have Thanksgiving 5 hours away. I still do way too much baking for the feast, but it is frantic and the kitchen we feast at is not large. To help make the day easier I want to take frozen pie crusts ready along with prepared fillings. I know this will work with my pumpkin filling because the recipe says it is best if the flavors have a day or so to develop. Can I do something similar with this filling? I totally want to show off your family’s amazing pie, but really don’t think I’m up for the work day of feasting. I also don’t want to make your pie three days before eating, unless you say that is my best bet. Please share your wisdom!
joythebaker
Hi Arlie! Just like pumpkin pie, this filling is even better after it’s been in the fridge (unbaked) for a day or two. That’s what I’m doing this year as well! Definitely go for frozen pie crust and day or two day old pie filling! You’ve got it!
Nancy Mcanulty
Made 8 of these for a crew of men at our local paper mill. They loved them, I’m getting request for these and tomorrow I’m making some more,,what a treat! I was told to try adding some Cajun spice,,they were to die for. Just a little current version but it kicked it up a notch! Bon appetite!
iris
I just bought two ‘sweet potatoes’ at the grocery store, and they were white! Now it seems I might be able to get by with a yam, which in American grocery stores is actually a soft-variety sweet potato.
Does anyone know anything about this? Or have any advice?
Leah
I use yams for the sweet potato pie, you have to work with it to get the required taste. Sweet potatoes are better, but they are not in stores on the West Coast, I have found the “white sweet potatoes but I have not made a pie with them. Probably taste good, color and texture is the different.
Leah
I like to know did you used real sweet potatoes or yam? I like the color of the pie, will try. Thank you..
Melanie
Thank you for posting this. I would’ve never thought to put sweet potatoes in a blender to get a smoother texture. It worked out perfectly! Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Lisa
I made this for Thanksgiving and had trouble with the crust. It was dry and crumbly requiring more buttermilk or water. After adding that, it was hard to work with and stuck to surfaces. The filling was nicely flavored, but watery. I had to add more potato mixture which helped also to cut the sweetness. I’ll try it again with different crust recipe and less evaporated milk in the filling.
Jeff Masters
What a beautiful pie. I enjoyed the pictures of your almost perfect crust. I have begun to enjoy making pies in more of a rustic, or “italian crostata” fashion. a little extra dough, and roll it out oversize. Fold the sides in on the pie, brush with an egg wash, and sprinkle with a little brown sugar. Works for me. Thanks for the recipe!
Neal Bell
Making this for Thanksgiving tomorrow – I’m going to top it off with some homemade marshmallow, lightly torched.
joythebaker
I love the addition of the homemade marshmallow topping!! You go, Neal!
KAPP
These are in the oven right now! I want to thank you and your Dad for such an awesome recipe. I couldn’t stop eating the blended sweet potatoes…the spices….INCREDIBLE. You’re right this will definitely give me street-cred. I made 4 pies and will be proud to give some away to family. Can’t wait to get their comments. I’m just afraid I may be asked to make this for everyone again every year…lol!! Your recipes/blog is great…thanks again!!!
joythebaker
Thank you so much for giving them a try! I hope you and your family enjoys them!
Maureen Sutherland Weiser
Joy, will you ask your dad if he will marry me? I just made this pie today and both myself and my husband (he’s ok if I marry your dad if i bring him this pie at least once every other day) declare this the official holiday pie. Bye bye pumpkin, hello Joy’s Dad’s Sweet Potato Pie!!!! Bless you. And your Daddy!!!
Maureen
Eva
Hello Joy! I was wondering if you had any suggestions for a substitute to Ground Coriander since I am having a hard time finding it in the supermarkets in Puerto Rico! I would really appreciate the help! :)
joythebaker
Hello Eva, you can actually just omit the ground coriander, the other spices will be enough to still carry out the flavor of the pie!
Chloe
Joy, I made this last night, and i’m so excited to try it! Can I freeze it until Thursday? I’m always nervous about freezing pies. Would it be ok in the refrigerator?
Eva
Hello! :) I am having trouble finding Ground Coriander in the supermarkets in Puerto Rico, and I was wondering if you could suggest a good substitute for it since I am anxious to make this pie!!
Thank You!
joythebaker
Hi Eva, you’ll be fine with just omitting the coriander. The other spices in the recipe will work well in carrying out the flavor of the pie!
