Grandma Betty’s Sweet Potato Pie
Y’all ready for my mother’s fool proof, knock-em-dead, make-folks-swoon sweet potato pie 🥧 recipe???
I post it every year and with the holidays upon us, it’s time to roll it out!!!!!!
My mother Betty was an old school cook. She always kept things simple and mainly cooked by memory and instinct. But thankfully she still would write out some of her recipes on little cards that we cherish like precious jewels — especially after her death this pastJune. I believe that her spirit lives on in those recipe cards.
My mother had beautiful penwomanship. She was always so proud of that. However, just in case her text is hard to see, the whole thing is also spelled out clearly here and we have even included a cute little downloadable PDF here at the website if you want to print it out.
If you are looking for something easy and fool-proof that will wow the room, follow this guide. You can improvise if you are feeling confident by adding molasses, clover, a dash of almond extract or even a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper. But before you step toward improvisation you might want to master the basic recipe.
Let us know how it goes and make sure to have fun. Post the results and tag me. I post her recipe every year, and when Mom was alive I used to share the pix and tagged posts with her and she absolutely loved it. She would say that she wished she could hand out blue ribbons to those who made Betty’s make em’ swoon sweet potato pie. She will be smiling on all of us from above.
I spend so much time exploring other people’s kitchen memories on my podcast, #YourMama’sKitchen. I thought folks might enjoy a little something from my mama’s kitchen. Love to all.
Hope Thanksgiving is bountiful in all the best ways.
DOWNLOAD a copy of this Norris-Johnson family treasured recipe.
Ingredients2 sweet potatoes (boiled and mashed)
1 stick melted butter
3 eggs (beaten)
1 can condensed milk
1 1/2 cups sugar (half brown, half white)
2 pie crusts
A dash of Spice House Saigon Ground Cinnamon (or any brand that you have)
A dash of nutmeg
A capful of vanilla extract
A couple “swigs” of Jack Daniels
Step 1Preheat oven to 425F and use a fork to poke a few holes in the pie crusts
Step 2Mix all ingredients well with a beater
Step 3Pour mixed ingredients into pie crusts
(will be enough for 2 non-deep pie dishes)
Step 4Bake at 425F for 15 minutes and then 350F for 45 minutes. Pies will be done when a knife comes out clean
Step 5Enjoy!
Michele’s Kitchen Notes
Now a word about the crust. My mother believed that there is no shame in a good store-bought crust. I concur. That may have some people clutching their pearls but just get over that and ignore those folks and their hang ups. Let it go and remember this….
The crust is key to making any pie work & If you cannot absolutely nail the crust, keep practicing but don’t experiment at Thanksgiving. Know thyself. Be honest. If you have any doubts about your crust-making credentials, grab a good store-bought brand and keep steppin’
Let’s take a moment to talk about that swig of alcohol in my mom’s recipe. It’s NOT vodka. It’s whiskey. I don’t know if it’s about “the chemistry” but Mom insists it HAS to be #JackDaniels. Someone used Old Grandad whiskey as a replacement one year & Mom swore she could taste the difference
I trust her.
And just in case you were wondering….
A swig goes into the pie .....and the cook if you so choose. Swig is an elastic term defined as you see fit. But just know what you and your guests can handle. Get it right and merriment will ensue.
