Classic Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie

Finding the perfect pie to serve at Thanksgiving or any fall gathering can feel like a lot of pressure. Sure, you could go with the classic pumpkin pie that everyone expects, but sometimes you want to bring something a little different to the table without straying too far from tradition.

That’s where this bourbon sweet potato pie comes in. It’s got all the warm, cozy flavors you crave in a fall dessert, with a hint of bourbon that takes it up a notch without being too fancy or complicated. Plus, sweet potatoes bring a creamier texture and richer flavor than pumpkin, and they’re just as easy to work with.

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What Kind of Sweet Potatoes Should I Use?

For this bourbon sweet potato pie, you’ll want to grab the orange-fleshed sweet potatoes you typically see at the grocery store – they’re sometimes labeled as “yams” even though they’re actually sweet potatoes. These have a naturally sweet, creamy texture that works perfectly for pie filling. You can use either the lighter-skinned or darker-skinned varieties, as both will give you that smooth, sweet result you’re looking for. When picking them out, look for firm sweet potatoes without any soft spots or sprouting, and try to choose ones that are similar in size so they cook evenly.

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Options for Substitutions

This pie is pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients around:

• Sweet potatoes: You can use canned sweet potato puree if you’re short on time – you’ll need about 1 ½ cups. Just make sure it’s plain puree, not the pre-sweetened pie filling.
• Bourbon whiskey: If you don’t have bourbon or prefer to skip the alcohol, use 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract plus 1 tablespoon of water. You’ll still get that warm, sweet flavor without the whiskey.
• Heavy cream: Whole milk or evaporated milk work well here. The filling might be slightly less rich, but it’ll still taste great.
• Brown sugar: You can use all granulated sugar if that’s what you have – just use 1 cup total. Or mix white sugar with a tablespoon of molasses to create your own brown sugar.
• Nutmeg and cinnamon: Feel free to use pumpkin pie spice (about 1 ½ teaspoons) instead of the individual spices. It’ll give you a similar warm, cozy flavor.
• Butter in crust: For the pie crust, you can replace half the butter with shortening for a flakier texture, though the flavor won’t be quite as rich.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

Overworking your pie crust is the fastest way to end up with a tough, chewy texture instead of a flaky one – mix the flour and cold butter just until it resembles coarse crumbs, and handle the dough as little as possible.

Another mistake is not cooking your sweet potatoes until they’re completely tender, which can leave lumps in your filling even after mashing – they should be soft enough to pierce easily with a fork.

Make sure your filling ingredients are at room temperature before mixing, especially the eggs and melted butter, because cold ingredients can cause the butter to solidify and create an uneven texture.

To prevent a soggy bottom crust, try blind baking it for 10-15 minutes before adding the filling, and always check the center of the pie with a gentle shake – it should have just a slight jiggle when done, as it will continue to set as it cools.

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What to Serve With Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie?

This pie is rich and sweet, so I love serving it with a big dollop of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream to balance out the flavors. If you want to play up the bourbon notes, try drizzling some salted caramel sauce on top or adding a sprinkle of toasted pecans for extra crunch. Since this is a dessert pie, it pairs perfectly with hot coffee or even a glass of cold milk if you’re keeping things simple. For holiday gatherings, I like to serve it alongside other classic desserts like pumpkin pie or pecan pie so everyone can have a little taste of everything.

Storage Instructions

Store: Once your bourbon 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 pie actually tastes even better the next day once all those flavors have had time to meld together!

Freeze: This pie freezes really well for up to 2 months. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil to prevent freezer burn. You can freeze the whole pie or cut it into slices first for easier portioning.

Serve: Let frozen pie thaw in the fridge overnight before serving. If you prefer it warm, pop individual slices in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or warm the whole pie in a 300°F oven for 15-20 minutes. I think it’s delicious either way – cold from the fridge or gently warmed with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

Estimated Nutrition

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

• Calories: 2650-2850
• Protein: 24-28 g
• Fat: 145-155 g
• Carbohydrates: 320-340 g

Ingredients

For the pie crust:

• 3/4 cup cold butter (cut into small cubes)
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp ice water

For the filling:

• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp nutmeg (freshly ground preferred)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 6 tbsp butter (softened to room temperature)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp bourbon whiskey (I prefer Maker’s Mark)
• 1 lb sweet potatoes (roasted until tender, about 45 minutes)
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Step 1: Make and Chill the Pie Crust

• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 cup cold butter
• 1 tbsp ice water

Combine flour and sea salt in a bowl, then work in the cold butter cubes using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs—this creates those flaky layers we want in the crust.

