“New School” Sweet Potato Pie: A Two-in-One Dessert Recipe
This sweet potato pie is a twist on the traditional Thanksgiving recipe with a couple of variations: a baked sweet potato pie or a crustless custard.
Serves8 to 10
Makes1 pie
Prep30 minutes
Cook55 minutes to 1 hour 5 minutes
This recipe is a part of our Ever-Evolving Southern Thanksgiving package. See all the recipes here.
Johnisha Levi, Nashville, Tennessee
I went to culinary school in the South and always thought about staying there for good. After five years in Boston, the opportunity finally came when my husband got a job in Nashville. I fell in love with the food scene here, especially at the farmers market where I work. We are still feeling out our traditions here, and that includes Thanksgiving. It’s a bittersweet holiday for me now that my parents have passed away.
I grew up in a kind of unconventional family. My parents were different religions and different races. My mom was Eastern European and Jewish, and my dad was African American and Catholic. We were a blended family in a lot of ways. I had older siblings from my dad’s previous marriages. Thanksgiving was a huge deal; it was an occasion when so many generations came together.
My oldest sister is famous in our family for her mac and cheese. She’s ruined it for me; I almost can’t eat anyone else’s because hers is so good. When I was a kid, she’d make a whole pan just for me every Thanksgiving. Every year I looked forward to my grandmother’s dinner rolls. She passed away when I was 7, but I feel like different members of my family have tried to figure out how she made them. There is no written recipe; she cooked by feel. I’ve never successfully recreated her recipe, but I do love baking and it’s an important part of celebrating holidays.
I have a great love of sweet potatoes and I basically try to work them into everything I can, especially on Thanksgiving. I’ve always wanted to do a twist on the traditional sweet potato pie, and this is my attempt at that. It’s a simple recipe. I’m taking ingredients and processes that are very common and giving them a little spin.
“New School” Sweet Potato Pie
This sweet potato pie is a twist on the traditional Thanksgiving recipe with a couple of variations: a baked sweet potato pie or a crustless custard.
Prep time 30 minutes
Cook time 55 minutes to 1 hour 5 minutes
Makes 1 pie
Serves 8 to 10
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 1/2 cups
finely ground regular or gluten-free gingersnap crumbs, such as Trader Joe’s
- 1/2 cup
hazelnut, pecan, or almond meal
- 3 tablespoons
packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon
ground mace
- 1/4 teaspoon
salt
- 1/8 teaspoon
ground white pepper
- 5 tablespoons
unsalted butter
For the filling:
- 2 1/2 cups
sweet potato purée (from 3 pounds baked sweet potatoes)
- 1/2 cup
granulated sugar
- 2
large eggs
- 1
large egg yolk
- 1 cup
heavy cream
- 1/4 cup
maple syrup
- 1 to 2 tablespoons
Grand Marnier (optional)
- 2 teaspoons
finely grated orange zest
- 1/4 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon
ground mace
- 1/4 teaspoon
ground white pepper
Garnish options:
Whipped cream
Gingersnap crumbs
Crystallized ginger
Instructions
Make the crust: Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350ºF.
Place 1 1/2 cups finely ground gingersnap crumbs, 1/2 cup nut meal, 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground mace, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Melt 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, add to the crumb mixture, and whisk to combine.
Transfer the mixture to a regular (not deep dish) pie plate. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or drinking glass to press the crumbs evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Bake until the crust is set, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove from the oven and gently press down any areas of the crust that may have puffed with a paper towel.
Make the filling: Place 2 1/2 cups sweet potato purée and 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. (Alternatively, use an electric hand mixer and large bowl.) Beat on low speed until combined. Add 2 large eggs and 1 large egg yolk and beat until combined.
Add 1 cup heavy cream, 1 to 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier if desired, 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground mace, and 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper, and beat until combined. Transfer the filling into the crust (you may have some filling leftover).
Bake, rotating the pie halfway through, until the filling is set and no longer wobbly in the center, 45 to 50 minutes total. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving. Garnish with whipped cream, gingersnap crumbs, and crystallized ginger if desired.
Recipe Notes
Contributed by Johnisha Levi, Nashville, TN.
Sweet potato purée: I am a huge proponent of baking instead of boiling or microwaving sweet potatoes. It is worth the time for the deeper flavor that you can coax out of them. Baked sweet potatoes take on beautiful notes of brown sugar and caramel. I punch holes in the sweet potatoes with a fork and wrap them in aluminum foil. Bake on a baking sheet for 1 to 2 hours at 400ºF, until they are squishy to the touch. Let them cool enough to handle and the skin will peel off very easily. To achieve an extra-silky pie custard, I put the potatoes through a ricer or food mill. Do you have to do either of these steps? No. But if you do, you will be very pleased with the result.
Storage: Leftovers can be loosely covered and refrigerated up to 4 days.
Variation: Sweet-Potato Orange Custards
Skip the crust. Make the filling, then pour into 5 ramekins. Place the ramekins in a roasting pan, and pour in enough tepid water so that it comes halfway up the size of the ramekins, being careful not to splash water into the custards.
Carefully transfer to a 300ºF oven and bake until custards are lightly set in the middle and no longer wobbles, about 45 minutes. Transfer the ramekins to a wire rack. Let cool briefly and serve warm, or let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until chilled to serve cold. Garnish with whipped cream and chopped crystallized ginger or gingersnap crumbs if desired.