This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This small sweet potato pie has a smooth, spiced filling baked in a buttery graham cracker crust and topped with maple whipped cream. It’s a perfectly portioned dessert with all the flavor of the Southern classic, sized just right for one or two.
Featured Comment
“The pie is so good and the maple whipping cream takes it over the top.”
– Pat
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfectly Portioned: This mini sweet potato pie is the ideal size for one or two people.
- Rich Flavor: Sweet potatoes and warm spices create a creamy, custard-like filling for a classic homemade sweet potato pie.
- Flexible Ingredients: Make this small sweet potato pie with fresh, canned, or leftover sweet potatoes.
- Fun Twist on a Classic: A buttery graham cracker crust and maple whipped cream topping set it apart.
- Customizable: Adapt this mini pie with gluten-free crusts, crustless options, or mix-ins like pecans or chocolate.
I love this little sweet potato pie because it gives me all the comfort of the classic dessert without making a full-sized pie. The creamy filling and simple graham cracker crust make it easy to prepare, and it’s the perfect little treat to enjoy anytime.
If you have extra sweet potatoes, use them in a sweet potato casserole for one, a small batch of sweet potato fries, a small sweet potato and black bean salad, air fryer sweet potato fries, or a quick small sheet pan chicken meal.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small sweet potato pie recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Filling Ingredients
- Sweet Potato: 1 cup cooked and mashed (about 1 small or ½ medium). Canned sweet potatoes, rinsed and drained, work too. Extra sweet potatoes can be used to make small batch sweet potato wedges.
- Egg: Binds the filling for a smooth, custard-like texture.
- Cream: Heavy cream adds richness. Also used for the whipped cream topping. Consider using leftover heavy cream in cheeseburger soup for one, a small chocolate cake, or small batch banana pudding.
- Spices: Vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger give the pie its classic flavor. The same spice mix can be found in our small batch gingerbread granola recipe.
Crust Ingredients
- Graham Crackers: Crushed for the base. Substitute with ginger snaps, vanilla wafers, digestive biscuits (UK), or Granita biscuits (Australia). Leftover graham crackers can be used for a single serve s’mores dip, small batch cheesecake bars, or in our pumpkin pie for one recipe.
- Butter: Melted, to bind the crumbs and add richness.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the crust.
- Ground Cinnamon: Adds warmth and pairs well with the filling.
Maple Whipped Cream Ingredients
- Heavy Cream: Cold cream whips best.
- Maple Syrup: Sweetens and adds a light maple flavor. Use extra maple syrup in our recipes for pecan pie without corn syrup and small batch pumpkin spice creamer.
Tip: How To Cook Sweet Potatoes
You’ll need 1 cup of cooked, mashed sweet potato for this pie. Here are three easy cooking methods:
- Boil: Peel, cut into chunks, cover with water, and simmer 10–15 minutes until tender. Drain and cool.
- Bake: Poke with a fork and roast at 425°F for 40–50 minutes until soft.
- Instant Pot: Cook on high pressure with 1 cup water. See our Instant Pot Sweet Potato recipe for details.
Recipe Variations
This individual sweet potato pie is a flexible dessert that welcomes flavor twists. Try one (or more) of these ideas:
- Gluten-Free or Crustless: Swap in gluten-free cookies or skip the crust entirely for a crustless pie.
- Add Nuts: Stir in chopped pecans or walnuts for texture and crunch.
- Spice Twists: Add cardamom, allspice, or a pinch of mace alongside your usual cinnamon-ginger mix.
- Chocolate Swirl: Fold melted dark or semi-sweet chocolate into the filling before baking.
How To Make A Sweet Potato Pie
These photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a sweet potato pie for one or two people. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
Make the Crust: Crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs, then mix with melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Press into a buttered 5×5-inch baking dish and bake at 350°F for 7–8 minutes.
Make the Sweet Potato Filling: Blend the cooked sweet potato with sugar, egg, cream, vanilla, and spices until smooth. Spread over the crust.
Bake: Bake for 45 minutes, or until the center is set. Let cool for at least 30 minutes.
Whipped Cream: Beat heavy cream with maple syrup until soft peaks form, then spoon over the cooled pie.
Expert Tips
- Prep Ahead: Roast or boil the sweet potato in advance, or use leftovers for faster assembly.
- Spice to Taste: Adjust the spice amounts to your preference. Flavors deepen as the pie bakes.
- Even Crust: Press crumbs firmly with the bottom of a flat measuring cup for a smooth, sturdy crust.
- Whipped Cream: Stop beating when soft peaks form. Over-whipped cream turns stiff and grainy.
