Black Folks Sweet Potato Pie Recipe With Condensed Milk

Have you checked out my new Black folks’ sweet potato pie cookbook?

It’s a collector’s edition honoring a legacy of the West African influences in my family’s viral sweet potato pie recipes!  

Black folks sweet potato pie recipe, old fashioned sweet potato pie, purple sweet potato pie, and Southern sweet potato pie with cream cheese.

Which one is your favorite?

My favorite is my classic Black folks’ sweet potato pie. There are many other great recipes for pies out there, but my Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe stands out from the rest! It’s the first sweet potato pie recipe to introduce warm spicy notes of clove and ginger as part of its signature soul food spices, along with silky evaporated milk in the recipe. 

But what if you don’t have evaporated milk on hand?

Can you use sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk in pie?

Yes! In this sweet potato pie recipe, sweetened condensed milk is the substitute ingredient for evaporated milk.

It’s my signature Black folk’s sweet potato pie recipe with condensed milk.

The perfect recipe substitute solution if you don’t have the preferred evaporated milk on hand.

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! So no need to miss out on making this recipe if you don’t have evaporated milk, but do have condensed milk instead.

Why is sweet potato pie a Black thing?

Sweet potato pie was made by Black folks back in Africa when they used the native-grown vegetable, yams. It’s a legacy of the best holiday traditions handed down from generation to generation as part of sweet potato pie Black history.

What is Black folks’ sweet potato pie?

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

Another delicious variation of the original recipe, except with the addition of sweetened condensed milk. Honestly, I prefer the original Black folks sweet potato pie recipe that uses a silky smooth evaporated milk/condensed milk. 

But, this recipe promises the same soulful seasonings, spices, and flavors custom to Black people’s sweet potato pie, with additional sweetness as ushered in with the sweetened conditioned milk. 

What are the ingredients in Southern sweet potato pie?

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

Kitchen equipment

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

Shop my kitchenware HERE!

Ingredients for Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe with condensed milk

• Sweet potatoes – A naturally sweet pie filling with a smooth, creamy texture.
• Condensed milk – Adds sweetness and smoothness to the pie.
• Light brown sugar – Adds a touch of sweetness with caramel-like flavor.
• Eggs – The binding agent that ensures the pie filling holds its shape.
• Butter – Adds a rich flavor that complements the natural sweet potatoes.
• Vanilla extract – For a warm and comforting balance in the flavor profile.
• Ginger – Adds a hint of spiciness and a subtle warm kick.
• Nutmeg – Adds a warm, nutty, and earthly balance to the pie’s sweetness. 
• Cinnamon –  Adds a comforting warmth and heat with earthy flavor. 
• Clove –  Contributes to the pie’s overall soulful spiciness.
• Salt – A necessary contrast to balance the sweet spice profiles.
• Pie crust – Elevates this dish from a sweet potato soufflé to a sweet potato pie with a simple, delicious, and flaky pie crust encasing. 

Instructions for Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe with condensed milk

1. Grease the pie pan – Grease a 9-inch pie pan and set it aside.
2. For homemade pie crust – 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. Recipe pro tip – Use an Instant Pot pressure cooker to soften and peel the sweet potatoes quickly and almost effortlessly! 
4. Pressure cook or boil the sweet potatoes – 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 (make sure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 12 minutes to loosen the potato skin.
7. When the cooking time 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. Drain the cooked sweet potatoes – Pour the water and sweet potatoes into a colander in the sink to drain the hot water from the potatoes.
10. Peel the sweet potatoes – Once the sweet potatoes are cool to the touch, peel and discard the skin.
11. Gather the potato flesh – Gather 3 cups of sweet potato flesh.
12. Mix the ingredients – Add to either the Instant Pot Ace blender or an electric mixer the sweet potato flesh, condensed milk, brown sugar, egg, melted butter, vanilla extract, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt.
13. Pulse or mix until the ingredients are combined and smooth.
14. Fill the pie crust – Pour the sweet potato mixture into the pie crust.
15. Bake the pie – 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. Let the pie cool – Allow the sweet potato pie to cool for at least 2-4 hours before garnishing or slicing.
17. Optional toppings – Garnish with whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkled on top. 
18. How to serve – Serve this Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe warm and enjoy!

🎙 Listen to the recipe: Black Folks Sweet Potato Pie Recipe With Condensed Milk

Do you eat sweet potato pie hot or cold? 

Sweet potato pie is best served warm or at room temperature. 

Most pies are left unrefrigerated while family and friends feast on the dessert. Then, it’s chilled in the fridge to store the leftovers and warmed up before serving again.

What do you serve with Black folks sweet potato pie?

A simple answer would be whipped cream or ice cream, but that’s not exactly the answer you’re looking for. 

Instead, you want something that compliments it! 

So if you’re looking for classic soul food recipes to serve with your sweet potato pie for your Thanksgiving menu or Christmas dinner, then look no further than these delicious ideas:

Southern fried chicken or a Black folks Southern turkey recipe, soul food collard greens, Black folks cornbread dressing, Black folks homemade cornbread, and soul food black eyed peas.

Black folks sweet potato pie recipe with condensed milk FAQs

Which is better evaporated or condensed milk?

The answer is a matter of preference. Condensed milk is sweeter than evaporated milk. And evaporated milk is silkier than thicker condensed milk. Although one can be substituted for the other, condensed milk will make the taste of the pie a bit sweeter.

Can you boil the sweet potatoes for sweet potato pie?

Yes, an easy way to quickly peel and soften the sweet potatoes is to pressure cook or boil them.

How do you prepare the sweet potatoes to be mashed?

Should you roast or boil sweet potatoes for pie? 

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. 

How do you get the strings out of sweet potatoes? 

Sweet potatoes stored at the wrong temperature can become stringy when cooked.

But, no worries, they are still perfectly OK to eat.

But stringy sweet potatoes will not be a problem if you follow this Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe. Because a blender, hand-held mixer, or stand electric mixer will round up and collect the strings with the mixers or blade or dissolve the strings.

If you do not prepare the pie crust from scratch, can you use a frozen one?

Yes, you can absolutely use a frozen pie crust or store-bought pie dough.

How do you keep your pie crust edges from burning?

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

Pro tip: To alleviate concerns of your pie crust edges burning, you could use a pie crust shield.

How do you know when the filling is cooked?

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

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 long should a sweet potato pie sit before slicing?

Allow the sweet potato pie to cool for at least 2-4 hours before garnishing or slicing.

How do you cut sweet potato pie?

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 up to a whole day. 

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

Pro tips for slicing sweet potato pie:

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.

Do you refrigerate Black folks’ sweet potato pie?

Yes. After all, this recipe calls for eggs.

How long will sweet potato pie last in the refrigerator?

The baked and cooled pie can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 days.

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.

Can you make this pie ahead?

If you’re making a Thanksgiving sweet potato pie or a Christmas sweet potato pie, 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 – after all, this recipe calls for eggs.

Are there any acceptable ingredients substitutes in a Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe?

You can use the following swaps for this soul food baked sweet potato pie recipe:

While I’ve found evaporated milk to be the smoothest and perfect flavor additive for sweet potato pie, sweetened condensed milk can be a substitute, as I’ve detailed in this recipe. Likewise, heavy cream. 

Also, light brown sugar or dark brown sugar is best for this pie recipe. But granulated sugar can also work in a pinch.

What do you think about this Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe with condensed milk?

The ingredients are simple, but the flavor is unique! 

Have you had it?

Would you make it? 

Comment below and lemme know. 

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

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