This condensed milk sweet potato pie puts an indulgent twist on a classic Southern dessert. Warm spices, a hint of orange tang, and the silkiest sweet potato filling you ever tried are what make this pie such a hit!
Sweet potato pie is an absolute gem in the world of soul food. It’s ridiculously delicious and insanely easy to make. A homemade pie crust works just if you’re in the mood to bake, but a store-bought pie crust will work just as well when time is a factor.
The filling is the real star of the show here, and it comes together in minutes. Sweet potatoes are the perfect canvas for a few of my favorite warm spices, sweetened with condensed milk. Plus, the subtle tang from the orange zest is pure magic.
Sweet Potato Pie…With Condensed Milk?
Enhancing your sweet potato pie recipe with condensed milk is an easy way to get the perfect level of sweetness without adding extra sugar. But that’s not the only reason it’s on the ingredient list. Adding condensed milk to this pie makes it ultra smooth and silky. If you love a pie with a lusciously smooth texture, condensed milk is the way to go!
Recipe Ingredients
- Pie Crust – That flaky, buttery pie crust is the perfect base for a silky sweet potato pie. Either a homemade or store-bought pie crust works.
- Sweet Potatoes – You’ll need 2-3 sweet potatoes for this recipe. You’ll want about one pound, or two cups worth of them once they’re boiled and mashed.
- Eggs work as a binding agent for the custard filling and help the pie to set.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk is the secret to a perfectly sweet and insanely smooth textured pie filling.
- Butter – What’s a Southern dessert without butter? Butter adds a distinct richness to the pie filling I can’t do without.
- Vanilla Extract – For a classic vanilla flavor in our sweet potato pie, you’ll need a dash of vanilla extract.
- Spices – Warm spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, turn this pie into a dessert that gives pumpkin pie a run for its money.
- Orange Zest – The slight tang from the orange zest balances out the sweet and warm flavors beautifully here.
How to Make Condensed Milk Sweet Potato Pie
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/177℃.
- Blind bake your pie crust by lining it with parchment paper, adding dry beans on top, and then baking for 5-6 minutes. Then, remove the crust from the oven and let it cool.
- Boil the sweet potatoes. Bring peeled, rinsed, and cut sweet potato chunks in a medium saucepan until they are tender and easy to pierce with a fork. This will take about 10-12 minutes, or more, depending on the size of the chunks. Drain the potatoes and let them simmer for a minute or two until any remaining water evaporates.
- Mash sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer or potato masher.
- Make the filling by adding in the remaining ingredients: softened butter, condensed milk, eggs, nutmeg, ground ginger, cinnamon, orange zest, salt, and vanilla extract. Keep mixing until all the ingredients thoroughly combine. Once combined, pour the filling into the crust.
- Bake the sweet potato pie for 40-50 minutes or until the top is nicely browned (a toothpick or skewer inserted into the middle will come out clean).
- Cool the sweet potato pie until it reaches room temperature.
- Serve it! Cut the pie and serve it topped with whipped cream, pecans, or caramel sauce for a delightful treat.
Recipe Variations
- Like a boozy pie? Add a tablespoon or two of bourbon to this pie. It goes great with all the existing flavors.
- Smores fan? Bake this pie filling in a graham cracker crust. Before you bake it, add a layer of mini marshmallows on top. Drizzle the finished product with some chocolate sauce and you’ve got yourself some campfire perfection.
- Don’t want to boil? Skip boiling the potatoes and bake them instead. Some people prefer the end texture of the pie when the sweet potatoes are roasted instead of boiled. You do you!
- Sweetened condensed milk shortcut. Mix 1 cup hot water, 3 tablespoons butter, 2 cups sugar, and 4 cups powdered milk well. As soon as the sugar and powdered milk are dissolved, you’ve got your sweetened condensed milk.
- Add a tablespoon of maple syrup for depth of flavor and just a tich of extra sweetness.
Recipe Tips
- Cover sweet potatoes with about an inch of water to help them to cook more evenly.
- If you don’t want to pierce your pie with a toothpick to test the doneness, look at how set it is instead. When fully baked, it should just jiggle in the middle. Too much wiggle and you know the pie needs a few more minutes.
- Always let the pie cool completely before slicing. Otherwise, you could end up with a melty mess.
- Make extra sweet potatoes the next time you’re baking up a batch. Then you already have cooked sweet potatoes ready to mash for this recipe.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
Making this pie a day or two ahead of time is easy. Bake it, cool it, cover it, and then store it in the fridge for 2-3 days before serving. Freezing is an option too.
This pie can stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just be sure to thaw it in the fridge – not on your countertop – before serving so it doesn’t get weepy. Store any leftover pie slices covered in the fridge for 3-5 days.
What to Serve With Condensed Milk Sweet Potato Pie
Serve this dessert to finish up a hearty meal of roast turkey legs, mashed potatoes, and air-fryer corn on the cob. Don’t forget to doll up each slice with some homemade whipped cream!
More Sweet Southern Classics to Try
Condensed Milk Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch pie crust (homemade or store-bought)
- 2-3 sweet potatoes (or 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes)
- 2 eggs
- 1 14-ounce can (400ml) sweetened condensed milk
- ¼ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon (4g) ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon (1g) ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon (1g) ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon (2g) orange zest
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla flavoring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/177℃.
- Blind bake the pie crust by lining the bottom with parchment paper, then add dried beans so the bottom doesn't lift.
- Bake for 5 minutes or so at 350°F/177℃, take it out of the oven, remove the beans, and let it cool.
- Meanwhile, rinse, peel, and cut the sweet potatoes into chunks. Cover them with water in a medium saucepan by at least an inch.
- Heat it over high heat to boiling, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until tender, and the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork. It usually takes 10-12 minutes, depending on their size.
- Drain the water and keep simmering for another minute or until the water evaporates.
- Mash the sweet potatoes in a mixing bowl with a handheld mixer. Add the rest of the ingredients: softened butter, condensed milk, eggs, nutmeg, ground ginger, cinnamon, orange zest, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix well.
- Pour the pie filling into the prepared crust and bake for 40-50 minutes, until the top is nicely browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove your sweet potato pie from the oven and let it cool in the pan until room temperature.
- Top with whipped cream, toasted pecans, or caramel sauce for pure decadence. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cover sweet potatoes with about an inch of water to help them to cook more evenly.
- If you don’t want to pierce your pie with a toothpick to test the doneness, look at how set it is instead. When fully baked, it should just jiggle in the middle. Too much wiggle and you know the pie needs a few more minutes.
- Always let the pie cool completely before slicing. Otherwise, you could end up with a melty mess.
- Make extra sweet potatoes the next time you’re baking up a batch. Then you already have cooked sweet potatoes ready to mash for this recipe.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.