The Ultimate Sweet Potato Pie with Brown Sugar Meringue Recipe

Sweet potato pie represents a Southern delicacy that revamps humble ingredients into pure culinary magic.

This dessert captures the essence of comfort and tradition with its velvety, spice-infused filling.

Rustic charm radiates from each golden-brown slice, promising a sensory journey through deep, complex flavors.

The silky smooth texture contrasts beautifully with its flaky, buttery crust, creating a harmonious balance.

Warm notes of cinnamon and nutmeg dance alongside the natural sweetness of the potatoes, elevating this pie beyond a simple dessert.

Generations have cherished this recipe as a symbol of home and hospitality, connecting family memories through its delectable layers.

Prepare to fall in love with a slice of pure Southern comfort.

Sweet Potato Pie: A Classic Dessert with a Twist

• Savor Southern Comfort: This sweet potato pie delivers traditional Southern warmth with its rich, creamy filling and perfectly spiced crust, transporting you to cozy family gatherings.
• Master Baking Magic: Crafting this pie showcases intermediate baking skills, offering a delightful challenge with techniques like blind baking, making meringue, and working with delicate pastry dough.
• Nutrient-Packed Dessert Delight: Packed with sweet potato's natural goodness, this pie provides a healthier dessert option that doesn't compromise on flavor, delivering protein, essential vitamins, and a lower calorie count compared to many traditional pies.
• Customize Your Culinary Canvas: The recipe allows creative flexibility with optional meringue torching, sieving techniques, and potential spice variations, making it perfect for bakers who love personalizing their sweet creations.

Key Ingredients for the Perfect Sweet Potato Pie

• All-Purpose Flour: Base for a flaky, tender crust with a delicate texture.
• Ground Cinnamon, Ground Nutmeg: Warm spices that add depth and aromatic flavor to the crust.
• Granulated Sugar: Provides a subtle sweetness to the pie crust.
• Salt: Enhances overall flavor and balances the sweetness.
• Unsalted Butter: Cold butter creates flaky layers in the pie crust.
• Ice-Cold Water: Helps bind the dough without overworking it.

• Sweet Potatoes: The star ingredient, providing a rich, creamy base with natural sweetness.
• Brown Sugar, Granulated Sugar: Add layers of sweetness and help caramelize the filling.
• Butter: Contributes richness and smooth texture to the sweet potato mixture.
• Ground Cinnamon, Ground Nutmeg, Ground Ginger: Warm spices that complement the sweet potato flavor.
• Milk: Adds moisture and helps create a smooth, creamy consistency.
• Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall depth of flavor.
• All-Purpose Flour: Helps thicken and stabilize the filling.
• Eggs: Bind the filling and provide structure.

• Egg Whites: Create a light, fluffy topping with beautiful texture.
• Cream of Tartar: Stabilizes the egg whites for a more consistent meringue.
• Granulated Sugar: Sweetens and helps create a glossy, stable meringue.

How to Make Smooth and Creamy Sweet Potato Pie

Step 1: Create Flaky Pie Crust

• All-purpose flour
• Ground cinnamon
• Ground nutmeg
• Granulated sugar
• Salt

Cut chilled butter into flour mixture until crumbly. Slowly add ice-cold water and blend into soft dough. Refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up.

Step 2: Prepare Sweet Potato Base

• Unsalted butter
• Brown sugar
• White sugar
• Warm milk
• Warm spices

Let mixture cool completely. Optional: Strain through fine-mesh sieve for smoother texture.

Step 3: Blend Filling Ingredients

• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour
• Eggs

Stir until completely smooth and well combined.

Step 4: Prebake Pie Crust

Roll out chilled dough and press into pie pan. Freeze for 20 minutes. Bake with pie weights at 425°F for 17-20 minutes until lightly golden.

Step 5: Bake Filled Pie

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Pour sweet potato filling into prebaked crust. Bake for 35-40 minutes until filling sets.

Step 6: Create Optional Meringue Topping

• Cream of tartar
• Granulated sugar

Pipe meringue on cooled pie. Optional: Use kitchen torch to brown peaks for elegant finish.

Tips for Perfecting Your Sweet Potato Pie

• Master Your Crust: Freeze pie dough for at least 20 minutes to prevent shrinking and create a flaky, tender texture during baking.
• Smooth Potato Perfection: Use a fine-mesh sieve to strain mashed sweet potatoes, ensuring a silky-smooth filling without lumps.
• Prevent Soggy Bottom: Blind bake the crust with pie weights to create a crisp base that won't get soggy from the creamy sweet potato filling.
• Temperature Control: Let sweet potatoes cool completely before mixing to prevent scrambling eggs and maintain a creamy consistency.
• Meringue Magic: Whip egg whites at room temperature for maximum volume and a cloudlike, glossy meringue topping that peaks perfectly.

