This classic Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Pie is an ideal holiday dessert. It pairs a silky sweet potato filling with a rich, buttery homemade pie crust. Serve it plain, with a dollop of whipped cream, or topped with a toasted marshmallow meringue.
Table of Contents
- 4 Reasons You’ll Enjoy This Recipe
- Ingredients Needed
- Helpful Tips for Making Sweet Potato Pie
- Ways to Avoid a Soggy Bottom Pie Crust
- Toasting Marshmallow Meringue
- How to Make an Egg Wash
- Freezing
- Enjoy More Fall Favorite Pies!
- Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
4 Reasons You’ll Enjoy This Recipe
The flavor. Smooth mashed sweet potatoes, balanced with brown sugar and warm spices, create a classic, comforting taste. The optional toasted marshmallow meringue adds a nostalgic finish.
The texture. Each bite combines a creamy filling with a flaky, buttery crust — a satisfying contrast.
Holiday-ready. This pie makes a great centerpiece for Thanksgiving or any autumn gathering and is easy to share.
Make-ahead friendly. You can prepare components in advance — the puree and crust store well — which reduces stress on baking day.
Ingredients Needed
These are the main ingredients for the sweet potato filling. The full recipe below includes crust and optional meringue topping ingredients.
- Sweet potatoes: About 2 pounds (roughly 3 medium or 4 large), peeled and cut into chunks. Boil and simmer until very tender.
- Unsalted butter: Room temperature for the filling; cold and cubed for the crust.
- Golden sugar and dark brown sugar: Use golden sugar or granulated sugar and dark brown sugar for a deep, caramel-like flavor.
- Evaporated milk: 3/4 cup (do not substitute sweetened condensed milk).
- Eggs: Two eggs for the filling, slightly beaten.
- Vanilla extract: Pure if available.
- Spices: Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
- All-purpose flour: A small amount (about 3 tablespoons) to slightly thicken the filling.
Helpful Tips for Making Sweet Potato Pie
Make the puree ahead. Boiling and simmering the potatoes takes 25–30 minutes. The puree keeps up to 5 days refrigerated in a sealed container.
Prepare the crust in advance. You can shape the crust and chill it. For overnight storage, wrap once in plastic. For longer freezing, double wrap and foil to avoid freezer burn.
Follow the bake schedule. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then lower to 350°F and bake another 40–45 minutes. The pie is done when the center still has a slight jiggle.
Use a crust shield. Protect the edges with a silicone shield or an aluminum foil ring to prevent overbrowning.
Cool fully. Let the pie cool at room temperature for 2–3 hours until it sets, then refrigerate. The center will finish setting as it cools.
Ways to Avoid a Soggy Bottom Pie Crust
- Use a metal pie plate. Metal transfers heat well and helps a crisper bottom crust.
- Chill the crust. Chill the dough for at least an hour before rolling, and chill the prepared pie shell while you make the filling.
- Preheat a baking sheet. Place the pie on a preheated jelly roll pan, baking steel, or baking sheet to improve bottom browning.
- Try an egg wash on the raw crust. Lightly brushing the unbaked bottom crust with egg wash can create a barrier between filling and dough.
Toasting Marshmallow Meringue
For the optional marshmallow meringue topping, you can briefly broil the meringue in the oven or use a small kitchen blow torch. Use caution with either method to avoid burning the topping.
How to Make an Egg Wash
Whisk 1 whole egg — or 1 egg white with 1 tablespoon of water — and brush the edges of the crust to get a golden finish.
Freezing
To freeze, cool the fully baked pie completely, wrap it 2–3 times in plastic wrap, then add a layer of aluminum foil. Label with the date. It will keep up to one month in the freezer.
Enjoy More Fall Favorite Pies!
Easy Lemon Cream Pie
Pumpkin Pie Cake Bars
Mini Lemon Meringue Pies
Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
The Best Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Pie
Jennifer
Ingredients
Homemade butter pie crust
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp golden sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, very cold and cubed
- 1/4 cup ice cold water
Sweet potato pie filling
- 4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup golden sugar (or granulated sugar)
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk
- 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
Egg wash
- 1 large egg, whisked (or 1 egg white + 1 tbsp water)
Marshmallow meringue topping (optional)
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Homemade butter pie crust
- Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Cut in cold cubed butter with a pastry blender or two forks until pea-sized pieces remain.
- Add ice water and work it in with a bench scraper or spatula until the dough just comes together.
- Shape into a 1–1½” disc, double wrap in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Sweet potato pie
- Place sweet potato chunks in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15–20 minutes until very tender. Drain.
- While potatoes simmer, roll out chilled pie dough to a 12–14″ circle and fit into a 9″ pie plate. Trim and crimp the edges and chill the crust while you finish the filling.
- Preheat oven with a jelly roll pan on the middle rack to 425°F.
- Transfer drained sweet potatoes to a mixing bowl and beat until smooth.
- Add butter, sugars, evaporated milk, eggs, vanilla, spices, flour, and salt. Beat until well combined and silky.
- Pour filling into the chilled crust. Lightly brush the crust edges with egg wash.
- Place the pie directly on the preheated jelly roll pan and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Without opening the oven, reduce temperature to 350°F and bake another 40–45 minutes. If edges brown too quickly, cover with a pie shield or foil ring.
- The pie is done when the center still has a slight jiggle. Remove and cool on a wire rack for 2–3 hours, then refrigerate.
- Top with marshmallow meringue, whipped cream, or a cream cheese design if desired. Store covered in the refrigerator for 4–5 days.
Marshmallow meringue topping
- In a double boiler, heat egg whites and granulated sugar over simmering water, whisking constantly until sugar dissolves (about 5–6 minutes).
- Transfer to a stand mixer with the whisk and beat on high. When soft peaks form, add cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla. Continue until stiff, glossy peaks form (about 10 minutes).
- Spread over the cooled pie and briefly broil or torch the top to toast the meringue.
Notes
- Two bake stages: 15 minutes at 425°F, then 40–45 minutes at 350°F.
- Prep time includes crusting and filling; crust requires at least 1 hour chill time.
- Egg wash: whisk 1 whole egg or 1 egg white + 1 tbsp water.
- Toppings are optional — the pie is delicious plain.
- Freeze fully cooled pies tightly wrapped for up to one month.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 50 g |
Protein: 6 g |
Fat: 18 g
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary based on specific ingredients used.