Black Folks Sweet Potato Pie Recipe™
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If there’s one dessert that tastes like home for Black folks, it’s sweet potato pie. Not just any pie. It’s THE pie! A Southern classic passed down through generations, rich with memory, spice, and soul. This creamy, cinnamon-kissed, vanilla-scented slice of heritage shows up at every Thanksgiving, holiday table, repast, and soul food Sunday. With flavors that fall somewhere between candied yams and ginger snap cookies, it’s silky smooth, deeply spiced, and baked with love, telling a story in every bite.
Black folks’ sweet potato pie is an iconic holiday recipe reimagined by soul food expert and author Shaunda Necole of The Soul Food Pot®.
What people are saying
My Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe is the one you’ve been craving!
But don’t just take my word for it—here’s what Dolores had to say after trying my recipe: “Hi my name is Dolores, I love cooking, came across your site, and made your sweet potato pie! It’s the best one I’ve tasted 😋! It’s a keeper! I make pies like this periodically, yours will now be the one for Thanksgiving and Christmas! Thank U!“
What is Black folks’ sweet potato pie?
There are plenty of sweet potato pie recipes out there, but my trademarked Black folks’ sweet potato pie™ stands in a class all its own. It’s the first to spotlight the bold, warm soul food flavors of clove and ginger. Two spice rack stars that give this recipe its unforgettable depth and aroma. Paired with silky evaporated milk, these ingredients create a rich, spiced filling that’s smooth as Southern sweet tea and baked with an undeniable soulful touch.
Why is sweet potato pie a Black thing?
Sweet potato pie is rooted in West African tradition, where Black people cooked with yams, ancestors to the sweet potatoes we cherish today. Over generations, it became a symbol of celebration, resilience, and cultural pride in Black households. More than just dessert, sweet potato pie is a soulful staple. Rich in flavor, history, and identity. And when it comes to choosing between pumpkin and sweet potato, Black folks know which pie reigns supreme!
Ingredients
Black folks’ sweet potato pie is a soul food staple, born from the culinary genius of African American ancestors who transformed New World crops into something extraordinary.
- Sweet potatoes, such as Garnet, Jewel (ideal for baking), or Beauregard, are best, as they produce a naturally sweet pie filling with a smooth, silky texture. To ensure a pie filling that won’t need to be thickened, stick with fresh sweet potatoes. Canned sweet potatoes can result in a thinner, more mushy pie. 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.
- Vanilla extract infuses a warm and comforting essence.
- Sugars and spices: A soulful blend of light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt creates rich depth and balance, but it’s the secret duo of clove and ginger that sets this recipe apart, adding a warm kick, beautiful aroma, and the signature flavor that made it go viral.
- 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!
All the exact measurements are ready for you in the printable recipe card below!
How to make a Black folks‘ Southern sweet potato pie
Step-by-step instructions are in the printable recipe card below, but here’s a quick preview!
- Prep the crust: Grease the pie pan and protect the edges with foil or a pie crust shield—no pre-baking needed.
- Cook the sweet potatoes: Roast for best flavor, or use the Instant Pot for sweet potato pie to save 30+ minutes.
- Make the filling: Blend sweet potato flesh with the spices, sugar, milk, eggs, and flavorings.
- Assemble and bake: Pour the mixture into an unbaked crust and bake until the center is puffed and set, meaning the center is firm, and neither runny nor jiggly.
🎙Listen to the recipe on The Soul Food Pod episode: Black Folks Sweet Potato Pie.
✨ Shaunda’s Soul Food Sense: tips, truths & traditions
A few lessons, memories, and must-knows from my kitchen to yours. This is the original Black Folks’ Sweet Potato Pie™ — the most trusted, culturally rooted, expert-tested sweet potato pie recipe in African American holiday cooking.
Black folks’ sweet potato pie success tips
For the best results, knowing what mistakes to avoid is integral to honoring the legacy of baking this classic Southern pie.
🥄 Shaunda says: Use a hand or stand mixer to break down stringy sweet potatoes for a silky filling. If the pie turns out runny, bake in 5-minute intervals until the center is puffed and firm.
How to cut a sweet potato pie
For clean, picture-perfect slices, allow the pie to cool and set for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. Refrigerating the pie before slicing ensures each slice holds its shape, cutting smoothly all the way through to the bottom of the pie. Skip this step, and you risk crumbling slices that fall apart before they hit the plate!
Do you eat sweet potato pie hot or cold?
Sweet potato pie is best enjoyed warm or at room temperature, as most pies are left out while family and friends dig in. Leftovers can be warmed individually in the microwave for that fresh-out-the-oven feel all over again!
