Black Folks Sweet Potato Pie Recipe™
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This is the BEST sweet potato pie recipe! I’ve shared over 250 recipes across my food blog, five cookbooks, and two seasoning guides, including this first and original “Black Folks Sweet Potato Pie Recipe™,” my family recipe that went viral in 2021!
Mmm mmm! A Black folks’ sweet potato pie tastes like warm family memories, good times, and a legacy of the best holiday traditions handed down from one African American generation to another.
Whether it’s the scent of cinnamon sugar that sings sweet notes of “Home” like Stephanie Mills or Diana Ross in The Wiz. Or how the deliciousness of sweet potato pie and its flaky pie crust reminds you of special occasions or childhood good times gone by. Either way—grab a slice before it’s all gone!
This old-fashioned Black folks’ classic Southern dessert may be single-handedly responsible for generations of nostalgic memories, especially in the Black community.
What is Black folks’ sweet potato pie?
A Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe is a delightful holiday, Thanksgiving, or Christmas dessert packed with flavorful seasonings and spices in the tradition of Black Americans’ soul food cooking. Still, some people who have never had a soul food sweet potato pie may ask,
“What makes it a Black folks’ sweet potato pie?“
Every Southern sweet potato pie is not a Black folks’ sweet potato pie unless it’s made with a flawless blend of soul food sweet and savory spices. This includes brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove. It’s a dessert cleverly spiced, elevating it beyond traditional pumpkin pie with the essence of West African seasonings.
Why is sweet potato pie a Black thing?
Sweet potato pie has a rich history and a significant place in Black culture. Created by Black people in Africa using the indigenous vegetable, yams, its core recipe has been passed down from generation to generation and remains a vital part of African American culture.
In the United States, sweet potato pie continues to be a popular dish on the holiday dinner table. Many view it as a more flavorful and soulful alternative to pumpkin pie, and it’s the preferred choice for African Americans over the denser and less flavorful pumpkin pie recipe.
Ingredients
Black folks’ sweet potato pie and its ingredients originated from the adaptive culinary skills of our African American ancestors using New World crops. Its spices are what make it a favorite soul food recipe. There are many other great recipes for pies out there, but this Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe stands out from the rest!
Exact measurements for the recipe can be found in the printable recipe card below.
- Sweet potatoes Garnet, Jewel (ideal for baking), or Beauregard sweet potatoes are best, as they produce a naturally sweet pie filling with a smooth, silky texture. Learn more about the best sweet potatoes for sweet potato pie HERE.
- Evaporated milk is creamier and thicker, adding a luscious, velvety texture to the filling.
- Light brown sugar imparts a delightful caramel-like flavor to the pie.
- Vanilla extract infuses a warm and comforting essence.
- Nutmeg contributes a warm, nutty, and earthy balance to the pie.
- Cinnamon adds a comforting warmth and heat, along with a burst of color and flavor.
- Ginger imparts a subtle spiciness and a warm kick.
- Clove serves as the secret ingredient, contributing to the pie’s overall soulful spice with its beautiful aroma.
- Salt is a necessary contrast and balance to the sweet and spicy flavor profiles of the pie.
- Butter adds a rich, buttery flavor that beautifully complements the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes.
- Eggs play a crucial role in binding the pie filling together, resulting in a creamy, custard-like consistency.
- The pie crust is the flaky and delicious crust that encases this dish, elevating it from a sweet potato soufflé to a delectable sweet potato pie!
Can you use canned sweet potatoes?
To ensure the pie filling won’t need to be thickened, it’s best to use fresh sweet potatoes. This way, the filling has some texture before baking and is not just a thin, runny purée. Using a canned alternative risks a mushier pie.
How to make a Black folks‘ Southern sweet potato pie
The foundation of any stellar sweet potato pie starts with selecting fresh, high-quality sweet potatoes. Then, the potatoes are softened and combined with eggs, sugar, butter, and a harmonious blend of vanilla, cinnamon, and other sweet, soulful spices. Together, these foundational elements create a dish that has always had a special place at the soul food holiday table!
Step-by-step instructions with guided pictures can be found in the printable recipe card below.
- Grease the pie pan so the crust does not get stuck while baking. To prevent the crust edges from burning, you can use a pie crust shield or line the edges of the pie with aluminum foil. There’s no need to pre-bake (blind bake) the pie shell, as this could lead to the edges overcooking or burning when you add the pie filling for baking.
- Roast the sweet potatoes. It’s the best method to preserve their sweetness compared to baking (at oven temperatures below 400 degrees F) or boiling.
- Make the pie filling by gathering the potato flesh and mixing it with all the other ingredients using an electric mixer.
- Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust (store-bought or homemade). Depending on how deep your pie pan is, you may have leftover sweet potato mix to make mini sweet potato pies!
- Bake the pie and look for signs that it’s ready. It’s done when you can see the center puffing in the oven, and it’s neither runny nor jiggly but firm.
