Southern Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pie (Flakiest Crust)

Learn how to make the best gluten-free sweet potato pie with this southern-style recipe full of easy pro tips! An ultra creamy, perfectly sweetened filling thanks to a combination of brown sugar and evaporated milk makes the ideal compliment to a buttery, flaky GF pie crust. Dairy-free modifications included.

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 2

chilling time 1

Total Time 3 30

Servings

Author Melissa Erdelac

Ingredients

Gluten-Free Pie Crust

8 tablespoon unsalted butter cut into small cubes and frozen for 10 minutes
2 ½ tablespoons ice water
1 ½ tablespoons sour cream
1 ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
¾ PLUS ⅔ cup (6 ½ ounces weight total) gluten free flour I highly recommend using Cup4Cup gluten-free flour
1 ½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt

Sweet Potato Pie Filling

1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes
¾ cup light brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter very soft
1 large egg
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup evaporated milk
Optional: Whipped cream, for serving

Instructions

Gluten-Free Pie Crust

Place the cubed butter in the freezer for 10 minutes. Mix together the cold water, sour cream, and vinegar in a small bowl. Place the liquids bowl in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.
8 tablespoon unsalted butter, 2 ½ tablespoons ice water, 1 ½ tablespoons sour cream, 1 ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
FOOD PROCESSOR: Pulse flour, sugar, and salt together until mixed.
BY HAND: Whisk dry ingredients in medium-sized bowl.
¾ PLUS ⅔ cup (6 ½ ounces weight total) gluten free flour, 1 ½ teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon salt
FOOD PROCESSOR: Process the butter into the flour mixture until well incorporated, evenly dispersed, and without large chunks.
BY HAND: Use a pastry blender, fork, or fingers to cut and knead butter into the dough until it is well incorporated throughout.
FOOD PROCESSOR: Add the liquids to the food processor and pulse until the flour becomes moistened and small dough clumps appear. If dough doesn't start to come together, add a touch more cold water.
BY HAND: Add half the liquids and knead with fingers or a fork. Pour in the remaining liquids. Knead until the dough starts to come together and the liquids are well mixed with flour.
TIP: To check if you have enough liquid, clump and flatten a small bit of dough. If it doesn’t stick together, is crumbly, or breaks apart easily, add a small dash of ice water. Pulse a few times and recheck. If the dough is too wet or sticky, add a dash of flour. Pulse a few times and recheck.
Turn dough onto sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into a thick 1" disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or freeze for 30 minutes. Before rolling out, let sit on counter 5 minutes so it is easier to work with.
Lay a large piece of parchment paper on your workspace. Place unwrapped dough disc in middle and place same sized sheet on top. Use a rolling pin to press and spread out down from the middle out. Roll out into a circle slightly larger than your pie dish.
Remove top paper, and invert onto pie dish. Remove second paper.
TIP: If the dough warmed while rolling, it may be trickier to take the paper off. If this happens, leave the paper on, and stick the whole thing in the fridge for 5-10 minutes. Once the crust is chilled again it's much easier to pull off the paper. If the dough is too cold and the crust breaks, let it sit on the counter for a minute first.
If necessary, trim the edges so there is an even ½ inch overhang all around the edges. Tuck the edge under, all the way around, and then use your finger and thumb to make a decorative edge.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Freeze the crust for at least 15 minutes, while you begin roasting the sweet potatoes.
After the crust is solid, line the pie shell with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or use a pie weight . Cover the edges with a pie shield or protect with aluminum foil.
Bake until the crust is set, but before it starts to turn golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. The pie may be baked alongside the roasted potatoes.

Sweet Potato Filling

Line a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Prick washed potatoes with a fork 5-6 times and place on the sheet. Bake until very soft, about 50-60 minutes at 375ºF.
1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes
Reduce oven to 350ºF. Once the potatoes have cooled enough to handle, remove the flesh from the skins and place it in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat into a smooth puree.
Add the softened butter, brown sugar, egg, egg yolks, vanilla, spices, and salt to the potatoes. Beat again until smooth and then mix in milk until throughly combined.
¾ cup light brown sugar, 6 tablespoons butter, 1 large egg, 2 egg yolks, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¾ cup evaporated milk
Pour the mixture into the pre-baked crust. Cover the edges with a pie shield or with aluminum foil. Bake in 350ºF until the edges are firmly set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out without liquid and mostly clean about 60-75 minutes.
Cool the pie completely before slicing and serving, about 3-5 hours. For best results, make the pie one day ahead of serving and store at room temperature, uncovered or loosely tented with foil.

Notes

Dairy-Free Modification

For a dairy-free recipe, follow a specialized gluten-free dairy-free pie crust recipe. Use full-fat coconut milk in place of the evaporated milk and vegan butter. Reduce salt to 1/8 teaspoon.

Storing and Make-Ahead Notes

I recommend baking the pie one day before serving to give the spices time to meld and enhance. Store at room temperature, uncovered, or loosely tent foil over the top.

The pie crust may be prepared up to two days ahead and refrigerated or 2 weeks ahead and frozen. The filling can be mixed together up to one day ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container.

Store pie up to two days at room temperature, covered with foil. For longer storage, refrigerate, covered with foil, up to 3 days. Serve at room temp.

Nutrition