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A slice of purple sweet potato pie with toasted meringue on a plate.
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5 from 2 votes

Purple Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet, caramelized Purple Sweet Potato Pie uses brown butter to add a delicious nuttiness to the warm-spiced filling. Nestled into a flaky pie crust and piled with toasted marshmallow meringue, this is the best addition to your Thanksgiving menu and one of the most delicious desserts you'll eat!
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Rest time4 hours
Total Time6 hours 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Calories: 485kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

All-Butter Pie Crust

  • cups all-purpose flour 390g
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup + 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cold and cubed (311g)
  • cup ice water (6 fl oz)

Sweet Potato Filling

  • 1 cup purple sweet potato mashed or pureed (about 4-5 purple sweet potatoes)
  • ½ cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter browned and in a liquid state (141g)
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream 4 fl oz
  • ¼ cup whole milk 2 fl oz
  • ¾ cup light brown sugar packed (150g)
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract

Swiss Meringue

  • 3 large egg whites
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar 150g
  • teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract

Instructions

Pie Crust

  • Cut the butter into ½" cubes and place in the freezer. In a bowl, add the water and some ice cubes and set aside. Using a food processor, add the flour and salt to the bowl and pulse once to combile. Add the chilled butter evenly around the flour.
    3¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup + 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Pulse the mixture until the butter reaches pea-sized pieces and looks crumbly. Add in the ⅔ cup ice cold water (not adding the ice cubes), and pulse again until the dough starts to form crumbles.
    ⅔ cup ice water
  • Remove the dough, separate into two even pieces, then flatten into one-inch discs and wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 1-2 hours to hydrate. Only one disc of dough is needed for the pie - freeze the other in a ziptop bag for 3-4 months.
  • Note: Bake the sweet potatoes and brown the butter while the pie crust rests. See Sweet Potato Filling section.
  • Remove one disc of dough from the fridge and wait about 15 minutes for the dough to slightly come to temperature. Lightly flour a rolling pin and work surface, then roll out the dough until it’s about ⅛ inch thick and is at least 2 inches wider than the pie dish. Continue to lightly flour the surface and pin if the dough begins to stick.
  • Carefully transfer the dough to your pie dish, pressing it into place on the bottom and sides and trim and crimp the edges any way you’d like. Place into the freezer for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375℉/190℃.
  • Dock the bottom of the dough all over with a fork. Line the pie with parchment paper or aluminum foil and completely fill with pie weights (or dried beans or rice, but do not use to eat afterwards). The weights should come the whole way to the top of the pie crust.
  • Bake the crust for 20 minutes, then remove the pie weights and parchment and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Sweet Potato Filling

  • Dock the top of the sweet potatoes a few times with a fork then bake at 375℉/190℃ for about an hour until soft and tender. When the potatoes are almost done in the oven, make the brown butter.
    1 cup purple sweet potato
  • Over medium heat, add the unsalted butter into a saucepan and allow to melt and bubble. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottoms and sides, until you see that the milk solids on the bottom of the pan have started to become golden brown. It will also start to become incredibly fragrant and nutty. Pour the butter into a heat proof bowl and set aside.
    ½ cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Remove the potatoes from the oven and allow to cool until you are able to handle them. Scoop all flesh out of the skins mash with a fork, or puree in a food processor to get it super smooth. Pass through a fine mesh sieve to remove any fibrous pieces, if desired.
  • Reduce the oven temperature to 350℉/177℃.
  • Once the potatoes are ready, combine the sweet potatoes, brown butter, heavy cream, milk, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt and vanilla into a large bowl and whisk until completely combined.
    ½ cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, ½ cup heavy whipping cream, ¼ cup whole milk, ¾ cup light brown sugar, 2 large eggs, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
  • Pour the mixture into the par-baked crust and smooth out the top. Bake for 40-50 minutes until the edges are set and puffy, but the center still has a slight jiggle. Lightly tent the pie with foil (or use a pie shield) if the crust is browning too quickly.
  • Remove the pie to a wire rack to cool for 2 hours, then place in the fridge for 2 more hours before making the meringue topping. Adding the meringue before it is completely cool will make it melt and ooze off.

Swiss Meringue

  • Fill a saucepan with about two inches of water and turn to high heat. Add a heat proof bowl over top that fits securely. You don’t want any of the water touching the bottom of the bowl.
  • To the bowl, add the egg whites, sugar, and salt and whisk to combine. Continue lightly whisking until the mixture is rather warm and the sugar granules have dissolved. Check this by rubbing your fingers together in the mixture. If you can still feel sugar granules, continue cooking.
    3 large egg whites, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
  • One the mixture is ready, add it to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip on medium speed for about a minute. Add the vanilla, then turn to high speed and whip until stiff peaks form and the meringue gets caught in the middle of the whisk. The peak of the meringue should stand up to a point when you pull the whisk out.
    2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
  • Add all of the meringue to the center of the pie, and add swoops using a spoon or spatula. Use a blow torch to brown the meringue to your liking. You can also pop it into the oven under high broil to get a bit of browning, but a torch it a much easier way to get even coverage.

Notes

The purple color in the filling will vary each time you make it. If you feel that the purple is not as striking as you'd like it to be, simply add one to two drops of purple food coloring while mixing the filling.
To ensure a fully baked crust, transfer the pie to the lower third of the oven for the final 15 minutes.
This pie stores in the fridge for 3 days. Cover any exposed sides with plastic wrap, otherwise leaving uncovered. Bring to room temperature before enjoying.

Nutrition

Calories: 485kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 497mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 2475IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 2mg