Stephen
Hi Joy, was wondering if the recipe makes enough filling for a 10 in. pie? Thanks!
joythebaker
Hello Stephen, it’ll be a little less but it should work!
Katrine
I don’t know if someone already asked this but is it okay if I make the filling one day ahead of baking it?
Rachel D.
how would you suggest to make this pie beforehand? prepare pie crust – then freeze? prepare filling – then refrigerate? Or would refrigerating the filling make it too dense once ready to pour into pie crust and bake?
Any suggestions? I’m traveling for Thanksgiving and would like to be prepared as possible and this is my FAVORITE pie to make for the holidays!
Sheri
This looks delicious. Can you tell me how long I should knead the dough. First time making homemade crust. :)
joythebaker
Hello Sheri! Just until the dough comes together, you definitely don’t want to over knead it!
Victoria
Please thank your father for allowing you to share this recipe with the world. I’m not as sweet. If I had a recipe this perfect, I’d lock it away in a cabinet.
I made it for the first time last year and immediately knew I would be for every year going forward. I made two tonight for a friendsgiving; one for the event & one for my face.
Miriam
Every year I make candied yams, but never really had a good recipe. Do you think I could substitute this recipe for that? Would the filling be good with melted marshmallows on top? This recipe looks awesome
Alice Bernard
how can I print this recipe from this post??? thanks
joythebaker
If you scroll down to the bottom of the post, you’ll see a print it button right by the recipe!
Richa
Delicious! Made this last night and it was great, my sweet potatoes weren’t orange but it was so easy to follow and make. Will make again!
Jamie
Absolutely Devine!!! Every year for Thanksgiving I have to bake 7-10 sweet potato pies but prior to stumbling upon this recipe in Nov.2013 my pies would be very tasty but not great. NOW my pies come out smooth, rich, fragrant, and flavorful… it’s like a party in my mouth with every bite.
Thanks for sharing your dad’s recipe!!!
P.S I haven’t built up enough nerve to try making the crust but soon as a do, I’ll be sure to post my review.
John R Daniel
I am a former chef and this pie is perfect! Great balance of spices and the buttermilk crust amazing. About the fibers that are almost always a problem for some, I use a very good hand blender, All Clad, which is more expensive but it lasts a lifetime and is heavy duty like the one’s used in professional kitchens. I also cheated and did not cook the filling on the stove like traditional custards are made. I blended the potatoes first about 3 minutes, and added all of the ingredients and blended again about 2 more minutes. The pie was fiber free and it was like velvet like another poster said. My recipes have more cinnamon and I liked the balance of less cinnamon to the coriander. This was as beautiful of a pie as I have ever made! From one dad to another, Thanks!
Avery
Just made this for the office Fall pie contest… and came in first place!! Thanks Joy!
Cherrey Mae Bartolata
We have a lot of sweet potatoes in the Philippines! But everyone hardly wants to go out from just boiling the potatoes and eating them that way. Thanks for giving me an idea.
Emma
I have offered to bake the desserts this Thanksgiving at my friend’s house whose family keeps kosher. I have my heart set on making a sweet potato or pumpkin pie but I can’t use the butter, buttermilk or evaporated milk called for in this recipe. Do you have any suggestions for how to make a kosher version?
Mark Schrum
can you tell me why the recipe wont print even though there is a print link ?
joythebaker
should be fixed up!!
Marthesi
Looks great! I have a very stupid question though: Do you eat this as a dessert or as dinner? I come from Scandinavia, and here we don’t have a tradition with either pumpkin pie or sweet potatoe pie, and I have never tasted anything like it. So I’m just wondering, what do I serve this with? Salad or ice cream? :P
Jane H.
My mom used lemon flavoring..helps brighten the flavor even more.
dw
Probably my favorite of your blogs thus far. “Pumpkin pie yada yada”. I agree. Though Thanksgiving is 41 days away, I’ll be road testing your dad’s recipe. I’ve never tried boiling and cooking potatoes first – looking forward to it. Thanks, Joy.
JS
Considering roasting the sweet potatoes instead of boiling them to get more flavor. Do you think it’d be worth it?
joythebaker
I think it definitely will! You’ll get a deeper and richer flavor!
FitSweet
perfect
Maggie Finley
Joy this pie does not last no time in my house. I am forever baking it cause somebody got left out!
