The Original Black Folks Sweet Potato Pie Recipe by The Soul Food Pot (2024)

Mmm mmm! A Black folks’ sweet potato pie tastes like warm family memories, good times, and a legacy of the best holiday traditions handed down from one African American generation to another.

Whether it’s the scent of cinnamon-sugar that sings sweet notes of “Home” like Stephanie Mills or Diana Ross in The Wiz.

Or how the deliciousness of sweet potato pie reminds you of childhood good times gone by. Either way – grab a slice before it’s all gone!

Table of Contents

Is sweet potato pie a Black thing?

Why is sweet potato pie a Black thing?

Because sweet potato pie was made by Black folks back in Africa when they used the native-grown vegetable, yams. It’s a legacy of the best holiday traditions handed down from generation to generation as part of sweet potato pie Black history.

What is the favorite pie of Black people?

African-Americans today have continued the tradition of sweet potato pie with holiday dinners.

What is Black folks’ sweet potato pie?

How do you make a Black folks’ Southern sweet potato pie?

This pie is traditionally made with softened or mashed sweet potatoes, eggs, sugar, butter, and the best blend of vanilla, cinnamon, and other sweet spices.

Below are simple instructions for making an easy sweet potato pie recipe:

1. Grease the pie pan.
2. Pressure cook or boil the sweet potatoes.
3. Drain the cooked sweet potatoes.
4. Peel the sweet potatoes.
5. Gather the potato flesh.
6. Mix the potato flesh, spices, and ingredients.
7. Pour the filling into the pie crust.
8. Bake the pie.
9. Let the pie cool.
10. Serve warm and enjoy!

*See the recipe card at TheSoulFoodPot.com for a complete list of ingredients and instructions with step-by-step guided pictures.

What makes a Black folks’ sweet potato pie?

Every Southern sweet potato pie is not a Black folks’ sweet potato pie. Unless made with a flawless blend of soul food sweet and savory spices and fresh sweet potatoes!

Black folks are known for their unique sweet potato pie recipe. Creamy and decadent comfort food at its finest!

Sweet potato pie is the only thing better than pumpkin pie after Thanksgiving dinner. (Read on for more about sweet potato pie vs. pumpkin pie later in this post!)

With traditional brown sugar and butter flavors complemented by hints of vanilla extract to create the perfect balance of sweetness and rich, warm spice, it’s hard to enjoy only one little piece of Black folks’ sweet potato pie!

Kitchen equipment

Ingredients for Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe

• Sweet potatoes –A naturally sweet pie filling with a smooth, creamy texture.
• Evaporated milk –Evaporated milk adds a velvety smoothness to the pie. (Or make this recipe with a condensed milk substitute HERE!)
• Light brown sugar –Adds a touch of sweetness with caramel-like flavor.
• Eggs –The binding agent that ensures the pie filling holds its shape.
• Butter –Adds a rich flavor that complements the natural sweet potatoes.
• Vanilla extract –For a warm and comforting balance in the flavor profile.
• Ginger –Adds a hint of spiciness and a subtle warm kick.
• Nutmeg –Adds a warm, nutty, and earthly balance to the pie’s sweetness.
• Cinnamon –Adds a comforting warmth and heat with earthy flavor.
• Clove –Contributes to the pie’s overall soulful spiciness.
• Salt –A necessary contrast to balance the sweet spice profiles.
• Pie crust –Elevates this dish from a sweet potato soufflé to a sweet potato pie with a simple, delicious, and flaky pie crust encasing.

