This holiday season put the pumpkin pie recipes back in your recipe box and give this classic southern pie a chance to knock your socks off! SO good!
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- This homemade sweet potato pie is a classic southern dessert that is perfectly sweet with a creamy texture.
- Old fashioned pie recipe that is easy to make and great for holiday entertaining.
- Easy to make with store-bought pie crust.
Old fashioned sweet potato pie is a southern tradition that's the perfect Thanksgiving dessert. You can make it up to two days ahead of time and honestly, it's even better the second or third day!
🧾 Ingredients
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- butter
- light brown sugar
- light karo syrup
- eggs
- evaporated milk
- sweet potatoes
- vanilla extract
- salt
- pie crust
- nutmeg, optional
🔪 Instructions
This southern sweet potato pie recipe is easy to make with a few simple ingredients. You'll find the full instructions in the green recipe card below.
- Cream butter, brown sugar, and Karo syrup.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time.
- Add sweet potatoes, evaporated milk, vanilla, and salt and beat until well mixed.
- Pour into prepared pie shell and bake according to instructions in the green recipe card below.
🥄 Equipment
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You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
🥫 Storage
This pie should be stored in the fridge for up to five days. Be sure to keep the pie tightly covered to prevent it from drying out.
If you want to store this pie for a long time wrap the pie tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the pie to thaw for 12 hours in the refrigerator before serving.
📖 Variations
- Add some orange zest or a 2 tablespoons of orange juice in place of 2 tablespoons of the evaporated milk.
- Some sweet potato pie recipes call for pumpkin pie spice or a little cinnamon - I don't like my sweet potato pie to taste like pumpkin pie so I don't add it.
- You can use white sugar instead of brown sugar if you want.
- I've made this with streusel topping and it's really good - but unconventional.
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: Baking whole sweet potatoes will give you more flavor than boiling or using canned. Get my tips for baking fresh sweet potatoes perfectly to use in this recipe and others.
- Save time by using refrigerated pie dough from the store.
- If you find that your pie crust edges start to get a little too brown, cover them with aluminum foil to prevent the edges burning.
- Be careful not to overbake your pie, overbaking is the number one reason your pie will crack.
- Top with whipped cream or marshmallow fluff.
- Serve the pie chilled or room temperature whichever you prefer.
👩🍳 FAQs
Yes technically you can but the taste will not nearly be as good.
The center of your pie should have some slight give, you can use check and make sure the temperature is 175 degrees.
I prefer to boil them, but you could also bake them.
The corn syrup prevents sugar from crystalizing, helps deepen the flavor, and adds the perfect silky texture!
📚 Related recipes
Who doesn't love a great pie? Here are some of my favorites.
- No bake lemon ice box pie is another old fashioned favorite that can be made ahead of time.
- If you're looking for a change from pecan pie you can't go wrong with this southern coconut pie.
- Classic pumpkin pie is made from the recipe that used to be on the back of the Libby's canned pumpkin.
- This no bake pumpkin pie has two layers of goodness!
- I love this New York Style Pumpkin Cheesecake with bourbon caramel sauce.
- Southern buttermilk pie is SO creamy....
🍽️ Serve with...
Southern sweet potato pie is a delicious bite of fall flavor! Serve it as a sweet ending to any of these dishes.
- Nothing pairs better than Cornbread Dressing.
- Cloverleaf Rolls is versatile side that the entire family will enjoy.
- Green Bean Casserole is an easy way to sneak veggies in.
📞 The last word
I can't imagine a holiday meal without an old fashioned sweet potato pie sitting smack dab in the middle of the dessert table!
I swear I could eat the whole pie by myself. Definitely give this recipe a try - it's a family favorite here and I bet it will be at your house, too.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup light Karo syrup
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ⅔ cup evaporated milk, 5 ounce can
- 1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 unbaked pie crust, 9-inch
- nutmeg, optional
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° degrees.
- Cream butter, brown sugar and Karo syrup together, scraping down sides of mixer bowl often.
- With mixer on low speed add eggs one at a time.
- Add sweet potatoes and mix well.
- Stir in the milk, vanilla and salt, making sure all ingredients are completely blended together.
- Pour into the unbaked pie shell and bake 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Dust top with freshly grated nutmeg if desired.
Notes
- Save time by using refrigerated pie dough from the store.
- If you find that your pie crust edges start to get a little too brown, cover them with aluminum foil to prevent the edges burning.
- Be careful not to overbake your pie, overbaking is the number one reason your pie will crack.
- Top with whipped cream or marshmallow fluff.
- Serve the pie chilled or room temperature whichever you prefer.
Barb A. J.
I made this easy homemade pie. This was my first time. It turned out fabulous. My family bragged about it. It went fast, so I made another one tonight for Sunday, tomorrow dessert. This will be my go to Sweet Potato Pie Recipe. Thanks !!!
Marye
I'm so glad you loved it!
Barb A. J.
I have this in the oven right now. It’s really full, and smells delicious. I’m ready to try this tomorrow night for dessert. I’m feeling proud to serve this Homemade Sweet Potato Pie to my family. Thanks !!! Merry Christmas !!!