Crispy and flaky, with a smooth, silky filling, Japanese Sweet Potato Pie is my all-time favorite Japanese pastry. Best enjoyed with a cup of coffee or black tea, this sweet potato pie is light, but rich, making it the perfect afternoon indulgence.
When I go back to Japan, I always enjoy going to bakeries with my mom. We love browsing through the tantalizing displays and picking up different kinds of fresh bread and pastry for our breakfast the next day. It’s hard to make a choice, but some of my all-time favorites include Melon Pan, Anpan, Yakisoba Pan, and Korokke Pan which I’ve shared the recipes with you. Today I’m sharing another favorite of mine – Japanese Sweet Potato Pie (スイートポテトパイ).
What’s Japanese Sweet Potato Pie?
Japanese Sweet Potato Pie has been a classic pastry in Japan. You can find them at corner mom-and-pop shops to trendy pastry shops. To make this classic pie, Japanese sweet potato is cooked until fork tender, mashed and combined with butter, heavy cream, and whisk until silky smooth. Then the mixture is folded into layers of puff pastry sheets and baked until crispy gold. The flaky exterior crackles when you bite into it, giving way to the rich creamy interior of sweet potato filling. It is wonderful with tea or coffee.
Japanese Sweet Potato – Satsumaimo
Originating in South or Central America, Japanese sweet potato or satsumaimo (さつまいも) in Japanese were first introduced to Japan in Okinawa (the old Ryukyu Islands) in the early 17th century by the Chinese. Then, satsumaimo was introduced to the Kyushu island, which makes up the majority of satsumaimo production in Japan.
Satsumaimo have a purple-ish red skin and pale, cream color flesh. They are high in antioxidants and healthier than regular potato. Holding a special place in Japanese culture and history, the Japanese sweet potato is one of the beloved ingredients by pastry chefs in Japan. You can find sweet potatoes being used in many Japanese desserts, both western and Japanese-styles, from pies, cookies, cakes, soft-serve ice-creams, tarts, sweet bread, Daigakuimo to every pastry imaginable.
Puff Pastry Sheet – Convenient Freezer Essential
Making the perfect sweet potato pie at home is not an impossible feat, but it does take some time if you want to make the pie crust from scratch. A quick solution is to use a puff pastry sheet. You essentially thaw it, roll it out, fill it and bake it.
I often keep a box of frozen puff pastry in my freezer. It is something essential for easy appetizers or dessert-making. If you’ve ever baked with it, you know what I’m talking about. You can quickly pull off the most basic recipe and turn it into something flaky, buttery, elegant, and crowd-pleasing snacks.
Perfectly flaky, these warm and golden Japanese Sweet Potato Pies are a lovely treat for an afternoon snack or for serving a crowd on a weekend brunch. The recipe that I share yields two pies, but if you want to make one pie (serves 2-4 people), just use half of the ingredients portion I listed below. Enjoy!
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Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
- 1 lb Japanese sweet potato (Satsumaimo)
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry (I used Pepperidge Farm puffy pastry sheet and each box comes with 2 square sheets)
- 4 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large egg yolk (for the filling)
- 2 Tbsp heavy (whipping) cream
- 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell) (for the pie)
- 1 tsp toasted black sesame seeds
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). For a convection oven, reduce the cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Place 1 sheet frozen puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put 1 other sheet frozen puff pastry on a different sheet of parchment paper. Defrost for 10 minutes at room temperature.
- With a sharp knife, cut the 2 sheets frozen puff pastry in half. Now you have 4 rectangular sheets. For the 2 rectangular half sheets that will go on top, cut 7–8 slits on each sheet, leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) around the edge.
- Peel 1 lb Japanese sweet potato (Satsumaimo) and cut it in half lengthwise. Cut into smaller chunks and soak them in water for 10 minutes.
- In a medium saucepan, put sweet potato and cover it with water. Bring it to a boil and cook until a skewer goes through the potatoes smoothly, about 12–15 minutes. Drain water completely and transfer to a large bowl.
- Use a potato masher or fork to mash the sweet potato. Add 4 Tbsp sugar and 1 Tbsp unsalted butter and keep mixing.
- Add 1 large egg yolk and 2 Tbsp heavy (whipping) cream and mix well.
- Now you put the sweet potato mixture on the bottom pastry sheets, leaving ½ inch (1.3 cm) around the rim. Then cover the sweet potato mixture with the top sheet.
- With a fork, press down the pastry sheets around the edges to pinch the top and bottom pastry sheets together.
- Beat 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell) in a small bowl and brush the top of the pastry so it will turn nice golden brown. Sprinkle 1 tsp toasted black sesame seeds on top (see the image below).
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes and serve.
To Store
- You can freeze the baked and cooled pies. Wrap them in aluminum foil and put them in a freezer bag. To serve, reheat the pie at 350ºF (180ºC) for 10–15 minutes, until crisp and flaky.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on January 17, 2011. The post has been updated with new images and revised recipe.
Satsumoimo isn’t available in my area. Can I use the sweet potatoes/yams found in the USA?
Hi Cyndie!
The Yam has more moisture than Satsumaimo and may skip or adjust the amount of heavy (whipping) cream.
Please make sure your sweet potato mixture is not too wet when you place it on the pastry sheet.
We hope this helps!
Thank you Nami for another great recipe! I made this on a whim after roasting some of the potatoes to eat just is, then thought about your recipe so I made your pie with no regrets! Husband loves it too and I am so thankful for your hard work sharing your recipes and very detailed instructions. Thank you a million times!
Hi Dianne!
We are so happy to hear you and your husband enjoyed this Japanese sweet potato.
Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback!😊