Julie Clark
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Sweet Potato Pie with Vanilla Pudding (No Runny Filling, Every Time)
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If you’ve ever cut into a homemade sweet potato pie and watched it slide off the plate, this recipe is your solution. The secret is one box of instant vanilla pudding mix. It guarantees a perfectly set, sliceable filling every single time, and it adds a warm, creamy sweetness that takes this pie to the next level.
This is the sweet potato pie with flaky pie crust I make every year for our Thanksgiving table. It works with canned or fresh sweet potatoes, comes together in about 10 minutes of prep, and holds up beautifully whether you make it same-day or 48 hours ahead.
If you’re building a full holiday dessert spread, our Thanksgiving desserts collection has everything from make-ahead pies to last-minute cookies. Our sweet potato loaf is delicious, too!
Why Vanilla Pudding Makes This Sweet Potato Pie Different
Most sweet potato pie recipes rely entirely on eggs to set the filling, and eggs alone can be unpredictable, especially with the extra moisture from canned sweet potatoes. That’s where instant vanilla pudding changes everything.
The dry pudding mix (you add it without preparing it) acts as a thickener and flavor enhancer in one step. It binds the moisture, firms the custard as it bakes, and adds a creamier texture and subtle vanilla flavor that makes the sweet potato flavor taste richer and more sweeter. Think of it as insurance for a perfect pie. It works every time.
Is French vanilla pudding the same as vanilla pudding for this recipe? You can use French vanilla instant pudding instead of regular vanilla. It has a slightly richer, egg-custard flavor that works beautifully here. The texture result is the same. Just make sure you’re using instant pudding, not cook-and-serve.
Canned vs. Fresh Sweet Potatoes: Which Should You Use?
This sweet potato pie recipe works with both. Here’s how to prep each:
Canned sweet potatoes: Drain them very well. Any excess moisture will prevent the filling from setting. Pat them dry with paper towels if needed, then mash until smooth. One 29-ounce can gives you approximately 2 cups mashed.
Fresh sweet potatoes: Bake the whole sweet potatoes whole at 400°F until completely soft (about 45–60 minutes), then scoop out the sweet potato flesh and mash. Avoid boiling since it adds water. Baked sweet potatoes have a slightly caramelized flavor that is delicious.
Which is better? Both are great. Fresh gives a slightly deeper flavor. Canned is faster and more consistent, which matters on a busy holiday prep day. The vanilla pudding and condensed milk compensate for any flavor difference. Try our condensed milk pumpkin pie, too!
If you have leftover fresh sweet potatoes, our sweet potato fries with spicy mayo are a family favorite!
Ingredients Needed
- Pie shell. Make our grandma’s pie crust, whole wheat pie crust or sourdough pie crust. Even an oatmeal pie crust would work. Or make this filling and use our graham cracker pumpkin pie recipe!
- The vanilla pudding is what makes our recipe unique. It not only adds flavor to the pie, it ensures that the pie will set up. You don’t want a runny sweet potato pie. Use a small box of instant vanilla pudding mix.
- Use canned sweet potatoes or fresh. For canned sweet potatoes, drain them well, then mash. For fresh sweet potatoes, bake them and then scoop out the soft potato on the inside and mash.
- The eggs should be at room temperature and the butter gently melted so that they mix in with the other ingredients well.
✨ For full ingredients and amounts, see the recipe card below. ✨
How to Make Sweet Potato Pie with Vanilla Pudding
- Prepare. Heat oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Fill a 9″ pie plate with pie crust. Make a homemade crust or use a shortcut and buy a pre-made refrigerated pie crust.
- Start the sweet potato mixture. In a large bowl, blend sweet potatoes and sugar with a hand mixer. Add one egg, then beat the mixture. Add the second egg and beat again.
- Finish the filling. Add softened butter, dry pudding mix, condensed milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Mix well.
- Bake the pie. Pour into the unbaked pie crust, spread the filling even and bake for 40-50 minutes.
- Top with a dollop of whipped cream. You can decorate the whole pie with swirls of homemade whipped cream if you’d like.
Common Sweet Potato Pie Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
Mistake #1: Not draining canned sweet potatoes well enough. Extra moisture prevents the filling from setting. Drain thoroughly and mash until very smooth before adding.
Mistake #2: Using cook-and-serve pudding instead of instant. Only instant pudding works here. Cook-and-serve won’t thicken the filling the same way and can give the pie an off texture.
Mistake #3: Cutting the sweet potato pie too soon. Even a fully baked pie needs 2 hours to set at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge. Patience is the real secret ingredient.
Mistake #4: Cold eggs and cold butter. Room temperature eggs and very soft butter incorporate smoothly. Cold butter leaves lumps; cold eggs can cause the filling to seize or separate slightly.
Mistake #5: Overbaking. The custard filling center should still have a slight jiggle when you pull it out. It finishes setting as it cools. A fully solid center when hot means it may be overbaked.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make ahead: Make this traditional sweet potato pie ahead of time, up to 48 hours in advance. Once completely cool, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Freeze it: Baked sweet potato pie freezes well for up to 2–3 months. Cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap then foil, and freeze. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator overnight rather than on the counter, or you’ll get condensation on the surface.
