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Brown Butter Sweet Potato Pie is a fun and delicious twist on a Thanksgiving classic.
It’s not so different that it’s super intimidating, but it’s different enough to keep things interesting.
This Brown Butter Sweet Potato pie would be particularly perfect at a Friendsgiving celebration!
I served it with freshly whipped cream on top, but vanilla ice cream would also be amazing.
The nutty toasted caramelized flavor of the browned butter and the tang of the sour cream really complement the spiced sweetness.
This recipe doesn’t even contain much sugar! However, you may want to give your freshly pureed sweet potato a taste before proceeding with the recipe. You may want to add a little extra sugar if your potatoes aren’t very sweet.
If you’re tired of the same old traditional pies at Thanksgiving, this is the perfect recipe for you! I hope you enjoy!
How to Make Homemade Sweet Potato Pie
How is Sweet Potato Pie Different than Pumpkin Pie?
They look *very* similar. But the tastes and textures are quite different! Sweet potato pie is, well, sweeter! Where pumpkin pie filling feels more like custard, sweet potato pie is firmer, sturdier, and more velvety thanks to the extra starches in the potatoes.
If you have pumpkin haters in the family, then this sweet potato pie is sure to impress them.
Do I Have to Use Fresh Sweet Potatoes?
In short, YES. Canned sweet potato puree has more water content and will take much, much longer to cook. Fresh sweet potato puree is firmer and starchier so it makes for a much better filling. Not to mention the taste is 100x better!
How to Make Sweet Potato Puree:
- Take 3 large sweet potatoes, place on a foil or parchment lined rimmed baking sheet, and bake at 425°F for 45 to 60 minutes, or until completely fork tender.
- Let cool then peel off the skin.
- Mash the flesh with a potato masher or blend in a food processor or blender.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let come to room temperature before using in this pie recipe.
- DON’T BOIL the sweet potatoes to make the puree! We don’t want to add any additional water to the pie. You can microwave, but the cooking will be less even. Additionally, microwaves vary so much that I don’t feel comfortable giving timing.
Sweet Potato Pie Without Evaporated Milk
This Brown Butter Sweet Potato Pie contains NO evaporated or canned milk products, for the freshest and richest flavor possible. We’re using heavy cream and sour cream instead, to get an amazing taste, as well as a rich, creamy texture. You can use plain full-fat yogurt if you don’t have sour cream.
Tips for How to Brown Butter
- Use a stainless steel sauté pan for best results. Nonstick prevents the butter from browning completely – and it also prevents you from being able to visually see how browned the butter is getting. Same with the dark color of cast iron. Something with a wider surface area, like a sauté pan rather than a saucepan, encourages browning faster and more evenly.
- Don’t step away from butter that’s browning after it’s melted! It can go from browned to burnt very quickly.
- At the same time, don’t be afraid of letting that color develop. It should become rich amber in color and nicely fragrant.
- Be sure to scrape all the brown bits into the mixing bowl – that’s where the flavor lives!
Tips for a Flaky, Crispy Pie Crust
The most important thing is that you prepare the crust in the correct way so that it stands up to the very rich and moist filling. You want the butter the size of peas for this dough. Smaller chunks will create a sturdier crust.
You also want to make sure to par-bake the crust so it doesn’t get soggy. If soggy pie bottoms are a common problem for you, try baking your pie on the bottom rack of the oven. Or better yet, on top of a baking stone!
Check out my Best Ever Pie Crust post for more tips on making the perfect pie crust.
How to Tell When Sweet Potato Pie is Done Cooking?
- Baking sweet potato pie correctly is KEY. Underbaking and your filling won’t set up and hold its shape. Overbaking will lead to cracks.
- Your pie is done baking when it’s set at the edges but STILL WOBBLY in the center. The residual heat will continue to cook the center.
- You’re looking for an internal temperature of 165-175°F.
- A knife inserted into the edge of the filling should come out moist but clean.
- If you’re using a metal pie pan, that will cook faster. Glass and ceramic pie plates will cook slower. Learn more about the different types of pie pans, and how they compare, here.
How to Cut Perfect Slices of Brown Butter Sweet Potato Pie:
For perfect slices, make sure the pie is COMPLETELY cooled. This can take up to 4 hours at room temperature. For really easy clean slices, refrigerate the pie. Use a sharp knife and run the blade under hot water to wipe off between slices. For the first piece of pie, make three slices. This will give you some wiggle room and leverage to remove that tricky first slice.
How to Store and Make Sweet Potato Pie Ahead of Time:
The Brown Butter Sweet Potato Pie filling will become more flavorful as it sits, but the crust will lose some of its crispiness. I’m comfortable leaving the pie out for up to 6 hours at room temperature, but if this makes you nervous, feel free to refrigerate as soon as it’s cooled. Store covered in the fridge (without the whipped cream for best results) for up to 2 days. Only add the whipped cream when serving, if possible.
