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Southern Sweet Potato Pie topped with toasted meringue.

Southern Sweet Potato Pie

Krista Stechman
This creamy and smooth sweet potato pie is lightly spiced with full sweet potato flavor shining through and topped with a toasted meringue!
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Chilling time 1 hour
Total Time 3 hours
Course dessert
Cuisine american
Servings 8 people
Calories 767 kcal

Equipment

  • food processor
  • stand mixer
  • oven
  • torch

Ingredients
  

Pie Crust

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1.5 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter cubed and chilled
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup ice water plus up to 7 tablespoon more
  • 1 egg for egg washing the crust

Sweet Potato Filling

  • 4 lbs sweet potatoes roasted
  • 4 tablespoon brown butter
  • ¾ cup heavy cream
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon allspice
  • ⅛ teaspoon cloves
  • ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg

Meringue

  • 4 egg whites
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup water

Instructions
 

Making the Crust

  • In a food processor combine the flour and salt. Pulse 5 times
  • Add the cubed COLD butter then pulse until you get a coarse meal texture. About 5-7 1 second pulses
    butter after it's been pulsed into the flour mixture to resemble course meal
  • Add the butter and flour mixture to a bowl then add the cider vinegar and ¼ cup of ice water. Mix well with a fork
  • Continue adding ice water 1 tablespoon at a time mixing well in between each addition just until the dough starts to come together. It will look a bit shaggy, you don't want it too wet
    how the dough looks when it starts coming together
  • Form the dough into a ball and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days
    pie dough rolled into a ball

Making the Sweet Potato Filling

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper
  • Roast the sweet potatoes for 1 - 1.25 hours or until a brown thick liquid starts to ooze out of the sides and the potatoes feel soft. Set them aside to cool
  • While the potatoes are roasting make the brown butter
  • Melt the butter in a sauce pan over low - medium heat. The butter will start spattering. Give it a couple stirs. Once the butter becomes quiet it's ready to remove from the heat
  • Once the potatoes have cooled enough to handle scoop the inside out into a food processor. Blend on low until smooth
  • Add the sweet potato mix to a bowl. Mix in the remaining filling ingredients and whisk together until combined
    sweet potato filling

Blind Baking the Crust

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F
  • While the sweet potatoes are cooling you can roll out the crust, fit it to the pan and crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork
  • Place a sheet of parchment paper across the bottom of the dough then add pie weights and bake for 25 minutes. Remove and set aside

Filling and Baking the Pie

  • Pour the sweet potato filling into the blind baked pie crust then bake 1 hour
  • The pie is ready when the center is just slightly wobbly. Let pie cool before adding meringue and serving

Making the Meringue

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment add the egg whites, cream of tartar, vanilla extract and salt. Beat on medium speed until it forms soft peaks
  • While the egg whites are beating pour the sugar and water into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil without stirring. Once the mixture reaches 250°F (about 5 minutes) remove it from the heat
  • With the mixer on low speed slowly pour the sugar mixture down the side of the bowl until fully combined
  • Turn the mixer up to medium and beat until stiff peaks form
    meringue beaten to stiff peaks in a stand mixer
  • Spoon the meringue over the top of the pie in whatever kind of design you'd like then toast the meringue using a kitchen torch
    toasted meringue on top of sweet potato pie

Notes

Use homemade or store bought pie crust.
Using a food processor is important for texture in this sweet potato pie. 
This pie is great with or without meringue.

Nutrition

Calories: 767kcalCarbohydrates: 116gProtein: 13gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 179mgSodium: 934mgPotassium: 946mgFiber: 8gSugar: 55gVitamin A: 33184IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 128mgIron: 4mg
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