Lush sweet potato pie with the perfect balance of fall spices and brown butter will be a hit on your Thanksgiving day table!
Prep Time 35 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour30 minutesminutes
Additional Time 2 hourshours30 minutesminutes
Total Time 4 hourshours35 minutesminutes
Servings 10
Ingredients
For the crust
½cup(113g)unsalted butter, cold, divided
1 ½cups(195g)all-purpose flour
2tablespoonsgranulated sugar
¼teaspoonsalt
3tablespoonsvegetable shortening, cold and cut into pieces
5tablespoonsice water
For the filling
2pounds(907g)cooked sweet potatoes, about 5 small to medium
2tablespoonsbrown butter, reserved from crust
3large eggs
2egg yolks
1cup(220g)light brown sugar
¼cup(50g)granulated sugar
1teaspoonground cinnamon
½teaspoonground nutmeg
¼teaspoonsalt
1teaspoonvanilla extract
⅔cup(160ml)whole milk
Instructions
Make the crust
Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk frequently. Continue to cook until melted. The butter will foam and then subside. Cook until brown bits develop in the bottom of the pan and the butter turns a light golden color, about 8 minutes.
Remove from heat. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the brown butter to a small bowl and set aside for the filling.
Line a small bowl with foil, letting some excess to hang over the sides. Pour the remaining brown butter into the bowl, leaving behind the dark bits in the bottom of the pot. Freeze for 1 hour.
Remove the solidified brown butter from the bowl and cut into small chunks.
Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry cutter or two knives cut the brown butter and shortening into the flour mixture just until coarse crumbs form. Don't try to work it in too well. Large clumps are perfectly okay.
Drizzle just enough ice water over the flour to moisten it. You will know you have enough liquid when you can squeeze the mixture and it holds together. Shape the dough into a ball and flatten into a disc. Wrap the disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
Roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. Place it in a 9-inch pie pan gently without stretching it. Trim the edge so there's a 1-inch overhang over the sides of the pie pan. Fold the excess dough under so it sits upon the rim of the pan and flute as desired. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375°F. Line the pie shell with parchment paper and evenly distribute about 2 cups metal or ceramic pie weights over the paper. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes then carefully remove paper and weights and bake for an additional 9 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden brown. Remove from oven; reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
For the filling
In a large bowl, mash the warm sweet potatoes with the reserved brown butter until only small lumps of potatoes remain; you should have about 2 cups of mashed sweet potatoes.
Whisk the eggs, yolks, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a medium bowl. Whisk in the vanilla and milk. Gradually add egg mixture to sweet potatoes, whisking gently to combine.
Pour the sweet potato mixture into the pie shell. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the filling is set around edges but center jiggles slightly when shaken. Cover the edges with a pie shield or aluminum foil if they become too brown during baking.
Transfer pie to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 to 4 hours.
Notes
If you choose to use a store-bought crust or different crust recipe, you'll need to brown 2 tablespoons of butter for the filling. Or you can use 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in place of brown butter for the filling.
For cooking the sweet potatoes, I like to bake mine for 50 minutes at 475°F. Let them cool slightly then scoop the pulp out of the skin. You can also peel, cube, and boil the potatoes until tender.
Make ahead tip
Baked and cooled pie will keep for up to 4 days covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator.
Baked and cooled pie will keep for up to 1 month wrapped tightly in several layers of plastic wrap and stored in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
The pie crust can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and keep it refrigerated until ready to use.
The filling can be prepared up to 1 day in advance. Cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the pie.