Black Folks Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
The aromas of vanilla, brown sugar, and warm spices from the South come through in this traditional sweet potato pie. It’s a traditional dessert that has been enjoyed by African Americans for decades.
While the name of this dish may cause some confusion, it is really a celebration of African American roots dating back to colonial times. Recipes date back to the 18th century and indicate a mix of African culinary traditions employing yams and Native American sweet potato usage.
So, instead of pumpkin pie, why not create this rich and creamy sweet potato pie for your next Thanksgiving or holiday celebration?
Contents
- What Is Black Folks’ Sweet Potato Pie?
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make Black Folks’ Sweet Potato Pie
- Tips and Tricks
- Sweet Potato Pie vs Pumpkin Pie
- How Do You Know When the Black Folks’ Sweet Potato Pie Is Done?
- How to Store Black Folks’ Sweet Potato Pie
- How to Reheat Sweet Potato Pie
- Why Is Your Sweet Potato Pie Runny?
- Black Folks’ Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
- FAQs
- What are the ingredients for sweet potato pie?
- Why do black people eat sweet potato pie instead of pumpkin?
- How to make a Paula Deen sweet potato pie?
- Is sweet potato pie a black thing?
- What is Patti Labelle sweet potato pie recipe?
- How do you thicken a sweet potato pie filling?
- What is the most delicious pie in the world?
- What kind of pie do black people eat on Thanksgiving?
- Is sweet potato pie and yams the same thing?
- Why do you put cornstarch in a pie?
What Is Black Folks’ Sweet Potato Pie?
This sweet potato pie is often served during the holidays. Sweet potatoes, evaporated milk, brown sugar, vanilla, eggs, butter, and toasty spices combine to make a delightful dessert. It’s a popular Thanksgiving or Christmas dish in African American families across the South and beyond!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Heres what youll need to make it:
- sweet potatoes
- evaporated milk
- light brown sugar
- eggs
- unsalted butter
- vanilla extract
- ginger
- ground nutmeg
- ground cinnamon
- ground cloves
- salt
- pie crust
(Note: Full recipe is at the bottom of the post)
How to Make Black Folks’ Sweet Potato Pie
- Fill the stainless-steel inner pot halfway with water. Mix in the sweet potatoes.
- Close the Instant Pot cover, making that the valve is up and in the sealing position. Cook for 12 minutes on high to loosen the potato skins.
- Allow at least 12 minutes for a natural pressure release.
- Before opening the lid, turn the valve to venting and manually remove any leftover pressure.
- Drain the water and sweet potatoes in a colander.
- When the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and discard the skin.
- Gather 3 cups of sweet potato flesh.
- In a strong blender or electric mixer, combine the sweet potatoes, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, crushed cloves, and salt.
- Blend or pulse the ingredients until smooth and incorporated.
- Pour the sweet potato mixture into the pie crust.
- Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until the middle of the pie is puffy and firm to the touch, in a preheated 350F oven.
- Let the pie cool for at least 30 minutes.
- Top with whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkles.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- There’s no need to blind bake or preheat the dough for this Black people sweet potato pie recipe.
- This recipe calls for fresh sweet potatoes, although canned sweet potatoes may also be used.
- After baking, chill the pie to make slicing considerably simpler. Slice the pie using a serrated knife.
Sweet Potato Pie vs Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin pies are often made using pumpkin puree, eggs, sugar, and spices. Sweet potato pies are flavored with vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger in addition to mashed sweet potatoes. Sweet potato pie has fluffier and more texture than pumpkin pie.
How Do You Know When the Black Folks’ Sweet Potato Pie Is Done?
An instant-read thermometer is the best method to verify the doneness of Black Folks Sweet Potato Pie. The pie’s interior temperature should be 165°F. When the middle of the pie puffs up, you’ll know it’s done. It should feel hard to the touch and not jiggly or mushy.
How to Store Black Folks’ Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet potato pie should be refrigerated in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It may be cooked up to three days ahead of time and refrigerated, with leftovers lasting around three days. Keep the pie in an airtight container at all times. Sweet potato pie may also be preserved in the freezer for up to three months in a freezer-safe container.
How to Reheat Sweet Potato Pie
Leftover sweet potato pie may be baked straight from the refrigerator or freezer. A frozen pie should be cooked for 40-50 minutes at 300°F. It will take around 30 minutes to reheat the pie if it has been thawed. Cover the edges of a thawed or refrigerated pie crust with foil to prevent it from turning too black. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of warming.
Why Is Your Sweet Potato Pie Runny?