Instructions for Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe

1. Grease the pie pan – Grease a 9-inch pie pan and set it aside.
2. For homemade pie crust – See my recipe HEREfor homemade almond flour pie crust, or you can use a store-bought pie crust, dough, or pie shell that may or may not come with its own pie pan.
3. Recipe pro tip –Use an Instant Pot pressure cooker to soften and peel the sweet potatoes quickly and almost effortlessly!
4. Pressure cook or boil the sweet potatoes – Open the Instant Pot lid and fill the stainless-steel inner pot with water to the ½ mark.
5. Add the scrubbed sweet potatoes to the pot of water.
6. Close the Instant Pot lid (make sure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 12 minutes to loosen the potato skin.
7. When the cooking time is finished, allow a natural pressure release for at least 12 minutes.
8. To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
9. Drain the cooked sweet potatoes – Pour the water and sweet potatoes into a colander in the sink to drain the hot water from the potatoes.
10. Peel the sweet potatoes –Once the sweet potatoes are cool to the touch, peel and discard the skin.
11. Gather the potato flesh – Gather 3 cups of sweet potato flesh.
12. Mix the ingredients – Add to either the Instant Pot Ace blender or an electric mixer the sweet potato flesh, evaporated milk, brown sugar, egg, melted butter, vanilla extract, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt.
13. Pulse or mix until the ingredients are combined and smooth.
14. Fill the pie crust – Pour the sweet potato mixture into the pie crust.
15. Bake the pie – Bake the sweet potato pie at 350 degrees F: in a conventional oven for 28-30 minutes, in the Instant Pot Omni Plus oven for 24-26 minutes, or until the pie is puffed and firm in the center. (Remember that cooking appliance times and oven temperatures will vary.)
16. Let the pie cool – Allow the sweet potato pie to cool for at least 2-4 hours before garnishing or slicing.
17. Optional toppings – Garnish with whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkled on top.
18. How to serve – Serve this Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe warm and enjoy!

Sweet potato pie pro tips:

• You’ll probably have leftover sweet potato mix, depending on how deep-dish your pie pan is. You can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Or you can pour it into a Ziplock bag and freeze it for up to 3 months.
• You could also make mini-Black folks sweet potato pies with any leftover pie filling.
• And don’t forget to use any leftover pie dough for the easiest Southern dessert ever –pie crust cookies!
• How do you get the strings out of sweet potatoes?A blender, hand-held mixer, or electric stand mixer will round up and collect the strings on its mixers or blade or dissolve them.

Do you eat sweet potato pie hot or cold?

Sweet potato pie is best served warm or at room temperature.

Most pies are left unrefrigerated while family and friends feast on the dessert. Then, it’s chilled in the fridge to store the leftovers and warmed up before serving again.

What do you serve with Black folks sweet potato pie?

A simple answer would be whipped cream or ice cream, but that’s not exactly the answer you’re looking for.

Instead, you want something that compliments it!

So if you’re looking for classic soul food recipes to serve with your sweet potato pie thisThanksgivingorChristmas, then look no further than these delicious ideas:

Black folks sweet potato pie recipe FAQs

What spices belong in a Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe?

Here are three spices that belong in a delicious soul food sweet potato pie.

Ground cinnamonis a versatile spice for savory and sweet dishes for an extra burst of flavor while adding more color. Cinnamon is an excellent addition to everything from an apple pie, pumpkin bread, and even sweet potato pies! Cinnamon helps brighten up even the darkest desserts because it adds lightness to them while giving off its unique taste.

Ground nutmegis often found in pumpkin pies, but it goes exceptionally well with sweet potato pie. This spice gives the dish a wonderful flavor and provides some warmth to your palate. Think about how good your grandmother’s Thanksgiving meal tastes every year! Ground nutmeg has that same type of taste without being overwhelming or spicy at all. You need this for sure if you are planning on making this Thanksgiving specialty!

Ground clovesare that secret ingredient that gives your finished sweet potato recipes a beautiful aroma, a spicy kick, and the perfect sweetness without going overboard with sugar. Ground cloves have an aromatic sweet aroma and taste. You’ll love how much more flavorful yourciders,toddies,brines, and sweet treats become once cloves are added! When combined, these spices create an excellent balance. Cloves should definitely be included in any soul foodThanksgiving menuor Christmas dinner.

Can you use sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk in pie?

What makes Black folks’ sweet potato pie a favorite pie recipe?

The spices. It’s gotta be the spices! Sweet potato pie is also easy to make ahead. Easy to serve. It has simple pantry ingredients that yield a sweet and mildly spicy flavor. There are many other great recipes for pies out there, but Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe stands out from the rest!

How do you prepare the sweet potatoes to be mashed?

Should you roast or boil sweet potatoes for pie? The easiest method is to use an Instant Pot pressure cooker to soften and peel the sweet potatoes quickly and almost effortlessly to prepare them for mashing.

How do you get the strings out of sweet potatoes?

Sweet potatoes stored at the wrong temperature can become stringy when cooked. But, no worries, they are still perfectly OK to eat. But stringy sweet potatoes will not be a problem if you follow this Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe. Because a blender, hand-held mixer, or stand electric mixer will round up and collect the strings with the mixers or blade or dissolve the strings.

If you do not prepare the pie crust from scratch, can you use a frozen one?

