Sweet Potato Pecan Pie

Sweet potato pecan pie is what happens when two Thanksgiving classics decide to share a crust. The bottom is a silky, spiced sweet potato custard rich with butter and half-and-half. The top is a buttery brown sugar streusel that bakes into a crackly, caramelized cap.

Ricing the cooked sweet potatoes is the move that separates a great pie from a lumpy one. A ricer pushes the flesh through tiny holes, leaving you with a fluffy, cloud-like puree that blends into the custard with no fibrous strings. A potato masher works in a pinch, but pass it through a fine sieve afterward if you want the smoothest texture.

Ginger and cinnamon do the seasoning work here without overwhelming the natural sweetness of the potato. The chopped pecans folded right into the filling deliver bursts of toasty crunch in every bite, while the streusel topping bakes up golden and crisp.

Let the pie cool fully before slicing. Cutting in too early gives you a runny middle; an hour on the rack delivers clean, custardy wedges.

Pro Tips

• Roast the sweet potatoes whole rather than boiling. Roasting concentrates the sugars and avoids a watery filling.
• Tent the pie loosely with foil if the streusel is browning faster than the custard sets.
• Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream or a scoop of bourbon vanilla ice cream.
• Bakes beautifully a day ahead. Hold at room temperature, covered loosely.

Variations

• Swap pecans for toasted walnuts for a slightly more bitter, woodsy crunch.
• Stir a tablespoon of bourbon or dark rum into the filling for a holiday-party version.
• Add a pinch of cayenne to the streusel for a sweet-savory edge that plays beautifully against the brown sugar.