Runny sweet potato pie may have been undercooked or included too much liquid in the pie mixture. If the filling is too runny, add extra flour. Test the middle of the pie to confirm that it has baked long enough. It should be plump, but not jiggly. Bake the pie for a few minutes more, or until the middle is firm and slightly jiggly.
Black Folks’ Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 pound cleaned and scrubbed sweet potatoes (equivalent to roughly 3 cups softened and peeled)
- 12ozevaporated milk1 can
- 1cuplight brown sugar
- 2large eggs
- 5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter (or vegan butter)
- 1teaspoonvanilla extract
- 1teaspoongingerminced
- 1teaspoonground nutmeg
- teaspoonground cinnamon
- teaspoonground cloves
- teaspoonsalt
- 1pie crust
Instructions
- The sweet potatoes must first be cooked. You are free to utilize whatever way you like. To save time, we use an Instant Pot: fill the stainless-steel inner pot halfway with water.
- Add the sweet potatoes.
- Close the Instant Pot cover, making that the valve is up and in the sealing position. Cook for 12 minutes on high to loosen the potato skins.
- Allow at least 12 minutes for a natural pressure release.
- Before opening the lid, turn the valve to venting and manually remove any leftover pressure.
- Drain the water and sweet potatoes in a colander.
- When the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and discard the skin.
- Gather 3 cups of sweet potato flesh.
- In a strong blender or electric mixer, combine the sweet potatoes, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, crushed cloves, and salt.
- Blend or pulse the ingredients until smooth and incorporated.
- Fill the pie crust with the sweet potato mixture.
- Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until the middle of the pie is puffy and firm to the touch, in a preheated 350F oven.
- Let the pie cool for at least 30 minutes.
- Top with whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkles.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
FAQs
What are the ingredients for sweet potato pie?
Ingredients for Sweet Potato Pie
The sweet potato. A pound of whole sweet potatoes is required for this recipe.
Butter. Sweet potato pie, like many baked foods, requires butter.
Sugar. Granulated sugar, of course, adds sweetness.
Milk.
Eggs.
Vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Pie Crust that has not been cooked.
Why do black people eat sweet potato pie instead of pumpkin?
Sweet potato dishes were more popular among black and white Southern chefs since they were simpler to cultivate in the South than edible pumpkins. Northern chefs favored the easy-growing gourds for their pies using the same argument.
How to make a Paula Deen sweet potato pie?
The Best Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe Ever
2 cups peeled, cooked, diced sweet potatoes.
1 14 cup sugar, divided, with a pinch.
¼ cup (½ stick) melted butter.
2 eggs.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1–2 tablespoons bourbon.
¼ teaspoon salt.
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
¼ teaspoon ground ginger.
Is sweet potato pie a black thing?
Sweet potato pie is a popular dish that originated among the African American population in the southern United States.
What is Patti Labelle sweet potato pie recipe?
4 teaspoon salt.2 cup evaporated milk (See Patti’s Pointers for further information)
Two huge eggs.
1 teaspoon freshly grated or powdered nutmeg.
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
12 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted.
1 cup granulated sugar.
12 pounds cleaned but unpeeled orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (yams).
1Ingredients
2 1
How do you thicken a sweet potato pie filling?
If the mixture is too runny, add flour a tablespoon at a time to thicken it until it reaches the consistency of applesauce.
What is the most delicious pie in the world?
The top eight pies from across the globe
The Scotch Pie. Pirie and Son in Newtyle, Angus, has it.
The bako pie. It may be found at Orient: The Original Buko Pie Bakeshop in Los Baos, Philippines.
Tourtière. It’s available at La Bûche in Québec City.
Soparnik. Dalmatia, try it at Soparnik.eu.
Vlaai Limburgse.
Pie with butter.
Karjalanpiirakka.
Pie with cherries.
What kind of pie do black people eat on Thanksgiving?
People who grew up in the American South are more acquainted with sweet potato pie than pumpkin pie. Sweet potatoes are also important in Black Southern cuisine, with ties to the slave trade, the yam, and plantation kitchens. Deep Reading (2 minutes)
Is sweet potato pie and yams the same thing?
Yes, all “yams” are really sweetpotatoes. Most people mistake long, red-skinned sweetpotatoes for yams, but they are really only one of several sweetpotato kinds.
Why do you put cornstarch in a pie?
Cornstarch has thickening power similar to Instant ClearJel. It, like flour, gives the filling a foggy, semi-transparent appearance. It may also provide a starchy flavor to the filling. Before removing your pie from the oven, ensure sure the pie filling is bubbling up through the crust.