A Spoon Full of Lovin' · June 2026
Sweet Potato Pie
A Southern classic with a buttery graham cracker crust
There is nothing quite like a homemade sweet potato pie made from scratch — starting with real sweet potatoes baked in the oven until perfectly tender. The filling is silky smooth, warmly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, and nestled in a buttery graham cracker crust. That sugary top that bakes into a delicate crust is the finishing touch. Serve it with a cloud of fresh homemade whipped cream and you have a dessert that will have everyone asking for seconds.
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- ¾ cup sugar, divided (½ cup + ¼ cup)
- 2 large eggs
- 4 tbls. (½ stick) butter, softened
- ¼ cup whipping cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
- 1 unbaked 9" graham cracker crust pie shell
- FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM:
- Leftover whipping cream
- A couple drops of vanilla extract
- A little confectioners' sugar
Instructions
Bake the Sweet Potatoes
Preheat oven to 400°F. Clean and dry the sweet potatoes. Poke a few holes in each potato with a toothpick. Spray each potato with cooking spray. Place each potato on a piece of aluminum foil and curl the edges up so the juices won't spill into the oven. Bake for about an hour, or until a toothpick can be easily inserted. Remove from oven and let cool.
Lower the Oven
Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
Make the Filling
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and cut into small pieces. Place in a large mixing bowl. Add ½ cup of the sugar, the eggs, butter, whipping cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Using a handheld mixer, blend until completely smooth.
Fill & Top
Pour the mixture into the graham cracker crust pie shell. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of sugar evenly over the top.
Bake
Bake at 300°F for about an hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool & Serve
Cool completely before serving. Top each slice with a generous dollop of fresh whipped cream.
Make the Whipped Cream
Pour the leftover whipping cream into a bowl. Add a couple drops of vanilla extract and a little confectioners' sugar. Beat with the handheld mixer until the peaks are stiff. Spoon over each slice just before serving.
Robin's Tips & Variations
- Baking the sweet potatoes whole rather than boiling them gives the filling a deeper, more concentrated flavor — don't skip this step!
- The curled foil edges are a smart trick to keep your oven clean. Those sweet potatoes release a lot of sugary juice as they bake.
- Make sure the butter is truly softened before blending — it makes for a much smoother filling.
- The ¼ cup of sugar sprinkled on top bakes into a delicate, lightly caramelized crust that is absolutely irresistible.
- The pie must be fully cooled before slicing — it firms up beautifully as it cools.
- Don't throw away that leftover whipping cream! Robin's quick homemade whipped cream takes just minutes and makes every slice look like it came from a fine restaurant.
Sweet, spiced, and made with love!
If you make this, I'd love to hear how it turned out. Drop me a note on the blog page. Happy cooking — with a spoon full of lovin'!