Storing Sweet Potato Pie for Later Enjoyment

• Refrigeration: Wrap the cooled sweet potato pie tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep the pie away from strong-smelling foods to prevent flavor absorption.
• Freezing: Protect the pie by wrapping it securely in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for maximum 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving to maintain texture and taste.
• Reheating: Warm individual slices in the oven at 325°F for 10-15 minutes. Cover edges with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning. For best results, avoid microwaving, which can make the crust soggy and compromise the meringue's delicate texture.

Best Drinks to Pair with Sweet Potato Pie

• Pair with Warming Bourbon Cocktail: A smooth, slightly sweet bourbon cocktail complements the rich, spicy notes of sweet potato pie, creating a luxurious dessert experience with hints of caramel and vanilla.
• Serve alongside Vanilla Bean Ice Cream: Creamy, cold vanilla ice cream provides a delightful contrast to the warm, smooth texture of the pie, enhancing its sweet potato flavors and offering a refreshing counterpoint.
• Match with Cinnamon Spiced Coffee: A hot cup of coffee infused with cinnamon echoes the pie's warm spices, creating a harmonious blend that elevates both the dessert and the beverage's complex flavor profile.
• Complement with Maple Whipped Cream: A dollop of maple-infused whipped cream adds an extra layer of sweetness and depth, perfectly accentuating the pie's rustic, comforting characteristics.

Fun Variations of Sweet Potato Pie

• Southern Praline Crunch: Sprinkle chopped pecans and caramel drizzle over the pie filling before baking for a rich, nutty Southern-style experience.
• Maple Bourbon Infusion: Swap some sugar with maple syrup and add a splash of bourbon to the sweet potato mixture for a deep, complex flavor profile.
• Coconut Cream Topping: Replace traditional meringue with whipped coconut cream and toasted coconut flakes for a tropical-inspired sweet potato pie variation.
• Spiced Gingersnap Crust: Substitute regular pie crust with crushed gingersnap cookies for an extra warm, spicy foundation that complements the sweet potato filling perfectly.

Sweet Potato Pie with Brown Sugar Meringue Recipe

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4.8 from 17 reviews

• Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x

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Description

Southern comfort meets culinary magic in this classic sweet potato pie. Creamy, spiced filling nestled in a buttery crust promises a delightful journey through traditional American dessert bliss you can savor with every delectable bite.

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Ingredients

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Main Ingredients:

• 3 Egg Whites
• 6 Tablespoons (90 milliliters) Brown Sugar

Flavor Enhancers:

• ½ Teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) Vanilla Extract

Stabilizers and Seasoning:

• ¼ Teaspoon (1.25 milliliters) Cream of Tartar, or Lemon Juice
• 1 Pinch Kosher Salt

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Instructions

1. Craft the pie dough by blending all-purpose flour (240 grams), ground cinnamon, nutmeg, granulated sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Incorporate chilled unsalted butter (113 grams or ) using a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
2. Drizzle ice-cold water (60 milliliters or ) gradually into the flour mixture, gently kneading until a cohesive dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic film and refrigerate for approximately 60 minutes to firm up.
3. Wash sweet potatoes thoroughly, then slice in half lengthwise. Submerge in a pot of boiling water and cook until fork-tender, approximately 15-20 minutes. Drain and allow to cool slightly.
4. Peel the sweet potatoes and transfer to a mixing bowl. Mash with softened butter (57 grams or ), brown sugar (100 grams), white sugar (50 grams), ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and whole milk (120 milliliters or ) until smooth.
5. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface and carefully transfer to a 9-inch pie dish. Trim and crimp the edges, then freeze for 20 minutes.
6. Line the pie crust with parchment paper, fill with ceramic pie weights or dried beans, and blind bake for 17-20 minutes. Remove weights and parchment, then let cool.
7. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Whisk vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, and eggs into the sweet potato mixture until fully incorporated.
8. Pour the sweet potato filling into the pre-baked pie shell. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the filling is set but slightly jiggly in the center.
9. For the optional meringue topping, beat egg whites with cream of tartar and granulated sugar until stiff, glossy peaks form. Pipe or spread over the cooled pie.
10. If desired, use a kitchen torch to lightly brown the meringue or place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.

Notes

• Elevate your pie crust by freezing it before blind baking, ensuring a crisp and flaky texture that melts in your mouth.
• Sweet potatoes transform from humble roots to silky smooth filling when mashed with warm spices and creamy dairy.
• Sieving the mashed sweet potatoes creates an ultra-luxurious, velvety consistency that guarantees a refined dessert experience.
• Blind baking the crust prevents soggy bottoms, giving you a perfectly golden and crisp foundation for your decadent pie.
• Whipping egg whites into a cloud-like meringue adds a professional bakery touch, creating dramatic visual appeal and contrasting textures.
• Chilling the pie crust dough helps prevent shrinkage and develops incredible buttery layers during baking.

• Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Desserts, Breakfast
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 8
• Calories: 140 kcal
• Sugar: 24g
• Sodium: 100mg
• Fat: 0g
• Saturated Fat: 0g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 36g
• Fiber: 0g
• Protein: 6g
• Cholesterol: <5mg