This Easy Sweet Potato Pie recipe is more than just dessert, it's a tradition. This creamy, spiced pie is a staple made with simple ingredients like fresh sweet potatoes, warm cinnamon, and nutmeg baked into a flaky crust. This recipe brings pure comfort with every slice.
Updated August 11, 2026: I've refreshed this post with new tips, expanded FAQs, and helpful make-ahead instructions based on your questions and feedback. Same delicious recipe, even more helpful! Originally posted on November 26, 2020, and photos updated August 27, 2025.
Watch this quick video tutorial!
Here's what readers have to say about this recipe:
Reader Hayley, commented: "I prepared this sweet potato pie for thanksgiving potluck and not a single piece left. Everyone at the table enjoyed it and asked for the recipe 🙂 ★★★★★"
Another reader Mandy, commented: "Such a delicious pie! We had them growing up and I was thrilled to find this recipe! ★★★★★"
My mama made sweet potato pie every November for as long as I can remember, and for years I was convinced it was one of those recipes you had to be born knowing. I'd watch her peel and boil and mash without measuring a single thing, and I'd think, there's no way. Then one Thanksgiving she handed me the bowl and told me to taste the filling before it went in the crust. That was the whole secret. Not a technique, just paying attention.
I've been making this pie in my own kitchen every holiday season since, and sharing recipes here at Simply LaKita since 2013. This version has been tested more times than I can count, in my own oven with the same store-bought crusts most of us actually buy, and it's the one my family asks for by name. Over 60 of you have rated it, and the questions you've left in the comments over the years are exactly what shaped the tips and FAQs below.
If you've been intimidated by sweet potato pie the way I was, I promise this one is friendlier than it looks. Let's get started!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Easy Sweet Potato Pie
- Genuinely simple - You boil the sweet potatoes instead of roasting them, which cuts nearly an hour off the process without giving up that creamy, spiced filling.
- Makes two pies - One for your table and one to freeze or carry to somebody else's, from a single bowl of filling.
- Store-bought crust friendly - This recipe is built around frozen or refrigerated crusts, because that's what most of us reach for in the middle of a holiday week.
- Holiday-ready but not holiday-only - It's a Thanksgiving and Christmas staple in my house, but it's just as good on a regular Sunday in March.
Ingredients You'll Need
Here's everything you'll need to make this recipe.
- Sweet potatoes - Look for the deep orange-fleshed varieties, which are what most American grocery stores label as "yams" even though they aren't true yams. The orange flesh is what gives the pie its color and its natural sweetness. You'll need about 4 cups mashed.
- Butter - Beaten into the potatoes while they're still hot so it melts all the way through. Salted or unsalted both work. The recipe was developed with whichever I had on hand, and I've never noticed a difference worth mentioning.
- Granulated sugar - Plain white sugar keeps the sweet potato flavor forward. Brown sugar will work if that's what you have, and it'll give you a slightly deeper, more molasses-forward pie.
- Whole milk - This is what makes the filling pourable and smooth. Evaporated milk is the traditional Southern choice and works as a straight substitution.
- Eggs - These are what set the custard. Bring them to room temperature so they blend in without seizing against the warm potato mixture.
- Ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg - Warm, not overpowering. My mama's pie was spiced lightly enough that you could still taste the sweet potato, and that's the balance I kept.
- Pure vanilla extract - Rounds everything out and softens the edges of the spices.
- Pie crusts - Frozen, refrigerated, or homemade. If you want to make your own, here's my Homemade Buttery Pie Crust.
👉🏾 See the recipe card below for exact quantities and full instructions.
How to Make Easy Sweet Potato Pie
Here's a quick overview of the process. Full step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Cook the Sweet Potatoes
Peel, chop, and boil the sweet potatoes until a fork slides through with no resistance. I boil rather than roast, and that's a deliberate choice. Boiling takes about ten minutes instead of an hour, which is the whole point of an easy pie. The tradeoff is water, so drain them thoroughly and let them sit in the colander a minute to steam off. If they look wet going into the bowl, they'll make a looser filling.
