Easy Sweet Potato Pie

Gorgeous and delicious, this sweet potato pie is very easy to make and perfect for the holiday season! A gingersnap crust paired with a filling that includes condensed milk and pecans. It can be made in advance and comes together in 20 minutes if you have the puree ready.

Are you ready for the holiday season? 

I am super excited to post this amazing sweet potato pie. So luscious and so incredibly easy to make! 

A cookie crust, a filling made with condensed milk that comes together in less than 10 minutes, especially if you use canned puree. Trust me when I tell you that you can add this recipe as a last-minute option to your holiday table.

First of all, I’m having a newfound interest in traditional recipes.

Though I don’t think the condensed milk in this filling qualifies as vintage, it’s a simple pie, perfect to serve to those who want to have their favorites year after year, and are close to slashing your hand if you dare complicate things too much.

Or simply because you want to try a new recipe because you’re bored up to your eyeballs with the same mixing and baking.

Second, I'm in love with the color of this pie.

After complaining about the anemic color of sweet potatoes while making the sweet potato swirl bread, I finally found my beloved orange sweet potatoes.

Or yams if you call them that way. I was used to those light yellow sweet potatoes for the longest time until these beautiful colored ones appeared (image above).

They make this pie is more festive and the flavor is outstanding. 

How to bake sweet potatoes 

1. Wash and dry them.
2. Bake, unpeeled, at 350°F /180°C for about 45 minutes, or until a fork easily pierces the skin and the pulp.
3. Scoop up the pulp and keep refrigerated in an airtight container if not using immediately. It lasts for 3 days.

How to make a cookie crust

Cookie crusts are the easiest part of a pie probably. 

With only two ingredients, cookie crumbs and melted butter, they can be baked for a few minutes to set or simply refrigerated if you don't want to turn on the oven, especially handy when you make no-bake desserts that need a crust, like cheesecakes.

1. Mix ground cookies and butter. 
2. Pat onto bottom and sides of the pie pan. Make sure the angles where the side meets the bottom is firm. 
3. Bake for 10 minutes or refrigerate before filling. 

The filling 

The filling is luscious and creamy and comes together in less than 10 minutes if you have the puree ready (which can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept refrigerated).

I use the processor to make the filling, but you can also use an electric hand beater. 

The ingredients are processed until smooth. Make sure they are not stuck to the bottom or sides of the bowl. Besides that, it takes 3 minutes to have a smooth and perfect filling. Pour it into the prepared pie crust and it's ready for the oven! (image below)

See how easy this pie is? I told you so.

• Pecans: they are optional really. But they add crunch and look pretty. Toasting them lightly is recommended as the flavor is way better.

You can also use walnuts.

Watch my latest recipe videos!

Baking this pie

The filling needs to be baked. It has eggs and it needs to firm up. 

• My recommendation is baking it until the center of the pie almost stops jiggling. Almost. That way it will still be creamy. A day of refrigeration settles the flavors and firms up the filling. 

You can have the sweet potato puree baked in advance as well as the cookie crust.

Variations 

Pumpkin pie: use pumpkin puree! Simply substitute one veggie for the other and that's it. Pumpkin pie ready. 

Crust: use your favorite traditional pie crust (my best recipe with videos!) if not interested in the gingersnap crust. Or make a vanilla cookie crust using wafers. 

Spices: whatever mix of spices you like is fine. It's a personal taste so go ahead and use whatever suits you.

It is easy as pie. And good as a great pie.

Other recipes you might like:
Bourbon Pecan Pie
Pear Frangipane Tart
How to make Basic Shortcrust Pastry
Apricot Almond Tart
The best Lemon Ricotta Pie
Fig Jam Tart

Let me know if you make this recipe! I’d love to hear what you think about it. Thank you for being here, I appreciate it! Let’s connect via Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

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Sweet Potato Gingersnap Pie

★★★★★ 5 from 6 reviews

• Author: Paula Montenegro
• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 40
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Pies & Tarts
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Gorgeous and delicious, this Sweet Potato Pie is very easy to make and perfect for the holiday season! A gingersnap crust paired with a filling that includes condensed milk and pecans. It can be made in advance and comes together in 20 minutes if you have the puree ready.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the gingersnap crust:

• 2 cups (200g) ground gingersnaps or other ginger cookie
• ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

• 1 ½ cups (about 13 oz raw) sweet potato puree (or yam puree)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Grated fresh nutmeg (about 10 gratings)
• ¼ cup (50g) dark brown sugar
• 3 eggs, at room t°
• 1 cup condensed milk (less than a can)
• 3 Tbs (45g) butter, melted
• ½ cup pecans, coarsely broken (optional)

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Instructions

For the gingersnap crumb crust:

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF /160ºC
2. In a food processor, ground cookies. Don’t wash the food processor.
3. Add melted butter and pulse until it’s like wet sand.
4. Dump it onto a glass 9-inch (24cm) pie dish. With the aid of a spoon or your hands, evenly pat the crumbs onto the bottom and sides of the pan. Try to make it as even as possible and make sure it’s firmly pressed.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, until it darkens a bit and dries. Reserve on a wire rack while you make the filling.
6. Leave the oven on.

For the filling:

1. Pierce sweet potatoes with a fork 5 or 6 times each.
2. Cook in the microwave oven for about 5 to 7 minutes, or in an electric oven for about 45 minutes, or until very soft when pierced with a fork.
3. Let cool until you can handle them, cut in half and scoop out the pulp.
4. In the same processor you used for the crust, put the sweet potatoes, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and sugar, and pulse until it’s well mixed. Don’t worry if the potatoes aren’t very smooth.
5. Add the eggs, condensed milk and mix until smooth.
6. Add butter and pulse until it’s an even batter. It will be quite liquid.
7. Pour the filling carefully into the baked crust, sprinkle the pecans on top, and return to the oven for about 30 minutes, until the center is set.
8. Let cool to room temperature and serve.

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Notes

Cookie crust: if in doubt, err on the wet side and add an extra tablespoon of melted butter, especially if you want to serve the pie out of the pan (you should use a springform pie pan!). When pressing the cookie mixture, start with the side and work your way up to the center, it’s the best way to make sure you don’t run out of cookie mixture for the angles and sides, especially the angles where the bottom and sides meet. Make sure it’s well pressed and no spots remain without cookie mixture.

Make-ahead: the sweet potato puree and the crust can be made ahead. Keep the puree refrigerated and covered.

Storing: this pie keeps well for a few days in the refrigerator.

Pumpkin pie: substitute the sweet potato puree for canned pumpkin!

Keywords: sweet potato pie

Adapted from an old Martha Stewart Living magazine

Paula Montenegro

I'm Paula, a baker for more than 30 years and your designated recipe finder, sharing the best ones on this blog, with simple ingredients + easy-to-follow instructions.