Sweet Potato Pie Black History

A soul food Southern sweet potato pie recipe tastes like warm family memories, good times, and a legacy of the best holiday traditions handed down from one generation to the next as part of sweet potato pie Black history.

That’s because sweet potato pie is a soul food cooking gift that keeps on giving.

Is sweet potato pie a Black thing?

Soul food recipes traditionally combine African American foods derived from Black enslaved African’s take on American and British cuisine. 

Sweet potato pie is a pie made by Black folks back in Africa when they used the native-grown vegetable, yams. 

The Black history of sweet potato pie includes the warm spice essence of West African color, warmth, flavors, and traditions. 

Sweet potato pie is one of those classic soul food recipes – causing many people to ask, “Is sweet potato pie a Black thing?” 

Of course, the answer is yes, but you don’t have to be a Black person to make or enjoy it. Sweet potato pie is easy enough for anyone to make and everyone to love!

What is Black folks’ sweet potato pie?

Wikipedia describes sweet potato pie as having a Southern soul food history: 

“Sweet potato pie is a traditional dessert, originating in the Southern United States among the African American community. It is often served during the American holiday season, especially at Thanksgiving and Christmas in place of pumpkin pie, which is more traditional in other regions of the United States.”

The Soul Food Pot’s famous Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe is rich with Black history and authentic soul food cooking.

It’s a delightful Thanksgiving sweet potato pie or Christmas dessert packed with flavorful seasonings and spices in the tradition of Black folks’ soul food cooking. 

How do you make a Black folks’ Southern sweet potato pie?

This pie is traditionally made with softened or mashed sweet potatoes, eggs, sugar, butter, and the best blend of vanilla, cinnamon, and other sweet spices. 

Check out the step-by-step list of recipe ingredients and instructions below and enjoy a slice of sweet potato pie Black history!

Suggested kitchen equipment

• Instant Pot electric pressure cooker (optional)
• Instant Omni Plus oven (optional)
• Instant Ace Plus blender or an electric mixer
• 9-inch deep-dish pie plate

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Ingredients for a sweet potato pie Black history recipe

• 1 ½ pounds of sweet potatoes, washed and scrubbed (equals about 3 cups when softened and peeled)
• 12 oz. evaporated milk, 1 can
• 1 cup of light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted (or vegan butter)
• 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of ginger, minced
• 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon of ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon of salt

Instructions for a sweet potato pie Black history recipe

1. Grease a 9-inch pie pan and set it aside.
2. See my recipe HERE for homemade almond flour pie crust, or you can use a store-bought pie crust, dough, or pie shell that may or may not come with its own pie pan.
3. Pro tip: Use an Instant Pot pressure cooker to soften and peel the sweet potatoes quickly and almost effortlessly! 
4. Open the Instant Pot lid and fill the stainless-steel inner pot with water to the ½ mark.
5. Add the scrubbed sweet potatoes to the pot of water.
6. Close the Instant Pot lid (ensure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 12 minutes to loosen the potato skin.
7. When cooking is finished, allow a natural pressure release for at least 12 minutes.
8. To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
9. Pour the water and sweet potatoes into a colander in the sink to drain the hot water from the potatoes.
10. Once the sweet potatoes are cool to the touch, peel and discard the skin.
11. Gather 3 cups of sweet potato flesh.
12. Add the sweet potato flesh, evaporated milk, brown sugar, egg, melted butter, vanilla extract, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt to a blender or an electric mixer.
13. Pulse or mix until the ingredients are combined and smooth.
14. Pour the sweet potato mixture into the pie crust.
15. Bake the sweet potato pie at 350 degrees F: in a conventional oven for 28-30 minutes, in the Instant Pot Omni Plus oven for 24-26 minutes, or until the pie is puffed and firm in the center. (Remember that cooking appliance times and oven temperatures will vary.)
16. Allow the sweet potato pie to cool for at least 2-4 hours before garnishing or slicing.
17. Garnish with whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkled on top. 
18. Serve this Black folks sweet potato pie recipe warm, and enjoy!

Can you use purple sweet potatoes in place of regular sweet potatoes?

Yes, with purple Stokes purple sweet potatoes, you can try this pie a different way! 

Check out the recipe below for a purple sweet potato pie.

