Ingredients (~8 servings)
Pie Crust
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 2 Tbsp white sugar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup salted butter, cut into chunks
- 1/4 cup ice cold water
Sweet Potato Filling
- 3 cups mashed sweet potato (~3 large sweet potatoes)
- 1/2 cup salted butter, for browning
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp white sugar
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 cup evaporated milk
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
Brown Sugar Meringue (Optional)
- 2 egg whites
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
Make the Pie Crust
Cut butter into chunks and put back in the refrigerator to keep cold.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and salt.
Add the cold butter chunks and pinch them into the flour mixture until you get pea-sized pieces throughout. The butter should be fully coated with flour.
Make a well in the center and add ice water 1-2 tablespoons at a time, mixing until a shaggy dough forms.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press any loose bits together to form one cohesive ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roast and Brown Your Components
Preheat oven to 425F.
Place sweet potatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for ~35-45 minutes until fork tender. Let them cool completely.
While they’re cooling, brown the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Swirl the pan until the butter turns golden brown and smells nutty – this takes ~3-5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Make the Sweet Potato Filling
Once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skins and add the flesh to a large bowl.
Mash until completely smooth – pick out any stringy fibers you find. A food processor works well for this if you want it perfectly smooth.
Add the cooled brown butter, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and evaporated milk. Mix well.
Add vanilla extract, flour, and eggs. Mix until the eggs are fully incorporated and the filling is smooth.
Roll Out the Crust and Par-Bake
Roll the chilled dough into a 10-inch circle about 1/4 inch thick.
Place in a pie pan and trim any excess hanging over the edges. Crimp the edges if you want them decorative.
Freeze the shaped crust for 20 minutes – this helps prevent shrinkage.
Poke holes all over the bottom with a fork to prevent air bubbles. Line with parchment paper and add pie weights.
Bake at 425F for ~17-20 minutes until the edges are golden brown.
Remove the weights and parchment, then bake another ~12-13 minutes until the bottom is golden brown.
Fill and Finish Baking the Pie
Pour the sweet potato filling into the par-baked crust.
Reduce oven temperature to 350F and bake for ~35-40 minutes. The center should still have a slight jiggle when you shake the pan.
Cool completely on a wire rack before adding meringue or serving – this takes ~2-3 hours.
Make Brown Sugar Meringue (If Using)
Only add meringue after the pie has cooled completely or it will melt from the residual heat.
Using a hand mixer, whip egg whites on medium speed, then increase to high speed and add cream of tartar.
Continue whipping for 1 minute, then slowly add brown sugar while mixing. Whip until glossy peaks form, then add vanilla extract.
Pipe or spoon onto the cooled pie. Use a kitchen torch to brown the peaks if you want those classic streaks.
Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 2 Tbsp white sugar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup salted butter cut into chunks
- 1/4 cup ice cold water
Sweet Potato Filling
- 3 cups mashed sweet potato ~3 large sweet potatoes
- 1/2 cup salted butter for browning
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp white sugar
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 cup evaporated milk
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
Brown Sugar Meringue (Optional)
- 2 egg whites
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
- Pinch cold butter chunks into flour mixture until pea-sized pieces form.
- Add ice water 1-2 tablespoons at a time until shaggy dough forms.
- Form dough into a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 425F and roast sweet potatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 35-45 minutes until fork tender.
- Brown butter in a skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until golden and nutty, then set aside to cool.
- Remove skins from cooled sweet potatoes and mash flesh until smooth, removing any stringy fibers.
- Mix mashed sweet potatoes with cooled brown butter, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and evaporated milk.
- Add vanilla extract, flour, and eggs, mixing until smooth.
- Roll chilled dough into a 10-inch circle and place in pie pan, trimming excess and crimping edges.
- Freeze shaped crust for 20 minutes.
- Poke holes in bottom with fork, line with parchment paper, and add pie weights.
- Bake at 425F for 17-20 minutes until edges are golden.
- Remove weights and parchment, then bake another 12-13 minutes until bottom is golden.
- Pour sweet potato filling into par-baked crust.
- Reduce oven to 350F and bake for 35-40 minutes until center has a slight jiggle.
- Cool completely on wire rack for 2-3 hours before serving.
- For meringue, whip egg whites on high speed with cream of tartar for 1 minute.
- Slowly add brown sugar while mixing until glossy peaks form, then add vanilla extract.
- Pipe or spoon meringue onto cooled pie and torch to brown if desired.
