It’s time for our monthly challenge with a group of our blogging friends! This month, we’re all sharing Favorite Family Recipes. One of the dishes that I always looked forward to for either holiday dinners or even a large family gathering for Sunday lunch was my mother’s Sweet Potato Pie. While pumpkin pie is the pie of choice for many people, a southern dinner is more likely to include sweet potato pie rather than pumpkin. The two pies may look almost identical, but there is a huge difference in taste. Today, I’m sharing my mother’s Sweet Potato Pie recipe.
We encourage you to visit our blogging friends who are participating in the blog hop. I’m sure they’re all sharing some delicious recipes! We can’t wait to check them out!
My Husband Has Too Many Hobbies
Sweet Potato Pie ~ Favorite Family Recipe
This can be made using canned, baked, or roasted sweet potatoes. I imagine that my grandmother made it with baked sweet potatoes, but my mother used canned yams, so that’s what I chose to use as well. While my mother was an excellent cook, I can’t recall ever seeing her make a pie crust from scratch. So, nope, I didn’t try to make this crust from scratch either. The convenience of using a frozen crust is too much to pass up on for me. For some pies, the crust adds tons of buttery flavor and a frozen one isn’t the best choice. But, for this pie and since I’m all about time saving methods, I used a nine inch frozen crust.
If you’re using a frozen crust, take it out of the freezer 15 minutes before filling it. I like to remove the crust from the foil pan and place it into a pretty pie pan.
Putting this together using canned potatoes and a frozen crust means that it doesn’t take very long at all. This is a great pie to bake a day ahead of a gathering. Keep it refrigerated if you bake it a day ahead. To heat, place it in a 200 degree oven for thirty minutes. It’s also very good served chilled.

Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
- 1 40 ounce can Yams Cut Sweet Potatoes Drained & Mashed
- 3/4 Cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs Lightly Whisked
- 1/2 Stick Butter Softened
- 3/4 Cup Milk
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 Tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 TBS Flour
- 1 9 Inch Pie Crust
Instructions
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Remove frozen crust from freezer and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Transfer to pie dish if desired. Using a fork, add several pokes to the crust.
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
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Using a potato masher, mash yams just until they are no longer whole.
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Cream butter and sugar in large mixing bowl.
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Lightly whisk eggs. Add to sugar and butter mixture.
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Add yams to mixture.
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Add cinnamon, vanilla, and flour to mixture.
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Beat on low until mixture is well blended.
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Pour mixture into 9" pie crust.
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Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
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Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 50 minutes.
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Check for doneness by inserting a wooden toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, the pie is done. If not, return to oven for 5 minutes.
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Allow pie to cool before slicing. Store remaining pie in refrigerator after serving.
Once the pie is ready for baking. It’s important to bake it at 450 degrees for 15 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 for an additional 50 minutes.
Allow the pie to cool completely before slicing. As the pie sits and cools, it will firm up more.
I also love to serve sweet potato casserole during the holidays. The recipe is similar, but with an addition of a pecan and brown sugar topping. I’ll be sharing that recipe soon.
This is a wonderful alternative to pumpkin pie for those who aren’t crazy about pumpkin. I know, I’m in the minority! Everyone seems to love pumpkin everything! I prefer my pumpkins to be decor pieces rather than dessert. If you’ve never tried sweet potato pie, give it a try!
Pin Me, Please!
Sweet Potato Pie
If you missed our other Favorite Family Recipes, you can check them out from the links below.
We’ll be sharing at lots of these great parties.

Beverly shares easy, inexpensive craft tutorials, diy projects for the home, coastal decor projects, & thrift store find makeover projects all designed to help you create a beautiful home on a budget.
Gail @Purple Hues and Me says
This looks delicious! I’m with you, Beverly! Forget the pumpkin pie and bring me a sweet potato pie!!!! There’s a big difference in taste! My mom was from the country and she made everything from scratch, although I’m sorry to say, she wasn’t a very good cook. But she did make decent pies and I actually looked forward to her sweet potato pies during the holidays. I love that your recipe uses canned sweet potatoes and ready-made crust. That’s so much easier! I’m pinning this recipe and putting it on my must try list!!!
Beverly says
Thanks, Gail! I’ve always loved Sweet Potato Pie! I like using time saving methods in my recipes if the taste is still great. This is one of those recipes. Thanks for pinning. I hope you’ll love it!
Laurie says
I have never tasted Sweet Potato Pie. I’m not the pie maker in my family, but this looks so easy and delicious that I know that even I could handle this one! we may have to try this out this year! Thanks for sharing your recipe! Pinned!
Beverly says
You’re missing out! 🙂 It is an easy pie to make, you should try it. Thanks for pinning!
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
THe first time I had sweet potato pie I was shocked. I thought it was going to taste like candied Yams (not a dish I’m fond of), but it was like a super rich pumpkin pie that was sweeter!! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party!
Beverly says
Sweet Potato Pie has been a staple of our Thanksgiving dinner for as long as I can remember. It does have a similar texture and look as pumpkin pie. Thanks for the party, Helen!
Twochicksandamom/Donna says
I can’t believe that I am from the south and i have never made a sweet potato pie! I am pinning your recipe and it might just make it’s way into our thanksgiving dinner this year….
Beverly says
I can’t believe that either, Donna! 🙂 It’s a must make for us. I hope you’ll enjoy it if you try it! Thanks for pinning!