What do you get when you combine two of the best holiday desserts? This heavenly sweet potato pecan pie!
It’s rich, velvety, nutty, and oh-so-sweet.
If you can’t decide between sweet potato and pecan pie, this recipe is for you. It gives you the best of both worlds in one dreamy bite.
This sweet potato pecan pie is delectably sweet and creamy, with an excellent caramelized pecan topping!
And it’s the perfect ending to your Thanksgiving feast!
That said, it’s so yummy, I think you’ll want to make it all year.
Classic Sweet Potato Pecan Pie Recipe
This pie has a layer of silky sweet potato filling covered in a rich caramelized pecan topping. Both of which are nestled in a flaky, buttery pie crust.
Give me a second to wipe the drool off my face.
As I said, it combines the goodness of two beloved desserts, and it’s a cinch to make.
Try it for your next fall dinner, and it’ll be gone in seconds.
What You’ll Need
- Pie Crust – Use a store-bought pie crust for ease. Or go ahead and make you’re own. It’s totally up to you.
- Sweet Potatoes – Sweet, earthy, and creamy sweet potatoes make a fantastic pie filling.
- Eggs – To bind the ingredients and help the filling set into a rich and thick custard.
- Granulated Sugar – To give the sweet potatoes a little extra boost of sweetness.
- Salt – To balance out the sweetness.
- Cinnamon, Ginger, and Cloves – For warmth, flavor, and a heavenly fragrance.
- Light Cream – To thin out the thick potatoes and make them extra rich and creamy.
- Softened Butter and Brown Sugar – Together, they form a sweet and buttery caramel that goes on top of the pie.
- Chopped Pecans – They’re mixed in with the caramel for crunch and flavor.
How to Make Sweet Potato Pecan Pie
This double-pie recipe is super straightforward. So please don’t think it’ll take twice the work!
Really, the most you have to do is some mashing and mixing.
- Cook the sweet potatoes. Bake them, steam them, or pop them in the microwave. They just need to be soft and mashable. When they’re soft, let them cool, then scoop the flesh out and mash it until it’s smooth.
- Make the sweet potato filling. Whisk together the mashed sweet potatoes, eggs, sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in a large bowl until well combined. Add the cream and whip until smooth and silky.
- Bake the pie. Spoon the filling into a 9-inch unbaked pastry crust, then bake the sweet potato pie at 350º degrees Fahrenheit (175°C) for 45 to 55 minutes.
- Make the topping. Whisk together the softened butter, brown sugar, and pecans. Drop spoonfuls of topping over the pie and spread evenly. Broil for 3 minutes or until the topping is bubbly.
Serve and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Blind bake the pastry for an extra flaky finish. It’ll ensure the base doesn’t become soggy with all that filling.
- Roast the sweet potatoes for better consistency and flavor. Steaming or boiling the potatoes adds a ton of moisture, which can affect the filling. Plus, roasting makes them extra flavorful.
- For silky smooth mashed sweet potatoes, use the food processor. If you like lumps here and there, use a potato masher or two forks.
- Watch the topping as it broils. Don’t step away because it’ll burn in a flash.
- Allow the pie to cool completely before you dig in. I know, it sucks! But the custard filling needs time to set. And the top will be molten caramel! So save your tongue and let it cool.
How to Blind-Bake a Pie Crust
Whether you’re using store-bought or homemade, it’s always a good idea to blind-bake pastry when you have a wet filling.
Blind-baking is the process of partially or fully cooking pastry so it will hold up under creamy fillings or for use in no-bake pies.
Here’s how to do it:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line the pie crust with aluminum foil or parchment paper and fill it with pie weights, uncooked rice, or dried beans (to keep the pastry from puffing up).
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then remove the weights and foil/parchment.
- Bake for another 5 minutes, until the base looks dry.
After blind-baking, spoon in the filling and finish baking the whole pie.
Note: this is for a par-baked crusted. That means it’s not fully cooked. If you’re making a tart or cream pie, you’ll want to bake it fully – 10-15 minutes with the weights/beans, then another 15-20 minutes until it’s golden brown.
How to Store Sweet Potato Pecan Pie
Wrap the pie tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 to 15 minutes.
More Sweet Pie Recipes You’ll Love
Sweet Potato Pie
Libby’s Pumpkin Pie
Shoofly Pie
Kentucky Derby Pie
Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Pie
Sweet Potato Pecan Pie (Easy Recipe)
8
servings10
minutes1
hour30
minutes519
kcalWhat do you get when you combine two of the best holiday desserts? This heavenly sweet potato pecan pie! It’s rich, velvety, nutty, and oh-so-sweet.
Ingredients
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust
2 cups sweet potatoes (2-3 potatoes)
2 eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 2/3 cups light cream
3 tablespoons butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the sweet potatoes for 40 to 50 minutes, or until fork tender.
- Peel and mash when they’re cool enough to handle. Set them aside until cold.
- While the potatoes cool, reduce the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175°C) and place the pie crust on a baking tray.
- Add parchment paper and baking weights to the crust and bake for 10 minutes. Then, remove the parchment and weights and bake for another 5 minutes.
- Take the crust out of the oven and set it aside to cool.
- While the pie crust cools, whisk the eggs and sweet potatoes until thick and smooth.
- Add the sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, and whisk until well incorporated.
- Gently whisk in the cream.
- Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack.
- When the sweet potato pie is cool, make the topping.
- Whisk the softened butter and brown sugar until it looks like a grainy but smooth paste.
- Stir in the chopped pecans and gently spoon it over the sweet potato pie.
- Broil the pie 5 inches below the heating element for 3 minutes, or until the topping starts to bubble.
- Remove the pie from the broiler and leave it to cool.
- Serve and enjoy!
