Description
Grandma’s buttermilk sweet potato pie delivers Southern comfort in each creamy slice. Rustic ingredients blend seamless flavor profiles with traditional homestyle baking techniques. You’ll savor each comforting bite of this classic dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 cups (360 ml/12 oz) cooked and mashed sweet potatoes (about 2 medium sweet potatoes)
- 2 large eggs
- 0.75 cup (150 g/5.3 oz) granulated sugar
- 0.5 cup (120 ml/4 fl oz) buttermilk
- 0.5 cup (120 ml/4 fl oz) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 0.25 cup (50 g/1.8 oz) brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
- 0.25 tsp ground ginger
- 0.125 tsp salt
- 1 9-inch pie crust (pre-made or homemade), unbaked
Instructions
- Pie Crust Preparation: Drape the pie crust smoothly into a 9-inch pie dish, carefully crimping the edges. Position the oven rack centrally and preheat to 350F (175C).
- Sweet Potato Transformation: Mash cooked sweet potatoes into a silky, chunk-free puree using a fork or potato masher, ensuring a completely smooth texture.
- Sugar Integration: Whisk granulated and brown sugars into the sweet potato puree, creating a luscious, caramel-like mixture that eliminates any sugar graininess.
- Wet Ingredient Fusion: Combine melted butter, beaten eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract, stirring with deliberate motions to create a harmonious, glossy base.
- Spice Infusion: Gently fold ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt into the mixture, ensuring even distribution of aromatic spices throughout the filling.
- Filling and Baking: Pour the spiced mixture into the prepared pie crust, smoothing the surface with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven, rotating midway to achieve uniform golden-brown coloration.
- Doneness and Cooling: Check pie’s readiness by inserting a knife near the center – it should come out clean with minimal moisture. The surface should appear slightly puffed and golden.
- Serving Presentation: Allow the pie to rest at room temperature, letting the filling stabilize and develop a perfect, creamy consistency. Garnish with a delicate dollop of freshly whipped cream before serving.
Notes
- Master Smooth Puree: Ensure sweet potatoes are completely mashed without lumps, using a fine-mesh strainer or food processor for ultra-creamy texture.
- Prevent Crust Sogginess: Pre-bake pie crust for 10 minutes and dust bottom with thin cornstarch layer to create barrier against moisture and maintain crisp foundation.
- Balanced Spice Technique: Toast ground spices briefly in dry pan before adding to mixture, enhancing their depth and releasing more complex, richer aromatics.
- Temperature Matters: Allow ingredients to reach room temperature before mixing, which helps create smoother filling and ensures even, consistent baking results.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Southern American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 296
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 75 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 59 mg