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These Fried Sweet Potato Pies have a light and flaky crust with a sweet potato filling that's creamy and loaded with flavor that'll leave your taste buds dancing!
Here are some more pie recipes to add to your recipe rotation: Fried Apple Pies, Fried Peach Pies, Sweet Potato Pie, Cherry Galette, Apple Pie with Graham Cracker Crust, and Lemon Ice Box Pie.
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This fried sweet potato pie recipe is over 100 years old. My great-grandfather would always make it for my grandmother and her siblings. He would sell them during Mardi Gras, along with peanuts and candy apples.
My mom always raved about the pie, but I never had them. I couldn't figure out why I'd been a part of this family for decades for several family dinners, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, and never had them.
I was told grandmother conveniently stopped making them when I was born, and she was the only person in the family with the recipe.
I tried to make them with the oral stories on my own but was ridiculed for not making them correctly. By my auntie, who had them all her life but never made them.
I convinced my grandmother to get in the kitchen and show me the recipe. However, you know grandparents don't use written recipes but muscle memory. And will share recipes with measurements like a spoon of this, a pinch of that, and stir it until it looks right.
I measured everything! Until it looked right to her. I hope my family recipe, which was almost lost forever, brings joy to your family as it does mines.
Key Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need for some incredibly yummy sweet potato pie.
Fresh Sweet Potatoes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best results. So get your vegetable peeler out and peel those sweet potatoes.
Self-Rising Flour
Self-rising flour includes baking soda and salt. The baking soda will help the pie crust to puff as it fries.
Granulated Sugar
You only need old faithful, but you can use light brown or dark brown sugar.
Warm Spices
You'll need cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
Shortening
I highly recommend you use a non-hydrogenated shortening for health purposes. Shortening makes some of the best homemade flaky pie crusts.
Evaporated Milk
Since evaporated milk is cooked, the natural sugar shines, adding a robust flavor compared to other types of milk.
How To Make Fried Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
This recipe is pretty straightforward; if you don't have a large enough biscuit cutter, you'll need to roll out the crust so it's large enough to fit the sweet potato filling without coming out.
Sweet Potato Filling:
Add sweet potatoes to a medium pot, cover with water, boil, and cook for 20 minutes.
Or until sweet potatoes are fork-tender.
Drain and place back in the same pot; add the sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
Mash the sweet potatoes with a potato masher or a fork.
Mix until smooth (I like using a whisk). Set to the side to cool.
Pie Crust:
In a large bowl, mix flour and shortening with a pastry cutter or fork.
Until it resembles a cornmeal texture.
Add evaporated milk and mix until dough is formed.
Knead 20 times on a lightly floured surface until the dough ball is smooth. Shape into a disc and pop in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.
Roll out dough to ⅛ inch on a floured surface, and with a 4 ½ inch biscuit cutter, cut out 8 circles. Roll out another 1-inch in diameter.
Add 2 tablespoons of cooled sweet potato filling to each pie circle. Dip your fingers in water and rub around the top half of the pie crust. Fold the dough over and crimp the edges with a fork. Sit on a foiled-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pie circles.
Fry Pies:
Heat oil to 350°F/ 176°C degrees and fry four pies at a time for 45 seconds per side until light golden brown.
Drain on a cooling rack or on a baking sheet lined with paper towels; keep pies warm in a 200°F/ 93°C oven while you fry the remaining pies.
Dust with a generous amount of powdered sugar.
Serve fried sweet potato pies warm, by themselves, or with vanilla ice cream.
How To Store Fried Sweet Potato Pies
Leftover fried sweet potato pies are best eaten the same day but will remain fresh for 1 day in an airtight container on the counter.
To reheat pies in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or in a 400°F oven for 5-6 minutes or air fryer for 3-4 minutes until warm.
After the pies have cooled off, you can store them in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months. Be sure to thaw them for 24 hours before using them.
Pie dough can be made a day in advance, shaped into a disc, and wrapped in plastic wrap. Keep in a freezer storage bag for 1 month. Thaw in the fridge a day before using.
Pro Recipe Tips & Tricks
Here are some techniques, substitutes, and flavor builders you'll need for these glorious fried sweet potato pies.
- You can bake the pies in a 400°F oven for 15 minutes.
- You can roll hot fried pies in cinnamon sugar if you want.
- Drizzle pies with condensed milk instead of powdered sugar.
- Feel free to use light brown sugar instead of granulated sugar.
- Zest of a medium orange would be great in place of lemon zest.
