Sweet Potato Pie

Elevate your dessert game with this irresistible Sweet Potato Pie featuring a buttery Gingersnap Crust and a heavenly Meringue topping. The perfect blend of warm spices and velvety sweet potatoes creates a deliciously tempting dessert that will leave everyone raving. 

Looking for the best Sweet Potato Pie recipe?

This Southern classic takes a unique twist by featuring a luscious gingersnap crust that adds a spicy kick to every bite, just like these gingersnap mini pumpkin pies. Whether it’s the holiday season or a casual dessert craving, this sweet potato pie is your go-to, boasting a medley of simple ingredients that deliver the best flavor and a creamier texture.

Typically, apple pie or pumpkin pie takes the cake when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner. But we’re here to tell you that a new pie recipe might become a new holiday favorite in your household. Introducing sweet potato pie, a sweet and spicy favorite that will leave everyone asking for seconds. 

What Is Sweet Potato Pie?

During the 16th century, sweet potatoes made their way over to the United States by way of Spanish traders. Farmers eventually figured out that sweet potatoes grew better in warmer climates, thus making sweet potatoes a Southern-grown starch. By the late 19th century, sweet potato pie was a common Thanksgiving tradition in American households, with roots strongly planted in the South. 

Why you’ll love this recipe

This Southern Sweet Potato Pie recipe is a homegrown classic, with nostalgic notes of sweet potato pie filling combined with the spiciness of the gingersnap crust. It’s the perfect homemade sweet potato pie for any time of year. 

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Puree

• Sweet potatoes: They serve as the main ingredient and contribute a rich, sweet flavor and creamy texture to the pie.

Gingersnap Crust

• Gingersnap cookies: These create the crust’s base, adding a spiced and slightly crunchy element to complement the sweet potato filling.
• Light brown sugar: It sweetens the crust while providing a hint of caramel flavor. You could also use dark brown sugar for a more intense flavor. 
• Salt
• Unsalted butter (melted): Binds the crust ingredients together and adds a buttery richness.

Sweet Potato Filling

• Evaporated milk: Adds creaminess and richness to the filling.
• Large eggs
• Maple syrup: Sweetens the filling. 
• Sweet potato puree: Forms the heart of the pie, adding sweetness and a velvety texture.
• Light brown sugar: Sweetens the filling and complements the sweet potatoes.
• Ground cinnamon: Infuses warm and spicy notes.
• Ground ginger: Adds a hint of spiciness.
• Ground nutmeg: Adds a warm, nutty flavor.
• Unsalted butter

Meringue

• Large egg whites: Form the base of the meringue, adding structure and lightness.
• Sugar: Sweetens the meringue.
• Cream of tartar: Stabilizes the meringue, helping it achieve and maintain a fluffy texture.
• Vanilla extract

How to Make Sweet Potato Pie

For The Sweet Potato Puree

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Then, prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Let them bake for an hour, turning them halfway through.

Once done, take them out and set them aside until they are cool enough to handle. When cooled, peel and dice them. Next, toss the peeled sweet potatoes into a food processor and pulse until smooth, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of water if needed.

To make the Gingersnap Crust

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Then, pulse the gingersnap cookies in a food processor until they become fine crumbs.

Measure out 2 cups, saving any extra crumbs for later. Next, combine the 2 cups of crumbs with brown sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand.

Press this gingersnap mixture into a 9-inch tart pan or a 9-inch springform pan. Press it up the sides using your fingers or the bottom of a glass to create an even layer. Freeze for 8 to 10 minutes, then bake in the preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Take it out and let it cool completely.

Preparation and Baking

Preheat the oven to 375. Next, whisk together evaporated milk, eggs, and maple syrup in a bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the 2 cups of sweet potatoes to fluff them up a bit. Add the evaporated milk mixture and beat to combine on medium speed.

Stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a bowl. Add it to the sweet potato mixture and mix well. Scrape down the sides as needed. Add the butter and mix again.

Pour the sweet potato mixture into the prepared crust and bake for 20 to 25 minutes (or 40-45 minutes for a 9-inch springform pan) until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean. Then, allow it to cool on a wire rack completely before making the meringue.

To make the Meringue

In a double boiler or the metal bowl of your stand mixer, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Add the sugar and mix to combine.

Set the bowl over a simmering saucepan of water and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, whisking constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Next, remove from the double boiler and set it in your stand mixer.

Whisk the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Add the cream of tartar and whisk for another 6 minutes. Once the mixture holds stiff peaks, add the vanilla and whisk to combine.

