Brown Butter Sweet Potato Pie

Let me start by describing this Brown Butter Sweet Potato Pie as “The sweetest thing I’ve ever known.” That’s actually a verse from one of my favorite songs😄, but that is also how I feel about this pie y’all! The brown butter combined with the maple syrup and warm spices just takes it to a whole new level! This pie was inspired by my Brown Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes and because it worked so well with that recipe, I couldn’t wait to try it inside a sweet potato pie. It’s honestly better than good and if I were you I would definitely make it this holiday season!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here are the things you will need to make this rich, decadent, sweet potato pie:

• Sweet Potatoes - Try to get slimmer, more narrow sweet potatoes that are dark orange in color, instead of the big, bulky sweet potatoes. If your grocery store only has big, chunky sweet potatoes, then those will work just fine. You'll need about 3 medium sized sweet potatoes (or roughly 2 lbs.)
• Brown Butter - Brown butter adds a delicious, rich flavor to the pie. And making brown butter is super easy to do. I’ll share the full steps and details below.
• 100% Pure Maple Syrup and Brown Sugar - I use a combination of 100% pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup) and brown sugar which gives the perfect sweetness to this sweet potato pie.
• Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Vanilla - A simple combination of spices and vanilla extract adds amazing flavor to the pie. You may already have these in your pantry!
• Eggs - Eggs set the sweet potato pie custard filling.
• Evaporated Milk - Gives the pie a smooth and creamy texture.
• Pie Crust - I used a store bought 9-inch deep dish pie crust to keep things simple. You can certainly make your own homemade pie crust from scratch if you prefer.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Full instructions and measurements are included in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick overview:

Step One: Start by baking the sweet potatoes. Wash and dry the sweet potatoes well, then prick them with a fork on all sides. Place the sweet potatoes on a foil lined baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 60 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender and can easily be pierced with a fork or knife. Set them to the side to cool.

Step Two: Next blind-bake your pie crust. Full details on how to blind-bake your crust is listed in the recipe card below. Once the crust is a light golden brown color, set it to the side to cool. 

Step Three: Scoop 2 cups of the sweet potato flesh from the baked sweet potatoes and place in a large bowl. Mash or blend the sweet potato flesh just a little bit to smooth it out. *Tip: if you want a silky smooth texture you can add the scooped out sweet potato flesh to a food processor and pulse for a seconds. Make sure you still have 2 cups after you have mashed the sweet potatoes.

Step Four: Make the brown butter mixture. Start by browning the butter according to the directions listed below. Once the butter is brown, remove it from the heat, and add the maple syrup, brown sugar, spices, and salt. Whisk or stir well until combined.

Step Five: Add the brown butter mixture to the mashed sweet potatoes and blend until smooth. Then add the the evaporated milk and eggs. Blend with a mixer until smooth.

Step Six: Pour the sweet potato filling into the pie crust. Add a foil pie shield around the edge of the pie crust to prevent excess browning. Bake the pie for 55-60 minutes or until the pie is set. Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool at room temperature for about an hour. Serve warm or refrigerate for later.

How To Make Brown Butter

The brown butter + maple syrup combo is the star of the show in this recipe (second to the sweet potatoes of course). It’s easy to make and just requires a little extra attention and patience. 

In a small light-colored saucepan add your butter. Make sure to use real butter, the good stuff. Start melting your butter over medium-low heat. Once butter has melted, begin slowly stirring the butter with a spoon or whisk every few seconds. Allow the butter to simmer for approximately 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the color starts to change.

Continue stirring paying close attention making sure the butter doesn’t burn. You will know it’s ready when the butter starts to brown and give off a nutty, caramel smell. Immediately turn the heat off and pour the butter into a separate container to stop the cooking and prevent it from burning OR immediately stir in the maple syrup, sugar, and spices.

Do You Have To Blind Bake The Crust

It's actually more of a personal preference whether or not you want to blind bake the pie crust before adding the filling. If you want a flaky, golden brown, crisp crust versus a doughy crust, then I recommend you blind-bake the crust before you add the wet custard sweet potato pie filling.

Recipe Tips for Success

• Plan Ahead. Bake your sweet potatoes a day ahead of time or the night before to get a head start. Once baked, allow them to completely cool (about 1 hour), then place them in the fridge in an air tight container or wrapped in aluminum foil. The next day they'll be ready to go and will save you an hour of cook time!
• Prep all of your ingredients. Measure your maple syrup, sugar, and spices ahead of time and set them to the side. When you make your brown butter you can go ahead and add these ingredients to the same saucepan as the butter so they blend together. It creates a beautiful aroma and helps the sugar melt completely.
• Add an aluminum foil pie shield around the edges of the pie to prevent the crust from over-browning. There are great tutorials online or you can also purchase plastic pie shields which are pretty convenient.
• Don't over-bake your pie. Sometimes we get busy and may get distracted, but don't forget about that pie. It's best to check on it around the 55 minute mark. It's usually ready between 55-60 minutes. You want the pie to be puffed up around the edges, mostly set, and the center is no longer liquid. Remove it from the oven and let it continue to set at room temperature.

More Dessert Recipes

• Hello Dolly Bars (magic cookie bars)
• Easy Peach Crisp
• Strawberry Pretzel Surprise
• Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

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