Purple Sweet Potato Pie is the prettiest dessert you can put on a Thanksgiving table! I demonstrated this showstopper pie at my Holiday Cooking Show and it was a hit! The taste and velvety smooth texture is a twist on the classic Southern sweet potato pie. It will be the talk of your holiday table, too. And did I mention it is still a shortcut recipe?
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Purple sweet potato pie has all the custardy comfort of a classic Southern sweet potato pie, but with a vibrant violet color that comes from nature, not a bottle of food coloring. It's a beautiful addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert table.
If you've made my Purple Sweet Potato Magic Cake, you already know how stunning these California-grown Stokes purple sweet potatoes are once they hit the oven! I first got my hands on Stokes purple sweet potatoes years ago at a farmers market and I have been low-key obsessed ever since. I even tried tucking a few slips into my own garden beds one summer, just to see if I could grow my own (a story for another day).
This pie made with purple sweet potatoes is also perfect served for Mardi Gras parties. Oh! And if you are making orange, black and purple food for Halloween, you could add those colors of sprinkles to the dollops of whipped cream.
The first of my purple sweet potato recipes here on my site was Purple Sweet Potato Overnight Oats.
Shortcuts
- Skip the food processor. A hand mixer gets this sweet potato filling perfectly smooth. No need to drag out the big appliance and wash extra parts.
- Reach for pumpkin pie spice. One pre-blended spice does the work of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves all at once, so you're not measuring four jars for one pie.
- Use a store-bought pie shell. A thawed frozen crust or a rolled Pillsbury crust means you can go straight from sweet potatoes to filling without rolling a single bit of dough.
Ingredients
Scroll down to printable recipe for exact ingredient quantities.
- Stokes or or Okinawan purple sweet potatoes – You'll need about 1 ¾ pounds, or roughly 3 medium potatoes, to yield 1¾ cups of mashed sweet potato. These are grown only in California and have a slightly drier texture than the orange sweet potatoes you may be used to. Be careful not to buy sweet potatoes that are only purple on the outside.
- Unbaked pie shell – Homemade or store-bought both work great. If using a frozen crust, thaw it first and make sure it is a deep dish crust. If using Pillsbury rolled dough, fit it into your pie dish and flute the edges ahead of time.
- Granulated sugar – Sweetens the custard filling and helps give it that classic silky texture.
- Large eggs – Bind the filling together and give the pie its custard-like set.
- Evaporated milk – Adds richness without the wateriness regular milk can bring to a custard pie.
- Melted salted butter – Adds flavor and a touch of richness to the filling.
- Vanilla extract – Rounds out the flavor with warm, sweet depth.
- Pumpkin pie spice – Your shortcut spice blend, plus a little extra for garnish on top.
- Table salt – Balances the sweetness and brightens all the other flavors.
- Sweetened whipped cream (optional) – A pretty finishing touch for serving.
Substitutions & Variations
- Orange sweet potatoes: Yes, you can absolutely make this pie with the more familiar orange sweet potatoes if purple ones aren't available near you.
- Timing: Purple sweet potatoes are available almost all year, peaking in the fall, which makes this pie perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas. They're also around in late winter, making this a lovely Mardi Gras dessert, too.
- Homemade spice blend: No pumpkin pie spice on hand? Use ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon ground ginger instead.
- Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Pie: Use canned coconut milk instead of evaporated milk and make my Pecan Crust recipe and use vegan "butter" spread in place of butter.
If persimmons are more your thing during the fall of year, my Persimmon Pie has that same custardy texture.
How to Make Purple Sweet Potato Pie
Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe with detailed instructions.
Bake purple sweet potato
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Wash the potatoes, place them on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. Make just one small pierce in each with a fork or knife. You don't want those caramelized sugars oozing out everywhere. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until very tender, then let cool to the touch.
- Lower the oven temperature to 350°F.
- Scoop out 1 ¾ cups of sweet potato pulp into a large bowl (a little less is fine). Beat with a hand or stand mixer until smooth, then add the sugar and beat again until smooth.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Gradually add the evaporated milk while beating on medium-low. Add the butter, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt, and beat until everything is well combined.
- Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake on the middle rack for 45 minutes, or until the center jiggles just slightly when you gently shake the pan. Let the pie cool at least 2 hours before serving. For the cleanest slices, chill it for at least 1 hour after that.
Pro Tips
- Don't over-pierce the potatoes. Sweet potatoes are dense, not fluffy like a Russet, so you only need one or two small piercings with a fork or knife before roasting. Poke too many holes and you'll lose all that caramelized, syrupy goodness right out the sides. I'm speaking from experience here, y'all.
