Go Back
functional image purple sweet potato pie decorated with purple flowers uncut in a clear pie dish on an abstract background
Heather Wolf

Purple Sweet Potato Pie

Add a pop of color to your holiday dessert table with a Purple Sweet Potato Pie. Nestled on a homemade gingersnap crust, this delicious custard pie is a show stopping alternative to pumpkin on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Pies and Tarts
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

Gingersnap Crust
  • 6 ounces gingersnap cookies
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 3 tbsp dark brown sugar packed
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
Purple Sweet Potato Filling
  • 1 lb purple sweet potatoes scrubbed and rinsed
  • 8 ounces evaporated milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract pure
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt fine

Equipment

  • Food Processor
  • 9 inch pie plate

Method
 

Gingersnap Crust
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Lightly grease the bottom and the sides of a 9-inch pie dish with butter or coat with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
  3. Place gingersnap cookies in a food processor then pulse until fine crumbs form.
  4. Add chopped walnuts, brown sugar sugar and cinnamon to the food processor then pulse until walnuts are finely ground.
  5. Add melted butter then pulse a few times until the mixture is evenly moistened.
  6. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of your greased pie dish.
  7. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until crust is lightly brown. Avoid overbaking; crust will continue to brown when it returns to the oven with the filling.
  8. Remove from the oven and and allow crust to cool while you prepare the filling.
Purple Sweet Potato Filling
  1. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.
  2. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside.
  3. Pierce purple sweet potatoes all over with a fork.
  4. Place potatoes on a cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour or until tender. *Note, larger potatoes will require additional bake time and smaller potatoes less.
  5. Remove potatoes from the oven and allow to cool while you prepare the remaining filling ingredients.
  6. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
  7. Add evaporated milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until combined.
  8. Next, add brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Whisk until incorporated. Set aside.
  9. Remove and discard skins from purple sweet potatoes.
  10. Add sweet potato flesh to a food processor then puree until smooth. Yield will be approximately 1.5 to 2 cups of puree.
  11. Add puree to the mixing bowl with filling ingredients then whisk until evenly combined.
  12. Pour filling into gingersnap crust. Pie will be very full. If you prefer to have more crust exposed, do not fill all the way.
  13. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes until edges are set and the center is slightly jiggly. Avoid overbaking.
  14. Place pie plate on a wire rack to cool completely before serving, approximately 3 hours.
  15. To store, cover pie with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator up to 5 days.