Mattea
Such a great recipe! I used a different crust, but followed your filling. Just made a full size pie for my family for Canadian Thanksgiving tomorrow, plus a mini one (I baked it in a ramekin) for me tonight. So delicious and that’s some really beautiful food photography!
Taylor
Does the coriander make the pie taste at all like cilantro? Cilantro tastes like soap to me, so I would be worried that the pie would taste like soap as a result. Thanks in advance!
joythebaker
in my opinion this pie tastes nothing like cilantro. no way. but i say this as a person who isn’t sensitive to cilantro / soapy taste. can anyone else chime in on this?
Lauren
As a person who cannot tolerate cilantro, this pie is delicious and absolutely tastes nothing like soap. I made it last year and it was perfection. I am making it again tonight for a Thanksgiving potluck!
Zivile
Absolutely amazing it was! Never thought that sweet potatoes can be sooooo good in a pie:)
Diana Van der Eyken
Hi Joy, I have just tried to make youre sweet potato pie. I only hope that I have got the megurements right, as I live in Belgium everything is in gram’s and kilo’s, so I used conversiontables. :-) So far the smell is great, can’t wait.
BlackBeauty
Always bake your sweet potatoes for your pies. Makes a more delicious pie and brings out more of the natural sugar.
Cindy
This turned out so good, great recipe.
Jade
This looks amazing! I’ve got several already baked sweet potatoes needing to be used and this seems the perfect way! My only delema is not having evaporated milk…could I use heavy cream instead?
Gry
It looks so so pretty – love the colour! I’m not an experienced pie maker, but I might give this one a try!
Mandy
I made this and it was spectacular! The coriander threw me for a loop when I read the recipe, but I will never doubt you again. I put the sweet potatoes through my ricer and then I didn’t have to hit it with the immersion blender after it cooked with the spices. Thank you for continuing to share this.
Phoebe
I made this for our Thanksgiving dinner this year and it was a huge hit! So delicious, classic yet just a little bit different too. Thanks for sharing this recipe! Also, the crust was surprisingly easy to manage, which was a huge plus.
Marianne
I had leftover sweet potatoes…just used them to make this – it smells amazing!
stykzorz
Last time I tired to make sweet potato pie (5 years ago) it was a complete disaster! I finally gathered the courage to try again and used this recipe, and it turned out fan-freaking-tastic! I LOVE the flavor that the cardamom gives this pie. It is absolutely delicious and it was super easy to make! I will be making this recipe for years to come!
Doug
My neighboor’s are knocking on the door, and wondering what I’m baking? Sensory overload! Loving the Laguiole you used in the photo shoot! Class act!
Alanna @ One Tough Cookie
Ahhh! This pie looks incredible. Thanksgiving has come and gone for me (Canadian problems), but I’ve been meaning to make some more pie just for the heck of it. This looks like the one! –And by the way, gorgeous photos!
Mike DeAngelo
The aroma is outstanding. Can’t wait to have a slab of this tomorrow. And Christy, good tip on baking the potatoes. My wife agrees.
Jen
Is it wrong I just made this pie, but with pumpkin? Worked like a dream! We’ll be digging into this lovely around a campfire in Yosemite this Thanksgiving. Thanks for sharing the love!
Jamie
I made this on Sunday – WAY better than pumpkin pie. I plan on making this my “go to” pie. The crust was also way easier than most pie crusts! Thanks, Joy!
Dana
Yup making this for T-day :) I’m a sweet potato junkie and this buttermilk crust is more than intriguing. However, the REAL curveball here is the coriander! I love that it’s not the ordinary pumpkin pie spices :)
Abby
if i cut the recipe in half, would you recommend using one egg or two to make a smaller batch of individual mini pies? (or I could whisk 3 together and use half the weight of the mixture) so thrilled to try this out!
Gwyneth
This looks sooo yummy. You’re not gonna believe this, but I’ve never had sweet potato pie so definitely looking forward to trying this recipe.
Abby
To make a smaller batch of individual mini pies, if I cut the recipe in half, would you recommend using one egg or two? SO THRILLED to try this out!
Calley
I usually just bake lots of pumpkin pies this time of year, but this time around maybe I will try out a sweet potato pie : ) looks yummy. and sweet potatoes in Chinese Medicine are very nourishing for the Earth element of our bodies (the digestive system).
http://www.seedoflifeacupuncture.com
Renee @ Awesome on $20
I’ve only had sweet potato pie a couple of times, but it’s definitely superior to plain pumpkin pie. I would definitely love to try this recipe. And buy myself an immersion blender.
