This bourbon sweet potato pie sits in a crisp and flaky pie crust and tastes extra special with homemade marshmallow creme on top. The filling features hints of bourbon and vanilla with lots of cinnamon and spices.
Tell Me About this Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie
- Texture: Flaky and crisp pie crust, smooth and buttery sweet potato filling, ultra creamy marshmallow topping. There’s unbeatable texture contrast in every single bite. I always appreciate sweet potato pie because the filling is denser and more substantial than pumpkin pie.
- Flavor: There’s a lot of flavors working together in this filling. First, you have the naturally flavorful foundation of sweet potatoes. On top of this, you’ll taste hints of bourbon, brown sugar, and vanilla, lots of cinnamon, nutmeg, and other warming spices, plus the irresistible toasted marshmallow on top. The flavor combination reminds me a lot of these pumpkin cupcakes with marshmallow frosting and my sweet potato casserole. For the pie crust, I even used half whole wheat flour to add some wholesome nutty flavor. Talk about comfort food—this pie was unbelievable! See my recipe note if you want to try it that way too.
- Ease: Intermediate. For the common baker, homemade pies aren’t the easiest. However if you take your time, read through the recipe before beginning, and use this blog post as your guide, you’re on track for sweet potato pie success.
- Topping: This bourbon sweet potato pie is phenomenal even without the marshmallow topping because you can really focus on the filling’s flavors. But if you want to serve this pie with a major WOW factor, add the topping. It’s always fun to break out a kitchen torch.
- Time: Homemade pie is a labor of love that requires a full morning or afternoon. Make the pie dough in advance so it’s ready to go. Give yourself enough time to boil the sweet potatoes, too. The pie takes around 1 hour in the oven, then allow 2 hours to cool down before topping or serving.
Overview: How to Make Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie
The full printable/written recipe is below.
- Make the pie dough. I recommend prepping your pie dough in advance. It can sit in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can use my favorite homemade pie crust or this all butter pie crust. Both recipes yield enough for 2 9-inch pies—you only need 1 for this recipe. Freeze the other half or make another 1 crust pie: chocolate chess pie, banana cream pie, or pecan pie.
- Make the filling: Boil sweet potatoes until soft. Peel them, then beat with a mixer or blend with a blender until smooth and pureed. Beat/blend in the remaining ingredients. Make sure the butter in the filling is extra soft so it can easily blend with the liquid ingredients.
- Bake the pie: The pie takes about 1 hour.
- Cool for a couple hours before serving. During this time, you can make the marshmallow topping.
- Make the marshmallow meringue. More on the topping below.
The Bourbon
Bourbon and sweet potato pie are a natural pairing and after tasting this pie, I have a feeling you’ll agree. The bourbon doesn’t overpower at all; you won’t feel tipsy after eating a slice. But you can tell something unique is baked in. Since the bourbon is being used in a recipe and you only need 1/4 cup, no need to purchase the fancy expensive stuff. I used Jim Beam. It’s what I use my bourbon cherry crisp too– another great dessert option.
If you want a non-alcoholic version, use the filling from this brown sugar sweet potato pie instead. It skips the booze, but tastes just as creamy, smooth, and spiced.
You can serve this pie plain—my guests loved it that way. You could even add some whipped cream and spike it with bourbon. Make my whipped cream recipe and add 1-2 Tablespoons of bourbon with the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla.
Marshmallow Topping
For something extra special, try marshmallow topping. I use this topping often and have an entire separate post about how to make homemade marshmallow creme. (We scale down the recipe for this pie.) It’s technically meringue, but tastes like melted marshmallows. You only need 4 ingredients, a stovetop, and a mixer. Cream of tartar is a non-negotiable because the egg whites won’t set up without it. You can top this s’mores brownie pie with the exact same topping also. And since you’ll have cream of tartar, a batch of snickerdoodles on the side is always a good idea. 😉
4 helpful notes:
- You can use the 2 leftover egg whites from your pie’s filling.
- Save time by making the marshmallow topping as the pie cools.
