Patti Labelle's Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

This recipe for Patti Labelle's sweet potato pie creates a wonderfully smooth and deeply spiced pie on a perfectly flaky golden brown crust. Out of all the sweet potato pie recipes out there, this Patti Labelle recipe is hands down one of the best you'll try!

The Best Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Patti Labelle is famous for singing - I mean, she's called the godmother of soul for a reason. But, honestly, her sweet potato pie recipe might even rival her biggest musical hits! And for good reason.

The pie filling has a silky smooth and creamy texture with a rich flavor that has all of the spices of fall. It sits on top of a golden brown crust, and then the whole shebang is topped off with some fresh whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. Gah, it's just so good!

I practically make this pie at every chance I get, whether it's for Thanksgiving, another holiday - really any celebration - or just as an excuse to indulge during the week. And everyone is always obsessed with it, so it's a win-win. 

Now, since this Patti Labelle sweet potato pie is so delicious, you might think that it's complicated to make. But, not to worry, it's actually really simple! In fact, there are just a handful of steps required to make it, and most of the time required is passive cooking time. Basically, the hardest part of making this sweet potato pie is waiting for it to cook in the oven.  

With that said, it will take about two hours from start to finish. So, if you want a quicker sweet potato pie recipe, you can make my old fashioned sweet potato pie or even my sweet potato pecan pie! Both are absolute beauties.

Ingredients

• Premade pie crust
• Sweet potatoes- three large ones for the decadent filling.
• Butter- unsalted and melted.
• Brown sugar- I used light brown sugar but dark works too.
• Sugar- for additional sweetness.
• Eggs- two large ones beaten.
• Half and half- used for a creamy filling.
• Ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg- for that delicious spice blend.
• Whipped cream- for serving.

Now, I use a premade pie crust to save some time, but if you'd like to use a homemade pie crust, you totally can do that too.

By the way, if you're grabbing sweet potatoes from the store, I highly recommend picking up some extras. That way, you can make more of my sweet potato recipes. Recipes like this sweet potato pound cake, these candied yams, these sweet potato biscuits, and this sweet potato souffle.

How To Make Patti Labelle's Sweet Potato Pie

Now, as I mentioned earlier, it will take a couple of hours before you can dig into this pie. So you'll want to make sure you set some time aside to make it.

With that said, though, this recipe is easy-peasy. Just a handful of steps - and about 30 minutes of prep - are all you'll need to follow to make it. Anyway, now, let's stop wasting time and dive into the step-by-step instructions!

Step 1: Prep The Pie Crust

First things first, you'll want to take out a 9-inch pie pan and the premade pie crust. Then, you can add the premade dough into the pan and gently unfold it in the pan. Also, if there is any excess dough hanging off the sides, you can cut it to fit. 

Next, you can either press the edges with a fork to make indents on the pie crust, or you can crimp the edges for that classic pie crust shape. Then when you've taken care of that, you can set the pie aside for later.

Step 2: Cook The Sweet Potatoes

Now you can get the sweet potatoes cooking. So, to do that, you'll want to bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Then, once it's boiling, add the sweet potatoes and reduce the heat to medium. And you'll want to cook the sweet potatoes for about 30 minutes until they are tender when pierced with a knife.

When the sweet potatoes are almost done cooking, you'll want to preheat the oven to 400°F (200ºC) to get it ready for the next step.

Then, once the sweet potatoes are fully cooked, you can drain the water from the pot and run the sweet potatoes under cold water until they're cool enough to handle. When they are, you can peel off the skin and place the potato flesh in a medium bowl.

Next, mash the sweet potatoes with an electric mixer on medium speed - or you can use a potato masher - until they're very smooth and no lumps remain. Lastly, you'll want to measure out 3 cups of mashed sweet potatoes and set them aside for later.

Step 3: Parbake The Pie Crust

Now, back to the pie crust. Once the oven is preheated, you can brush the surface of the pie crust with some melted butter and sprinkle ¼ cup of the brown sugar evenly over the bottom of the pie crust. Then, bake the pie crust for about 15 minutes or until it sets and the beginning just starts to turn golden brown.

Step 4: Make The Pie Filling

Meanwhile, you can prepare the filling. So, to do that, take out a large mixing bowl and add the remaining melted butter, mashed sweet potatoes, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, half-and-half, cinnamon, and nutmeg to it.

Now mix all of these ingredients together with an electric hand - or stand mixer - on low speed until everything is fully combined and you have a smooth filling. Then, once the pie crust is partially baked, you can pour the filling evenly into it and smooth out the top.

Step 5: Bake The Pie

So, now that the pie is ready to go, you can reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180ºC) and get the sweet potato pie into it. You'll want to bake the pie for about an hour and a half or until the filling has set and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.

Then, when that happens, you'll want to get the pie out of the oven and let it cool on a drying rack. Finally, garnish the pie with some nuts and whipped cream, serve warm, and enjoy!

How To Store Sweet Potato Pie

This recipe for Patti Labelles sweet potato pie will make about 8 slices, depending on how you cut it.

And, if you're lucky enough to save a slice or two, it tastes just as delicious leftover! So, to store it, you can either wrap the pie dish tightly with plastic wrap or transfer the slices to an airtight container. Stored this way, the pie will last in the fridge for about 4 days.

With that said, if you want to keep it for even longer, you can freeze the leftover pie in an airtight container - or freezer-safe bag with all of the air squeezed out - for about 6 months. Then, whenever you want a slice, just let it thaw at room temperature or in the fridge overnight.

My Final Thoughts

There's seriously something special about this recipe. Maybe it's the sweet, smooth, creamy filling, or maybe it's the perfect balance of spices. Either way, this is a must-try pie recipe, especially during the holidays! 

As always, if you give this pie recipe a try, be sure to leave a comment below and let us know how it went!

And, as always, don't forget to follow us along on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok for more easy-to-make dessert recipes just like this one.

More Pie Recipes

If you love pie and want to give some more homemade pie recipes a shot, we have a ton on the blog that you can check out next!

Here are some of our favorites: 

• No bake peanut butter pie
• No bake chocolate pie
• Jello pudding pie
• Pumpkin custard pie
• Million dollar pie