This and every Thanksgiving holiday, people will always enjoy the infamous sweet potato pie. Five years ago, Patti LaBelle’s recipe went viral on the internet and today shows no difference in its popularity.
What We Know:
- The pie, also known as “Patti’s Pie,” went viral back in 2015. According to Yahoo News, Walmart reportedly sells 36,000 pies a day. That’s 1,500 pies every hour. A spokesperson for Walmart made a statement regarding this year’s expectations. “With Thanksgiving just around the corner, ‘Patti Pie’ is expected to remain at the top of customer’s lists when shopping for their holiday meal.”
- When the pie was first introduced, social media influencer James Wright taste-tested one of LaBelle’s pies on camera and posted an enthusiastic and infectious reaction on YouTube. The video ended up having over 5 million views. Soon after, they started selling out at all Walmarts with a retail price of less than $4. In addition to the infamous sweet potato pies, LaBelle’s baking empire now features other treats such as Southern buttermilk pie, peach cobbler, bread pudding, and banana pudding.
- Back in 2017, LaBelle shared her recipe with People Magazine. “Sweet potato pie is in my blood, my mother and father and all of my great aunts, great grandmother and everyone grew up on sweet potato pie,” she says. You can find the recipe here.
- Nowadays, the pies sell for at least $6 each and are a huge success in the black market, with people selling the pies on eBay for $60. There haven’t been reports of her other known favorites, the buttermilk pie, peach cobbler, bread pudding, and the banana pudding. According to Walmart, they sell about 25 pies per minute. Numbers are most likely expected to increase in the next year or so.
Patti Labelle’s sweet potato pie has been recognized for 5 years and won’t stop anytime soon. To watch James Wright’s reaction video from 2015, click here.
