Caramel Sweet Potato Pie
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Rich, indulgent and made completely from scratch, this caramel sweet potato pie is a twist on a traditional Thanksgiving pie. This easy pie is guaranteed to impress all of your holiday guests!
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An indulgent thanksgiving treat
If you’re a fan of rich and creamy pumpkin pie, then you need to try this decadent caramel sweet potato pie. This recipe is actually a combination of three other recipes on this site – the original sweet potato pie, my homemade caramel sauce, and easy pie crust.
For this caramel sweet potato pie, I took the original recipe and swirled in some caramel sauce into the filling.
The pie crust it made with both butter and shortening, so it’s both flaky and buttery which complements the creamy texture of the pie.
Then the recipe is rounded out with more caramel sauce drizzled on top. It’s truly divine!
If the idea of making everything from scratch seems intimidating or you’re just low on time, don’t worry! This recipe is incredibly easy, even from scratch, but if needed you can easily use storebought pie crust and caramel sauce.
Fresh sweet potatoes that you roast yourself will give the pie the best flavor. However, canned sweet potatoes can be used if necessary.
If you’re looking for a dessert to WOW everyone at Thanksgiving, this caramel sweet potato pie is it!
What you’ll need
There is just a handful of ingredients in both the pie crust and caramel sweet potato filling.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar – Just a touch of sugar goes into the crust.
- Salt
- Unsalted butter – Butter should be cold and cut into pieces for the crust. Then softened but not melted for the filling.
- Vegetable shortening – Some people use all butter in their crust but I prefer a combination of shortening and butter for a flaky, buttery crust.
- Ice water – Be sure to use ice water, not room temperature water.
- Sweet potatoes – You’ll need just 4 medium sweet potatoes for this.
- Cinnamon – Adds the warm fall flavor to the pie.
- Eggs– You’ll need two eggs plus an additional yolk.
- Caramel sauce – I prefer to use my homemade caramel sauce but you can grab some at the store too.
- Whipped cream – For garnish.
How to make caramel sweet potato pie
Though it tastes and looks decadent this Caramel Sweet Potato Pie is pretty easy to make, you just need patience when working with the dough to let it chill properly.
- Make the dough for the crust. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Cut in the butter and shortening until lentil-sized crumbs form. Drizzle in the ice water to moisten it. Knead the dough on a work surface until it comes together.
- Chill the dough. Flatten the dough into a disc and place in the fridge for 1 hour up to 2 days. Roll the dough into a 12 inch circle and place on the 9 inch pan. Allow a 1-inch overhang and trim the rest. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Bake the crust. Add pie weights over parchment paper in the pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the weights, and bake for an additional 9 minutes.
- Roast the sweet potatoes. Poke holes in the sweet potatoes then place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes until side when pierced with a fork. Scoop the insides out and place in a bowl.
- Make the filling. Mash the potatoes with butter, cinnamon and salt. Whisk the eggs, caramel sauce and milk together. Add to the sweet potatoes and whisk to combine.
- Bake. Pour the sweet potato pie mixture into the pie shell. Drizzle the remaining caramel sauce over it. Bake for 50-60 minutes.
- Cool & serve. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 2 to 3 hours. Top with whipped cream if desired. Then cut and enjoy!
Tips for success
Keep these things in mind for perfectly baked sweet potato pie.
- Use canned sweet potatoes. No time to bake the potatoes? No worries – canned sweet potatoes also work here. You can also cut the sweet potatoes into pieces and boil them until tender instead of roasting.
- How to tell when sweet potato pie is done. Your pie should be firm on the edges and jiggly in the center when you remove it from the oven. Take care not to overbake it.
- Cover the pie to prevent burning. If you notice the crust starting to brown before the center of the pie is finished, you can cover it with aluminum foil and return it to the oven.
- Use the store-bought version. I made this entire recipe from scratch but if you’re short on time, you can use a storebought caramel sauce or even pie crust here.
Serving suggestions
Serve this rich, decadent sweet potato pie on the dessert table at Thanksgiving or Christmas, or enjoy it anytime throughout the year. You can serve this with just the caramel sauce drizzle on the top or add a big dollop of whipped cream. Either way works and is absolutely divine!
