Sweet Potato Buttermilk Pie has a light texture, a little tang, and not too much sweetness. This southern pie is flavored with nutmeg and cinnamon for a wonderful fall dessert.
To keep this recipe simple, I’ve used a refrigerated pie crust, but you could use a homemade pie crust.
I love the tang of buttermilk pie and it really tastes great when paired with the sweet earthiness of sweet potatoes.
The eggs for this Sweet Potato Buttermilk Pie are separated and the egg whites are whipped until they form soft peaks. They are gently folded into the batter and they help make a wonderful, light texture.
A little lemon juice really perks up the flavor and adds to the tang.
This isn’t an overly sweet Sweet Potato Pie so I like to serve it with some sweetened whipped cream for extra sweetness.
Tips for making Sweet Potato Buttermilk Pie
You will need to separate the eggs and beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Keep in mind that eggs are easier to separate when they are cold, but egg whites are beat beaten at room temperature. I separate them right after removing them from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before beating the egg whites.
More Sweet Potato Recipes
- Sweet Potato Cream Cheese Bars
- Sweet Potato Skillet Cake with Broiled Coconut and Pecan Icing
- Lightened-Up Sweet Potato Pie
- Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls
Sweet Potato Buttermilk Pie
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 refrigerated pie crust
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Bake sweet potatoes in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour. Let cool 10 minutes and then peel the skins off.Be sure to place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet when you bake them. They can ooze and make a mess on the bottom of the oven.This step can be done up to 48 hours in advance.
- Place sweet potatoes in a bowl and mash well with a fork. Measure out 1 1/4 cups of mashed sweet potatoes. If you want to make sure it is smooth, you can use a hand-held mixer to get the sweet potatoes really smooth and creamy.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Unroll pie dough and place in a 9-inch pie plate. Shape to fit and crimp the edges. Prick bottom and sides with a fork.Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. Let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
- Place the 1 1/4 cups sweet potato in a medium bowl. Add melted butter, lemon juice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt and stir until smooth.
- Whisk egg yolks until thick and pale in a large bowl. Add sugar and brown sugar and whisk for 1 minute.
- Add sweet potato mixture to egg yolk mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Whisk in flour 1 teaspoon at a time.
- Whisk in buttermilk.
- Using an electric mixer, beat egg white until soft peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into batter.
- Pour batter into pie crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.
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Recipe adapted from: MyRecipes.com
Any thoughts about substituting canned pumpkin instead of sweet potatoes?
Yesterday I made this pie with your flaky crust recipe. I love the pie crust recipe you shared! Thank you. The pie filling (sweet potato buttermilk) was okay but next time I would leave out the lemon. I don’t think it complements the other spices.
Why would you cook the crust before you fill it? Normally pies you bake, the crust isn’t precooked.
To keep bottom from being soggy.