Whole Southern sweet potato pie styled with vintage silverware, linen napkins, and fall table setting.

A Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe from a Vintage Southern Cookbook

(Part of the “Home for the Holidays: A Southern Season of Charm” series)

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A Taste of Southern Nostalgia

Most people might guess that a typical Southern Thanksgiving meal would include a favorite Southern sweet potato pie recipe. But the truth is, I hadn’t found one that I really liked until now. Today I’m sharing this treasured recipe that I uncovered, just in time for Thanksgiving. It’s part of this year’s Home for the Holidays: A Southern Season of Charm series, where we’re celebrating meaningful traditions and nostalgic Southern flavors.

A few months ago, while I was thrifting, I stumbled across The Deep South Cookbook, by Southern Living in 1976. I mentioned in an earlier article with my Chicken Mull recipe, that it’s important to me that we keep our Southern cultural recipes alive. So, when I found this cookbook that was full of recipes from a by-gone era, I simply couldn’t leave it behind. (And the fact that it was only $1 was icing on the cake!)

Today we’re making a recipe that I discovered on page 55 of The Deep South Cookbook, which is Harvest Sweet Potato Pie. This recipe was submitted by Shirley Wise of Richmond, Virginia.

As the cookbook states, this recipe was “home-tested, so you can be sure of delicious dining!”

Abby Smolarsky holding The Deep South Cookbook by Southern Living, 1976, inspiration for a vintage Southern sweet potato pie recipe.
Abby with The Deep South Cookbook (Southern Living, 1976), the vintage treasure where she found this classic Harvest Sweet Potato Pie recipe.

A Cookbook Worth Keeping

This cookbook is far from beautiful. The cover decoration is an unmistakably mid-century scene with candles and a platter of roasted poultry. By modern standards, it’s almost an unappetizing image. But after opening the cover of the cookbook, it’s a pure delight. Beyond discovering the Southern sweet potato pie recipe, there are hundreds of other traditional recipes to explore.

The book is divided into states in the Deep South. Each section begins with a brief introduction and history of food in that state. Following the introduction, the pages are filled with simple, approachable recipes for home cooks. Each recipe was written and submitted by real Southern women whose names appear beside that recipe.

I won’t be experimenting with “South Georgia Squirrel Stew,” but today we’re going to make the Southern sweet potato pie recipe. After I share the recipe, I’ll also include a few modern changes that you could make to enhance the nostalgic Southern flavors for your pie this Thanksgiving.

Whole Southern sweet potato pie styled with vintage silverware, linen napkins, and fall table setting.
A classic Southern sweet potato pie, styled simply with vintage silverware and linens for a timeless holiday table.

The Original Harvest Sweet Potato Pie

Whole Southern sweet potato pie styled with vintage silverware, linen napkins, and fall table setting.
Belle Antiquarian (adapted from The Deep South Cookbook, 1976)

Harvest Sweet Potato Pie

A classic Southern sweet potato pie inspired by a 1976 recipe from The Deep South Cookbook, a Southern Living publication. This simple and comforting dessert highlights the timeless flavors of sweet potatoes, cinnamon, and milk in a flaky crust. It is a vintage favorite that feels just as welcoming on today’s holiday table as it did generations ago.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ¾ cups mashed sweet potatoes
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 unbaked pie shell

Method
 

  1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
  2. Combine all of the filling ingredients in a bowl, then beat until smooth.
  3. Pour into the pie shell.
  4. Place on the center rack and bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and the filling is just set. Begin checking at 30 minutes, as baking times may vary.