Spoon the meringue over the sweet potato pie, swirling or peaking with a spoon. Then, brown it with a kitchen torch, then slice and serve. Enjoy!

Expert Recipe Tips 

• If you’re not a fan of gingersnaps, feel free to use your favorite flaky pie crust recipe instead!
• Don’t have a food processor? A blender works just as well or even a good old-fashioned potato masher. 
• Make sure you don’t over bake the pie! A toothpick should come out clean when inserted into the pie. If your oven is a bit tricky, we recommend reducing the bake time by 5 minutes or so and checking the doneness. 

How to Store Leftovers & Reheat

Store leftover sweet potato pie in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap or aluminum foil at room temperature for up to 2 days and in the fridge for up to 1 week. 

To reheat, pop a piece of pie into the microwave for around 10 seconds and enjoy!

What to Serve With Sweet Potato Pie

Since this IS a Thanksgiving tradition, you can serve up your pie with some home-style mashed potatoes and roasted green beans, Thanksgiving dressing, and a big ol’ oven-roasted turkey.

Recipe FAQs

More Pie Recipes 

Move over, pumpkin pie, because this sweet potato pie is here to steal the show. Whether you’re making this pie for Thanksgiving dinner or at any time of the year, it’ll soon become a staple in your home. If you tried this recipe, please rate the recipe card and leave a comment down below to help out the next reader!

Sweet Potato Pie with Gingersnap Crust and Meringue

5 from 1 vote

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Dessert

American

Author: Kita

2 hours hrs

Serves: 8

Ingredients

For the Sweet Potato Puree:

• ▢ 3 large sweet potatoes

For the Gingersnap Crust:

• ▢ 8 oz gingersnap cookies - about 30 cookies
• ▢ 2 tbs light brown sugar - firmly packed
• ▢ 1/8 tsp salt
• ▢ 2 oz unsalted butter - melted

For the Sweet Potato Filling:

• ▢ 1/3 cup evaporated milk
• ▢ 3 large eggs - room temperature
• ▢ 1 tbs maple syrup
• ▢ 2 cups sweet potato puree
• ▢ 1 cup light brown sugar - firmly packed
• ▢ 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• ▢ 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• ▢ 1 tbs unsalted butter - melted

For the Meringue

• ▢ 3 large egg whites - room temperature
• ▢ 3/4 cup sugar
• ▢ 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• ▢ 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

For The Sweet Potato Puree

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 
• Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and lay on a foil lined bake sheet. Bake for 1 hour, rotating halfway through cook time. 
• Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
• When cool, peel and dice. Toss into a food processor and pulse until smooth,adding 1 to 2 tbs of water as needed.

To make the gingersnap crust

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Pulse the gingersnap cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs. 
• Measure out 2 cups and set aside any additional crumbs for another time. 
• Pulse the 2 cups crumbs with the brown sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and pulse until the mixture is like wet sand.
• Press the gingersnap mixture into a 9" tart pan or 9" springform pan. Press up the sides with your fingers or the bottom of a glass for a nice even layer.
• Freeze for 8 to 10 minutes then bake in the preheated oven 6 to 8 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
• Preheat the oven to 375. 
• Whisk the evaporated milk, eggs, and maple syrup in a bowl.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the 2 cups sweet potatoes just to fluff a bit. Add the evaporated milk mixture and beat to combine on medium speed.
• Stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a bowl. Add to the sweet potato mixture and mix to combine. Scrape down the sides as needed. Add the butter and mix once again.
• Pour the sweet potato mixture into the prepared crust and bake for 20 to 25 minutes (I did mine in a 9" springform pan and it took 40-45 minutes), until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack completely before making the meringue.

To make the meringue

• Using a double boiler, or the metal bowl of your stand mixer, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Add the sugar and mix to combine.
• Set the bowl over a simmering saucepan of water and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved, whisking constantly. Remove from the double boiler and set in your stand mixer.
• Whisk the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Add the cream of tartar, whisk another 6 minutes, when the mixture holds those peaks, and add the vanilla. Whisk to combine. Seriously, we're going for stiff peaks here people!
• Spoon the meringue over the sweet potato pie and swirl or peak with a spoon (my dad's a peaker, I'm a swirler). Brown with a kitchen torch. Slice and serve.

Notes

Baked Occasions

Nutrition

Calories: 527kcal | Carbohydrates: 98g | Protein: 7g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 293mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 63g

Nutritional informations provided as a courtesy and is only an approximatation. Values will changes based on ingredients used.

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