Make ahead & how to store
- Make the crust ahead of time. The crust can be prepared and stored tightly in the fridge until ready to use.
- Make the filling in advance. The sweet potato pie filling can be made up to a day in advance, just keep it covered in the fridge.
- Store leftover pie in the fridge. Leftover caramel sweet potato pie can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Be sure to cover it tightly.
- Can I freeze sweet potato pie? Yes, you can freeze this pie. It will last for up to a month in the freezer but it needs to be tightly wrapped in several layers of plastic wrap. Thaw in the fridge.
More thanksgiving dessert ideas
- Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Cranberry Pie
- Apple Pie with Brown Butter Crust
- Everyone’s Favorite Pumpkin Pie
Caramel Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 ½ cups (195 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter, cold & cut into pieces
- 4 tablespoons (46 g) vegetable shortening, cold & cut into pieces
- 5 tablespoons ice water
For the filling
- 2 pounds (907 g) sweet potatoes, about 4 medium
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- ¾ cup (240 g) caramel sauce, homemade or store-bought, divided
- ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk, room temperature
- whipped cream, for garnish
- caramel sauce, for garnish
Instructions
Make the crust
- Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir with a whisk until well mixed.
- Using a pastry cutter or two knives cut the butter and shortening into the flour mixture just until lentil-sized crumbs form. A few larger bits are perfectly okay.
- Drizzle just enough ice water over the flour to moisten it. Toss the mixture together with a fork to combine. You will know you have enough liquid when you can squeeze the mixture and it holds together.
- Turn the dough out onto a work surface and gently knead until the dough comes together. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- Roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. Place it in a 9-inch pie pan gently without stretching it. Trim the edge so there’s a 1-inch overhang over the sides of the pie pan. Fold the excess dough under so it sits upon the rim of the pan and flute as desired. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, adjust the oven rack to the lower third position (just below center) and heat to 375°F.
- Line the pie shell with parchment paper and evenly distribute about 2 cups of metal or ceramic pie weights over the paper. Bake for 15 minutes then carefully remove paper and weights and bake for an additional 9 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden brown. Remove from oven; increase oven temperature to 425°F.
Make the filling
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a fork to poke holes into the sweet potatoes and arrange them on the prepared baking pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until soft inside when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool slightly.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
- Using a sharp knife, make a slit on the top of the sweet potatoes and peel back the skin. Scoop out the soft insides and transfer them to a large bowl.
- Mash the warm sweet potatoes with softened butter, making sure the potatoes are very well mashed and no large clumps are visible. Mix in the cinnamon and salt.
- Whisk the eggs and ½ cup (160 g) of the caramel sauce together in a medium bowl, followed by the milk. Add egg mixture to sweet potatoes and whisk gently to combine.
- Pour the sweet potato mixture into the prebaked pie shell and use an offset spatula to smooth it over. Drizzle the remaining ¼ cup (80 g) caramel sauce over the top and use an offset spatula to smooth it into the filling.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the filling is set around edges but center jiggles slightly when shaken. Cover the edges with a pie shield or aluminum foil if they become too brown during baking.
- Transfer pie to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 to 3 hours. Serve with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel.
Notes
- Sweet potatoes: For cooking the sweet potatoes, I like to bake mine for 40-50 minutes at 425°F. Let them cool slightly then scoop the pulp out of the skin. You can also peel, cube, and boil the potatoes until tender. Canned sweet potatoes will also work for this recipe. You need roughly 2 pounds of uncooked sweet potatoes to yield enough puree.
- Caramel sauce: I prefer using homemade caramel but store-bought will work just fine.
- Baked and cooled pie will keep for up to 4 days covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator.
- Baked and cooled pie will keep for up to 1 month wrapped tightly in several layers of plastic wrap and stored in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- The pie crust can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and keep it refrigerated until ready to use.
- The filling can be prepared up to 1 day in advance. Cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the pie.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.
Oh that sounds like so much fun. I wish I lived in a town big enough to find new restaurants especially when they inspire treats like this!