Description

This Silky Sweet Potato Pie recipe creates a luxuriously smooth and creamy dessert featuring fall-apart tender sweet potatoes simmered in a cinnamon and vanilla-infused dairy sauce. Slow cooking develops deep flavors and an irresistibly silky texture, baked to a gentle set in a flaky pie crust. Perfectly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, it’s elegantly topped with optional brown sugar whipped cream for added richness and sweetness.

Ingredients

Scale

Filling

16 ounces sweet potatoes (3 1/3 cups; 455 g), peeled and roughly diced from 2 medium sweet potatoes
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped, seeds reserved for whipped cream topping
2 or 3 cinnamon sticks (about 6 inches total)
1 whole nutmeg
26 ounces milk (3 1/4 cups; 740 g), any percentage
6 ounces heavy cream (3/4 cup; 170 g)
7 ounces white or lightly toasted sugar (1 cup; 195 g)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (use half as much if iodized table salt)
1/2 ounce vanilla extract (1 tablespoon; 14 g)
3 large eggs

Pie Crust

Old-fashioned flaky pie crust, prepared as for a blind-baked pie

Optional Topping

Brown sugar whipped cream (vanilla bean seeds reserved from above)

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Instructions

Prepare the simmering mixture: In a 3-quart stainless steel saucier, combine peeled diced sweet potatoes, empty vanilla pod, cinnamon sticks, whole nutmeg, milk, heavy cream, and sugar. Use a scale to note the combined weight for precise reduction measurement.
Simmer the filling: Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low to maintain simmer. Scrape sides frequently with a flexible spatula to prevent milk solids buildup. Simmer until sweet potatoes are tender and the dairy has condensed into a thick sauce, about 55 minutes. The mixture should reduce by 19 ounces (535 g) or total volume should measure about 3 2/3 cups, including cooked sweet potato.
Preheat oven: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350°F (177°C).
Prepare filling puree: Remove vanilla bean pod and spices from the saucier. Using an immersion blender, purée the sweet potato and dairy mixture until smooth. If necessary, transfer to a smaller container to avoid splashes.
Season and mix: Whisk in ground cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, salt, vanilla extract, and then the eggs. For an extra smooth texture, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer before filling the pie crust.
Bake the pie: Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust and bake until gently set in the center with an internal temperature of 195°F (91°C), about 40 minutes.
Cool and slice: Cool the pie for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Use a chef’s knife and wipe the blade clean between cuts for neat slices.
Serve: Optionally, serve with dollops of brown sugar whipped cream made using the reserved vanilla bean seeds.
Storage: Wrap leftover pie tightly in plastic and store at cool room temperature for up to 3 days.

Notes

For best color and flavor, use garnet yams (which are true sweet potatoes). Avoid substituting with butternut squash or pumpkin to prevent vegetal off-flavors.
The whole nutmeg enhances brightness and balances the dairy richness with its fresh, slightly herbaceous note due to myristicin, an essential oil found also in parsley and dill.
Use Diamond Crystal kosher salt for precise seasoning; reduce quantity if using iodized table salt.
Whipped cream topping with vanilla bean seeds complements the pie’s silky texture and warm spices.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12th of pie)
Calories: 320 kcal
Sugar: 18 g
Sodium: 135 mg
Fat: 14 g
Saturated Fat: 7 g
Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 40 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 5 g
Cholesterol: 95 mg