- You can pipe it with a large star piping tip such a Wilton 1M like I do on this chai pumpkin meringue pie, or simply spoon and spread it on top of the pie like you see in these photos.
- Toasting it is optional, but obviously a lot of fun. Use a kitchen torch (affiliate link—this is the torch I own and love). If you’re on the fence about purchasing one—I rarely use mine, but when I need it, I’m very thankful I have one! Worth it.
Making homemade pie is always such a satisfying project. This is pure comfort food and the presentation always impresses!
If you’re looking for more inspiration, here are all of our favorite Thanksgiving pies.
Print
Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Topping
- Prep Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes (includes pie dough chilling)
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 7 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: 1 9-inch pie
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Southern
Description
This sweet potato pie features hints of bourbon and vanilla, lots of cinnamon and spice, and tastes phenomenal paired with creamy marshmallow meringue on top. My advice is to make the pie dough ahead of time so it’s ready to go.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 unbaked Flaky Pie Crust (what I used) or All Butter Pie Crust*
- egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk or heavy cream
Filling
- 1.5 lbs sweet potatoes (2 medium/large)
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, super soft (see note)
- 2/3 cup (135g) packed light or dark brown sugar (I recommend dark)
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 1/4 cup (60ml) bourbon*
- 1 large egg + 2 large egg yolks* (see note)
- 1 Tablespoon (8g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Marshmallow Meringue
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pie crust: I like to make sure my pie dough is prepared before I begin making this pie. Make pie dough the night before because it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before rolling out (step 3).
- As the pie dough chills, start the sweet potatoes: Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover them with water, then bring to a boil on the stovetop. Boil for 45-50 minutes, or until super soft. During this time, begin step 3.
- Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the disks of chilled dough (use the 2nd pie crust for another recipe or freeze). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is completely smooth. To make a lovely thick edge, I do not trim excess dough around the edges. Instead, fold the excess dough back over the edge and use your hands to mold the edge into a nice thick rim around the pie. Crimp the edges with a fork or use your fingers to flute the edges. Brush edges with egg wash. Chill the dough in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 15 minutes as you work on the filling– this helps prevent the crust from shrinking.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Drain the boiling water and run the potatoes under very cold water. The skin should peel off easily at this point. Cool for a few minutes until easy to handle. Slice the potatoes into a couple large chunks, then place into a mixing bowl.
- For the filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment (or you can use a blender for this), beat/blend the potatoes on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the remaining filling ingredients and beat/blend on high speed until smooth and combined. Spread filling into prepared pie crust.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes or until the center of the pie is only slightly jiggly. A toothpick inserted into the center of the pie should come out *mostly* clean. During bake time, if you find the edges of the pie crust are browning too quickly, apply a pie crust shield or a ring of aluminum foil to protect it.
- Remove finished pie from the oven. Place on a wire rack to cool completely or for at least 2 hours. The pie filling will sink and set as it cools.
- For the marshmallow meringue: Place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl. Set bowl over a saucepan filled with two inches of simmering water. Do not let it touch the water. (You can use a double boiler if you have one.) Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture has thinned out, about 4 minutes. The mixture’s temperature taken with an instant read thermometer should be 160°F (71°C). If it’s not, keep cooking and whisking until thinned out and temperature is warm enough. Remove from heat. Add the vanilla extract, then using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat on high speed for 5 minutes until stiff glossy peaks form. You can read more about and watch me make this in my separate marshmallow meringue frosting post.
- Spread marshmallow cream on top of cooled pie. Serve immediately or store at room temperature or in the refrigerator uncovered up to 8 hours before serving. If desired, toast the marshmallow topping with a kitchen torch just before serving. If you want to use the oven to toast instead, see detailed recipe Note.
- Cover and store leftovers at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: This a great pie to make 1 day in advance (without the meringue topping) because the flavors are even better on day 2– cover tightly and store at room temperature. Add meringue topping within a few hours before serving. The pie dough can also be prepared ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also boil, drain, and puree the potatoes up to 2 days ahead of time. Bring to room temperature before continuing with the recipe. Baked pie freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving. Prepared filling can be frozen up to 3 months, thaw at room temperature before using.
