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Sweet Potato Pie with Gingersnap Crust

Classic sweet potato pie is upgraded with the addition of vanilla bean paste and baked into a zippy gingersnap cookie crust.

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 people
Author: The Kitchen Prep

Ingredients

For Cookie Crust

  • 2 cups gingersnap cookies
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 5 tablespoons butter melted

For Pie Filling

  • cup butter room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • ¾ cups evaporated milk
  • 2 cups mashed sweet potato
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Make the Crust

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Add the cookies and sugar to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until pulverized. You'll need about 1½ cups of gingersnap crumbs. Transfer to a bowl.
    Add the melted butter and toss until the mixture resembles wet sand.
  • Dump the crumbs into a 9 inch pie dish and, using the bottom of a measuring cup, flatten the bottom and bring the crumbs up around the edges to create a crust.
  • Bake for 7-9 minutes or until fragrant. Set aside to cool while you make the pie filling.

Make the Pie Filling

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamed.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, until they're fully incorporated. Stop the mixture and use a spatula to scrape any of the butter that's stuck to the bowl. Continue to beat until incorporated.
  • Add the evaporated milk, mashed sweet potatoes, vanilla bean paste, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix until everything is well-incorporated. {The mixture may look slightly curdled, but that's ok.}
  • Pour the mixture into the cooled crust and use a spatula to even out the top.
  • Place into the oven and lightly tent with a sheet of foil. Bake for about 30 minutes, then remove the foil, and bake for another 20 minutes. When done, the center will be mostly set {with a slight jiggle} and the mixture will have slightly puffed up.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool for 20-30 minutes before cutting and serving, or cool completely then cover and chill in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.