Easy Sweet Potato Pie with Heavy Cream

If you ask me, sweet potato pie deserves way more love than it gets.

This dessert is all about cozy, warm flavors that remind you of fall—even if you’re making it in the middle of summer. Creamy sweet potatoes get mixed with cinnamon and ginger, then sweetened with honey instead of the usual sugar.

The heavy cream is what really sets this recipe apart, giving you a filling that’s smooth and rich without being too heavy. It all gets poured into a flaky pie crust and baked until it’s set and lightly golden.

It’s the kind of pie that works for Thanksgiving dinner or a regular Tuesday night, whenever you need something comforting and sweet.

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What Kind of Sweet Potatoes Should I Use?

For sweet potato pie, you’ll want to use orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, which are sometimes labeled as “yams” at the grocery store (though they’re actually sweet potatoes). These have a naturally sweet, creamy texture that’s perfect for pie filling. You can bake them yourself from scratch, which gives you the most control over texture, or grab pre-baked sweet potatoes from the store to save time. If you’re baking your own, look for medium-sized sweet potatoes that feel firm and don’t have any soft spots or bruises. Once they’re baked and cooled, the skin should peel off easily, leaving you with that smooth, orange flesh that’ll make your pie filling nice and creamy.

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Options for Substitutions

This sweet potato pie is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps:

• Sweet potatoes: You can use canned sweet potato puree (about 2 cups) instead of baking fresh ones. Just make sure it’s plain puree, not the pre-sweetened pie filling. If using canned, drain any excess liquid before measuring.
• Honey: Swap honey for granulated sugar (use the same amount), brown sugar for a deeper molasses flavor, or maple syrup if that’s what you have on hand. Each will give the pie a slightly different sweetness profile.
• Heavy cream: Half-and-half works fine here, or you can use all milk (so 1 and 1/3 cups total milk) for a lighter pie. Evaporated milk is another great option that adds richness.
• Spices: Don’t have ginger? Use nutmeg or allspice instead. You can also use 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice to replace all the individual spices if that’s easier.
• Pie crust: A graham cracker crust works beautifully with sweet potato pie if you want to skip the traditional pastry crust. Just pre-bake it for about 10 minutes before adding the filling.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making sweet potato pie is not cooking your sweet potatoes until they’re completely soft, which makes it nearly impossible to get a smooth, creamy filling – they should be fork-tender and easy to mash without any lumps.

Overbaking is another common problem that leads to cracks on the surface, so pull your pie from the oven when the center still has a slight jiggle (around 175°F on an instant-read thermometer) since it will continue to set as it cools.

To avoid a soggy bottom crust, try blind baking your pie shell for 10-15 minutes before adding the filling, and make sure to let your sweet potato mixture cool slightly before pouring it in so the eggs don’t start cooking prematurely.

Finally, resist the urge to slice into your pie right away – letting it cool completely at room temperature and then chilling it for a few hours helps the filling firm up properly for clean, beautiful slices.

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What to Serve With Sweet Potato Pie?

Sweet potato pie is a total crowd-pleaser on its own, but a dollop of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream takes it to the next level. I love serving it alongside a hot cup of coffee or spiced chai tea, especially during the fall and winter months when those warm spices really shine. If you’re putting together a holiday spread, this pie fits right in next to other desserts like pecan pie or apple crisp, and it’s also great with a cheese board featuring sharp cheddar and some nuts. For a lighter option, try pairing a slice with some fresh berries or a small side of Greek yogurt to balance out the sweetness.

Storage Instructions

Store: Once your sweet potato pie has cooled completely, cover it loosely with foil or plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days. The custard filling needs to stay cold, so don’t leave it out on the counter for more than a couple hours after baking.

Freeze: Sweet potato pie freezes really well if you want to make it ahead for the holidays. Wrap the whole pie tightly in plastic wrap, then again in foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. You can also slice it first and freeze individual pieces for easier serving later.

Serve: Thaw frozen pie in the fridge overnight, then let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. Most people enjoy sweet potato pie chilled or at room temperature, but you can warm individual slices in the oven at 300°F for about 10 minutes if you prefer it warm.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2200-2500
• Protein: 28-34 g
• Fat: 70-80 g
• Carbohydrates: 370-400 g

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1 pie crust (store-bought or homemade, thawed if frozen)

For the filling:

• 16 oz sweet potatoes (about 2 medium, peeled and cubed)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 1/2 tsp ginger (ground)
• 3/4 cup honey (I use Nature Nate’s raw honey)
• 1 tsp cinnamon (freshly ground for best flavor)
• 2/3 cup heavy cream (gives extra richness and creaminess)

Step 1: Roast and Process Sweet Potatoes

• 16 oz sweet potatoes

Preheat your oven to 425°F.

