Want a dessert that’s creamy, naturally sweet, and comforting? This sweet potato honey pie blends smooth, lightly spiced sweet potato filling with a touch of golden honey in a tender crust.
Perfect for dessert lovers seeking a slightly different spin on classic pies, it’s ideal for gatherings, brunches, or a comforting night in.
If you’re ready to try this recipe, grab your apron and baking tools!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Honey adds floral depth and natural sweetness to the classic base.
What Makes Them Special
- Honey enhances and rounds out spice notes
Silky purée texture
Balanced sweetness without excess sugar
Warm, aromatic flavor profile
Excellent make-ahead stability
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How to Get Your Sweet Potato Honey Pie Just Right
This pie is a soulful, aromatic cousin to the pumpkin pie, but it relies on the natural sugars of the potato and the floral notes of honey rather than brown sugar.
To achieve that perfect, custard-like slice, focus on the preparation of the tubers and the balance of moisture.
1. Master the Potato Prep
Roast, Don’t Boil: For the best flavor, roast your sweet potatoes in their skins until they are soft and caramelizing in their own sugars.
Boiling them can introduce excess water, leading to a “weeping” pie or a soggy bottom crust.
The String-Free Secret: Sweet potatoes can be fibrous.
While the blender does the heavy lifting, if you notice your potatoes are particularly stringy, you can press the puree through a fine-mesh sieve after blending.
This extra step guarantees a luxury, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Temper Your Ingredients: Ensure your melted butter has cooled slightly and your eggs are at room temperature.
Adding cold eggs to hot butter or hot potatoes can cause the mixture to break or cook unevenly.
2. Achieve the Perfect Set
Much like a cheesecake, you want to pull the pie when the edges are firm and slightly domed, but the very center still has a slight, rhythmic jiggle (not a liquid slosh).
The residual heat will finish setting the center as it cools on the counter.
Since honey is a primary flavor and liquid component, use a high-quality clover or wildflower honey.
Avoid very dark, robust honeys (like buckwheat) unless you want a very intense, almost bitter earthy flavor that might overpower the spices.
3. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Over-Blending: Once you add the eggs, blend only until the mixture is smooth.
Over-incorporating air at this stage can cause the pie to puff up like a souffle in the oven and then collapse and crack as it cools.
Skipping the Cooling Rack: Do not slice this pie while it’s hot! The honey and starches need to reach room temperature to create a clean, stackable slice.
If cut too early, the filling will be closer to a mash than a custard.
Using Canned Yams: While convenient, canned sweet potatoes are often packed in syrup, which will make this honey-based recipe cloyingly sweet and potentially too thin to set properly.
Stick to fresh, orange-fleshed Jewel or Garnet sweet potatoes.
4. Timing & Technique Advice
Blind Bake if Necessary: If you prefer a very crisp bottom, you can par-bake (blind bake) the crust for 10 minutes before adding the filling.
This prevents the soggy bottom that can sometimes happen with moisture-heavy vegetable pies.
The Foil Shield: Because of the high sugar content from the honey, the edges of the crust may brown faster than the center sets.
Check the pie at 35 minutes; if the crust is golden but the center is still liquid, cover the edges with a pie shield or strips of aluminum foil.
Spice Freshness: For the most vibrant flavor, use freshly grated nutmeg and high-quality cinnamon.
Since this pie is simpler than a heavily spiced pumpkin pie, the quality of the individual spices really shines through.
Baking Tips for This Recipe
- Warm honey slightly before mixing for easier incorporation.
- Blend filling until completely smooth.
- Avoid overbaking to preserve creamy texture.
Variation Tips
The Sweet Potato Honey Pie is a soulful, earthy dessert that serves as a fantastic canvas for both tropical and traditional flavors.
Because the honey provides a floral sweetness, you can easily shift the profile of the pie with just a few small adjustments.
1. The Tropical Bourbon Twist
To lean into a more complex, adult flavor profile:
Add 2 tablespoons of bourbon and 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger to the blender.
The bourbon deepens the honey notes, while the ginger adds a subtle heat that cuts through the richness of the sweet potato.
2. The Toasted Pecan Crunch
If you prefer a contrast between the silky filling and a crunchy top:
Ten minutes before the pie is finished baking, sprinkle 1/2 cup of finely chopped, salted pecans over the top.
This mimics the classic sweet potato casserole and adds a savory, nutty element.
3. The Maple-Honey Hybrid
For a double-hit of natural sweeteners:
Replace half of the honey (1/2 cup) with Grade A Dark Maple Syrup.
You get the floral aroma of the honey combined with the woodsy, caramel-like depth of the maple.
4. Crust & Texture Alternatives
The Graham Cracker Crust: For a lighter, more modern feel, swap the traditional pastry for a graham cracker or digestive biscuit crust.
It pairs beautifully with the honey and cuts down on the total baking time.
The Whipped Cloud Finish: Once cooled, top the pie with a layer of honey-sweetened whipped cream and a light dusting of cinnamon.
5. Dietary Adaptations
Gluten-Free:
The sweet potato filling is naturally gluten-free. Use your favorite GF pie crust recipe or a crust made from gluten-free gingersnap cookies.
Dairy-Free:
Replace the butter with melted refined coconut oil. For the optional milk/cream adjustment, use full-fat coconut milk. The slight coconut aroma is a natural partner for sweet potatoes.
