Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie made with a homemade buttery shortcrust pastry, roasted sweet potatoes and decorated with cream, a delicious dessert be to enjoyed throughout the Fall season. Particularly nice for your Thanksgiving dessert menu, this pie is so easy to make, and a big winner with everyone.
As much as I love summer, there is something so cosy about Fall that I can't have enough of. The colder, darker, shorter days, the beautiful colours around, the harvest. Not to mention the delicious recipes we can enjoy with fresh seasonal produce.
And this sweet potato pie is definitely a must-try this Autumn! Together with the pumpkin pie it has its special place at the table, especially on Thanksgiving, the highlight of Fall. Both pies are pretty similar in taste, colour and way of making, and are most certainly as delicious.
If you don't have any fresh or canned pumpkin around, sweet potatoes are the next best things. Plus, they are easily available all-year around, so definitely the best swap. Or even butternut squash could do the trick too.
You can buy the crust, but to be honest it's dead easy to make it, and it uses 4 simple ingredients, nothing else. So, why not have the real deal, instead of a cheap-quality substitute.
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Ingredients overview
For the sweet shortcrust pastry
- plain flour - we don't need any levening agents for the crust, so everyday flour is the best
- butter - cold straight from the fridge, it helps achieve a short crust
- granulated sugar - for a sweet touch, you can omit it if you life
- egg yolk - acts as a binding agent, but also gives a nice colour to the crust
- cold water - to bind the crust together
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For the filling
- roasted sweet potatoes - for a more decadent touch
- eggs - I used 2 large eggs for this recipe
- dark brown sugar - for a deep colour and flavour
- pumpkin spice - can be swapped for cinnamon only or mixed spice in the UK
- milk - full fat is the best, semi-skimmed also ok
- cream - double or heavy cream, whipped cream for decorating
Step-by-step photos and instructions
I know that buying a ready made one is easier, but the taste will never be the same, so I highly recommend making it yourself. No dodgy ingredients, guaranteed a fantastic taste and great texture.
- sift the flour, add the cold butter cut into cubes, and use your fingertips to rub them together until you get a breadcrumb-like texture
- add the sugar and mix again
- add the egg yolk and water and knead gently until you get a smooth dough
- cover it with clingfilm, and chill it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes
- roast the sweet potatoes, then leave them to cool completely
- peel the potatoes, then add them to a bowl together with the eggs, white and brown sugar, milk and spices
- use an electric mixer or a hand blender to blend everything well
- to make the crust, use a rolling pin to roll the dough, the transfer it to a quiche / pie tin
- cover it with kitchen foil, then add the baking beans
- blind bake it in the preheated oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit)
- remove the beans and foil, then bake for a further 5 minutes
- add the sweet potato filling, and bake for 30 minutes or until the filling is set
- leave it to cool down completely, then decorate it with cream
Expert tips
If you have a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle, you can make pretty designs, making it even more amazing than it already is. But otherwise, don't trouble yourself, even if you just apply a layer of cream, that should still do.
Roasting the sweet potatoes might take longer than boiling, but the taste is phenomenal when you bake them. The naturally-occurring sugar is released during baking, and that slight caramelisation enhances the flavour.
Plus, boiling the sweet potato makes them a bit watery, which could change the consistency of the filling. So, yeah, roasting all the way!
You can use granulated sugar only, but the brown sugar adds more flavour and a deeper colour. You can also add dark muscovado sugar, and replace the white one completely.
Other Fall pies you might like
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Old-fashioned Sweet Potato Pie
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
For the crust
- 250 g plain flour (2 cups)
- 125 g butter (½ cup)
- 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 tablespoon cold water
For the filling
- 450 g roasted sweet potatoes (1 lb)
- 2 eggs
- 65 g granulated sugar (¼ cup)
- 50 g dark brown sugar (¼ cup)
- 85 ml milk (â…” cup)
- 1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice ( or ground cinnamon / mixed spice)
To decorate
- 300 ml cream (double or heavy cream, whipped cream, 10 oz)
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Instructions
- To make the shortcrust pastry, sift the flour, add the cold butter cut into cubes, and use your fingertips to rub them together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the sugar and mix again, then in go the egg yolk and water.
- Knead to get a smooth dough.
- Cover it with clingfilm, and chill it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to the dough can rest.
- Use a rolling pin to a roll it over, then arrange it over a pie/quiche pan.
- Cut out the excess dough, and use a fork to prick the dough in several places.
- Cover the pan with kitchen foil, then add baking beans or any dry pulses you have around.
- Blind bake the crust for 15 minutes in the preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius (390 Fahrenheit).
- Remove the beans and the foil, and bake the crust for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the roasted sweet potatoes to a large bowl and use a hand mixer to mix them well.
- Add the eggs, white and brown sugar and spice and beat again until you get a smooth filling.
- Pour the mixture over the baked crust, and bake at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 30 minutes or until the filling is set and the pastry is golden.
- Leave to cool completely, then beat the cream until it holds stiff peaks, and add it to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.
- Decorate and serve cold from the fridge!
Video
Notes
- Roasting the sweet potatoes might take longer than boiling, but the taste is phenomenal when you bake them. The naturally-occurring sugar is released during baking, and that slight caramelisation enhances the flavour.
- Plus, boiling the sweet potato makes them a bit watery, which could change the consistency of the filling. So, yeah, roasting all the way!
- You can use granulated sugar only, but the brown sugar adds more flavour and a deeper colour. You can also add dark muscovado sugar, and replace the white one completely.
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