Name: Sweet Potato Pie (with Sweetened Condensed Milk)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 105 min
Total time: 110 min
Ingredients: 1 pound sweet potatoes ((about 3 medium; 2 cups mashed)); 6 tablespoons butter (softened); 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk; 2 eggs (beaten); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg; pie crust; whipped cream ((optional))

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There are few recipes more southern than sweet potato pie! This great recipe is made with sweetened condensed milk, making it creamy with just the right amount of sweetness.

Best of all, it is simple to make! Once the sweet potatoes are baked, it takes just 5 minutes to prepare the pie for the oven!

Slice of sweet potato pie on a round plate with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Key Ingredients
How to Make Homemade Sweet Potato Pie
Expert Tips
Recipe Variations
Storage
What's the Difference Between Sweet Potato Pie and Pumpkin Pie?
Frequently Asked Questions
Recipe
Reviews

This is one of those old-school recipes that you could find taped on the inside of your grandmother's cabinet.

Whether you are looking for a southern sweet potato pie recipe to finish off your Thanksgiving dinner, or you are simply craving fall flavors, you are going to love this easy recipe! There's a reason it's the most popular fall recipe on my site!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Velvety Texture - The sweetened condensed milk makes the filling ultra creamy and smooth, with a lush texture that melts in your mouth.

Easy to Make - Since the condensed milk is already sweetened, no extra sugar is needed. That's one less ingredient to measure out and add. This pie comes together in minutes!

Holiday Favorite - With its classic flavors and easy homemade texture, this sweet potato pie is a treasured part of the holiday season. No Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner is complete without this timeless dessert.

Key Ingredients

Looking for the full recipe? The recipe card at the bottom of this post includes the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions.

It takes just a few simple ingredients to make this pie! Here is some information on why these ingredients are the perfect combination:

Sweet Potatoes - It wouldn't be sweet potato pie without fresh sweet potatoes! It is pretty incredible how you can make such a delicious pie from a vegetable. So if you are like me and love to eat leftover pie for breakfast you can do so guilt-free! (Okay, maybe just less guilt. I mean...it's still dessert for breakfast.)

Sweetened Condensed Milk - It is easy to get confused at the store and end up with evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed milk. Sweetened condensed milk is exactly what it sounds like - it is concentrated milk (60% of the water has been removed) with sugar added. Evaporated milk is also concentrated milk, but it is not sweetened. You will find some sweet potato pie recipes call for regular milk and sugar, but they will not be as creamy and velvety as this recipe.

Vanilla Extract - Classic sweet potato pie is flavored with vanilla extract. This is a distinct flavor difference that separates it from pumpkin pie.

Spices - Save the pumpkin pie spice for your pumpkin pie! Cinnamon and nutmeg are the only spices this recipe calls for. They are the perfect blend of warm fall spices! This allows the vanilla flavors to come through, giving you a more subtle, balanced pie.

Pie Crust - Make your own pie dough with this flaky pie crust recipe, or buy your favorite store-bought dough. If you don't like messing with a crust, try sweet potato dump cake!

How to Make Homemade Sweet Potato Pie

1) Mash Potatoes

- Roast the sweet potatoes at 425°F (220°C) for 40-50 minutes.

- Use a spoon to scrape out the flesh and transfer it to a large mixing bowl.

- Mash the sweet potato puree with softened butter.

- For a rustic pie use a potato masher. For a smooth pie use a hand mixer or food processor.

2) Blend Remaining Ingredients

- Add the remaining ingredients and blend with an electric mixer on medium speed until the filling is smooth.

3) Bake

- Press your pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish.

- Pour the sweet potato filling into your prepared pie shell.

- Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 40-50 minutes.

- The pie is done when the outside edge of the custard is firm and the center of the pie is slightly jiggly.

4) Cool

- Remove the pie from the oven and cool at room temperature for 2 hours.

- Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours, or until ready to serve.

Step-by-step photo collage showing 1) mashing potatoes, 2) mixing all ingredients, 3) unbaked filling in pie, 4) baked pie.

Expert Tips

- For the best sweet potato pie, use baked or microwaved sweet potatoes. Boiling your sweet potatoes will result in a flavorless pie. It may also have a runnier texture.

- For a smooth custard, use a blender to puree the potatoes with butter. If you prefer a more textured pie, mash the two ingredients together with a potato masher.

- Blind-baking your crust will help it cook all the way through, and will avoid a gummy crust bottom.

Recipe Variations

- Extra Spice - For bolder spice flavor, increase the cinnamon to 1 1⁄2 teaspoons and add 1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger.

- Sweeter - Stir in an extra ¼-1/2 cup brown sugar for those who prefer a sweeter pie.

- Toasted Pecans - Stir in ¾ cup toasted pecans for a delightful crunch.

- Marshmallows - Sprinkle 1 cup of mini marshmallows on top of the pie. Broil briefly to brown.

- Meringue - Make a meringue with 3 egg whites, ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar, and 6 tablespoons granulated sugar. Spread on pie and broil to brown peaks.

- Bourbon - Add 2 tablespoons of bourbon to the filling for a sophisticated twist, then top with bourbon-infused whipped cream.

- Cookie Crust - Swap the pie crust for a graham cracker or gingersnap crust.

- Skip the Cool Whip and serve your sweet potato pie with fresh whipped cream.

Storage

This simple pie can be made ahead, giving you less to do on the day of your event. Here are storage instructions:

Refrigerator: Wrap the cooled pie tightly in plastic wrap. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days before serving.

Freezer: For longer storage, wrap the pie tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the pie overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Overhead view of two pieces of pie on plates, and the pie plate holding sliced pieces of pie.

What's the Difference Between Sweet Potato Pie and Pumpkin Pie?

I love a good pumpkin pie! As a matter of fact, I have an incredibly creamy and delicious pumpkin pie recipe! But there are some distinct differences between the two pies;

Both pies have warm spices, but pumpkin pies usually have a little more spice flavor, with the addition of ginger and clove. Sweet potato pie filling keeps the spice as an undertone and often adds vanilla extract for flavor depth.

The texture of the pies is a little bit different as well, with sweet potato pie having a lighter texture, whereas pumpkin pie custard is denser.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know the filling is cooked?

You want the outer edges firm but the center still jiggly. It should look almost like Jell-o when you give it a shake. The pie will firm up completely as it cools.

Does sweet potato pie need to be refrigerated?

Sweet potato pie is considered a custard pie and does need to be refrigerated after two hours of cooling time. The pie is best served chilled.

Can I use canned sweet potatoes?

Canned sweet potatoes can be used but the texture may be slightly thinner. Be sure to drain the sweet potatoes before using.

Overhead view of sweet potato pie with two pieces sliced.

Recipe

This recipe was initially published on June 22, 2021 and was updated on October 27, 2023 with enhanced tips and new pictures.

Comments

4.99 from 151 votes (135 ratings without comment)

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Key Ingredients