Step 2: Mash With Butter While Hot
Add the butter to the potatoes while they're still steaming and beat them together first, before anything else goes in. Hot potatoes take butter better than warm ones, and doing this step on its own gives you a smooth base instead of a lumpy one you're fighting for the rest of the recipe.
Step 3: Build the Filling
Add the sugar, milk, spices, and vanilla, then the eggs last. Eggs go in at the end so they don't start cooking against the hot potato mixture. Before you pour anything into a crust, taste it. That's the step my mama taught me and the one most recipes skip. If it needs more cinnamon or a little more sugar, now is when you fix it. Once it's baked, it's baked.
Step 4: Fill the Crusts and Bake
Divide the filling evenly between two crusts and set them on a baking sheet before they go in the oven. It makes them far easier to move and catches anything that bubbles over. Bake at 350°F until the tops are lightly browned and the filling is set. You're looking for the center to be puffed and to wobble only slightly when you nudge the pan, not slosh. If the edges of the crust are browning faster than the filling is setting, tent them with foil.
Step 5: Cool Completely Before Slicing
This is the step everybody rushes and it's the one that matters most for texture. The custard is still soft when it comes out of the oven and finishes setting as it cools. Cutting into a warm pie is how you end up with a slice that slumps on the plate. Give it a couple hours on the counter.
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LaKita's Expert Tips
Here are my best tips for making this recipe turn out perfectly every time.
- Don't over-beat the filling. A few small pieces of sweet potato give the pie a little body, and whipping too much air in can cause the surface to crack as it cools.
- If your sweet potatoes are on the large side, mash them and measure before mixing. Too much potato throws off the ratio of egg and milk that sets the custard.
- A slight dip in the center as the pie cools is normal for a custard pie. It's not a mistake and it doesn't affect the texture.
- Bake both pies on the same rack in the center of the oven rather than stacking them on two racks, so they set at the same rate.
- Let the pies cool on a wire rack rather than directly on the counter, so steam doesn't collect underneath and soften the bottom crust.
- If you're serving a crowd, slice cold and let the pieces come to room temperature on the plates. Cold pie cuts cleaner than room-temperature pie.
- A scoop of No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream alongside a slightly warm slice is my favorite way to eat it.
Variations & Substitutions
This recipe is flexible, here are some easy ways to make it your own.
- Roast instead of boil - Roasting concentrates the flavor and gives you a slightly denser filling. It takes considerably longer, so it's a weekend move rather than a weeknight one.
- Evaporated milk - The traditional Southern choice, swapped one-for-one for the whole milk. It gives a richer, more custard-like set.
- Brown sugar - Substitute for some or all of the granulated sugar for a deeper, caramel-leaning flavor.
- Add ginger or allspice - A small pinch of either alongside the cinnamon and nutmeg leans the pie a little more toward the spice profile people expect from pumpkin pie.
- Make just one pie - Halve the filling and use a single deep-dish crust. This recipe fills one deep-dish crust or two standard ones.
- Turn it into a casserole - If pie crust isn't your thing, my Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole uses the same flavors in a dish you can scoop.
Make-Ahead & Storage
Make-Ahead
Sweet potato pie is one of the best things you can make ahead for a holiday, because it genuinely improves after a night in the refrigerator. The filling firms up and the spices settle. Bake it a full day before you plan to serve it, cool it completely, then cover and refrigerate.
You can also break the work into two days. Boil and mash the sweet potatoes ahead and refrigerate the mash in a covered container, then bring it back toward room temperature and mix the filling the next day.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Cover the cooled pie loosely with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 4 days. Sweet potato pie is a custard pie, so it belongs in the refrigerator rather than on the counter once it's fully cooled.
Freezer: Wrap the completely cooled pie first in plastic wrap, then in a layer of foil, and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Reheating: Sweet potato pie is very good cold or at room temperature, so reheating is optional. If you'd like it warm, set slices on a baking sheet and warm at 300°F for about 10 minutes. Avoid the microwave, which heats unevenly and can turn the crust soft.
