Paul Prudhomme's Sweet Potato Pecan Pie

Updated Oct. 31, 2021

Paul Prudhomme's Sweet Potato Pecan Pie
Jim Wilson/The New York Times
Total Time
3 hours
Rating
4(332)
Comments
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This recipe came to The Times in 1983 from the renowned Louisiana chef Paul Prudhomme. Like its traditional pecan cousin, this pie is very sweet, so serve it with a little Chantilly cream on top.

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Ingredients

Yield:One 9-inch pie

    For the Crust

    • 3tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 2tablespoons sugar
    • ½beaten egg
    • 2tablespoons milk
    • 1cup flour

    For the Sweet Potato Filling

    • 1cup cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
    • 1tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 1tablespoon vanilla
    • ¼cup firmly packed light brown sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
    • teaspoon nutmeg
    • ⅛ teaspoon allspice
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ½beaten egg
    • 1tablespoon heavy cream
    • 2tablespoons sugar

    For the Pecan Filling

    • ½ cup chopped pecans
    • ¾cup sugar
    • 2eggs
    • tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
    • ¾ cup dark corn syrup
    • Pinch of salt
    • Pinch of cinnamon
    • 2teaspoons vanilla

    For the Chantilly Cream

    • 1cup heavy cream
    • 2tablespoons sugar
    • 1tablespoon orange liqueur
    • 1tablespoon Cognac
Ingredient Substitution Guide
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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the crust: Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add beaten egg and milk; beat about 2 minutes. Stir in flour to moisten ingredients. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour.

  2. Step 2

    Roll out dough into 14-inch circle on lightly floured wax paper, or on a lightly floured work surface. Transfer to a deep 9-inch pie plate; remove wax paper if using. Press pastry into plate and flute edges.

  3. Step 3

    Heat oven to 300 degrees.

  4. Step 4

    Make the sweet potato filling: In a large bowl, combine potato, butter, vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, beaten egg, heavy cream and sugar. Beat at medium speed until mixture is smooth. Spread on bottom of pie crust.

  5. Step 5

    Make the pecan filling: Sprinkle sweet potato filling with pecans. In another bowl, combine sugar, eggs, melted butter, corn syrup, salt, cinnamon and vanilla and beat well. Pour over pecans.

  6. Step 6

    Transfer pie to oven and bake for 1½ hours. Cool.

  7. Step 7

    Make the chantilly cream: Whip heavy cream with sugar, orange liqueur and Cognac. Top each slice of pie with a dollop of cream.

Ratings

4 out of 5
332 user ratings
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Comments

I've made this several times - it's in Paul's "Louisiana Kitchen" cookbook. I make it in a 9" x 3" spring form pan. It's much easier to de-pan that way. Easier to cut when cold also. Best of both worlds - sweet potato and pecan pie together!

Do NOT try to cut corners by using a store crust....it will be much too small; you must use a big, deep-dish pie pan. Sadly - I did, and my oven and I paid.....but, let me say, it was fabulous; my sweet-potato-pie loving husband loved it, and I will make it again, the right way!

I've been making this pie since 1984. It never fails to go over big, especially for those who can't decide between a slice of sweet potato pie or pecan at the holidays. They get to have their pie & eat it too with this recipe! The Chantilly cream sends it over the top-never ceases to amaze me how many people have no clue how freshly whipped cream tastes :-). RIP & thank you Paul Prudhommme for every amazing recipe you've ever given us. Your chef legacy is unparalleled.

I find this recipe easier to make than the one in Paul Prudhomme‘s cookbook, which uses an 8 inch straight sided pie pan. I like how this recipe uses only cognac and Grand Marnier for the chantilly cream. However, I like to add 2 tablespoons of sour cream, as his cookbook

Nowhere near enough to fill a deep 9” pie plate! It’s about half full. It will look stupid but taste good.

i replaced the corn syrup with maple syrup but i found that the mixture was first of all a little too liquidy and second the 'maple' taste was a bit too prominent. i recommend putting in a little less if you are choosing to subsitute the corn syrup with maple syrup.

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