- Crust: Both linked pie crust recipes make 2 crusts. You only need 1 crust for this pie, so freeze the 2nd half for another use. For the pictured pie, I actually used half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour (1 and 1/4 cups each). I kept everything else in the pie crust recipe and instructions the same. It had a wonderful nutty flavor. We loved it, especially with this pie.
- Sweet Potatoes: 1.5 pounds is usually 2 medium/large sweet potatoes. After pureeing or beating until mashed, you’ll have about 2 and 1/4 cups to use in the recipe. You can use plain baked sweet potatoes if that’s easier, just make sure they’re soft enough to mash into a puree. You can make this pie with pumpkin puree instead (I recommend using canned), but reduce amount to 2 cups.
- Butter: You need 6 Tablespoons of softened unsalted butter in the filling. To help it blend with the liquid ingredients in the filling, make sure it’s super soft. (Even softer than room temperature butter.) Cut it into pieces and microwave it for 15-20 seconds to help it soften.
- Bourbon: I’m not much of a bourbon connoisseur. Since the bourbon is being used in a recipe and you only need 1/4 cup, no need to purchase the fancy expensive stuff. I used Jim Beam. If you want to skip the alcohol, try my brown sugar sweet potato pie instead. You can top that with this marshmallow topping if desired.
- Eggs: You need 1 large egg + an additional 2 large egg yolks in the filling. Conveniently, you can use the 2 whites for the meringue topping. You also need 1 egg for the egg wash, which is brushed on the crust before baking. This means you need 4 large eggs total.
- Toasting topping in the oven: Instead of a torch, you can use your oven. Preheat to 450°F (232°C), and bake until the meringue begins to brown, usually about 2–3 minutes—keep a close eye on it. You could also use the broiler, but I find this method quickly burns the exposed crust, so I generally don’t recommend it unless you cover just the crust with some aluminum foil.
Keywords: bourbon sweet potato pie, Thanksgiving
I made this with an All Butter Crust and it was AMAZING. I will note – I did put my butter in the microwave for 20 seconds and the bottom started to melt, but the top must of not have been soft enough, because it did not cream. My batter had flecks of butter, BUT, it still turned out great.
I also used full fat sour cream and greek yogurt in place of the heavy cream and it worked great.
THIS IS A KEEPER!
Hi Sally!
What would be your recommendations with regards to cooking time and any other adjustments if I wanted to turn this into individual pies / tartlets? I have some 10cm fluted tartlet tins, and think this recipe would look amazing as individual pies!
Thanks 🙂
Hi Harrison, you can certainly make these as mini tartlets. We’re unsure of the exact time (we’d expect it to be much quicker, but keep a close eye on them) and you can bake at the same temperature. Enjoy!
I know I’m a bit late on this but the after holidays hangover hit hard this year. I made this pie for Christmas and it was so yummy! I’ve never had sweet potato pie before and I’ve never made marshmallow meringue like this, both were so easy and delicious. I did overcook the meringue just a little, high broiler with the door closed and a bit of distraction will do that. I caught my cooking mitt on fire accidentally while taking it out of the oven… but it was so worth it and it made things exciting!
★★★★★
I made this and your great pumpkin pie and they were both absolutely amazing. Your step by step instructions for the pie crust made me feel more confident. I did have an issue with the bottom of the pie crusts not baking all the way. Could this be because I did not roll the pie dough out thin enough?
Hi Capri, Thank you for trying both recipes! It could have been due to a thicker pie crust. What type of pan were you using? We like to use glass pie dishes because they conduct heat evenly, which allows the bottom of the crust to bake thoroughly. Also, you’ll be able to look at the bottom to see when the sides and bottom of the crust has browned.
Made this for T-day and a first at making marshmallow for me. Was crossing my fingers but not holding my breath in case I messed it up though try to follow your directions carefully. And it turned out PERfect and delish and not that hard. Creamy topping with a crisped layer from a quick toast under the broiler is such a nice pair to the silky sweet potato. Thanks for always having recipes I can get right on the first try. I made a gingerbread house for the 1st time from you recipe last year and it was perfect too. Sally’s help is up to about 30 for 30 in my cooking game. Thanks for the wonderful guidance and making mine & my peoples’ days more tasty.