What to Serve with Easy Sweet Potato Pie
Here are some of my favorite ways to serve this dish.
- On a holiday dessert table alongside Southern Pecan Pie and Sweet Potato Pound Cake, so there's a slice for everybody.
- After a full Thanksgiving plate of Easy Cornbread Dressing, Southern Collard Greens with Ham Hocks, and Cajun Maple Glazed Spatchcock Turkey.
- With a spoonful of lightly sweetened whipped cream, which cuts the richness better than ice cream does.
- Next to Easy Candied Yams for a table that leans all the way into sweet potatoes.
- With a cup of black coffee the morning after. This is, in my opinion, the correct way to eat leftover sweet potato pie.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe uses 2 eggs for two pies. Eggs are what set a custard filling, so the ratio matters more than most ingredients here. If you're halving the recipe for a single pie, use one egg rather than trying to split one. Bring them to room temperature first so they blend smoothly into the warm potato mixture instead of seizing.
Bake at 350°F for 55 to 60 minutes. Ovens vary more than people expect, so start checking at 50 minutes. You want the top lightly browned and the filling set. If your crust edges are browning before the center is done, tent them with a strip of foil and keep going.
The center should be puffed and should wobble just slightly when you gently nudge the pan, think of a set gelatin rather than a liquid. If the middle sloshes or ripples like water, it needs more time. The filling continues to firm up as it cools, so a small amount of movement at the center is exactly right.
Almost always one of three things. The sweet potatoes weren't drained well enough after boiling, which adds water to the filling. The pie was underbaked and pulled while the center was still liquid. Or it was sliced before it cooled, so the custard never got the chance to finish setting. Draining thoroughly and cooling completely fixes it nearly every time.
I boil, and I do it on purpose. It takes about ten minutes versus close to an hour for roasting, and that's the difference between a pie you can make on a Wednesday and one you can't. Roasting does concentrate the flavor and adds less moisture, so if you have the time it's a real upgrade. Either way you get a good pie, boiling just asks you to drain carefully.
Yes, though fresh gives the better flavor. Drain them very well and mash them before measuring. Avoid anything packed in syrup, which will make the pie considerably sweeter than the recipe intends.
In most American grocery stores, nothing. What's labeled "yams" is almost always a variety of orange-fleshed sweet potato. True yams are a different vegetable entirely, starchier and paler, and they're uncommon outside of specialty markets. Just look for deep orange flesh and you'll have what this recipe wants.
Evaporated milk substitutes directly for the whole milk and is the more traditional Southern choice, it makes a richer, more custardy filling. Sweetened condensed milk is a different thing entirely: it already contains a great deal of sugar, so swapping it in without adjusting the sugar will give you a very sweet pie. I haven't tested this recipe with condensed milk and can't tell you the right adjustment.
Sweet potato pie is denser and naturally sweeter, with an earthier flavor that comes through under the spices. Pumpkin pie is lighter and more spice-forward. The pumpkin itself is fairly mild, so the cinnamon, ginger, and clove do most of the work. Sweet potato pie also has a slightly more fibrous texture, which is what gives it that homemade quality.
You can pour the filling into a buttered baking dish and bake it as a crustless custard. Bake time will be different from the recipe as written, since the dish shape changes how heat reaches the center, start checking early and use the same wobble test.
Yes. Cool it completely, wrap it in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. I've only tested this with fully baked pies. I haven't frozen one unbaked, so I can't tell you how the crust and custard would hold up that way.
It is, and it has a long history as one. Sweet potato pie has been a fixture of Black Southern cooking for generations, carried from one holiday table to the next in recipes that mostly lived in people's heads rather than on paper. That's how it came to me, watching my mama, who learned it the same way. This recipe is my written version of something that was never written down.
