A Dessert We're Thankful For: Sweet Potato Pie Bars

Sweet Potato Pie Bars with Marshmallow Topping

The Occasion: Thanksgiving dinner or any fall/winter special occasion meal. Hello, dessert buffet!

The Subtext: Each December Ilise and I host a BIG holiday open house with lots of homemade treats. Recipe testing begins well in advance. Spoiler alert: If you’re on the list you’ll be seeing this again soon. 

​The Playlist: Sweet Potato Pie by James Taylor. Tasty licks indeed!

Why This Works: Because it’s tradition with a twist. Especially as we head into the winter holiday season the traditions of family, food and celebration become even more important. Aunt Mary’s green bean casserole for Thanksgiving. Cousin Kesha’s mac ‘n cheese for Sunday night dinner. Uncle Allen’s potato latkes for Hanukkah. And Grammy’s (in)famous lime Jell-O salad for Christmas plus all the other special occasion meals ever. 

Click the photo to take a closer look at the snack set at Entertaining Vintage. (Set of 4; 8 pieces)

Well, I hate to say it (sorry not sorry) but sometimes I like to shake things up a bit. Just a little. So for example, these Sweet Potato Pie Bars. In the traditional pie format, sweet potato and pumpkin are classic flavors.

​But what if you zazz it up a bit with a graham crust and toasted marshmallow topping and cut it into smaller portions? That means you can have a luscious morsel of this AND a dessert to be named later. Oh yeah, now we’re definitely Winning! 

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The Verdict: This is not fast and it’s not especially easy either, including as it does marshmallow-making and playing with the brûlée torch. That said, if you’re ready to meet the challenge you will be rewarded. It tastes great and makes a nice change-up from the traditional desserts without straying too far afield. 

We came up with two variations: The one pictured with the homemade marshmallow topping is perfect for a family meal or dinner party where the bars can be kept refrigerated until serving time. But using store-bought mini-marshmallows is better suited for a potluck or dessert buffet where the bars may be sitting out for a while at room temperature.

This dessert has excellent flavor from the sweet potato filling and man oh man, that thick graham cracker crust is to die for! And as for the topping, well who doesn’t like s’mores? It’s kinda like that and it’s likely to become your new fave crave.

Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

Printable Recipe- Sweet Potato Pie Bars
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Sweet Potato Pie Bars
Recipe source: Handle The Heat food blog
 
INGREDIENTS:

Crust:

• 18 full graham crackers
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

• 2 cups (16 ounces) sweet potato puree – homemade or store-bought
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon bourbon (or 1 teaspoon vanilla)
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Topping:

• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

For the crust:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with foil.
• Place the graham crackers, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the melted butter and pulse until the mixture is moistened.
• Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
• Remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Keep oven at 350°F.

For the filling:

• In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat all the sweet potato filling ingredients until well combined.
• Pour over the graham cracker crust and bake for 40 minutes, or until set but still slightly wiggly in the middle.
• Let cool to room temperature.

For the marshmallow topping:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue to cook until a candy thermometer registers exactly 240°F. Immediately remove from heat.
• Turn the mixer on low speed and carefully and gradually drizzle the syrup into the egg whites. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is thick and glossy and looks like marshmallow fluff, about 7 minutes longer. Add in the vanilla and beat until combined.
• Spread the marshmallow topping evenly over the sweet potato layer.
• Use a kitchen torch to gently torch the marshmallow layer until lightly golden. Alternatively, place the pan under the broiler and broil for 1 minute, or until lightly golden. Pay close attention and don’t step away – this can turn quickly from toasted to burned if you’re not careful!
• Refrigerate the pan for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares and serving. The squares can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, though they are best served soon after the marshmallow is made.