Egg-Free (Vegan-Friendly Alternative):
While eggs provide the structure for the custard, you can experiment with a flax egg or a cornstarch slurry (2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water).
Note that the texture will be denser and less custard-like.
6. Creative Filling Add-ins
Orange Zest: Stir in 1 tablespoon of fresh orange zest after blending. The citrus oils brighten the heavy tuber and make the honey pop.
Miso-Honey Balance: For a trendy, “umami” twist, add 1 teaspoon of white miso paste to the blender.
The saltiness of the miso enhances the sweetness of the honey in a way that is incredibly addictive.
How to Properly Store Your Sweet Potato Honey Pie
Because the Sweet Potato Honey Pie is a custard-based pie, it requires careful temperature management.
The honey and sweet potato starches provide a stable structure, but the high moisture content means it needs proper sealing to prevent the crust from softening.
1. Refrigeration (Recommended)
Duration: 3 to 4 days.
Once the pie has cooled completely to room temperature, it must be moved to the refrigerator.
Wrap the pie dish tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
If you are worried about the wrap sticking to the top of the pie, you can place a few toothpicks into the crust edges to create a “tent” for the plastic.
2. Room Temperature (Service Only)
You can safely leave the pie out for 2 hours during a meal. Because of the egg and dairy content, it should not be stored on the counter overnight.
3. Freezing (Long-Term Storage)
Duration: Up to 3 months.
This pie freezes surprisingly well due to the dense starch of the sweet potatoes.
To Freeze: Wrap the fully cooled pie in two layers of plastic wrap, followed by a final layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn.
To Thaw: Move the pie to the refrigerator 24 hours before you plan to serve it. Do not thaw it on the counter, as this can cause the crust to become mushy.
4. How to Reheat for the Best Flavor
Sweet potato pie is delicious cold, but many prefer it slightly warm to bring out the floral notes of the honey and the warmth of the spices.
The Oven Method: Place the whole pie or individual slices on a baking sheet. Cover loosely with foil and heat at 300°F (150°C) for 10–15 minutes. This warms the filling without drying out the crust.
The Microwave: If you’re in a hurry, microwave a single slice for 20–30 seconds. Note that the crust will lose its crispness using this method.
5. Storage Mistakes to Avoid
Storing While Warm: Putting a warm pie into the fridge creates condensation on the underside of the plastic wrap.
That moisture will drip back onto the pie, making the surface sticky and the crust soggy.
Airtight Plastic on Warm Crust: If the crust hasn’t fully “set” during cooling, airtight plastic can trap the steam and destroy the flaky layers you worked so hard to create.
Freezing with Toppings: If you plan to serve the pie with whipped cream or pecans, store those separately.
Freeze only the base pie and add the fresh toppings just before serving.
FAQs
Can I use canned yams or sweet potatoes instead of fresh ones?
While you can, fresh roasted sweet potatoes are highly recommended. Canned versions are often packed in heavy syrup and are much more watery, which can make the pie overly sweet and prevent it from setting properly. If you do use canned, ensure they are thoroughly drained and patted dry before blending.
Why is my pie filling a bit stringy even after blending?
Sweet potatoes contain natural fibers that vary by variety. For a truly professional, “silk-like” texture, you can press the blended mixture through a fine-mesh strainer before pouring it into the crust. This removes any stubborn fibers that the blades might have missed.
My pie cracked across the top. What happened?
Cracking is usually a sign of over-baking or over-blending. If too much air is incorporated in the blender (especially after adding the eggs), the pie will rise like a soufflé and then collapse. To avoid this, blend only until the ingredients are just combined, and pull the pie from the oven while the center still has a slight, rhythmic jiggle.
Can I substitute the honey with maple syrup or sugar?
You can, but it will change the character of the pie. Honey provides a floral aroma and a specific moisture level that sugar doesn’t. If you substitute with maple syrup, use a 1:1 ratio. If using granulated sugar, use 3/4 cup and add 2 tablespoons of milk to compensate for the lost liquid.
How do I know when the pie is officially “done”?
The edges of the filling should be slightly puffed and set, while the center should still move slightly when the pan is gently shaken. If the center is firm to the touch, it is likely over-baked. The residual heat will continue to cook the center as the pie cools on your counter, resulting in a perfect, creamy consistency.
Sweet Potato Honey Pie
8
Slices15
minutes50
minutesThis sweet potato honey pie recipe is sweet, spiced, and perfectly smooth in texture.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pound sweet potatoes (approximately 2 medium)
1 cup honey
1/2 cup butter (1 stick, melted and cooled)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
1 single pie crust (unbaked)
Directions
- Start by placing your cooked sweet potatoes into a blender or food processor.
- Pour in the melted butter and pulse the mixture until it is completely uniform. This step also helps lower the temperature of the potatoes so they don't scramble the eggs in the next step.
- Add the honey, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, allspice, and nutmeg (if using) to the blender.
- Process the mixture until it is perfectly silky.
- If your sweet potatoes were particularly starchy and the batter seems too heavy to move, stir in milk or heavy cream one tablespoon at a time until the blades can spin freely and the consistency is pourable.
- Carefully pour your honey-sweetened filling into the raw pie shell, smoothing out the top with a spoon if necessary.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C). The pie is ready when the edges are slightly puffed and the center has lost its "jiggle" and feels set to the touch—this usually takes between 45 and 60 minutes.
- Allow the pie to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. This resting period is crucial for the honey and eggs to fully firm up the structure of the pie.