★★★★★
Hi Sally! I hope you had an amazing Thanksgiving! I wanted to update you.
I used Pillsbury pre-made dough and it worked great!
For topping I melted marshmallow with karo syrup then added to your Swiss Meringue, vanilla and bourbon…messy but DIVINE!! I wish I could include a pic.
★★★★★
Happy to hear that worked for you, Laura! Thanks for reporting back 🙂
This pie was fantastic. Even my kids loved it (especially the marshmallow topping). I also love that your instructions are so easy to follow.
★★★★★
I’m glad it was a hit for your family, Michael! Thanks so much for the positive feedback.
Hi, I don’t have a torch either. I hit the meringue incredibly stiff and put the pie under the broiler for about three minutes. I kept a close eye on it so I could take it out if it started melting. It worked like a charm!
I made this today, to serve tomorrow for thanksgiving. I used a glass pie pan. After it cooled awhile, I lifted it to look at the bottom. The bottom looks really pale, and possibly undercooked! The pie seemed done. A fork poked in the middle came out clean, and it was jiggly. But I’m afraid the bottom of the crust in undercooked. Is there any way to save it?!
Thank you!
I ended up just risking it, and hoping the crust was fine. It was! Thank you for this recipe. It was delicious! This was my first time making thanksgiving dinner and my first time making a pie! So, just a little bit of stress . Your directions were perfect for a first time pie maker, very detailed!
★★★★★
Hi, Sally! I’m so looking forward to trying this pie! I made your pie crust yesterday in preparation and I’ve just realized that I used 8 tbsp of butter instead of 6, in addition to the required shortening. Should I remake the crust today or just run with what I’ve got? It’s my first time making a pie from scratch and I’m okay with imperfect but not ruined, haha! Thanks!
Hi Cait, You may notice your crust leaks some butter with that much but you can still try using it.
Hi Sally! I’m super excited to try this recipe. I have a 28 oz can of canned yams, can I substitute that for the sweet potatoes in this recipe?
Thanks!
Hi Ritu, I haven’t tested it, but they should work. You’ll want to mash/puree them. Use 2 and 1/4 cups mashed yams.
Hi Sally! This recipe sounds amazing! Can’t wait to try it. Couple questions:
1) Can I use a prepared crust or even a cookie crust?
2) Do you have an actual marshmallow whipped topping recipe I could make with marshmallows or would just putting marshmallows on top work?
I’d really like the marshmallow flavor.
Hi this recipe sounds so good but I want to make two 5-inch pies. I’m guessing I need no more than half the filling this recipe would make. Do you think I could use one whole egg and one egg yolk and cut the other ingredients in half? Any other tips or ideas? Thanks!
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I feel like the answer is no- but wondering if there’s anyway this could be made dairy free?
I think you could sub coconut cream for the cream and maybe coconut oil for the butter but I’m just guessing. Hopefully Sally has an answer for you.
Hello, Sally! Do you have any recommendations for butane fuel for the kitchen torch?
I use Knob Creek and any bourbon left in my shot glass is my reward. Two things I do differently is that I use the marshmallows as a sweetener instead of sugar, and I use canned sweet potatoes. (drain the water) The marshmallows melt right into my potatoes and go into the background as I intended. I flavored my side dish sweet potatoes this way and my sister declared them, “out of this world”.
I have a Williamsburg Colonial Cookbook which features variations of recipes of this iconic southern dessert. Some of them tell you to add “whiskey” which I have always read as bourbon. I have been making this for decades. The page is splattered with filling.
If you can’t decide between pumpkin pie and sweet potato pie, maybe this is a way to have both? Also, this works at Easter! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
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Can you explain why you don’t recommend par-baking the crust? I’m concerned the crust will be soggy if it’s not par-baked. Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth! Feel free to par-bake if you’d like. That step always helps achieve a crisp crust. 10 minutes, like this pumpkin pie, would be plenty.
I skip it for this pie because the crust takes just as long as the filling. The filling is quite thick and not as liquid-y. For thinner fillings, I usually par-bake.