Add the ice water a little at a time, mixing gently until the dough just comes together without overworking it.

Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the other components.

I find that a properly chilled dough is much easier to roll out and less likely to shrink in the oven.

Step 2: Roast the Sweet Potatoes

• 1 lb sweet potatoes

Preheat your oven to 400°F and pierce each sweet potato several times with a fork to allow steam to escape during roasting.

Place them directly on the oven rack and roast for about 45 minutes until they’re completely tender and easily pierced with a knife.

Once done, remove them from the oven and let them cool enough to handle, then peel away the skin.

The flesh should be soft enough to mash easily.

Step 3: Prepare and Blind Bake the Crust

• pie crust from Step 1

Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough from Step 1 to about 1/8-inch thickness and transfer it to a 9-inch pie pan, trimming any excess overhang.

Prick the bottom and sides with a fork to prevent puffing during baking.

Bake for 15 minutes until the crust is set and just beginning to lightly color.

This partial bake ensures the crust won’t be soggy from the filling.

Step 4: Make the Filling

• roasted sweet potatoes from Step 2
• 6 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp bourbon whiskey
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

While the crust bakes, add the roasted sweet potatoes from Step 2 to a food processor and blend until completely smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine the softened butter with both sugars and cream, then add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Pour this wet mixture into the processor with the sweet potatoes and add the bourbon, nutmeg, cinnamon, and sea salt.

Process everything until the filling is silky and homogeneous—this takes about 1-2 minutes of processing.

I prefer freshly ground nutmeg here because it adds a noticeably brighter, more complex spice note compared to pre-ground.

Step 5: Fill and Bake the Pie

• partially baked crust from Step 3
• filling from Step 4

Remove the partially baked crust from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350°F.

Pour the filling from Step 4 into the warm crust, spreading it evenly.

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes until the filling is set around the edges but still has a very slight jiggle in the center when you gently shake the pan—this ensures the filling stays moist and custard-like rather than becoming rubbery.

Let the pie cool completely at room temperature before slicing, at least 2-3 hours, which allows the filling to set properly and makes serving much cleaner.

Classic Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie

Delicious Classic Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Servings 4

Calories 2750 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the pie crust:

• 3/4 cup cold butter (cut into small cubes)
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp ice water

For the filling:

• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp nutmeg (freshly ground preferred)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 6 tbsp butter (softened to room temperature)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp bourbon whiskey (I prefer Maker's Mark)
• 1 lb sweet potatoes (roasted until tender, about 45 minutes)
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

 

• Combine flour and sea salt in a bowl, then work in the cold butter cubes using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs—this creates those flaky layers we want in the crust. Add the ice water a little at a time, mixing gently until the dough just comes together without overworking it. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the other components. I find that a properly chilled dough is much easier to roll out and less likely to shrink in the oven.
• Preheat your oven to 400°F and pierce each sweet potato several times with a fork to allow steam to escape during roasting. Place them directly on the oven rack and roast for about 45 minutes until they're completely tender and easily pierced with a knife. Once done, remove them from the oven and let them cool enough to handle, then peel away the skin. The flesh should be soft enough to mash easily.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough from Step 1 to about 1/8-inch thickness and transfer it to a 9-inch pie pan, trimming any excess overhang. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork to prevent puffing during baking. Bake for 15 minutes until the crust is set and just beginning to lightly color. This partial bake ensures the crust won't be soggy from the filling.
• While the crust bakes, add the roasted sweet potatoes from Step 2 to a food processor and blend until completely smooth. In a separate bowl, combine the softened butter with both sugars and cream, then add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour this wet mixture into the processor with the sweet potatoes and add the bourbon, nutmeg, cinnamon, and sea salt. Process everything until the filling is silky and homogeneous—this takes about 1-2 minutes of processing. I prefer freshly ground nutmeg here because it adds a noticeably brighter, more complex spice note compared to pre-ground.
• Remove the partially baked crust from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350°F. Pour the filling from Step 4 into the warm crust, spreading it evenly. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes until the filling is set around the edges but still has a very slight jiggle in the center when you gently shake the pan—this ensures the filling stays moist and custard-like rather than becoming rubbery. Let the pie cool completely at room temperature before slicing, at least 2-3 hours, which allows the filling to set properly and makes serving much cleaner.