Sweet Potato Chess Pie Recipe (2024)

by Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) · Updated

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In this Sweet Potato Chess Pie Recipe, roasted sweet potato is mixed with a deliciously rich custard and poured into a homemade pie crust and baked to perfection.

Sweet Potato Chess Pie Recipe (1)

My big mama’s sweet potato pie is a highlight that truly represents our heritage. It is a recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation. It never fails to make an appearance on our holiday dessert table. It means a lot to the tradition of our holiday season. Her sweet potato pie is also quite famous. I remember seeing locals drop by her home to get a pie for their own holiday. Nothing is better than my big mama’s sweet potato chess pie, and the whole neighborhood of Winona seemed to agree.

Table of Contents

Ingredients

Here are some of the key ingredients that will work:

  • Eggs
  • Butter
  • Sugar
  • Cornmeal
  • Vinegar

Eggs are truly the stabilizer in this key. It creates the creamy custardy texture that makes this pie so delicious. Coupled with the richness of butter and sugar, you are already starting something super special!

Cornmeal and vinegar are the ingredients that really set chess pie apart. It adds grit and a uniqueness that is absolutely delicious. Finally I add roasted sweet potato along with some flavors like cinnamon and vanilla.

Tip: To roast my sweet potato, I pierce the skin then lightly oil the outsides and add to foil. I bake at a high heat of about 400 F for about an hour. When the sweet potato is completely tender, I mash it and set it aside. It should be very easy to mash at this point.

Tip: The key for these ingredients to work wonderfully is for them to be at ROOM TEMPERATURE. Trust me, I have tried to bake a chess pie with cold eggs or colder butter and the custard didn’t set.

Sweet Potato Chess Pie Recipe (2)

How to Make Sweet Potato Chess Pie

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Beat butter and sugar together on high until light and fluffy (about 4-5 minutes).
  • Add eggs one at a time and mix together until well incorporated.
  • Next add cornmeal, flour, cinnamon, vinegar and vanilla and finally slowly add mashed sweet potatoes into batter and beat until completely smooth.
  • If using my pie crust, roll one of the disks out into the pie plate then use a fork to poke holes along the sides and bottom of the pie crust. Line the pie crust with parchment paper. Fill with pie weights, making sure the weights are evenly distributed around the pie dish. Pre-bake the crust for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper/pie weights. If you would like, you can brush some egg wash on the outside of the crust as well (just take 1 egg and whisk together with a teaspoon of water).
  • Pour batter into prepared pie shell and bake for 45-50 minutes. If you find that your pie crust is browning quickly, add a pie shield or foil around the outside halfway through the bake.
  • Cool for at least 4 hours and serve.
Sweet Potato Chess Pie Recipe (3)

How to Serve

Sweet potato chess pie is fantastic on its own but here are a few ways you can serve it:

  • Make some homemade whipped cream and serve along with it.
  • You can also make a caramel sauce or even a ganache for something decadent to serve with.
  • Ice cream! I love a classic vanilla ice cream or even something more fun like this sweet potato ice cream with toasted marshmallows.
  • Finally you can add it to a sweet potato trifle.

How to Store

To store sweet potato chess pie, cool it to room temperature, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze the wrapped pie for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight before enjoying.

Favorite Holiday Pie Recipes

  • Buttermilk Pie
  • Chess Pie
  • Egg Pie
  • The Best Sweet Potato Pie
  • Sweet Potato Cobbler
  • Sweet Potato Pecan Pie

Sweet Potato Chess Pie Recipe (4)

Sweet Potato Chess Pie

In this Sweet Potato Chess Pie Recipe, roasted sweet potato is mixed with a deliciously rich custard and poured into a homemade Pie Crust.

4.84 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 396kcal

Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Land O’ Lakes unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons yellow cornmeal
  • 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups mashed sweet potatoes About 1 ½-2 medium sized sweet potatoes peeled, diced, boiled until tender and mashed
  • 1 prepared pie crust in pie pan

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  • Beat butter and sugar together on high until light and fluffy (about 4-5 minutes).

  • Add eggs one at a time and mix together until well incorporated.

  • Next add cornmeal, flour, cinnamon, vinegar and vanilla and finally slowly add mashed sweet potatoes into batter and beat until completely smooth.

  • If using my pie crust, roll one of the disks out into the pie plate then use a fork to poke holes along the sides and bottom of the pie crust. Line the pie crust with parchment paper. Fill with pie weights, making sure the weights are evenly distributed around the pie dish. Pre-bake the crust for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper/pie weights. If you would like, you can brush some egg wash on the outside of the crust as well (just take 1 egg and whisk together with a teaspoon of water).

  • Pour batter into prepared pie shell and bake for 45-50 minutes. If you find that your pie crust is browning quickly, add a pie shield or foil around the outside halfway through the bake.

  • Cool for at least 4 hours and serve.

Notes

Tip: To roast my sweet potato, I pierce the skin then lightly oil the outsides and add to foil. I bake at a high heat of about 400 F for about an hour. When the sweet potato is completely tender, I mash it and set it aside. It should be very easy to mash at this point.