📖 Recipe
Easy Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 1 large pot or saucepan
- 1 stand mixer or hand mixer
- 1 large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 4 large sweet potatoes (about 4 cups mashed)
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup whole milk or evaporated milk
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 frozen prepared 9-inch pie crusts (frozen, refrigerated, or homemade)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. If using frozen crusts, allow them to thaw slightly at room temperature.
- Peel and chop 4 large sweet potatoes. Place in a large pot, cover with water, and boil until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain well.
- Add hot potatoes to a mixing bowl with ½ cup butter and beat until smooth.
- Mix in 1 cup sugar, ½ cup milk, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add 2 eggs last and beat until creamy. Small bits of potato are fine.
- Divide filling evenly between 2 pie crusts. Place on a baking sheet and bake 55-60 minutes, until the center is set and tops are lightly browned.
- Cool before slicing. Serve plain or topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Recipe yields 2 pies, perfect for freezing one.
- Cover edges with foil if the crust browns too quickly.
Did You Make This Recipe?
If you give this sweet potato pie a try, I'd love to know what you think! Leave a comment below, share a photo on Instagram and tag @SimplyLaKita, or save it on Pinterest for later. If you've been making this one for a few holidays now, a star rating helps other folks find it when they're standing in the grocery store the week of Thanksgiving trying to decide. And if a question comes up while you're baking, ask me in the comments. A good number of the FAQs above started as somebody's question.
Sean says
This recipe brings back so many memories of eating my grandma's sweet potato pie.
LaKita says
Thank you so much Sean! It is a classic pie recipe for sure 🙂
Dianne Nickerson says
thank you. These are the only ingredients my mother used.
LaKita says
Thank you Dianne, same here, just like how my mom makes it 🙂
Bernice says
This is kind of embarrassing but would you believe I've never had a sweet potato pie? They're not really a thing up here in Canada even though we do eat a lot of sweet potatoes. I am in charge of bringing pie to our Friendsgiving this weekend and I'm going to swap sweet potato for the pumpkin and see what they all think!
Kevin Richardson says
Hey Bernice, so I really hope you finish this story, I would love to hear how it turned out. I also want to make a recipe suggestion, so instead of adding the 1/2 t of cinnamon and nutmeg, do 1/4 t & also add ground cloves & ginger. It really wakes up the flavor. You can also try using purple sweet potatoes (found at Asian market or a whole foods.) Those would really grab their attention. Be blessed 🙌.
LaKita says
Thank you Kevin for those tips and I agree that when I can find purple sweet potatoes, I love using them 🙂
LaKita says
Thank you Bernice! I did not know that it isn't popular in Canada, but I do hope that you get a chance to try it and enjoy it 🙂
Marta says
We love sweet potato pie so I made this recipe for a Friendsgiving get together and have no regrets. It was so simple following your recipes, but tastes like it was an advanced recipe.
LaKita says
Thank you Marta! Glad to hear it was a success at the Friendsgiving get together 🙂
Yu says
Sweet potato pie has always been my favorite pie, a "must-have food" for the fall! This recipe turns out as good as it looks! Thank you for sharing.
LaKita says
Thank you Yu, it's definitely a must-have in my book as well!
Lauren Vavala Harris says
Oh I just love sweet potato pie. We tried this one and it was so good we are making it again for Thanksgiving - great recipe!
LaKita says
Thank you Lauren! I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed the sweet potato pie recipe!!
Lily Cunard says
It look so good
LaKita says
Thank you so much Lily!
Tam Win says
Do you use regular or deep dish frozen pie crust?
LaKita says
I prefer to use regular frozen pie crust.
WANDA says
What is the best milk to use
LaKita says
Use canned evaporated milk or whole milk.
Amy says
This had such a delicious flavor and texture! Cooking the sweet potatoes was easier than I expected and I loved how quickly it came together!
LaKita says
Thank you Amy! So happy to hear!!
Debbie says
I grew up eating sweet potato pies during the holiday , my family didn't eat pumpkin. I have been trying to find the perfect sweet potato pie recipe since I never got my grandmothers recipe . This looks like it is it , I can't wait to try it .
