Sweet Potato Pie with Toasted Meringue Topping
jump toRECIPE
This sweet potato pie with toasted meringue topping puts a little more personality into a classic holiday dessert. The filling starts with roasted sweet potatoes, which develop deeper, naturally caramelized flavor without adding extra moisture, then gets blended with brown sugar, half and half, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg before baking in a buttery homemade crust. Instead of stopping there, the pie gets piled high with a fluffy Italian meringue made with a simple sugar syrup and egg whites, then baked until the peaks are lightly golden. The result is a creamy, warmly spiced sweet potato pie with a cloud-like topping that feels a little like the classic holiday combination of sweet potatoes and marshmallows, just in pie form (aka the best form). If you’re planning your holiday dessert table, try my cranberry ginger pie or this butterscotch pie with caramelized pecans next.
What is Meringue?
Meringue is a light and airy dessert mixture made by combining whipped egg whites and sugar. It can be used for decor, cookies, pavlova or toppings. There are three different methods of making meringue:
- French – French meringue is an uncooked method where the egg whites are beaten until frothy then sugar is slowly added until it dissolves and the mixture forms stiff peaks. While the least stable of the three methods it’s also the lightest.
- Italian – This is the most stable of the meringues. It is made with a sugar syrup heated to the soft ball stage (326ºF – 340ºF) and slowly beaten into the frothy egg whites.
- Swiss – Swiss meringue is thicker and a firm meringue. It’s made by stirring egg whites and sugar together in a bowl set over boiling water (the double boiler method).
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A classic with a twist – The warmly spiced sweet potato filling gets a dramatic upgrade with a sky-high toasted meringue instead of a traditional whipped cream topping.
- Roasted sweet potatoes make a difference – Baking the sweet potatoes concentrates their natural sweetness and helps keep excess moisture out of the pie filling.
- The meringue is the showstopper – Italian meringue creates a thick, glossy topping with sturdy peaks that turn beautifully golden in the oven.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Sweet potatoes – Sweet potatoes are a nutritious root vegetable with bright orangey flesh. Sweet potatoes have a naturally sweet flavor. Over half the US sweet potato crops are grown in North Carolina. Baking the sweet potatoes allows them to soften and caramelize which develops deeper flavor – it also keeps from adding extra water and ending up with a soggy pie filling.
- Meringue – I use the Italian method of making meringue in this recipe. The sugar is dissolved in water to form a sugar syrup. The egg whites are whipped then the simple syrup is slowly added so it completely dissolves and the mixture forms stiff peaks and the meringue comes to room temperature. I add a bit of cream of tartar because it helps to stabilize the meringue (it’s a bit of a shortcut). The meringue should have a thick, shiny consistency.
- Spices – The sweet potato pie filling is seasoned with a cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Pro Tip
Separate the eggs for the pie and meringue while they are still cold, then let the egg whites come fully to room temperature before whipping them. This makes it easier to separate the eggs cleanly while giving the whites the temperature they need to whip into a voluminous, stable meringue.
Swaps and Substitutions
- Sweet potatoes: Use medium sweet potatoes that are similar in size so they roast evenly. The recipe is designed around roasted sweet potatoes rather than canned purée.
- Half and half: Whole milk can be used in a pinch, though the filling will be slightly less rich.
- Dark brown sugar: Light brown sugar can be substituted if that is what you have on hand, though dark brown sugar gives the filling a deeper molasses flavor.
- Ground spices: If you are out of one of the individual spices, use a small amount of pumpkin pie spice in its place, keeping in mind that the flavor will be slightly different.
- Pie crust: A store-bought 9-inch pie crust can be used if you want to simplify the recipe, though the homemade butter crust adds a particularly flaky, rich base.
- Cream of tartar: Do not simply omit it if you can avoid it, since it helps stabilize the meringue and gives the topping more structure.
How to Make Sweet Potato Pie (Step-by-Step)
- Add ingredients to a food processor. To make the dough, place the flour, sugar and salt into a food processor. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Pour 6 tablespoons of cold water over a few ice cubes. Let sit for a few seconds to chill. Remove the ice cubes from the chilled water, and add the butter and water to the flour mixture.
- Shape and chill the dough. Pulse until the mixture forms a rough dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough. Form into a circle, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.
- Roll out the dough. Heat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll the dough out into a ¼-inch thick, 12-inch circle. Carefully line a 9-inch pie pan with the dough and use a knife to cut away any excess dough hanging over the side.
- Par-bake the crust. Bake the crust until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Set aside.
- Bake the sweet potatoes. Heat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Place the potatoes on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and prick each several times with a knife. Roast until soft, about 60 minutes. Remove and let cool to the touch.
- Blend the filling. Lower the heat of the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Once cool remove the skins of the sweet potatoes and add the insides to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse with the butter until pureed.
- Add the eggs. Next, add the eggs, brown sugar, half and half, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt, pulsing until the ingredients are combined.
- Add the filling to the crust. Pour the filling into the partially baked crust. Be careful not to overfill.
- Bake the pie. Bake the pie until the filling sets, about 40 minutes. Remove and let cool.
