If sweet potato pie and pecan pie had a baby, this would be the result.
A Sweet Potato-Based Holiday Pie
Have you ever eaten sweet potato pie? It’s the Land Cruiser of Holiday Pies. Heavy and thick, it can feed a large number of people. Sweet potato pie is similar to pumpkin pie in certain ways, but unlike pumpkin pie, it is all about the sweet potato.
This pie has a great sweet potato flavor that is complemented rather than displaced by the additions of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and vanilla.

Add a Splash of Bourbon
We also added a dash of bourbon to the filling. You may omit the bourbon if you like, but if you have any on hand, go ahead and use it.
How To Make Sweet Potato Pie
Making sweet potato pie is a two-step process. First, cook the sweet potatoes in the oven. Scoop out the soft insides, combine the mashed sweet potato with the remaining pie filling ingredients, and pour into a pie shell to bake in the oven.
Bake the pie for about one hour at 350°F. When finished, the filling should be firm with just a hint of wobbling in the center. If the crust begins to brown before the pie is finished, tent the edges with foil.

Caramel Pecan Topping Makes It Special
Of course, a scoop of whipped cream is the perfect topping for a sweet potato pie. But with a caramel pecan topping, this pie becomes tempting.
The topping is quite easy. Simply melt the butter and brown sugar, then toss in the pecans until covered. Spread this over the pie, and it will be ready for the dessert table.
Serve Warm or Room Temperature
You may serve this pie warm from the oven or when it has cooled to room temperature.
You may also bake this pie a few days ahead of time and refrigerate it, but don’t top it with pecans until ready to serve. Warm the pie briefly in the oven before topping with pecans and serving, or leave it out while you eat supper to reach room temperature in time for dessert.
Leftovers should be refrigerated and will last for approximately five days.
Recipe Card
Sweet Potato Pie with Pecan Topping

Pie Crust:
- 1 1/4 cups 160g all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (skip the salt if using salted butter)
- 10 tablespoons 140g cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons ice water
Pie Filling:
- 2 eggs
- 2 pounds 900g sweet potatoes (about 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes)
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/4 cup 55g brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar (can reduce to 1 tablespoon if you want less sugar)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon bourbon whisky (optional)
- 7 ounces 210ml sweetened condensed milk
Pie Topping:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup 64g brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup 110g pecans, half of them roughly chopped, the other half whole
We’ve included instructions for preparing a handmade crust using a food processor. If you like, you may use a pre-made frozen crust. Look for a deep dish option. If you use a shallow frozen crust, the filling may be enough for two pies. In this scenario, you may need to lower the cooking time.
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