Black Folks Sweet Potato Pie Recipe (2024)

Southern flavors of vanilla, brown sugar and warm spices shine through in this classic sweet potato pie. It’s a classic dessert that’s been a favorite in African American culture for generations.

While the name of this dessert often raises eyebrows, it’s actually a celebration of African American heritage going back to colonial times. Recipes date as far back as the 18th century and reflect a fusion of African culinary traditions using yams with Native American use of sweet potatoes.

So for your next Thanksgiving or holiday celebration, why not skip the pumpkin pie and make this rich and creamy sweet potato pie instead?

What Is Black Folks’ Sweet Potato Pie?

This sweet potato pie is typically served over the holidays. It’s a delicious combination of sweet potatoes, evaporated milk, brown sugar, vanilla, eggs, butter, and warm spices. It’s commonly served as a Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert in African American households across the South and beyond!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• sweet potatoes
• evaporated milk
• light brown sugar
• eggs
• unsalted butter
• vanilla extract
• ginger
• ground nutmeg
• ground cinnamon
• ground cloves
• salt
• pie crust

(Note: Full recipe is at the bottom of the post)

How to Make Black Folks’ Sweet Potato Pie

• Fill the stainless-steel inner pot with water to the ½ mark. Add the sweet potatoes.
• Close the Instant Pot lid ensuring that the valve is up and in the position for sealing. Cook on high for 12 minutes to loosen the potato skins.
• Allow a natural pressure release for at least 12 minutes.
• Move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure before opening the lid.
• Pour the water and sweet potatoes into a colander to drain.
• When the sweet potatoes are cool to the touch, peel and discard the skin.
• Gather 3 cups of sweet potato flesh.
• Add the sweet potatoes, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt to a powerful blender or an electric mixer.
• Blend or pulse until the ingredients are combined and smooth.
• Pour the sweet potato mixture into the pie crust.
• Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 28-30 minutes, or until the center of the pie is puffed and firm to the touch.
• Let the pie cool for at least 30 minutes.
• Garnish with whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkled on top.
• Serve warm and enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

• There’s no need to blind-bake or preheat the empty crust of this Black folks’ sweet potato pie recipe.
• Fresh sweet potatoes are recommended in this recipe but canned sweet potatoes can be used as well.
• Chilling the pie after baking will make slicing much easier. Use a serrated knife to slice the pie.

Sweet Potato Pie vs Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pies typically combine pumpkin puree with eggs, sugar, and spices. Sweet potato pies have additional flavorings including vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger mixed with mashed sweet potatoes. Sweet potato pie is fluffier than pumpkin pie, and has more texture.

How Do You Know When the Black Folks’ Sweet Potato Pie Is Done?

The best way to check Black Folks’ Sweet Potato Pie for doneness is to use an instant-read thermometer. The internal temperature of the pie should be 165°F. You’ll also know that the pie is done when the center is puffing up. It should be firm to the touch, not overly jiggly or soft.

How to Store Black Folks’ Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet potato pie should be placed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge. It can be made up to three days in advance and refrigerated, and leftovers will last for about three days. Always store the pie in an airtight container. Sweet potato pie can also be placed in a freezer-safe container and stored in the freezer for up to three months.

How to Reheat Sweet Potato Pie

Leftover sweet potato pie can be reheated in the oven directly from the fridge or the freezer. A frozen pie should be baked in a 300°F oven for 40-50 minutes. If the pie has been thawed, it will take about 30 minutes to reheat. To prevent the crust of a thawed or refrigerated pie from becoming too dark, cover the edges of the crust with foil. You can remove the foil during the last 10 minutes of reheating.

Why Is Your Sweet Potato Pie Runny?

Runny sweet potato pie may not have been cooked long enough or had too much liquid in the pie filling. If the filling seems runny, try adding some flour. To ensure that the pie bakes for long enough, test the center. It should be puffy and not too jiggly. You may need to bake the pie for a few more minutes until the center is firm and slightly jiggly.