Alanna Sinclair
How important is an immersion blender in the process of making the sweet potatoe pie? I don’t have one considering putting it on a Christmas list. Do you use it often or find it helpful versus…actually I have no idea what you would use in its place. I had never heard of an immersion blender till I read your post. Thanks!!
Kelly
This looks so good, SO yummy!
xx
Kelly
Sparkles and Shoes
Johanna Benn
Never thought to use sweet potato in a pie, in fact I hadn’t heard of sweet potato pie before this post. It looks so good and is such an amazing colour! People eat not only with their mouths but their eyes too! I am definitely going to have to give this a try! Thanks for sharing :)
J x
http://justjohanna717.blogspot.co.uk/
Catering Calgary
Oh my sweet potato pie. This looks wonderful. Why the potato masher for cutting the butter in and not a pastry cutter. And did you mean cardamon instead of coriander? Anyway I definitely am going to make/bake this tomorrow.
joythebaker
i definitely mean coriander. definitely.
systers5
Whoop, whoop for sweet potato pie!
Katie
Hi joy, if I use 2 tbsp bourbon will it totally change the consistency of the pie? Thank you!
joythebaker
no… you should be fine! go for it! sounds lovely.
Katie
Thank you!
Mimi @ Culinary Couture
Bookmarking this right now! The potato masher trick is so cool!
Shari @ Simply Shari's Gluten Free
Oh, wow! This sounds amazing. Sweet potatoes are now on my grocery list. Thanks!
Katelyn Heiner
That looks so fantastically delicious! I must try. And hey if anyone out there needs some other Thanksgiving dish ideas, I’ve compiled a list of Pinterest’s top Thanksgiving recipes. Check it out! http://ambrosiaandnectar.com/pinterests-top-thanksgiving-recipes/
Kirsten
Looks amazing! Since I am a celiac, I plan on making a gluten-free crust (cheating – using Bob’s Red Mill) and I’m also planning on only making two small baby pies so that I don’t over-eat and freezing the rest of the mixture (can it be frozen?). What’s your experience in cooking with a gluten free crust – same amount of time?
Laura @ Laura's Culinary Adventures
Your pictures are always so beatiful!
Jayne
Darn. Defeated by an immersion blender which I don’t have. And of all things, I do have sweet potatoes at home.
Rebecca
I need to make this, I am thinking of baking with sweet potatoes for a while now ;) also I see all those lovely pies lately on all blogs… Need to join the fun :D and by the way, how genious to use a potato masher!!!! I will love you for this tip forever and will try it right away tomorrow with my cookies ;)
Take care!! :)
Zulejka
Looks like something from a fairy land … I have to find some sweet potato! (not so easy to come by where I live) I loved “who eats velvet” addition, I still laugh at it;)
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
Absolutely gorgeous pie!
Judy @ Season of Sweets
You’ve successfully convinced me! This Thanksgiving—Dad’s Famous Sweet Potato pie!
Judy @ Season of Sweets
Katy
Wow, the top of that pie – so, so smooth and perfect! And those slices! This looks like a great break from traditional pumpkin pie and family recipes are always the best.
Katie
Could I add 2 tbsp of bourbon for flavor with out ruining the consistency
joythebaker
yes! go for it!
atasteofmadess
I definitely would pass up the pumpkin pie for a slice of this. Sweet potato?? Really? The color is gorgeous, I am so intrigued..
Miranda
Joy, have you ever tried grating your butter (like on a box grater) for your pie crusts? It’s kind of a pain, but I get consistently better results than any other method I’ve tried.
joythebaker
grating butter is a great (no pun intended) method!
Aimee Wimbush-Bourque
Just wanna say, I lovelovelove everything you are doing with your photos lately. The semi-styled, charmingly-messy, in-process shots are calling me back every time. I kinda wanna just hang out here!
Tracy
I’ve never on the sweet potato pie bandwagon, but seeing this pie is making me want to jump on real quick! Great work Papa Wilson!
alyson
The smoothness of the top of this pie is mesmerizing. Must… stare…
Pardon My French
This sounds, looks, can-almost-taste-it-already-through-my-screen, delicious! Already sent my mom the recipe to tell her I’m making it for Thanksgiving. Thanks for sharing!
allie@sweetpotatobites
Sweet Potato Pie. It’s like this recipe was meant for me. Love it.