- Roast, don't boil. Roasting caramelizes the natural sugars inside the sweet potato for a richer flavor, while boiling lets the potatoes soak up water, which can leave you with a watery, less flavorful pie filling.
- Bake ahead to save time. You can roast the sweet potatoes up to 2 days in advance and store them in a zip-top bag in the fridge until you're ready to make the pie. It's a real time-saver on a busy holiday week.
- Watch that crust. If the edges of your pie crust start browning before the filling has finished baking, cover just the crust with a round pie shield or strips of shaped aluminum foil to keep it from getting too dark.
What to Serve with Purple Sweet Potato Pie
This purple sweet potato pie recipe is rich and just sweet enough, so it pairs beautifully with a big dollop of sweetened whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting right into that purple custard.
For a full holiday spread, serve it alongside other desserts like Candied Roasted Sweet Potatoes or Mini Pumpkin Pies.
Storage
- To Store: Keep the purple sweet potato pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
- To Freeze: Wrap the fully cooled, unsliced pie tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Make ahead (sweet potatoes): Roast the sweet potatoes up to 2 days in advance and store them, unpeeled, in a zip-top bag in the fridge until you're ready to make the filling.
- Make ahead (whole pie): Bake the pie up to 1 to 2 days ahead, then chill it, covered, until you're ready to add whipped cream and serve.
FAQ's
Purple sweet potatoes taste similar to orange ones, just a touch earthier and less sweet, with a slightly drier, denser texture. Some folks also pick up a subtle hint of vanilla or berry in the flavor once they're roasted.
It tastes just like a classic Southern sweet potato pie. I don't think I could tell the difference in a blind taste test. The texture is silky and rich, and that stunning purple color makes it taste even more special!
One of the biggest purple sweet potato benefits is their high antioxidant content, thanks to the same purple pigments (anthocyanins) found in foods like blueberries and purple cabbage. They're also a good source of fiber, vitamin C, and potassium, making them a nutritious addition to your holiday table.
The higher 400°F temperature is used to roast the sweet potatoes, while the lower 350°F temperature is better for baking the custard filling gently so the eggs don't curdle. This gives you a smooth, silky texture in the finished pie.
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Purple Sweet Potato Pie
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I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ pounds Stokes purple sweet potatoes about 3 medium (1 ¾ cups mashed)
- 1 9-inch unbaked pie shell homemade or store-bought (thawed, if frozen)* (Deep dish if pre-made frozen)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice plus more for garnish
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- Sweetened whipped cream or Cool Whip optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F to roast the potatoes.
- Wash the potatoes and place on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet for easy clean up. Only make one small pierce with a fork or knife in each potato. (You don’t want all the caramelized sugars to ooze out. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, depending on thickness of the potatoes, until very tender. Let cool to the touch.
- If you are using Pillsbury rolled-up pie dough, now is the time to fit that into your pie dish and flute the edges. Then, keep it in the fridge until ready to add the filling.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
- Scoop out enough sweet potato pulp to measure 1 ¾ cups into a large bowl. (It’s ok if it’s slightly less.) Beat it with a hand or stand mixer on medium speed until the mixture is smooth. Add the sugar and beat until smooth.
- Tip: You can also use a food processor to puree the sweet potato.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Gradually add the milk while beating at medium-low speed. Add butter, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Beat at medium-low speed until everything is combined.
- Pour the purple sweet potato pie filling into the pie shell. Bake in the middle rack for 45 minutes or until the center slightly jiggles when gently shaken.
- Let cool at least 2 hours before serving. For the best slice, chill at least 1 hour before serving. If you like, serve with a big ol’ dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice, if you like.
Notes
- Sweet potatoes: Look for Stokes purple sweet potatoes at well-stocked grocery stores or farmers markets, especially in fall and winter. I found mine at Whole Foods. Regular orange sweet potatoes can be substituted if purple ones aren't available.
- Make ahead: Roast the sweet potatoes up to 2 days in advance and store them, unpeeled, in a zip-top bag in the fridge until you're ready to make the filling.
- Crust tip: If your pie crust starts browning before the filling is done baking, cover just the edges with a pie shield or shaped foil strips.
- Doneness test: The pie is ready when the center jiggles just slightly when gently shaken, it will continue to set as it cools.
- Storage: Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3-4 days. To freeze, wrap the cooled, unsliced pie tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition analysis on GritsAndGouda.com recipes are mostly calculated on an online nutrition calculator. I am not a dietitian and nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on products used.
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