- Increase oven heat and make the sugar syrup. Increase heat to 400ºF (200ºC). Add ½ cup of water and the sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and cook until the mixture becomes thick and syrupy, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Beat the egg whites. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar at a medium-low speed and increasing gradually to medium-high speed until the egg whites form stiff peaks, about 3 minutes.
- Slowly add the sugar syrup. With the mixer running, slowly pour the syrup into the whites. Beat until the meringue has cooled and becomes thick and shiny, about 6 minutes.
- Add meringue to pie and bake. Use a rubber spatula and mound the meringue over the top of the pie. Use the spatula to create peaks all over, then bake until the peaks turn golden brown, about 6 minutes. Let cool then serve.
How to Serve This Recipe
- Temperature: Let the finished pie cool before slicing so the sweet potato filling has time to fully set.
- Holiday dessert: Serve it as an alternative to pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving or another fall gathering.
- Garnish: The toasted meringue provides plenty of visual impact on its own, so no additional topping is necessary.
- With coffee: Serve slices with coffee or espresso to balance the sweetness of the meringue.
- Dessert spread: Add it to a holiday dessert table alongside other seasonal pies and baked treats.
How to Store This Recipe
- Refrigerator: Store leftover pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Meringue: The meringue is best when freshly toasted, since moisture in the refrigerator can gradually soften the topping.
- Make-ahead: The pie can be baked and cooled ahead of time, then topped with the meringue closer to serving.
- Slicing: Use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between slices for neat pieces through the meringue and filling.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is specifically designed around roasted sweet potatoes. Roasting the sweet potatoes helps concentrate their natural sweetness and limits excess moisture, so substituting canned purée may change the texture and flavor of the finished pie.
Roast the sweet potatoes rather than boiling them. Baking allows moisture to evaporate while the sweet potatoes soften and develop deeper flavor, which helps prevent an overly wet filling.
Italian meringue is made by slowly incorporating a hot sugar syrup into whipped egg whites, creating a thick, glossy, stable meringue. In this recipe, the finished meringue is piled over the cooled sweet potato pie and baked until the peaks turn golden brown.
Yes. The sweet potato pie itself can be baked and cooled ahead of time. For the best texture, prepare the meringue and toast the topping closer to serving rather than assembling the entire pie several days in advance.
Meringue can release moisture as it sits, particularly when refrigerated. For the best results, make sure the meringue is thick and glossy before topping the pie, and avoid storing the finished pie uncovered for an extended period.
Other Recipes to Try
If your guests keep asking you for this sweet potato pie recipe, check out some of my other favorite holiday dessert ideas below:
Thanks for cooking with me! If you made this recipe, leave a 🌟 rating and share your thoughts or tips below. I’d love to hear from you!
Sweet Potato Pie with Toasted Meringue Topping
Rate this Recipe
Ingredients:
For the pie crust:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling out the dough
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 8 ounces 2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
For the sweet potato pie:
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes, about 3 medium sweet potatoes
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3 eggs
- ½ packed cup dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup half and half
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the meringue topping:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 egg whites, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions:
For the pie crust:
- To make the dough, place the flour, sugar and salt into a food processor. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Pour 6 tablespoons of cold water over a few ice cubes. Let sit for a few seconds to chill. Remove the ice cubes from the chilled water, and add the butter and water to the flour mixture.
- Pulse until the mixture forms a rough dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough. Form into a circle, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.
- Heat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll the dough out into a ¼-inch thick, 12-inch circle. Carefully line a 9-inch pie pan with the dough and use a knife to cut away any excess dough hanging over the side.
- Bake the crust until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Set aside.
For the sweet potato pie:
- Heat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Place the potatoes on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and prick each several times with a knife. Roast until soft, about 60 minutes. Remove and let cool to the touch.
- Lower the heat of the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Once cool remove the skins of the sweet potatoes and add the insides to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse with the butter until pureed.
- Add the eggs, brown sugar, half and half, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt, pulsing until the ingredients are combined.
- Pour the filling into the partially baked crust. Be careful not to overfill.
- Bake the pie until the filling sets, about 40 minutes. Remove and let cool.
For the meringue topping:
- Increase heat to 400ºF (200ºC).
- Add ½ cup of water and the sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and cook until the mixture becomes thick and syrupy, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar at a medium-low speed and increasing gradually to medium-high speed until the egg whites form stiff peaks, about 3 minutes.
- With the mixer running, slowly pour the syrup into the whites. Beat until the meringue has cooled and becomes thick and shiny, about 6 minutes.
- Use a rubber spatula and mound the meringue over the top of the pie. Use the spatula to create peaks all over, then bake until the peaks turn golden brown, about 6 minutes. Let cool then serve.
Notes:
Nutrition:
TAG ME ON INSTAGRAM TO BE FEATURED ON MY STORIES! @cookingwithcocktailrings
This recipe looks fantastic and I love that tip to avoid a mushy filling. Looking forward to trying it (and your photos are just perfect!).
Thank you so much Jessica!