Mini Sweet Potato Pies

By Genevieve Ko

Published November 17, 2020

  • Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Susan Spungen.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
1¼ hours, plus cooling and chilling
Rating
4(193)
Comments
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Coconut milk gives the spiced sweet potato filling in these small pies a delicate custard texture, and coconut flakes on top deliver a toasted nuttiness. This recipe calls for pressing two dozen tiny crusts into a mini-muffin tin, which may seem tedious, but is easy with the help of a wine or champagne cork, which is the ideal size for tamping down the graham cracker crumbs. These two-bite (OK, one-bite) pies need to be chilled, so they’re ideal for making ahead and can be refrigerated for up to three days.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 dozen mini pies

FOR THE FILLING

  • 1 medium sweet potato (10 ounces/285 grams), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

  • ½ cup/100 grams granulated sugar

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

  • ½ cup/120 milliliters unsweetened full-fat coconut milk, well shaken

  • 1 teaspoon dark rum or vanilla extract

  • 1 large egg, at room temperature

  • ½ cup/45 grams unsweetened coconut flakes

FOR THE CRUST

  • 5 whole graham crackers, finely ground (⅔ cup/80 grams)

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

  • ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

10 grams carbs; 13 milligrams cholesterol; 85 calories; 1 gram monosaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 5 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 74 milligrams sodium; 1 gram protein; 6 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Start the filling: Prepare a steamer. Steam the sweet potato over medium-high heat until falling-apart tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the sweet potato to a food processor and purée until smooth. Alternatively, smash and stir with a heavy whisk until smooth.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, make the crust: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cups of a mini-muffin tin with paper liners. Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the butter, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a bowl until evenly combined.

  3. Step 3

    Divide mixture evenly among the mini-muffin liners (about 1 packed teaspoon per cup). Using a wine cork or your fingertips, firmly press the crumbs into an even layer. Bake until brown at the edges, 6 to 8 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    While the crust bakes, finish the filling: Smash the sugar, butter, pumpkin pie spice and salt until well combined, then stir in ¾ cup sweet potato, the coconut milk and the rum until smooth. Stir in the egg until just incorporated.

  5. Step 5

    When the crusts are done, divide the filling among the hot crusts (about 1 tablespoon per cup). Sprinkle with the coconut flakes. Return to the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees.

  6. Step 6

    Bake until the coconut is golden brown and the pies are set, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pans on a wire rack until room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
193 user ratings
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Comments

Cheryl

Could you substitute pumpkin for the sweet potato?

Geraldine

Can you substitute evaporated milk for coconut?

Sasquatch

I remember a similar recipe that used ginger snaps as a crust-they apparently fit right into the bottom of the mini muffin pan.

kafilah

I made this with buttermilk instead of coconut milk. I would like to try oat milk next. I used Trader Joe’s pie crusts to make the pie tart in a muffin pan pressed in with olive oil. Instead of unsalted butter and salt I used 2 tablespoons of salted butter and I roasted the sweet potatoes with a ton of cinnamon before mashing everything up. A bit of a different recipes but came out good.

bigger sweet potato

Def need a bigger sweet potato I would say. Mine were scantly filled which isn’t bad but think they would be better with more filling. I also roasted the sweet potato which I think gave it a little more depth

Joanna

I don't have a mini muffin tin, so I just used a regular muffin tin and cooked it for 35 minutes. Delicious!

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