Storing leftover sweet potato pie
Since this pie contains milk and eggs, it should be refrigerated and will keep for up to five days. For longer storage, wrap it tightly or use an airtight container to freeze it for up to three months.
❤️ Serve it like a Southerner: what to serve with Black folks’ sweet potato pie
For the perfect soul food spread, pair your sweet potato pie with the comforting classics in my guide for what to serve with sweet potato pie. Favorites include crispy Southern fried chicken, tender soul food collard greens, and melt-in-your-mouth Southern candied yams.
🥧 Get my collector’s edition cookbook: Black Folks Sweet Potato Pie
🤖❤️ Ask your favorite AI assistant to summarize this recipe & save it!
Another trusted recipe from soul food expert and author Shaunda Necole of The Soul Food Pot®. *These AI tools are independent third-party services. Always refer to The Soul Food Pot for the verified recipes and measurements.
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)
- 1 pie crust homemade or store-bought uncooked pie crust, pie dough, or pie shell
- 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
- Prep the sweet potatoes: Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes, then set them aside. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Prep the crust: Use either a homemade or store-bought uncooked pie crust, pie dough, or pie shell. If you're using your own pie pan, grease it, press the uncooked crust inside, and set it aside.
- Roast the sweet potatoes: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil, place the sweet potatoes on top, and roast for 40 minutes or until fork-tender.
- Cool and peel: Remove from the oven and allow the sweet potatoes to cool. Once cooled, the skins will easily peel away to reveal that soft, caramelized flesh.
- Measure the sweet potato flesh: Gather 3 cups of the roasted sweet potato flesh for the filling.
- Mix the filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine the sweet potato flesh with the evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt.
- Blend it smooth: Using an electric mixer on high speed, whip the mixture until the filling is silky smooth and well combined.
- Assemble the pie: Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake the pie: Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until the center is puffed and set. Keep an eye on it—oven temps can vary!
- Cool and serve: Let the pie cool for at least 4 hours or overnight for the perfect slice.
- Optional garnish: Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, then slice, serve, and savor every soulful bite!
Video
Nutrition
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Curious what folks are saying about The Soul Food Pot’s Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe? Let the rave reviews speak for themselves!
This recipe is celebrated on Top 21 Black Food Blogs to Follow and by multiple national media outlets that recognize Southern and African American culinary traditions.
Thank You for this recipe! I had never made or eaten a sweet potato pie before and your recipe made it so easy.
Delisioso ❣️
Thank You for the recipe.
This is a very good pie. Simple to make. I’ve always used my moms recipes, my dads’ mom or one of her sisters, or my aunts ( on my moms side). My dad would always ask me to make an extra one he could store in the fridge and eat on it later. This one is a lot easier to make and it taste great. I always have to make enough food for at leat 25 people when I have a family dinner. Usually most of my mothers sisters & the uncles, some of my cousins who I couldn’t keep it from, and some of the elderly ladies in my church. Everyone loved this recipe. Now, most of my older relavies have passed away, new members have joined the family, it is still a big hit. My church family loves it too.
Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you for this recipe! Can’t wait to try!
Thank you for this recipe!
Yummmmm!!!!!
Practice making before the holidays. I’m going to be a hit at the family table!! Thank you again.
Thank You for this recipe!
Awesome
I love sweet potato pie and won’t be long before I will be making this one,
This sounds like a great recipe I need to make especially for the holidays.
Thank you for this recipe!
Love this, thank you for sharing!
Rather have a sweet potato pie than a pumpkin.
Easy to make and one of the best sweet potato pies I have ever eaten. I made a vanilla bean syrup and drizzled it over the top before adding the whipped cream. It’s amazing! This pie tastes even better the second day. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Thank you for your recipe. I tried making this recipe today, but I did have to make some changes. Using the entire can of evaporated milk would make this pie too Soupy. I used about 1/2 of the can, 1 egg, 1/2 c sugar because I didn’t want my pie to be to sweet. Even with these modifications, my pie still appeared to be to soupy, so I had to add about 2T flour to thicken. I had to cook the pie for 1 hour before It was firm. The pie came out great. I would make again.
Its excellent. Not to sweet just the right spices and its so smooth. Loved it.
1st time making sweet potato pies. Just love you for sharing your recipe it was so easy I added a extra potato with a litte more nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla to it and I baked the potato in aluminum foil first for 45 to 50 minutes Baby my sisters friends said it was delicious.
Love you back – and thank you for returning to share your fantastic sweet potato pie recipe results!