Serving Suggestions
This personal size sweet potato pie makes a wonderful ending to a holiday meal. Pair it with classic single serving sides like a small carrot soufflé, mashed potatoes for one, buttery sautéed green beans, a small batch of cornbread dressing, or individual sized corn casserole. For the main dish, try turkey tenderloin, a turkey cutlet, or a roast turkey breast.
For more festive desserts, you might also enjoy our pecan pie for one, pumpkin pie for one, or mini dutch apple pie.
Frequently Asked Questions
The size of the baking dish plays an important role in making this mini sweet potato pie.
5×5-inch baking dish (25 square inches): Bake for 40-45 minutes.
4×6-inch baking dish (24 square inches): Bake for 40-45 minutes.
6-inch round cake pan (28 square inches): Bake for 40-45 minutes.
6×6-inch baking dish (36 square inches): Bake for 33-37 minutes, as the pie may cook faster in this size.
Two 10-ounce ramekins: Bake for 35-40 minutes.
Yes, canned sweet potatoes (drained and rinsed) work well in this recipe.
The center should be set but still slightly jiggly. A knife inserted near the edge should come out mostly clean.
Yes, pour the filling into a buttered 5×5-inch baking dish and bake as directed for a crustless version.
Cover the cooled pie tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
RELATED: 15 Easy Dessert Recipes For One
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this small sweet potato pie or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Mini Sweet Potato Pie
Equipment
- 5-inch baking dish or a 4×6-inch baking dish
Ingredients
For the Crust
- ½ cup graham cracker crumbs (about 4 large sheets)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter -melted
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Filling
- 1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potato (about ½ of a medium to large sweet potato)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the Whipped Cream Topping
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
Make the Crust
- Heat oven to 350° F (177° C).
- Crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs using a rolling pin, food processor, or blender.
- In a small bowl, mix the crumbs with melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon.
- Lightly butter a 5×5-inch baking dish. Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom with the back of a spoon or flat measuring cup.
- Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 7–8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Make the Filling
- In a medium bowl, combine the cooked sweet potato, sugar, egg, cream, vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Stir until smooth.
Fill and Bake
- Pour the filling over the crust and spread evenly.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until the center is set.
- Cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Make the Whipped Cream
- In a chilled bowl, beat heavy cream and maple syrup with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute.
- Spoon over the cooled pie before serving.
Notes
- Prep Ahead: Roast or boil the sweet potato in advance, or use leftovers for faster assembly.
- Spice to Taste: Adjust the spice amounts to your preference. Flavors deepen as the pie bakes.
- Even Crust: Press crumbs firmly with the bottom of a flat measuring cup for a smooth, sturdy crust.
- Whipped Cream: Stop beating when soft peaks form. Over-whipped cream turns stiff and grainy.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Substituted a cup of leftover canned pumpkin for the sweet potato. Excellent! Thank you, Joanie for these recipes which are consistently top notch. Jim
Great recipe. Still amazed by the fact that sweet potato pie can taste so good without cinnamon in the spice blend, but it works.
One bit of advice — if you choose to roast your potatoes, you might need to add a little more liquid to your filling mixture (e.g., cream, milk, water) than if you were to boil the potatoes. Otherwise, your pie filling might be a bit too dense and dry after baking.
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed the sweet potato pie—it’s amazing how the flavors shine even without cinnamon, isn’t it?
And thank you for the tip about roasting the potatoes! Roasting does bring out such a rich, caramelized flavor, but you’re right; it can make the filling a little thicker. Adding a splash of cream or milk is a great way to keep the texture just right. Thanks for sharing that helpful insight!
These bars were great! I love that you can really taste the sweet potato and didn’t have so much added sugar to it. I added some cinnamon and salt to the crust mix to add more salty and spice to it. I also doubled the recipe and baked it in an 11×7 since that’s all I had. I am definitely adding this to my thanksgiving rotation! Thanks so much!
Is there a difference between heavy cream and whipping cream or half-and-half?
Heavy cream, whipping cream, light cream, and half-and-half differ mainly in their fat content. Heavy cream has the most at around 38%, followed by whipping cream at 35%, and half-and-half at 12%. Higher fat content means thicker cream and better whipping stability. It’s also less likely to curdle when heated. So, if it’s labeled “heavy,” it has more fat.
Thank you for the notes on these dairy products.
Graham cracker crust is absolutely a pro tip. Won’t make pumpkin or sweet potato pie without it ever again!
Haven’t tried the recipe as I have one I really like and I wouldn’t just make 2 portions for this. Maple whipped cream is a keeper.
Good recipe. 1