At room temperature: If you’re serving the sweet potato pie the same day, it can sit at room temp for up to 2 hours. Refrigerate after 2 hours.
Recipe Variations
- Love spices? Try adding a sprinkle of freshly ground nutmeg, ground ginger or ground cloves to the sweet potato pie. It will change the flavor slightly but tastes so so good!
- Use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar if you’d like.
- Need a dairy free dessert? Try using plant butter and sweetened condensed coconut milk.
Can I make this in a store-bought frozen crust?
Yes. A frozen deep-dish pie shell works perfectly. No need to pre-bake it. Just press it into shape, fill, and bake.
What does sweetened condensed milk do in sweet potato pie?
It adds rich, creamy sweetness without making the filling watery. Unlike evaporated milk, condensed milk is thick and sweet, so you need less added sugar. Combined with the pudding mix, it creates a silky, custard-like filling that holds its shape when sliced.
Other ways to use sweet potatoes:
Other recipes to love:
Sweet Potato Pie with Vanilla Pudding
Sweet potato pie with vanilla pudding makes for the best ever flavor and texture. Learn how to make homemade pie with canned and fresh sweet potatoes.
Servings 8
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked pie shell
- 2 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- ½ cup salted butter (gently melted so it mixes in easily)
- 1 small box instant vanilla pudding 3.4 ounces (dry mix..do not add milk!)
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk (1 can)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Fill a 9" pie plate with pie crust.1 unbaked pie shell
- In a large bowl, blend sweet potatoes and sugar with a hand mixer. 2 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes, ½ cup packed brown sugar
- Add one egg, then beat the mixture. Add the second egg and beat again. 2 large eggs
- Add softened butter, dry pudding mix, condensed milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Mix well. ½ cup salted butter, 1 small box instant vanilla pudding, 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pour into the unbaked pie crust and bake for 40-50 minutes.
- Allow the pie to cool on a wire rack.
Video
Notes
- Pudding: Use instant vanilla pudding only (3.4 oz box). Do not prepare it. Add the dry powder directly. French vanilla instant pudding is a great substitute.
- Sweet potatoes: Canned (well-drained) or freshly baked both work. Do not boil fresh sweet potatoes. Bake them whole to cook them.
- Doneness: The center should jiggle slightly (like Jello) when you pull it from the oven. It firms fully as it cools.
- Cooling: Cool completely (minimum 2 hours) before slicing for clean, set slices.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers covered for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 291mg | Potassium: 352mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 5270IU | Vitamin C: 2.1mg | Calcium: 177mg | Iron: 1.2mg
I made this recipe and my husband and I love it. I used Bruce’s yams in the can but left everything else the same and it came it great. I will be cooking it again. Thank you for sharing!
Delicious pie! This is my second time making it. Thank you for sharing.
Soooo delicious. This is now my go to recipe. Thanks so much.
Holy moly, I just tasted the batter and it is perfect!! I can’t wait til tomorrow ‘s Thanksgiving dessert to try it!!!
Best sweet potato pie I’ve ever had. Wish my Daddy was still alive he loved him some sweet potato pie.
amazing!♥️ Delicious! I misread the recipe and added 1sp of cinnamon instead of 1/4…I also added…1/4 of nutmeg…Perfect recipe! Thank you!
What do i need to bake 8 potatoe pies
Can I use cook and serve vanilla pudding in the sweet potato recipe? Plus how many oz of pudding mix do I use?
Very nice. Verrrry sweet. Next time i will cut back the sugar and maybe use unsweetened condensed milk.
My rose up about an inch so note sure why.
Really good though. Im a terrible cook though but it was great. In australia we dont eat sweet potato as a dessert. Ever.
But this was great.
I found the recipe made more than a 9″ pie shell could accomodate but the flavor was great
Well, I wanted to try a new recipe for Thanksgiving, but i found this to be too sweet. I couldnt taste the sweet potato anymore, just vanilla. For me it was sweet enough with the condensed milk and vanilla extract. The vanilla pudding mix on top of it was too much for me. But thank you for the recipe. I love trying new things. I will say that the texture of the pie was very nice. So thank you for that.
I’m in Paris and finding canned pumpkin is near impossible so I thought for my ‘French Thanksgiving’ I would try a sweet potato pie instead. I’m so glad I did, it is really delicious. I did not add the box of vanilla pudding (you can’t get it in Paris) so after mashing the sweet potatoes, I let them cook down another 10-15 minutes to evaporate the excess water. After it cooled I mixed the remaining ingredients and used a 10 inch tart pan (also a French thing). I had to use an additional cup of mash, leaving all other measurements… Read more »
Absolutely Fabulous Thanks for sharing Recipe is perfect
This pie is amazing!!! I’d only had sweet potato pie once before and it was store bought. I wasn’t crazy about it so I figured I’d try to make one myself. I followed the recipe and added just a punch of ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. It was soooo good. I made two of them and ended up eating about half of one by myself… whoops!! Everybody raved about it… I plan on making it again tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe!
My new go to recipe for sweet potato pie. Absolutely delicious.