Sweet Potato Pie with Sweet Potato Crust. Yep. We are trying new ideas in the kitchen. Yummy ideas. Ideas that don't suck. Ideas that help shave a few calories off of a classic Southern pie recipe. You hear a lot about the health benefits of sweet potatoes. High in vitamins, potassium and fiber...blah blah blah. If it doesn't taste good around my house, no one is gonna eat it. So you gotta be sneaky. Not sure how sneaky this is when I disguise it with butter and brown sugar and Whiskey Whipped Cream but hey...
Sweet Potato Pie with...what?
You busted me making sweet-stuff again. The heart wants what the heart wants, what can I say?
My heart, my stomach...whatevs.
See these beautiful sweet potatoes? We are gonna make them into my-oh-my PIE! So go ahead, pop four of them into your oven now. (No worries, we will get to the Whiskey Whipped Cream later.)
However, this Sweet Potato Pie recipe has been lightened up a little.
Sure it still has a stick of butter. But we did make our pie with a Sweet Potato Crust
With just three ingredients (yes, three) this healthier pie crust worked out great.
Rinse your shredded sweet potato in cold water then squeeze and blot dry. Like, all the way dry. This will get your crust crispy on the edges. Plus it helps form the crust.
Stir in a little salt and one egg. Then with a spoon and your hands, gently press and mold the mixture into a greased pie plate. Or a cast iron skillet.
Bake until the crust is firm and crispy on the edges. It took ours about 40 minutes. I almost cooked it a little longer for a firmer crust, but it looked pretty good and I was afraid to burn this sweet potato pie experiment. 🙂
Crust done. Pie time.
Cool the sweet potato pie crust completely before pouring in the pie filling.
Filling! Yay! The best part. Remember those potatoes we told you to pop in the oven?
Once they are done the skins just peel right off like magic.
I think roasting sweet potatoes is the best way to maximize their flavor.
Plus, you get a caramelized taste that is perfect for sweet potato pie.
Toss your roasted sweet potatoes in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients. All the good stuff...butter, brown sugar, vanilla.
We saved a few more calories in our Sweet Potato Pie recipe by swapping out half of the heavy cream for freshly squeezed orange juice. Not only does this save calories, it also brightens up the flavor of the pie. Yummy addition!
Beat the mixture with a combination of spices. We used cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. This smells amazing while baking. Your whole house will be a yum-factory.
Spread the sweet potato pie filling into the sweet potato crust and bake. This is the part where you have to put on your patience panties, because it takes a long time. Ours baked in 90 minutes.
Your cooking time might vary based on the size dish or pan you use. Bake until you can jiggle the pan and the middle moves just a little. (I also stuck the middle with a wooden pick to make sure it wasn't too soft.)
Still wearing your patience panties? Good. Because now you have to let the pie cool for a couple of hours.
Don't touch it. The temptation is strong, I understand.
Heck, we figured since this Sweet Potato Pie was lightened up a little with our crust and orange juice, we would pile some calories on with our Whiskey Whipped Cream. (You know you want THAT recipe, get it here!)
📖 Recipe
Sweet Potato Pie with Sweet Potato Crust
Ingredients
- 6 medium sweet potatoes
- 3 eggs
- 1 stick salted butter softened to room temperature
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 2 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon salt divided
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- Non Stick spray butter flavored recommended
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Wash the sweet potatoes and dry them well. Place 4 of the sweet potatoes onto a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour. Set aside to cool. Reduce heat to 375 degrees.
- Start working on the pie crust after the potatoes are done. Spray a pie pan or 8 to 10 inch cast iron skillet with non stick spray. Set aside.
- Peel the other two sweet potatoes and shred with a grater. Cover with cold water, then drain. Squeeze all excess water from the shredded potatoes. Using several paper towels, continue to squeeze and blot the potatoes until they are completely dry.
- In a bowl, combine the shredded potatoes with ¼ teaspoon of the salt and one egg. Stir well. Transfer the mixture into the prepared skillet. With a spoon and your hands, gently press the crust mixture evenly onto the bottom and up the sides.
- Bake the crust at 375 for 40 to 45 minutes until the edges are crispy and the bottom is firm. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cool completely.
- Peel the skins from the roasted sweet potatoes. Place in a bowl with the remaining ingredients. Using a hand mixer, beat on low to medium until the filling is smooth and creamy.
- Pour evenly into the pie crust. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 2 to 4 hours.
- Serve with your favorite whipped topping.
Nutrition
Charlotte
That crust looks amazing! I want to try that with so many things on top.
Teri
Thank you! It turned out better than I thought. I mean, it isn't like a flaky traditional pie crust, but it totally works. I was thinking it might be perfect for a savory quiche? Or little tarts?
Diana
I made this recipe yesterday. I was given some sweet potatoes and needed something light and healthy to make. This turned out really good and I'll be making it in the future. Much easier than making crust. I have a food processor that made quick work shredding the potatoes. I lowered the butter and used 2% milk, but all in all it came out really good. Thanks.
Teri
That's awesome. I have a tendency to get carried away with the butter, lol. I'm glad you liked it. I've thought about using a similar sweet potato "crust" as the bottom for a quiche, too.
Diana
I have made a quiche with a sweet potato crust, but not this one. I think yours is better. Also, 1 hour was sufficient for the final bake.
Teri
I'm so happy you like it. 🙂