Mallory @ Because I Like Chocolate
Oh it’s the holidays all right! You Americans leave your Thanksgiving too late, if you celebrated it earlier you would have much more time to enjoy Christmas! I don’t think that tradition will change anytime soon but I must say, I like celebrating Thanksgiving in October!
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan
Pass that pie chicky dee!!
Michelle @ A Healthy Mrs
I’ve never had sweet potato pie before, but it sounds delicious! I mean, I like sweet potatoes, I like pie — why not put them together? :)
Stella Soon
Hi Joy! When reducing the temp from 375 to 325, do you take the pie out of the oven and put it back in once the new temp is set? Or leave it in the entire time? This will be my first attempt at making sweet potato pie!
joythebaker
leave it in the entire time!
Elise @ yumfoodiefoodie
Dear Joy the Baker,
I feel that I must be confused. I was taught that “sweet potatoes” are always yellow in the middle, and that “yams” are orange in the middle (with the addition of many other yam varieties, in many other yammy-colors). Help! Am I confused? Have I missed out on a magical orange sweet potato?
Love, Elise
Jackie
This might be the most beautiful orange pie I’ve ever seen! Not sure I can convince the masses to go sweet potato this holiday, but I like the sound of the buttermilk crust. Thanks Joy!
foodnerd4life
I love this recipe! I made it for the first time last year and managed to convert my English friends to try it and now I have my orders to make much more of them this year! I even wrote about it on my blog here – http://www.foodnerd4life.com/thankful-for-the-sweet-potatoes/
FoodNerd x
http://www.foodnerd4life.com
Rachel Watters
Crust! Just what I came to your site for today. Thanks for making it easy. I’m assuming it’s good for pumpkin pie.
Erin | The Law Student's Wife
I have this lovely pie bookmarked in your cookbook (I love!) for Friendsgiving this weekend. Can’t wait! I may need to bake one for the party and one exclusively for my direct-from-refrigerator consumption. I consider moments of eating pie like pizza in front of the fridge to be a necessary and healthy part of my holiday routine.
peanutbutterandonion
For the color alone I want this
Julie V.
Thanks to you I made my FIRST ever pies from scratch Tuesday night. The first was this Sweet Potato goodness and the second was my mom’s traditional pumpkin. They were not the prettiest, but my husband gave them each two thumbs up. I can now officially cross “pie crust” off my bucket list! Thanks for your encouraging and wonderful words in pie posts. Happy Thanksgiving (a little early).
Emily
You taught me how to make this pie in Vermont last year and man, it is so dang good every time. I’ve never been a pumpkin pie person, but those sweet potatoes are killer. I was holding out for making it on Thanksgiving but maybe I’ll have to make one for friends this weekend too, so I can maximize sweet potato pie time!
Amber
Hi Joy..this is my most favorite pie….I love it even more than pumpkin! I make mine with a cream cheese pie crust, and it is divine! Thank you for inspiring us foodies!!!
Two Red Bowls
Completely in love with this pie. The color is beyond words — so perfect and vibrant and orange! I have always secretly thought that sweet potato pie is just a smidge more delicious than pumpkin — this might change that from a smidge to a ton. Can’t wait to try it!
Nicole
I can’t get over how perfect your pie looks! Because it’s made with love, right? :)
Marcie@flavorthemoments
Ok, I’ve got your cookbook, and this recipe completely caught my eye right off the bat. Why I haven’t made it yet, I don’t know, because sweet potato pie is every bit as good (or better) than pumpkin! Thanks for the gentle reminder about this pie — I will be making it!
bakefancy
Just found your answer in previous comment! Sweet! Can’t wait!
bakefancy
Will this be fine if I make it the day before Thanksgiving?
Chelsia Rief
I’ve always wanted to make a Sweet Potato Pie. I saw a chef make one in the dessert round of chopped one night and ever since then, I’ve been hooked. Gotta make this!
Amanda
Saving this recipe! I am a huge fan of the sweet potato. It’s like pumpkin for trend-resisters. We usually make the classic sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving, but I may have to give this a shot this year!
amy @ southern sweets and eats
This pie really is beautiful. I love me some Sweet Potato Pie! It’s so much better than pumpkin. I wish more folks would venture into sweet potato land. It’s fun here!
