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Sweet Potato Pie

Chef Lynn
Not just any sweet potato pie!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people

Equipment

  • 9-inch deep-dish pie pan or 8-10 4 inch removable bottom tart pans
  • electric mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment
  • rubber spatula
  • baking sheet
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • food processor or blender
  • pie weights or beans for blind baking
  • medium heavy-bottom sauce pan

Ingredients
  

For the Filling

  • 1 pound sweet potatoes (about 2 medium or 3 small potatoes)
  • 1 banana
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup melted butter (1/2 stick)

For the Bourbon Caramel

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 6 tbsp butter, cubed
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 oz bourbon (optional)

Instructions
 

For the Sweet Potatoes and Bananas

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Using a fork, poke holes in the sweet potatoes - about 15-20 times running up and down all sides of each potato.  
  • Place the sweet potatoes and banana on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.  
  • Remove the banana and let the sweet potatoes cook for another 20-30 minutes until soft. 
  • Remove the sweet potatoes and allow them to cool until you can handle them.
  • Peel the banana and place it in a food processor.
  • Cut the sweet potatoes in half, scoop out as much flesh as you can, and put that in the food processor with the banana and purée until smooth. 

For the Pie or Tarts

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Blind bake your crust filled with pie weights or dry beans for 15 minutes.
  • Remove the crust and gently prick holes it in with a fork, then brush it with an egg wash (one egg beaten with 1 tbsp of water or milk)
  • Bake the crust for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove crust from the oven and allow it to cool while making the filling
  • Place the sweet potato banana purée in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat it on high for 1-2 minutes.   
  • Add the sugar and beat for 2 more minutes to combine, scraping down the bowl as needed. 
  • With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time and mix until incorporated. 
  • Add the evaporated milk and mix on medium for 1-2 minutes until well combined.  
  • Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla and mix on medium for another minute; reduce the speed to low and slowly add the melted butter.  
  • Once all the butter is added, put the mixer on high and beat for an additional minute. 
  • Scrape down the bowl one last time and make sure everything is well combined. 
  • Cover the outer crust of the pie with a strip of folded aluminum foil, so it does not burn. 
  • Pour the filling into your pie shell and bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

For the Bourbon Caramel

  • Place the sugar in a medium heavy-bottom pot over medium heat and cook until it melts and turns medium to dark amber. DO NOT STIR the sugar. Just swirl the pan. Stirring will cause the sugar to crystalize, resulting in a grainy caramel sauce.
  • Off the heat, carefully stir in the butter.  The sugar will bubble up and release steam when you do this, so be very careful not to get burned.
  • After the butter is well incorporated, stir in the heavy cream.  Again the mixture will bubble up and steam a lot, so be careful.
  • Finally, stir in the bourbon if you are using it.  Then allow the caramel to cool.  It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.

Notes

The sweet potatoes and bananas can be roasted and pureed ahead, and the purée refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for a month.
If you have frozen the purée, defrost it in the refrigerator overnight.
You can use a store-bought frozen pie crust or make your own.
 
 
Keyword dessert, holiday, pie, sweet potato pie