Poke the whole sweet potatoes several times with a fork to allow steam to escape, then place them directly on a baking sheet and roast for 40-45 minutes until they’re very tender and a fork easily pierces the flesh.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 15-30 minutes until you can handle them comfortably.

Once cooled, peel away the skin, cut into chunks, and transfer to a food processor.

Blend for 2-4 minutes until completely smooth—you want a silky puree with no lumps for the best texture in your final pie.

Step 2: Build the Filling Base

• sweet potato puree from Step 1
• 3/4 cup honey

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sweet potato puree from Step 1 with the honey, stirring until well incorporated.

I find that warming the honey slightly makes it blend more smoothly into the puree, which creates a more uniform filling.

Let this mixture cool to room temperature before moving to the next step.

Step 3: Mix the Complete Filling

• potato-honey mixture from Step 2
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Add the room temperature eggs, heavy cream, and milk to the potato-honey mixture from Step 2, then sprinkle in the salt, ground ginger, and freshly ground cinnamon.

Whisk everything together until the filling is completely smooth and homogeneous—this usually takes about 1-2 minutes of steady whisking.

I like to strain the filling through a fine-mesh sieve at this point to catch any remaining potato fibers, which ensures an incredibly silky, custard-like texture.

Step 4: Assemble and Bake the Pie

• 1 pie crust
• filling mixture from Step 3

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

Place the pie crust in a 9-inch pie dish, making sure it’s evenly distributed with no cracks or thin spots.

Pour the smooth filling from Step 3 into the crust, filling it until just below the rim.

Bake for 55-60 minutes until the filling is set around the edges but still has a slight jiggle in the very center (about a 2-inch circle in the middle)—this indicates a custard-like consistency that will firm up as it cools.

The top should be lightly golden brown.

Step 5: Cool and Set the Pie

Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool at room temperature for at least 1-2 hours before slicing.

This resting time allows the custard filling to fully set and makes for cleaner, more beautiful slices.

For best results, refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, which also deepens the flavors and gives you that perfect creamy texture.

Easy Sweet Potato Pie with Heavy Cream

Delicious Easy Sweet Potato Pie with Heavy Cream recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 32 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 17 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 2350 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the crust:

• 1 pie crust (store-bought or homemade, thawed if frozen)

For the filling:

• 16 oz sweet potatoes (about 2 medium, peeled and cubed)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 1/2 tsp ginger (ground)
• 3/4 cup honey (I use Nature Nate's raw honey)
• 1 tsp cinnamon (freshly ground for best flavor)
• 2/3 cup heavy cream (gives extra richness and creaminess)

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 425°F. Poke the whole sweet potatoes several times with a fork to allow steam to escape, then place them directly on a baking sheet and roast for 40-45 minutes until they're very tender and a fork easily pierces the flesh. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15-30 minutes until you can handle them comfortably. Once cooled, peel away the skin, cut into chunks, and transfer to a food processor. Blend for 2-4 minutes until completely smooth—you want a silky puree with no lumps for the best texture in your final pie.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the sweet potato puree from Step 1 with the honey, stirring until well incorporated. I find that warming the honey slightly makes it blend more smoothly into the puree, which creates a more uniform filling. Let this mixture cool to room temperature before moving to the next step.
• Add the room temperature eggs, heavy cream, and milk to the potato-honey mixture from Step 2, then sprinkle in the salt, ground ginger, and freshly ground cinnamon. Whisk everything together until the filling is completely smooth and homogeneous—this usually takes about 1-2 minutes of steady whisking. I like to strain the filling through a fine-mesh sieve at this point to catch any remaining potato fibers, which ensures an incredibly silky, custard-like texture.
• Preheat your oven to 375°F. Place the pie crust in a 9-inch pie dish, making sure it's evenly distributed with no cracks or thin spots. Pour the smooth filling from Step 3 into the crust, filling it until just below the rim. Bake for 55-60 minutes until the filling is set around the edges but still has a slight jiggle in the very center (about a 2-inch circle in the middle)—this indicates a custard-like consistency that will firm up as it cools. The top should be lightly golden brown.
• Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool at room temperature for at least 1-2 hours before slicing. This resting time allows the custard filling to fully set and makes for cleaner, more beautiful slices. For best results, refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, which also deepens the flavors and gives you that perfect creamy texture.