The PERFECT Sweet Potato Pie
Okay, so let me begin by saying that I don’t throw the word perfect around with food lightly. If I’m labeling something as such, it is truly perfect, in my opinion. Now that we have that out of the way let me tell you how I developed this recipe (something I don’t often do, but I’m dabbling in) and how to make, what I deem to be, the perfect sweet potato pie.
Storytime:
My dad is a big lover of sweet potato pie; out of all the custard pies (which is the category that sweet potato pie falls in), it is his absolute favorite. Now, my grandmother (my mom’s mom) is one of the main people in my life who taught me to cook, but she especially taught me to bake. I don’t even remember starting to bake with her, but doing so makes up many of my early memories. And when I was in middle school (I think), she taught me how to make her sweet potato pie, which was a staple in the fall and winter in our family, and she always made it especially for my dad since he loves it so much.
Now, let’s fast forward to a few weeks ago when this recipe's development process began. I am always trying to tackle different baking and cooking techniques and dishes to really perfect; right now, my target is pie. I’ve gotten down pat my favorite pie crust recipe (I really have 2, and I will link them in the recipe below). But, I didn’t have my grandmother’s recipe for sweet potato pie. So, I called her for it, and this is where the journey begins.
When I called her, she couldn’t find it. So, I went looking online and found one on Food52. I tried it (after tweaking a couple of things to suit my family’s tastes) and really liked it (as did my dad). But, wouldn’t you know that right after I made that pie, my mom came home from delivering my grandparents’ groceries and had in tow the cookbook that had my grandmother’s recipe in it. The book (or booklet really) is called 250 Superb Pies and Pastries, and it was published in 1953. I thumbed through the well-loved pages and found the recipe she showed me how to make all those years ago. And so I made it.
Now, normally that is where this tale would end. But, I did something this time that I don’t normally do: I saved a slice from each pie and, along with the help of my dad (my favorite recipe tester), we determined what from each pie we really liked and what we wanted our perfect pie to have. So, the following recipe is the product of that and, in the eyes of my dad and me, is absolutely perfect.
RECIPE
Sweet Potato Pie
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 8
Time: 90 minutes
Ingredients
3 large sweet potatoes, roasted and mashed (approx. 2 cups)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
6 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon, heaping
1/2 tsp Morton’s kosher salt (3/4 tsp Diamond kosher salt)
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 unbaked pie shell (if you are using a deep-dish pie plate, use this pie crust recipe; if you are using a normal 9” pie plate, use this pie crust recipe)
Directions
Set rack to middle of the oven, place a pizza stone or baking sheet on it, then preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine all ingredients, except eggs, using a stand mixer—taste for seasoning.
Add in eggs one at a time until thoroughly combined.
Pour all of the filling into the pie shell, then bake on the pizza stone or baking sheet for 1 hour to 1 hour & 15 minutes, until set but still slightly jiggly. (There should be about 1” of filling in the center that is more jiggly than the rest of the filling.)
Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Enjoy!
COOK’S NOTES:
For the pie crust, roll out and place into the pie plate, then let cool in the refrigerator for 15 mins. BEFORE crimping. Then take it out, crimp and dock, and place back in the refrigerator covered for 30 mins., minimum. Don’t skip this step, or your dough will shrink, and the filling will overflow.
DO NOT par-bake your pie crust beforehand. I know so many chefs and cooks will tell you otherwise, I normally would be one of them, but I have found that the final pie really benefits from an unbaked crust to start.
Please do not skip the step of using the pizza stone or baking sheet. I really get how fiddly that sounds, but I promise you it makes a difference. I wouldn’t include it if it didn’t.
How to roast the sweet potatoes:
Wash and dry your sweet potatoes, then prick the skin with either a paring knife or a fork. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet into a 400 degree F oven for 1 hour or until you can easily insert a paring knife without resistance. Let cool enough so that you can handle them, but they are still warm. While warm, use a paring knife to peel off the skin (it should easily come off) and put the flesh in a bowl. Mash, then cover and refrigerate until use.
If you are going to make your pie that day, try to do this at least a couple of hours before you want to make your filling, so the sweet potatoes have time to cool.
If you don’t have a stand mixer, a hand mixer works just as well. You also can do this by hand in a large bowl with a whisk.
