12 hours Ago By [email protected] (Tiffany Betts)
One of the most disappointing things to see when you pull a pie out of the oven is a watery filling. Unfortunately, that can easily happen with any sweet potato pie recipe . That's why Daily Meal asked Lasheeda Perry — dubbed " The Queen of Flavor " — an award-winning pastry chef who "Beat Bobby Flay," for some tips on how to avoid a watery sweet potato pie.
The main culprit behind a watery sweet potato pie is the starchy vegetable taking on too much extra moisture during the boiling or steaming step. However, Perry takes a different approach to preparing them for her pies. "I prefer roasting sweet potatoes over steaming because it preserves their natural sugars and flavor without introducing extra moisture.
Roasting allows excess water to evaporate, resulting in a thick, rich purée," she explained. Sure, it takes an hour in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit instead of just 20 minutes in boiling water for a Southern-style sweet potato pie recipe , but the results are well worth the extra time. Another way to get the best consistency in your sweet potato pie filling is to choose the right liquids for mixing the roasted vegetables and spices together.
Perry says, "When it comes to liquids, avoid using regular milk if possible. Instead, opt for heavy cream or evaporated milk—they add creaminess without thinning the batter." Best crust for sweet potato pie and tips to avoid sogginess The filling isn't the only part of a sweet potato pie that's at risk of becoming watery if you don't take certain precautions.
Not using the right type of crust or not preparing it properly can create soggy results, too. When Daily Meal asked Lasheeda Perry about which crusts are the best and worst to use, she said, "Pie crust is the ultimate choice! It's flaky, buttery, and sturdy enough to support the sweet potato filling. On the other hand, graham cracker crust — while nostalgic and tasty — just doesn't hold up.
It tends to get soggy and weep over time." So, while you might want to avoid the fourth pick in Daily Meal's ultimate ranking of store-bought pie crusts — Keebler Graham Ready Crust — Mrs. Smith's Deep Dish, Bake House Creations, and Koger Traditional Ready-To-Bake Pie Crusts (our top three choices, respectively) are great options for making this kind of dessert.
You can even make your own with a quick and flaky pie crust recipe . Additionally, not blind baking the crust is one of the biggest mistakes everyone makes when baking sweet potato pie , resulting in sogginess. "To prevent a soggy crust, always pre-bake it before adding the filling.
A par baked crust creates a barrier between the filling and the dough," Perry adds, "And if you're baking multiple pies, avoid overcrowding the oven to ensure even baking!".