Yes, you can absolutely use a frozen pie crust or store-bought pie dough.

How do you keep your pie crust edges from burning?

Unlike some pie recipes, there is no need to pre-heat your empty pie crust for this Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe. Doing this can cause your pie crust edges to burn.

Pro tip:To alleviate concerns of your pie crust edges burning, you could use apie crust shield.

How do you know when the filling is cooked?

How do you know when your sweet potato pie is done? A good indicator of when this pie recipe is done is when you can see the center of the pie filling puffing in the oven. Also, the center of a sweet potato pie should be firm and not runny or jiggly when you remove the pie from the oven.

Why is your sweet potato pie runny?

If your sweet potato pie turns out runny after baking – don’t fret! Instead, put it back in the oven for five-minute intervals until the filling is puffed and firm in the center.

How can you thicken your sweet potato pie filling?

Asked another way, how do you stiffen a sweet potato pie? While many recipes call for adding flour for thickening, you don’t want to do this for a soul food sweet potato pie filling. It could compromise the unique Southern soul food flavors. To avoid needing to thicken the pie filling, make sure your sweet potato mixture still has some texture and it’s not just a thin, runny purée.

How do you cut sweet potato pie?

One primary consideration when cutting your sweet potato pie is to let it set before cutting. Otherwise, the slice will fall apart like feta cheese! It’s best to let the pie cool and set for a few hours up to a whole day. But if you can’t wait the entire day, wait at least four hours before cutting it into pieces.

Pro tips for slicing sweet potato pie:

This process can be even simpler if you run your sharp knife on a chilled sweet potato pie. A perfect uniform slice will be in your hands if you refrigerate your sweet pie before cutting it. Be sure the knife is clean and sharp before cutting. Wipe it off with a damp cloth after each slice and cut cleanly through the bottom of your pie.

Do you refrigerate Black folks’ sweet potato pie?

Yes. After all, this recipe calls for eggs.

How long will sweet potato pie last in the refrigerator?

The baked and cooled pie can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 days.

Can you reheat sweet potato pie?

Yes, this sweet potato pie recipe can be quickly rewarmed in the oven. Or by the slice in the microwave.

Can you freeze a sweet potato pie?

You can absolutely freeze whole sweet potato pies or leftover pie for up to three months. First, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and then foil, sealed tight with an airtight container.

What’s the difference between sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie?

It may seem like sweet potato pie is just a fancier, more flavorful version of pumpkin pie (and it is). Still, there are some significant differences between the two. Pumpkin pies are traditionally made with sugar, spices, and eggs. Sweet potato pies have been elevated with soulful flavor combinations like cinnamon-sugar and sweet vanilla, cloves, and nutmeg. Mixed beautifully with softened sweet potatoes or yams. Most pumpkin pies tend to be bland, dense, and creamier. Even with the addition of pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin pie is no comparison. In contrast, sweet potato pie has more texture, and the filling is airier and fluffier.

Which is better, pumpkin or sweet potato pie?

If you ask Black folks, there is no debating which one is better. The answer is always sweet potato pie – as long as it’s made the Black folks’ soul food way! You can learn more in my post about why Black people eat sweet potato pie instead of pumpkin pie.

Can you make this pie ahead?

If you’re making a Thanksgiving sweet potato pie or a Christmas sweet potato pie, it’s a good idea to make your sweet potato pie masterpiece ahead of time. (Assuming, of course, that you have the refrigerator space.) Just remember: wrap tightly and keep in the fridge – after all, this recipe calls for eggs.

Does this recipe make two pies or one?

Depending on how deep of a dish your pie pan is, you’ll probably have leftover sweet potato mix to make another. You could also make mini-Black folks sweet potato pies with any leftover pie filling.

How many eggs are needed?

2 large eggs will be enough if you’re following this recipe.

Are there any acceptable ingredients substitutes in a Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe?

You can use the following swaps for this soul food baked sweet potato pie recipe: While I’ve found evaporated milk to be the smoothest and the perfect flavor additive for this recipe, sweetened condensed milk can substitute. Likewise, heavy cream. Also, for this pie recipe, light brown sugar or dark brown sugar is best. But granulated sugar can also work in a pinch.

Can you use canned sweet potatoes?

Nothing beats fresh potatoes for this incredible Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe, but you could use canned sweet potato.

What do you think about this Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe?

The ingredients are simple, but the flavor is unique!

Have you had it?

Would you make it?

Comment below and lemme know.