Pro tips: 

• You’ll probably have leftover sweet potato mix depending on how deep-dish your pie pan is. You can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Or you can pour it into a Ziplock bag and freeze it for up to 3 months.
• You could also make mini-Black folks sweet potato pies with any leftover pie filling.
• And don’t forget to use any leftover pie dough for the easiest Southern dessert ever – pie crust cookies!
• How do you get the strings out of sweet potato pie? A blender, hand-held, or stand electric mixer will dissolve the strings.

What do you serve with Southern sweet potato pie?

A Southern soul food sweet potato pie recipe is often served with a traditional Southern soul food menu, likely to include:

Southern fried chicken or a Black folks Southern turkey recipe, soul food collard greens, Black folks chicken and dressing, Black folks homemade cornbread, and soul food baked macaroni and cheese.

Washed down with a glass of holiday eggnog or everyday Southern sweet tea!

Sweet potato pie Black history FAQs

What makes a Black folks’ sweet potato pie?

Sweet potato pie Black history tells us that every Southern sweet potato pie is not a Black folks’ sweet potato pie. Unless made with a flawless blend of soul food sweet and savory spices, and fresh sweet potatoes!

Black folks are known for their unique sweet potato pie recipe. Creamy and decadent comfort food at its finest! 

Sweet potato pie is the only thing better than pumpkin pie after Thanksgiving dinner. (Read on for more about sweet potato pie vs. pumpkin pie later in this post!)

With traditional brown sugar and butter flavors complemented by hints of vanilla extract to create the perfect balance of sweetness and rich, warm spice, it’s hard to enjoy only one little piece of Black folks’ sweet potato pie!

What makes Black folks’ sweet potato pie a favorite pie recipe?

The spices. It’s gotta be the spices!

Sweet potato pie is also easy to make ahead. Easy to serve. It has simple pantry ingredients that yield a sweet and mildly spicy flavor. 

There are many other great recipes for pies out there, but Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe stands out from the rest!

What spices belong in a Southern soul food sweet potato pie recipe?

Here are three spices that belong in a delicious soul food sweet potato pie. 

• Ground cinnamon is a versatile spice for savory and sweet dishes for an extra burst of flavor while adding more color. 

 Cinnamon is an excellent addition to everything from an apple pie, pumpkin bread, and even sweet potato pies! Cinnamon helps brighten up even the darkest desserts because it adds lightness to them while giving off its unique taste.

• Ground nutmeg is often found in pumpkin pies, but it goes exceptionally well with sweet potato pie. This spice gives the dish a wonderful flavor and provides some warmth to your palate. 

 Think about how good your grandmother’s Thanksgiving meal tastes every year! Ground nutmeg has that same type of taste without being overwhelming or spicy at all. You need this for sure if you are planning on making this Thanksgiving specialty!

• Ground cloves are that secret ingredient that gives your finished sweet potato recipes a beautiful aroma, a spicy kick, and the perfect sweetness without going overboard with sugar. 

 Ground cloves have an aromatic sweet aroma and taste. You’ll love how much more flavorful your ciders, toddies, brines, and sweet treats become once cloves are added!

When combined, these spices create an excellent balance. Cloves should definitely be included in any soul food Thanksgiving menu or Christmas dinner.

Can you use yams instead of sweet potatoes for pie?

Yes you can because yams are a vegetable similar to sweet potatoes but come from the motherland in Africa.

Africans were used to cooking with yams. So when they were brought to the American South as enslaved persons, the next best thing available was a sweet potato, which they also called yams.

If making 2 pounds of sweet potatoes, do you just double the recipe or leave the same?

This recipe calls for 1 ½ pounds of sweet potatoes. 

Two pounds will leave you extra filling for perhaps another pie!

Use the dynamic recipe card below to adjust the ingredient amounts for updated proportions.

How do you prepare the sweet potatoes to be mashed?

Can you boil the sweet potatoes for sweet potato pie? Asked another way: Should you roast or boil sweet potatoes for pie?

Yes, but the easiest method is to use an Instant Pot pressure cooker to soften and peel the sweet potatoes quickly and almost effortlessly to prepare them for mashing. 

Will this recipe work for a 10-inch pie pan?

This recipe is excellent for deep-dish pie pans!

Because depending on how deep of a dish your pie pan is, you’ll probably have leftover sweet potato mix to make another. 

You could also make mini-Black folks sweet potato pies with any leftover pie filling.

How do you keep your pie crust edges from burning?