Notes

For a richer flavor, substitute part or all of the milk with buttermilk or evaporated milk. If using buttermilk, reduce the salt to ½ teaspoon and use 1¼ cups instead of 1½ cups. You can also replace half of the white sugar with light brown sugar for a hint of molasses. Try adding ¼ teaspoon nutmeg and a splash of vanilla extract for a more aromatic pie. Bake until the center is just set, then cool completely before slicing. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream or a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar for a classic Southern finish.
The recipe above is printed exactly as it appeared in The Deep South Cookbook (Southern Living, 1976). Baking times may vary depending on oven type, pie dish material, and the moisture level of your sweet potatoes. Begin checking for doneness at 30 minutes and continue baking until the center is fully set, about 45 minutes total.

Modern Touches for Today’s Kitchen

With only a few ingredients, and even fewer steps to pull this recipe together, I imagine that Mrs. Shirley Wise of Richmond, Virginia, made many of these pies in her time. As much as I love following a recipe exactly as it was written, I also enjoy experimenting with subtle changes that reflect today’s kitchens and ingredients.

To modernize and customize this recipe for my family, I made a few substitutions and additions. The Southern sweet potato pie recipe is delicious just as Mrs. Wise wrote it, but with a few changes, we can introduce a touch of warmth and brightness that is suitable for modern holiday tables.

Here are the ways I updated this Southern sweet potato pie recipe:

  • 1¼ cups buttermilk (instead of milk, reduce salt) – for tang and creaminess.
  • ½ cup white sugar + ½ cup light brown sugar – adds depth and warmth.
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – enhances sweetness naturally.
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg – classic holiday spice that pairs well with cinnamon.
  • ½ teaspoon orange zest (optional) – brightens the flavor slightly; use sparingly so it doesn’t overpower the custard.

Optional variation: add 1 tablespoon melted butter to the filling for extra richness.

Slice of Southern sweet potato pie served on a fall plate with vanilla ice cream dusted with cinnamon.
A slice of sweet potato pie served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a touch of cinnamon — simple, classic Southern comfort.

Serving and Styling

While this pie is simple enough to throw together for a casual meal with the family, it’s also a thoughtful addition to holiday gatherings. We always set up a dessert buffet in our dining room for Thanksgiving, and this Southern sweet potato pie recipe will be included this year. (I’m already looking forward to enjoying a slice with a hot cup of coffee!)

I served mine in a white ceramic pie dish with some simple linen napkins and vintage silverware that I found at an estate sale. I used some fall themed plates and added a small scoop of high-quality vanilla ice cream on the side.

If you’d like to recreate this setup, here are a few of my favorite pieces and some of the kitchen tools I used while baking.

Southern-style kitchen counter with vintage pie plate, rolling pin, glass prep bowls, and a stand mixer surrounded by baking tools used to make a sweet potato pie.
Timeless kitchen essentials that make holiday baking a pleasure. Simple tools, classic materials, and a touch of Southern charm.

Why These Recipes Still Matter

When is the last time you ate sweet potato pie for dessert? Have your kids ever tasted it? Our country enjoys many different cultures throughout the different regions across our great land. In the North you’d probably expect to find cheesecake. In the Midwest, we would probably eat scotcheroos.

Unless we do something to preserve our traditions, they will continue to meld into one indistinguishable, bland culture that has forgotten the spice and flavors of the people who live in each region.

When I found this cookbook and came up with the idea of sharing one of the recipes, I intentionally looked for one that had very few ingredients. Anyone can make pie recipe, even a beginner home cook.

This holiday season, I hope you’ll slow down, honor the stories behind your favorite recipes, and make a little space in your kitchen for history to live again. Whether you’re baking with family, sharing dessert with friends, or simply enjoying a quiet slice with coffee, this sweet potato pie is a delicious reminder of how good the simplest things can be. And Mrs. Shirley Wise, if you’re out there, I loved your pie.

Explore More from This Series

Each article in this series celebrates the beauty of Southern living through the seasons. You can find the full collection on the homepage under Home for the Holidays: A Southern Season of Charm.

Each article in this series celebrates the beauty of Southern living through the seasons. You can find the full collection on the homepage under Home for the Holidays: A Southern Season of Charm.

Abby Smolarsky7 Comments