Pro tip: For the best results, knowing what mistakes to avoid when making sweet potato pie is integral to the legacy of baking this classic Southern pie dish.
Black folks sweet potato pie success tips
How do you get the strings out of sweet potato pie?
When cooked, sweet potatoes can become stringy. However, a hand-held or stand mixer can help break up and eliminate those strings by rounding them up on its mixing blade.
Avoiding runny sweet potato pie
If your sweet potato pie comes out runny after baking, don’t fret! Simply return it to the oven in five-minute intervals until the filling is puffed and firm in the center.
How to cut a sweet potato pie
For the best results after baking, allow the pie to cool and set for 4 hours to a whole day. Refrigerating the pie before cutting will result in a perfect, uniform slice that cuts cleanly through to the bottom of the pie. Otherwise, the slices may fall apart!
🥧 Get my collector’s edition cookbook: Black Folks Sweet Potato Pie
What is the best way to cook sweet potatoes for sweet potato pie?
The best way to prepare sweet potatoes for mashing is by roasting them in the oven. This process breaks down the starches into sugars, resulting in a sweeter pie filling.
My recommended, easier method is to use the Instant Pot, which saves time and quickly softens sweet potatoes. This can reduce your kitchen time by nearly 30 minutes!
Do you eat sweet potato pie hot or cold?
Sweet potato pie is best served warm or at room temperature. Most pies are left out while family and friends enjoy the dessert. Afterward, any leftovers are stored in the fridge and warmed up before serving again.
What to serve with Black folks sweet potato pie
If you’re looking for classic soul food recipes to serve with your sweet potato pie, look no further than these delicious ideas in my guide about what to serve with sweet potato pie. Favorites include Southern fried chicken, soul food collard greens, and Southern candied yams.
How to store leftover sweet potato pie
Refrigerate this pie recipe since it contains milk and eggs. It can last in the fridge for up to five days. If tightly wrapped or stored in an airtight container, sweet potato pie can be frozen for up to three months. You can then reheat a whole pie in the oven or microwave individual slices.
Equipment
- Large baking pan
- Hand-held or stand electric mixer
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound sweet potatoes washed, scrubbed, and unpeeled (equals about 3 cups when mashed)
- 12 oz evaporated milk 1 can
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 5 tablespoons butter unsalted butter, melted (or vegan butter)
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes and set them aside, then preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- You can use either homemade or store-bought uncooked pie crust, dough, or shell in a pie pan. If you're using your own pie pan, grease it, place the uncooked pie crust in it, and set it aside.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil, place the sweet potatoes on it, and roast the sweet potatoes in the oven for 40 minutes or until tender. (You can also use the Instant Pot to save time—it only takes 12 minutes to cook the sweet potatoes!)
- Remove the cooked potatoes from the oven, and once the sweet potatoes have cooled, the skin will easily peel away, revealing the soft, roasted flesh.
- To prepare to make the pie filling, gather 3 cups of sweet potato flesh.
- Add the softened sweet potato flesh, evaporated milk, brown sugar, egg, melted butter, vanilla extract, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt to a large bowl.
- To make the pie filling, combine the potato flesh with the ingredients using an electric mixer at high speed until smooth.
- Pour the sweet potato pie filling into the unbaked pie crust.
- Bake the sweet potato pie at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until the filling is firm and puffing in the center. (Note that cooking appliance times and oven temperatures will vary.)
- Let the pie cool for at least 4 hours before garnishing or slicing.
- Optionally, garnish with whipped cream and sprinkle cinnamon on top. Serve warm and enjoy! Sweet potato pie is best served warm, at room temperature, or reheated by the slice.
Video
Nutrition
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What are people saying about The Soul Food Pot Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe?
I love this recipie. This is the 2nd year I’ve made it for the holidays and it’s gone way before the pumpkin pies.
Hello. Couple of questions:
Should that be 2 tsp of vanilla instead of tbsp?
For the minced ginger is it ok to buy fresh ginger and grate it small?
I’ve never made sweet potatoe pie before. Thank you.
2 tablespoons of vanilla extract is correct. Yes, you can finely grate fresh ginger. Enjoy!
That the way my mom make her sweet potato pie love it will try it for Christmas 🎄
Yama are not the same as sweet potatoes, and Africans do not make pie from their yams. They peel, cut them and fry them or include them in stew, or other native dishes. African yam is white, not orange, like sweet potatoes.
Hi my name is Dolores, I love cooking, came across your site, and made your sweet pot. Pie! It’s the best one so far I’ve tasted 😋! It’s a keeper! I make pies like this periodically, yours will now be the one for Thanksgiving n Christmas! Thank U!
Great
Wow! This warms my heart. Thank you for sharing, and I’m so happy this recipe evokes such wonderful family memories.
This is one of my favorite pies recipes and is such a hit for holiday dinners. Thank you!