Hi Sally! I was wondering if I use 10-inch pie pan how much would I need to increase your pie recipes? Thank you so much!
Hi Risse! This filling, as written, should be fine in a 10-inch pie dish. The bake time will be slightly shorter. For the crust– it uses half of a 2 pie crust recipe– so you may want to make it a larger half, such as 3/4 of the recipe. Make the crust recipe as written, then use 3/4 of it (just eyeball it). Freeze the remaining dough to use at another time. You can always defrost and combine it with more pie dough at another time.
Does the meringue not hold in the fridge? I’d like to make it for my work potluck but I can’t make meringue at 530 in the morning
Hi Christina, it holds in the refrigerator but only for so long. Assembling and topping the pie with it the night before should be fine. If you’re toasting it, I recommend doing that shortly before serving.
This pie sounds delicious, Sally. I usually bake my sweet potatoes. Will this work in this recipe?
Yes! Plain baked and mashed sweet potatoes work.
I baked mine and the pie came out perfect.
Made it. Absolutely loved it! You have another winner here. I’ve added it to my “must bake for the holidays” list. Thank you for creating the best recipes!
★★★★★
I want to make this as a tart (just to make it a bit smaller, there’s only 2 of us!), if I halve the recipe would that give me approximately the right amout of filling for a tart pan? (I know this is not an exact science, I’m justing hoping for a more experienced guess than mine!) Thank you!
Hi Rachael, though I haven’t tested it, I assume that halving this recipe should give you plenty for a standard and thin 9-inch tart. You may want to make the full dough recipe (you use 1 crust here) to make sure you have enough.
Hello, this pie sounds great! Can I ask why we boil the potatoes and then peel, instead of peeling, and then boiling? Does it affect the consistency of the sweet potato?
Hi Kelli, I find that too much water seeps into the peeled potatoes. That’s why I usually boil then peel.
hi sally! i made this pie and wow! the taste was not only amazing but the smell too! smelled like christmas and tasted like it too!
if i’m trying to make this pie in advance, could i cook the potatoes ahead of time to save time? or would that effect the taste of the pie?
★★★★★
Hi Ariel, you can boil and drain the sweet potatoes a couple days in advance. Keep covered tightly and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before continuing with the recipe.
I just made this and oh my goodness – it is absolutely DELICIOUS. I can’t wait to make it again for the holidays so that I can share it with my whole family!
★★★★★
What in this mandates it to be refrigerated? I just don’t have the extra space in the fridge. (I need a commercial size fridge ☺️)
Hi Sarah! The gooey meringue topping. However, feel free to let it sit out for a day.
Hi Sally! Sorry if you’ve answered this elsewhere, but do you have a recommended type and/or brand of pie pan? I’ve noticed a lot of your pictures have glass pans. Do you ever use ceramic or aluminum, or is glass your go-to?
Hi Sarah, We prefer using a glass pie dish when making pie. Glass dishes conduct heat evenly, which allows the bottom of the crust to bake thoroughly. Also, you’ll be able to see when the sides and bottom of the crust has browned. To see the exact pans Sally has in her kitchen you can see #7 in the post Stock Your Kitchen with These 8 Baking Pans. I hope this helps!
This recipe is amazing! Perfectly balanced fall spices and the hint of bourbon makes this pie really special. Dare I say it’s the best pie I’ve had in a long time. I don’t have a kitchen torch so I just put a big dollop on my slice. I used Sally’s flaky pie dough; a delicious, reliable recipe. I see this becoming a regular Fall recipe.
My husband gives it 10 stars.
★★★★★
Hi Sally,
Have you ever tried this with yellow sweet potatoes?
Hi Kim, I haven’t tested it but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work.
This looks amazing Sally! I made your sweet potato pie for thanksgiving last year, and now I’m going to give this one a go. I don’t have a kitchen torch, but which one do you recommend me getting? Thanks
Hi Sarah! I link to my favorite in the post and recipe (step 10). I purchased it off Amazon. The best one I’ve owned. Here it is: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01G3MZWBU/