Tip: The key for these ingredients to work wonderfully is for them to be at ROOM TEMPERATURE. Trust me, I have tried to bake a chess pie with cold eggs or colder butter and the custard didn’t set.

To store sweet potato chess pie, cool it to room temperature, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze the wrapped pie for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight before enjoying.

Nutrition

Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 129mg | Potassium: 130mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 3995IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

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Sweet Potato Chess Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What makes a chess pie chess? ›

One story is that it was called a "chest" pie, since it was made with anything found in your chest, or pantry, but because of the Southern accent, it turned into "chess." Another story is that a woman who whipped up the recipe called it "just pie," which with the Southern accent, it turned into "chess" pie.

What is the difference between chess pie and regular pie? ›

Cornmeal as a stabilizer in the filling is distinct to chess pie.” Buttermilk is the main factor in differentiating the two pies. Adding an acidic ingredient, like buttermilk or vinegar, to the pie will cut down on the sweetness and change the consistency of the filling.

Why is chess pie so good? ›

Whether you use flour, cornmeal, cornstarch, or even chestnut flour, chess pie requires something to thicken all the sugar, eggs, and butter that create its rich, custard-like filling and crispy, sweet top reminiscent of crème brûlée.

Why do you put cornmeal in chess pie? ›

Cornmeal: Along with flour, cornmeal helps thicken up the chess pie's custard. Flour: For thickness and body in the custard. Salt: A little salt balances the pie's sweetness. Butter: Use unsalted, but if you only have salted, cut back on the salt you add.

What is another name for chess pie? ›

Chess pie was originally known as vinegar pie. Yes, I know this will shock people to hear the true tale of their beloved chess pie. In South Georgia it was historically a common pie since sugar cane was grown and processed there and vinegar was a common pantry item.

Is a buttermilk pie the same as a chess pie? ›

Both pies are very similar but have a few distinct differences. Like a chess pie, buttermilk pie starts with the same main components of butter, sugar, and eggs. But instead of milk and lemon juice (or vinegar), it uses straight buttermilk to give it a tart lusciousness.

Why does my chess pie crack? ›

When you move a pie out of the oven too fast, you risk cracking the top. One trick of the trade to keep pies from cracking is to place the pie dish on a cookie tray to bake. That way, when you take it out of the oven once it's finished baking, you don't have to worry about moving it too much.

Why is my chess pie soupy? ›

If your chess pie is just slightly runny in the middle, turn off the oven and leave it inside for 5-10 minutes. That should give it time to finish cooking. Please let the pie cool completely before serving so the filling sets and the flavors meld (3-4 hours at room temperature).

What is Elvis Presley pie? ›

Chef Paula Haney shares with Duff the bakery's recipe for the Fat Elvis Pie, which was inspired by Elvis Presley's love of peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches. The pie includes chocolate pastry cream, peanut butter filling and slices of banana in a crust made of graham cracker crumbs, dry roasted peanuts and pretzels.

Who makes sweet potato pies for Walmart? ›

She leads a team of professionals to bring quality bakery products to over 4,500 store locations. A notable accomplishment is that Kinna is the person responsible for creating the Patti Labelle Sweet Potato Pie.

Why is sweet potato pie better than pumpkin pie? ›

Pumpkin pie tends to be more heavy on spice, while sweet potato pie is typically sweeter and lighter. But the reasons why people choose one over the other often trace back to where they were raised and their race. Chef Jones scoops globs of sweet potato mixture into shells of pie dough at Ol' Henry.

Why is chess so popular lately? ›

Because you no longer could/needed to find a partner to play with face-to-face, the internet was a key player in opening the door for chess to explode in popularity. Online games, online tournaments, and online classes, connected millions of people to chess that would never have otherwise.

Why is my chess pie not setting? ›

Unlike a typical custard pie, that wobbly middle will not fully set up when it's cool due to the high sugar content. So bake the pie until it just sets up, and there is no jiggle left in the pie.

Where is chess pie popular? ›

Today chess pie is most commonly associated as a dessert of the American South. Common types of chess pie are buttermilk, chocolate, lemon, and nut.

What's the difference between a chess pie and a buttermilk pie? ›

However, chess pie is made with cornmeal to thicken the filling, whereas buttermilk pies generally only use all-purpose flour.

What is the rarest chess rule? ›

Underpromoting to a bishop must be the rarest move in chess. We can easily think of some famous examples of rook promotions (such as the brilliant Saavedra study), and by comparison knight underpromotions happen every day - just think of this opening trap in the Albin Countergambit.

How do you know when a chess pie is done? ›

Towards the end of the baking time, the only way you can tell if it's done is by gently jiggling the pie. It should have a very slight jiggle but be totally set in the center. If you're worried it's not done, just bake another 5-10 minutes.

Why do chess pies crack? ›

When you move a pie out of the oven too fast, you risk cracking the top. One trick of the trade to keep pies from cracking is to place the pie dish on a cookie tray to bake. That way, when you take it out of the oven once it's finished baking, you don't have to worry about moving it too much.

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