Old-fashioned Sweet Potato Pie

A sweet potato pie piped with cream on a white flowery plate.

5 from 2 votes

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.

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Cooling Time30

Total Time2

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: pie

Calories: 3444kcal

Author: Daniela Apostol

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 (⅔ cup)
1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice ( or ground cinnamon / mixed spice)

To decorate

300 ml cream (double or heavy cream, whipped cream, 10 oz)

Metric - US Customary

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.

Nutrition