Unlike some pie recipes, there is no need to preheat your empty pie crust for this Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe. Doing this can cause your pie crust edges to burn.

You can also use a pie shield when baking.

How do you know when sweet potato pie is done baking?

How do you know when the filling of the pie is cooked?

A good indicator of when this pie recipe is done is when you can see the center of the pie filling puffing in the oven. 

Also, the center of a sweet potato pie should be firm and not runny or jiggly when you remove the pie from the oven.

How can you thicken your sweet potato pie filling?

Asked another way, how do you stiffen a sweet potato pie?

While many recipes call for adding flour for thickening, you don’t want to do this for a soul food sweet potato pie filling. It could compromise the unique Southern soul food flavors.

To avoid needing to thicken the pie filling, ensure your sweet potato mixture still has some texture and is not just a thin, runny purée.

How long should a sweet potato pie sit before slicing?

How long does a sweet potato pie have to cool? 

One primary consideration when cutting your sweet potato pie is to let it set before cutting. Otherwise, the slice will fall apart like feta cheese! 

It’s best to let the pie cool and set for a few hours to a whole day. 

But if you can’t wait the entire day, wait at least four hours before slicing it.

How do you cut sweet potato pie?

Pro tips:

• This process can be even simpler if you run your sharp knife on a chilled sweet potato pie. 
• A perfect uniform slice will be in your hands if you refrigerate your sweet pie before cutting it. 
• Be sure the knife is clean and sharp before cutting. 
• Wipe it off with a damp cloth after each slice and cut cleanly through the bottom of your pie.

Does sweet potato pie need to be refrigerated?

Yes. After all, this recipe calls for eggs.

Can you reheat sweet potato pie?

Yes, this sweet potato pie recipe can be quickly rewarmed in the oven. Or by the slice in the microwave. 

Can you freeze a sweet potato pie?

You can absolutely freeze whole sweet potato pies or leftover pie for up to three months. First, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and then foil, sealed tight with an airtight container.

What’s the difference between pumpkin pie and sweet potato pie?

What makes sweet potato pie different from a pumpkin pie?

It may seem like sweet potato pie is just a fancier, more flavorful version of pumpkin pie (and it is). Still, there are some significant differences between the two. 

Pumpkin pies are traditionally made with sugar, spices, and eggs. 

However, soulful flavor combinations like cinnamon, sugar, sweet vanilla, cloves, and nutmeg have elevated sweet potato pies. Mixed beautifully with softened sweet potatoes or yams.

Most pumpkin pies tend to be bland, dense, and creamier. Even with the addition of pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin pie is no comparison. 

In contrast, sweet potato pie has more texture with an airier and fluffier filling.

Which is better, pumpkin or sweet potato pie?

If you ask Black folks, there is no debating which one is better. The answer is always sweet potato pie – as long as it’s made the Southern soul food way!

Can you make this pie ahead?

Suppose you’re making a Thanksgiving sweet potato pie or a Christmas sweet potato pie. In that case, it’s a good idea to make your sweet potato pie masterpiece ahead of time. (Assuming, of course, that you have the refrigerator space.)

Just remember: wrap tightly and keep in the fridge because this recipe calls for eggs.

Do you eat sweet potato pie hot or cold?

There’s nothing like a slice of warm sweet potato pie. Although, on Christmas Day, the pie is often served at room temperature if it’s not warmed up by the slice.

What other recipes can you make with sweet potatoes?

Got a sweet potato cooking gene? Then check out these best Southern sweet potato recipes, from soups to candied yams, and sweet potato pie with cream cheese!

What do you eat in Black History Month?

You can enjoy notable recipes like collard greens, cornbread, baked macaroni and cheese, chicken and dressing, and of course, sweet potato comfort pie – just to name a few soul foods menu favorites. 

These recipes are part of Black America’s authentic soul food family, African American culture, and African American food. Recipes passed along through generations and a legacy of Black Americans. Black folks’ food!

Do you have more sweet potatoes than you know what to do with?

Check out these favorite Southern soul food sweet potato recipes below!

What do you think about this sweet potato pie Black history and recipe?

African-Americans today have continued the tradition of sweet potato pie with celebratory gatherings and holiday dinners.

The ingredients are simple, but the flavor is unique! 

If you like this recipe, you’ll love these best Thanksgiving dessert recipes!

Have you had it?

Would you make it? 

Comment below and lemme know. 

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