Paul Prudhomme's Sweet Potato Pecan Pie

My buddy Doug used to rave about his mother's sweet potato pecan pie (Potawatomi tribe, OK). Since he passed about 40 years ago I've been looking for a recipe that sounds similar to what Doug described. I think I found it. Tomorrow I cook!

This is one of my favorite pies and the chantilly cream is a must. I have made this recipe both by roasting my own sweet potatoes and by using canned. You can use canned in a time crunch, but roasted, caramelized sweet potatoes are the best. Instead of adding chopped pecans, I take the time to arrange whole pecans on the top of the pie and that makes a beautiful presentation.

I make this yearly for ThanksGiving--my youngest (grown!) daughter has a Holiday Dessert Technique for this,her most favorite pie. She cuts a small wedge out, puts it on a saucer,then announces THAT is "everybody else's piece" while she absconds with the rest of the pie. I worship Paul Prudhomme's recipes; this pie is a tradition in my fam & has been since the 80's when I 1st tried it. It's not complicated & is DEE-LECTABLE~! Buy pre-made pie crust if yr not good at crusts; still a win~

If I’m using a frozen pie crust (don’t judge- I’m in someone else’s kitchen who had nothing to use. Not even flour), would I still bake for the same amount of time!

This is a fantastic pie! But I double the sweet potato filling, following the recipe yields too little. (I'm skeptical of the photo with the recipe, because the standard amount results in a way thinner layer.) I leave the pecan layer alone EXCEPT for using way more pecans, around 1 1/2 cups, which works well. I second the poster who suggested Lyle's Golden Syrup instead of corn syrup, been doing that ever since I first made John Thorne's pecan pie recipe from The Outlaw Cook back in the 90s.

I double the sweet potato filling--following the recipe on that yielded too little. (I'm skeptical of the photo with the recipe, because in my view, the standard amount results in a thinner layer.) I leave the pecan layer alone EXCEPT for using way more pecans, around 1 1/3 cups, which works well. I second the poster who suggested Lyle's Golden Syrup instead of corn syrup, been doing that for years, ever since starting to make John Thorne's pecan pie recipe from The Outlaw Cook back in the 90s.

Delicious. Agree with others on needing more filling. Used my usual crust recipe and golden syrup instead of corn syrup (can find at World Market).

Tday 2022 3/4c TJs toasted pecans, TJ maple syrup for Karo, only 1/4 c sugar. Baked two taters Tues and made 1.5 c filling Wed. Added ginger to mix and extra nutmeg, deep dish pan-see pie crust notes at Melissa’s recipe. Used baking stone for first. Bottom crust was perfect after pre-bake.

This is one of my favorite pies to make for the holidays. 1st time I made it was as recipe intended…TOO SWEET from several tasters! So now I cut the sugar in half(-ish). I also make the sweet potato pie as mom would and use baking soda. This keeps the sweet potato filling firm and allows for the distinct divide in the pie but also allows the gooey goodness of the pecan filling to melt as it cools. I’ve baked this pie over 6 yrs now and I come back to it year after year.

Any way to cut the sweetness after the fact? I substituted the maple syrup and it's a but overwhelming.

Should I pre bake the crust?

I use Steen’s Pure Cane syrup instead of the corn syrup. It cuts down the sweetness a little and gives it an richer flavor in my opinion.

I used a traditional pie dish and figured I needed more sweet potato filling. Increased it to 1.5 cups and it was perfect. I added way more cinnamon than instructed for this part. I subbed corn syrup in the pecan pie filling for bourbon maple syrup and it was divine! Skipped the cinnamon here, too, as it seemed unnecessary. I didn’t have the liqueur for the whipped cream so I made a classic one and it was a nice touch.

I was very suspicious to read a pie crust recipe that had so little butter and started with " cream the butter and sugar together" BUT curiosity got the better of me and I tried it out. Should have known better and just made a regular crust. This one is not flaky and just very dry and tasteless. Such a waste. The dual combo pie part turned out ok but I didn't feel like it was really excelling at either one. Next year I'll just pick one or the other and make a traditional pate a brise crust.

Move over, pumpkin pie. This is now going to be our thanksgiving staple dessert. Subbed the corn syrup with maple syrup. Somehow, when the pie is chilled the sweetness comes out more so the next time I make it I’ll cut out 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup syrup from the topping.