Sweet Potato Pie vs Pumpkin Pie: Standard Recipe and How They Differ

Sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie are both baked custard pies in a single crust, but sweet potato pie is usually sweeter, more buttery and slightly lighter and less dense, with nutmeg and cinnamon as the main spices. Pumpkin pie is typically made with canned pumpkin purée and evaporated milk and carries a stronger spice mix that includes ginger and cloves. Both bake at moderate oven temperatures until the center is just set, and both need to be refrigerated after cooling.

Sweet potato pie has deep roots in Southern and African American home cooking in the United States, where it is often the pie of choice at Thanksgiving and Christmas. The recipe below uses classic, widely published proportions for one 9-inch pie.

Ingredients (one 9-inch pie, 8 slices)

Prep: 45 min · Bake: 55 min · Total: 100 min

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust, homemade or store-bought
• 2 cups mashed cooked sweet potato (about 480 g), from about 1 1/2 lb (680 g) raw sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (113 g)
• 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g), or 3/4 cup (150 g) for a less sweet pie
• 1/2 cup whole milk or evaporated milk (120 ml)
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 ml)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Steps

1. Cook the sweet potatoes. Boil them whole in their skins for 40 to 50 minutes, or roast at 400°F (200°C) for about 45 to 60 minutes, until a knife slides through the center with no resistance. Cool until you can handle them, then peel.
2. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set a rack in the lower third. Put the crust in its pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet.
3. Mash the warm sweet potato with the melted butter until smooth. For the smoothest filling, beat it with a hand mixer or press it through a sieve to remove the stringy fibers.
4. Beat in the sugar, then the milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until the mixture is even and glossy. Do not whip in a lot of air.
5. Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top.
6. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the edges are set and the center jiggles only slightly when the pan is nudged. A thermometer in the center should read about 175°F (80°C). If the crust edge browns too fast, cover it with a foil ring.
7. Cool on a rack for at least 2 hours so the custard finishes setting, then serve or refrigerate.

How is sweet potato pie different from pumpkin pie?

The two pies differ mainly in the vegetable, the dairy, the fat and the spices. Most pumpkin pies today start from canned pumpkin, which is cooked, puréed and fairly wet, while sweet potato pie usually starts from fresh sweet potatoes that the baker cooks and mashes.

• Flavor: sweet potatoes are naturally sweeter and taste more of caramel and butter; pumpkin is milder and more earthy, so pumpkin pie relies more on spice.
• Dairy and fat: sweet potato pie traditionally uses melted butter plus milk or evaporated milk; the classic pumpkin pie uses evaporated milk and no butter in the filling.
• Spices: sweet potato pie leans on nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla; pumpkin pie usually adds ginger and cloves as well.
• Texture: sweet potato pie is often a little lighter and can be slightly grainy if the potatoes are not well mashed; pumpkin pie is smooth and dense.
• Color: sweet potato pie is a deeper orange to brownish orange; pumpkin pie is a darker rust color from the spices.

If you want the pumpkin version, the site has a classic pumpkin pie made with canned pumpkin and evaporated milk with the same set test.

Can you swap sweet potato for pumpkin in the same recipe?

Mashed sweet potato can replace canned pumpkin cup for cup, but expect a sweeter, slightly thicker filling. Canned pumpkin contains more water, so a pumpkin recipe made with sweet potato may need a few extra tablespoons of milk to reach the same pourable consistency. Cut the sugar by a quarter if you want the pie to taste the way the pumpkin version did. Going the other way, canned pumpkin in a sweet potato recipe gives a looser filling that may need 5 to 10 extra minutes in the oven.

Both pies take well to the same warm spices. If you are out of a jar of pumpkin pie spice, a homemade pumpkin pie spice blend works in either filling.

Which sweet potatoes work best?

Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, the kind often sold as yams in US supermarkets, give the classic color and the moist, sweet filling. Pale or white-fleshed varieties are drier and starchier, which makes a heavier, less sweet pie. Canned sweet potatoes packed in syrup can be used if drained well, but reduce the sugar because the syrup already adds sweetness.

Variations

• Swap half the granulated sugar for packed brown sugar for a deeper molasses note.
• Add 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger or a pinch of cloves for a spice level closer to pumpkin pie.
• Use evaporated milk instead of whole milk for a slightly firmer, richer custard. Readers short on it can see evaporated milk substitutes and what changes, which apply to this pie as well.
• Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or orange zest, a common Southern addition that cuts the sweetness.
• Top with toasted pecans or a meringue added after baking.

How do you store sweet potato pie?

Sweet potato pie is an egg and milk custard, so it belongs in the refrigerator once it has cooled. Federal food safety guidance on FoodSafety.gov says perishable foods should not sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Covered, the pie keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge. It freezes well for up to 1 to 2 months: chill it first, wrap it tightly, and thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Baking a day ahead is common, and the tips in how far ahead to bake a pumpkin pie apply to sweet potato pie too.

Troubleshooting

• Stringy filling: some sweet potatoes are fibrous. Beat with a mixer, which catches strings on the beaters, or press the mash through a sieve.
• Cracked top: the pie baked too long or too hot. Take it out when the center still wobbles slightly, and cool it away from drafts.
• Watery or weepy filling: the potatoes were boiled peeled and absorbed water, or the pie was underbaked. Roasting or boiling in the skin keeps the mash drier.
• Soggy bottom crust: bake on the lower rack on a preheated baking sheet, or blind bake the crust for 10 to 15 minutes before filling.
• Grainy texture: the mash was lumpy. Blend the filling until completely smooth before pouring.

Quick answers

Is sweet potato pie healthier than pumpkin pie?

Neither is a light dessert. Sweet potato pie usually has more butter and sugar per slice, while pumpkin pie made with evaporated milk tends to be a little lower in fat. Both depend on the crust and the amount of sugar used.

Can sweet potato pie be served warm?

It can be served slightly warm after cooling for at least 2 hours, so the custard has time to set. Many people prefer it at room temperature or chilled, when the slices cut more cleanly.

How do you know sweet potato pie is done?

The edges are set and puffed slightly, the center moves only a little when the pan is nudged, and a thermometer in the center reads about 175°F (80°C). A knife inserted halfway between the edge and the center should come out clean.

Does sweet potato pie taste like pumpkin pie?

The two taste similar because they share a custard base and warm spices. Sweet potato pie is sweeter and more buttery, while pumpkin pie tastes more of ginger and cloves.