Whole Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Bake or boil sweet potatoes

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Wash sweet potatoes and prick a few times with a fork. Place on a baking sheet and bake 45–60 minutes until fork-tender. Alternatively, peel and cut into chunks and boil in salted water for 20–25 minutes until tender. Drain well.

Mash and cool

While still warm, scoop flesh from sweet potatoes and mash until smooth. Measure 2 cups of mashed sweet potato. Allow to cool slightly before combining with other filling ingredients so eggs won't scramble.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1.25 cups flour, 1 tsp sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt. Add cold butter cubes and cut in with a pastry cutter or two forks until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized bits of butter remaining.

Scatter ice water (start with 3 tablespoons) over flour mixture and gently toss with a fork until dough begins to come together. If dry, add up to 1 more tablespoon of ice water. Gather dough into a ball, flatten into a 1-inch disk, wrap in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll chilled dough to a 12-inch circle about 1/8–1/4 inch thick. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate, trim edges leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, fold under and crimp as desired. Chill the crust in the freezer for 10 minutes while preparing filling to prevent shrinking.

Optional blind bake: If you prefer a crisper bottom, preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line chilled crust with parchment, fill with pie weights or dried beans, and blind bake 12 minutes. Remove weights and bake 5 more minutes until lightly golden. Reduce oven to 350°F (175°C) for filling bake.

Reduce oven to 350°F (175°C) if you blind-baked the crust. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups mashed sweet potato, 3 tbs granulated sugar, 3 tbs light brown sugar, 4 tbs melted butter, 2 large eggs (lightly beaten), 1 cup whole milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground nutmeg, and 1 tsp salt. Whisk until very smooth and homogenous. For an extra-silky texture, pass the mixture through a fine mesh sieve or use an immersion blender briefly.

Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust, smoothing the top with a spatula. Tap the pie plate gently on the counter to release any large air bubbles.

Bake on the middle rack for 45–55 minutes, or until the center is mostly set but still slightly jiggly (it will firm as it cools). If edges brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil after 30 minutes.

Remove pie from oven and cool on a wire rack at room temperature for at least 2 hours to finish setting. Refrigerate for 2–4 hours for best slicing results.

Slice the pie and serve chilled or at room temperature. Top with whipped cream and a light dusting of cinnamon if desired.