Mai Mai Sweet Potato Pie

This is sweet potato pie with serious depth. Coconut milk, maple syrup, orange juice, crystallized ginger, and chopped walnuts all go into the filling, layering tropical, citrus, and warm spice flavors on top of the earthy sweet potato base.

The crust gets a special treatment too. Shredded coconut, sugar, and maple syrup pressed into the bottom of each pie shell create a sticky, caramelized layer that adds crunch and sweetness underneath the custard.

Six eggs give this pie a silky, firm custard texture that slices cleanly once fully cooled. The two-temperature bake, starting hot then dropping down, sets the crust quickly before the filling gently cooks through without cracking.

Orange-scented whipped cream folded with fresh orange zest right before serving is the finishing touch that brings all those citrus notes full circle.

Chef Tips

• Mash the sweet potatoes while they’re still hot and mix with the melted butter immediately. Hot potatoes absorb the butter smoothly; cold ones stay lumpy.
• Start the oven at 425°F (220°C) for the first 10 minutes to set the crust, then drop to 350°F (180°C) to cook the filling through gently. This prevents a soggy bottom.
• The pies are done when a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. They’ll still jiggle slightly but firm up completely as they cool.
• These pies must be fully cooled before adding the whipped cream topping, or it melts on contact.

Variations

• Bourbon sweet potato: Replace the orange juice with bourbon and skip the orange extract for a boozy, Southern-style pie.
• Pecan topped: Skip the whipped cream and top with a layer of pecan halves pressed into the filling before baking for a pecan-sweet potato hybrid.
• Vegan version: Use coconut cream in place of dairy cream and a flax egg substitute for the eggs.