Alanna
Absolute perfection. I can smell it…
elaine lim-newton
WOW looks wonderful!, can you suggest any substitutions for the evaporated milk and buttermilk?
joythebaker
i would stick to evaporated milk in the pie filling, and pie crust can be made with water instead of buttermilk… but you’d probably need 1/4 cup water instead of 1/3 cup. really though, the recipe is perfect as is.
Liza M.
I’m SO making this.
gracebeekman
This pie looks beautiful! Almost too pretty to eat!
ALMOST…. ;)
http://sometimesgracefully.com
shelly @ ohshellsbells
i made your dad’s sweet potato pie a few weeks ago off your previous sweet potato pie post. It was DOPE. I did make a slight alteration, I added a scant tablespoon of turkish coffee grounds with cardamom. I was eating the pie straight out of the tin for breakfast.
joythebaker
seriously!? that sounds incredible!!
laura
you’ve sold me. adding this to my list as long as baby isn’t here yet. maybe I need to make it this weekend.
joythebaker
it’s almost baby time! big love to you laura!
LoveYourEgo
I’m not sure whether I like sweet potatoes to begin with but I totally want to try this recipe :D
Adrienne K
Your photographs are sooooo beautiful!
Rebecca
Absolutely the best! I made this recipe from your cookbook last year. It kicks pumpkin pie’s butt! This year, dad loaded me up with sweet potatoes from his garden just so I could make several for the holidays! What a wonderful recipe! Coriander rocks! Thank you and thank your dad!
joythebaker
i would so LOVE to make this recipe with sweet potatoes from the garden. you are a champion!
Jordan
This recipe absolutely sucks! It never turned out right.
Jordan
I just made this recipe and it did not even turn out like the picture. I followed the entire recipe and still it turned out to be very gooey. I left the pie in the oven for 50 minutes on 325. Also the pilisbury deep dish pie crush was simply not big enough. Please tell me what I’m doing wrong.
Jen
For one thing, the recipe says to bake the pie at 375 for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 325 and bake 45-50 minutes. Your oven temperature may require further adjustments to cooking time. If you are using a deep dish crust, it may take even longer for the filling to cook. I make the home made pie crust, put it in a 12″ shallow pie pan and it’s turned out great, every time. I usually have a little more filling than will fit in the pie crust and use it to make another mini pie for the baker.
Warm Vanilla Sugar
I LOVE sweet potato pie! I’ve made this before from your cookbook!! And totally beam even thinking about it.
Kathleen
So Joy do you like a potato smasher more than a pastry cutter? I’m trying to convert from store bought crust to homemade crust this Thanksgiving and want to make sure I have the best tools possible for this somewhat daunting task.
Cathie
Traveling to TN for the big day.Could this be baked and frozen ahead of time?
joythebaker
it can be baked two days ahead and served without fuss. just keep it refrigerated.
Skye
Love it. So wonderfully orange.
Tuscan olive grove girl
Thanks for sharing this recipe, it looks delicious, and I much prefer sweet potato to pumpkin…now I justneed to locate some (easier said than done in Italy).
Belinda@themoonblushbaker
I can not get over how smooth our puree is. You dad simply is a genius (I guess it runs in the family ;))
I love your less spiced version of it. it is nice to let the flavour of the sweet potato be the main taste
Kezia
I have to make this! I don’t like pumpkin so this looks like the perfect solution to the pumpkin pie problem. Your Dad has skills!
Averie @ Averie Cooks
Joy OMG it’s PERFECT!!! The slices, the color, the texture. It’s like orange velvet without so much as one singular crumb out of place. You need to be a surgeon with those razor-sharp, perfectly precise slices. Talk about skills. I am not a good slice-of-pie remover. Half the thing gets mutilated. Lol pinned
Ellen
I am thoroughly intrigued by the buttermilk crust. Also, dad recipes are the best!
Jessica (bakecetera)
oh my, what perfect pie crust! i wish my dad made pie – sweet potato pie is one of the best!!! this looks incredible.
Chris
Yesterday I was looking for vitamin A rich foods and sweet potatoes were high up on the list. This morning I open my email and bang, sweet potato pie right there. I don’t but would you also agree that this pie is calling out to me to be made?
joythebaker
this pie is totally calling your name!