Description

A classic Southern sweet potato pie featuring a flaky homemade pie crust and a spiced, creamy sweet potato filling. This comforting dessert combines warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves with rich evaporated milk and brown sugar for a perfect balance of sweetness and earthiness. Ideal for holiday gatherings or any cozy occasion, served best with a dollop of whipped cream.

Ingredients

Pie Crust

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (+ more for work surface)
1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold and cubed)
½ cup leaf-lard or vegetable shortening (chilled)
½ cup ice water (add gradually)

Sweet Potato Pie Filling

6 medium sweet potatoes (about 3.5 cups mashed)
1 stick unsalted butter (softened)
1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
2 large eggs (room temperature)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup evaporated milk (6 ounces)
Whipped cream (for serving)

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Instructions

Make Pie Crust: In a large bowl or food processor, whisk together kosher salt and all-purpose flour. Add cold cubed butter and chilled leaf-lard or vegetable shortening. Cut fats into flour using a pastry cutter or pulse setting until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea-sized fat bits.
Add Ice Water: Gradually add ice water one tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition until dough just begins to clump together.
Form Dough: Turn dough onto a floured surface; it should be slightly tacky and come together easily. Form into a ball, divide in half, flatten into 1-inch thick discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Prepare Sweet Potatoes: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Bake sweet potatoes on a baking sheet for 1 hour. Let cool slightly, peel, and rice into a large bowl.
Make Filling: In a medium bowl, cream softened butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Stir in evaporated milk, then combine mixture with riced sweet potatoes until creamy and well incorporated.
Roll Pie Crust: Remove one dough disc from fridge and roll out on floured surface to 11–12 inches diameter, about ⅛ inch thick. Repeat with second dough and cut leaf shapes for decoration.
Assemble Pie: Transfer rolled crust to pie dish, trim edges to ½ inch beyond lip, fold under to form rim, press edges evenly, and patch any holes with scraps. Refrigerate crust for 15 minutes.
Fill and Decorate: Pour sweet potato filling into unbaked crust. Arrange leaf cut-outs on top of filling.
Bake Pie: Bake on the bottom rack at 350°F for 1 to 1 hour 15 minutes until center is slightly jiggly and edges are set.
Cool and Serve: Cool pie on a wire rack for 2 hours, refrigerate until ready to serve, and top with whipped cream if desired.

Notes

Use chilled fats to achieve a flaky pie crust.
Adding water gradually ensures dough is not too wet.
Riced sweet potatoes give a smooth, creamy texture.
Pie center should jiggle slightly when done to avoid overbaking.
Pie crust can be refrigerated up to 3 days before baking.
Leaf-shaped crust cutouts add a decorative Southern touch.

Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Southern American