LaKita says
Thank you Debbie! I prefer sweet potato pie over pumpkin pie as well!
silvia says
Two of my faves, sweet potato and pie. So easy, satisfying and delicious!
LaKita says
Thanks Silvia, same here!
Katie Crenshaw says
This sweet potato pie turns out perfect. I like making it for a fall dessert. I also like making it for a sweet treat to have in the morning with my coffee rather than donuts or muffins... It is so easy to make.
LaKita says
Thank you Katie!! Great way to start the day.
Amy Liu Dong says
Such an easy and delicious pie recipe. I will def make this for my family, and I am sure they will love it.
LaKita says
Thank you Amy! It is definitely a favorite for my family.
Annie says
This was so good and delicious! I made it for a family gathering and everyone loved it.
LaKita says
Thank you Annie! Glad you enjoyed it.
Farrukh Aziz says
Great recipe, LaKita! I never knew 9 ingredients made such a delicious pie! This recipe is definitely my favorite sweet potato dish!
LaKita says
Thank you! So simple but delicious.
veenaazmanov says
Looks soft, moist, sweet and delicious. Perfect as a snack or Tea Time Treat option.
LaKita says
Thank you and I agree!
ClairG says
Can you provide how many cups 4 large sweet potatoes would be?
LaKita says
This is a complete guess, but about 4 to 5 cups of sweet potato puree.
Sandra K Parks says
Can you freeze this pie unbaked
LaKita says
Hi Sandra! I've never frozen the unbaked sweet potato pie, but I have the cooked pie.
Allyssa says
Super tasty and really delicious! Will surely make this amazing recipe! Thank you so much for this! Highly recommended!
LaKita says
Thank you so much Allyssa!
Linda says
I'm dreaming of this pie especially since you have sweet potatoes and not a can version. Yum!
LaKita says
Thank you Linda! Fresh sweet potatoes work best 🙂
Deborah says
Very good:)
LaKita says
Thank you so much Deborah!
Valentina says
This looks great! Do you think it would come out ok if I halve the sugar? My son is obsessed with pie (he's 2, idk), but he doesn't like sweets except for pound cake and sugar cookies, just like his father lol, so I was thinking I could serve it as a side dish.
LaKita says
Thank you Valentina! Reducing the sugar to half shouldn't be a problem with this pie recipe 🙂
Maxwell says
I added about an ounce of spiced dark rum and it made it super decadent. Great recipe even without the rum.
LaKita says
Sounds perfect, thank you for sharing Maxwell!
Maxwell says
No, thank you, LaKita!
Alexis says
This is my go-to pie recipe it's simple and delicious!
LaKita says
Thank you Alexis! Glad to hear that you enjoyed the pie recipe 🙂
Carla C. says
Excellent pie!!
LaKita says
Thank you so much Carla!!
L Nino says
I never use the measurements I season as I go I also use sweetened condensed milk it's thick and smooth makes the sweet potato filling so rice and smooth that way I don't have to use so much sugar
LaKita says
Thank you for sharing Linda! I provide exact measurements to make it easier for anyone to be able to recreate my recipes and I prefer to use canned evaporated milk.
Maxwell says
Oh, and I make my own pie crusts. I'll put my buttery flaky crust up against any store bought "crust" any day. The crust makes the pie. Labor intensive, but oh so delicious. My grandma said if it's worth doing, do it right. She couldn't make pie crust though.
Ceona Clerveau says
If I was to do three sweet potatoes for each pie (2 pies) would that be too much in the pie? and how many eggs would I use all together for 6 sweet potatoes?
LaKita says
Hi Ceona! It should not be too much unless they're really large sweet potatoes. I will be sure to make a note of the exact measurement needed. To make 6 sweet potato pies you will need 6 large eggs, 1 per pie, the recipe makes enough to fill two regular (not deep dish) pie shells. Hope this helps.