Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust (store-bought or homemade)
• 2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Fit the crust into a 9-inch pie dish and crimp the edges.
2. Whisk the filling ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth.
3. Pour the filling into the crust.
4. Bake for 45–55 minutes, until the edges are set and the center jiggles only slightly when the pan is nudged.
5. Cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate at least 2 hours before slicing.

The Tale of Sweet Potato Pie

Story updated September 19, 2026

Sweet potato pie's roots run through the enslaved kitchens of the American South. Sweet potatoes are native to the Americas, and enslaved West Africans are often said to have seen in them a natural stand-in for the yams of their homeland, folding the tuber into European-style pie-making. Early versions were often simple, sweetened with molasses and spice, and evolved into the custard-style pie known today. Abby Fisher's 1881 book What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking, among the first cookbooks by a formerly enslaved African American, includes an early published American recipe. The pie became a fixture of Sunday dinners and holiday tables, a soulful alternative to pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.