- Make your own self-rising flour by combining 1 cup of all-purpose or gluten-free flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- If your pie dough begins to break as you roll it out, knead it 20 times, shape it into a disc, and pop it in the fridge for 15-30 minutes. Warm temperatures can cause the shortening to melt.
- While using a pre-made pie crust from the store is an option, it may result in a pie that lacks the same flavor and flakiness as a homemade crust. Also, you may need to find a version that fits your dietary needs because most, like Pillsbury, pie crusts are made with lard (pork) and gluten.
- If you don't have a rolling pin use a wine bottle or a sturdy large glass.
- You can substitute any milk that you currently have for the evaporated milk.
- Use any canola oil instead of peanut oil.
FAQ
Here are the top questions readers have about people have about making fried sweet potato pies at home.
Yes, I would spray the air-fryer basket with cooking spray and the top of the pies, and air-fry at 400°F oven for 15 minutes, flipping halfway.
More Sweet Potato Recipes
I know you'll love these recipes if you love sweet potatoes as much as I do!
- Sweet Potato Cheesecake
- Sweet Potato Waffles
- Sweet Potatoes Pancakes
- Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls
- Sweet Potato Pecan Ice Cream
- Sweet Potato Casserole
Before You Begin
Here are my steps for getting organized and moving fast in the kitchen.
Step 1: Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes under cold water. Then get all ingredients for the sweet potato hand pies on the counter.
Step 2: Put everything measured into individual bowls.
Step 3: Start following the recipe and get ready for the best fried sweet potato pies you’ve ever enjoyed.
This Fried Sweet Potato Pie recipe is a great way to eliminate the stress of making a whole sweet potato pie. Combining the creamy sweet potato with a kiss of lemon and the crispy exterior offers a delightful contrast that will make your taste buds dance.
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📖 Recipe
Fried Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Filling:
- 1 ½ lbs. sweet potato (1-2 medium size) peeled, chopped
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Pie Crust:
- 1 ½ cups self-rising flour
- ¼ cup shortening
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- 4 cups peanut oil
- powder sugar garnish
Instructions
Sweet Potato Filling:
- Add sweet potatoes to a medium pot, cover with water, boil, and cook for 20 minutes or until sweet potatoes are fork-tender.
- Drain and place back in the same pot, and mash the sweet potatoes with a fork; add the sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract mix until smooth. Set to the side to cool.
Pie Crust:
- In a large bowl, mix flour and shortening until it resembles a cornmeal texture. Add evaporated milk and mix until dough is formed. Knead 20 times on a lightly floured surface until the dough ball is smooth. Shape into a disc and pop in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.
- Roll out dough to ⅛ inch on a floured surface, and with a 4 ½ inch biscuit cutter, cut out 8 circles. Roll out another 1-inch in diameter. Repeat again with the dough scraps.
- Add 2 tablespoons of cooled sweet potato filling to each pie circle. Dip your fingers in water and rub around the top half of the pie crust. Fold the dough over and crimp the edges with a fork. Sit on a foiled-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pie circles.
Fry Pies:
- Heat oil to 350°F/ 176°C degrees and fry four pies at a time for 45 seconds per side until light golden brown. Drain on a cooling rack or on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
- Keep pies warm in a 200°F/ 93°C oven while you fry the remaining pies. Dust with a generous amount of powdered sugar. Serve warm, by themselves, or with vanilla ice cream.
Video
Notes
- You can bake the pies in a 400°F oven for 15 minutes.
- You can roll hot fried pies in cinnamon sugar if you want.
- Drizzle pies with condensed milk instead of powdered sugar.
- Feel free to use light brown sugar instead of granulated sugar.
- Zest of a medium orange would be great in place of lemon zest.
- Make your own self-rising flour by combining 1 cup of all-purpose or gluten-free flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- While using a pre-made pie crust from the store is an option, it may result in a pie that lacks the same flavor and flakiness as a homemade crust. Also, you may need to find a version that fits your dietary needs because most, like Pillsbury, pie crusts are made with lard (pork) and gluten.
- If you don't have a rolling pin use a wine bottle or a sturdy large glass.
- You can substitute any milk that you currently have for the evaporated milk.
- Use any canola oil instead of peanut oil.
Diane Buckley says
This sounds delicious! I’m from New Orleans and was looking for a recipe like my grandmother’s sweet potato hand pies. Thank you!
You have sugar listed twice in the recipe. I wanted to make sure that was correct. Thank you again!
Diane Daigle Buckley
Kenneth says
Hey Diane, I hope this brings a fond memory of your grandmother's pies. I've updated the recipe.
Lori meuse says
does the need the zest of like the whole lemon will that taste not over power the sweet potatoes?
Kenneth Temple says
It will not.