Can I Freeze Sweet Potato Pie?
Yes! Wrap the baked and cooled Brown Butter Sweet Potato Pie tightly in foil. Place in a freezer-safe zip-top bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before slicing.
More Thanksgiving Pie Recipes:
For the crust:
-
1 1/4
cups
(159 grams) all-purpose flour
-
1/2
teaspoon
fine salt
-
1 1/2
teaspoons
sugar
-
1
stick (113 grams) cold unsalted butter,
cut into ½-inch cubes
-
4 to 6
tablespoons
ice cold water
For the filling:
-
4
tablespoons
(57 grams) unsalted butter
-
2
cups
(545 grams) sweet potato puree
-
¼
cup
(50 grams) granulated sugar
-
3
large eggs,
at room temperature and beaten
-
2
tablespoons
all-purpose flour
-
1
teaspoon
fine salt
-
1 ½
teaspoons
ground cinnamon
-
½
teaspoon
ground ginger
-
¼
teaspoon
ground clove
-
½
cup
sour cream or plain yogurt,
at room temperature
-
½
cup
heavy cream,
at room temperature
For the whipped cream:
-
1
cup
heavy cream,
cold
-
3
tablespoons
powdered sugar
-
1
teaspoon
vanilla extract
-
1/4
teaspoon
ground cinnamon
Make the crust:
-
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the butter and pulse until the butter pieces are about the size of peas. Add in a few tablespoons of water and pulse. Pulse a few more times, until the dough is just moistened enough. If the dough holds together when pinched between your fingers, it's ready. If it doesn’t, drizzle just enough water until it does. You can remove the mass of dough that collects and sprinkle additional water on the floury bits left behind. You can also do this by hand if you keep everything super chilled.
-
Shape the dough into a rough disk and chill in the fridge until firm and cold, at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
-
Let the dough sit at room temperature for up to 10 minutes or until slightly pliable. Its internal temperature should be about 65°F.
-
Roll the dough out on a generously floured work surface. Keep turning the dough after every roll to ensure it doesn’t stick to the counter and is of even thickness and to avoid overworking the dough. Add additional flour to the dough, the counter, and your rolling pin as needed. Roll out into a 12 to 14-inch circle, depending on how deep your pie pan is.
-
Gently roll the dough up and around the rolling pin then unroll and drape over a 9-inch pie pan. Gently press into the pie pan, being careful to avoid stretching it to fit. Use scissors or a knife to trim the excess dough, leaving a 3/4-inch overhang. Fold the overhang under itself and crimp or flute. Avoid making the flute so heavy that it slumps over. Pierce the base of the dough with a fork.
-
Cover the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
-
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line the chilled crust with foil pressed gently into the bottom and sides, leaving an overhang to protect the edges.
-
Fill the crust completely to the top with pie weights, rice, granulated sugar, or dried beans. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until just barely beginning to brown and no longer raw, about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven, and carefully remove the foil and pie weights.
-
Let cool on a cooling rack and reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
Make the filling:
-
In a small saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter. Swirling the pan occasionally, continue to cook the butter. It should become foamy with audible cracking and popping noises. Once the crackling stops, continue to swirl the pan until the butter develops a nutty aroma and brown bits start to form at the bottom. Once the bits are amber in color, about 2 to 3 minutes after the popping stops, remove from heat. Let cool until just warm.
-
In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the filling ingredients except the brown butter. Once smooth, slowly pour the butter into the mixture, stirring until it’s completely combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie shell.
-
Bake on a rimmed baking sheet at 350°F for about 50 minutes, or until the pie is set and the internal temperature is 165-175°F. If the crust begins to brown too much, carefully place a pie shield on it then return to the oven. Cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before serving.
Make the whipped cream:
-
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to beat the cream until it begins to thicken. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon and continue to whip until medium-stiff peaks form.
-
Just before serving, spread the whipped cream over the pie.
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How to Make Sweet Potato Puree:
- Take 3 large sweet potatoes, place on a foil or parchment lined rimmed baking sheet, and bake at 425°F for 45 to 60 minutes, or until completely fork tender.
- Let cool then peel off the skin.
- Mash the flesh with a potato masher or blend in a food processor or blender.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let come to room temperature before using in this pie recipe.
- DON'T BOIL the sweet potatoes to make the puree! We don't want to add any additional water to the pie. You can microwave, but the cooking will be less even.
This post was originally published in 2019 and has been updated with additional recipe tips. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
I am so happy I made this pie, it’s wonderful. Thank you for the recipe, a new family favorite. I did add the zest of 1 orange, and we love this pie!!!
Ooooo delicious! So happy your pie was a hit!
Delicious cake! Thank you so much for I Will try to make this Yeah!
This looks and sounds delicious. I have to try this before the holiday can introduce it!