Did you know you can swap out sweet potato for pumpkin in almost every recipe? They’re so similar in taste and texture, I’ll bet most people wouldn’t notice the difference. Sweet potatoes are a little more vibrant, and they have a sweeter flavor (naturally), which makes them a better choice for making sweets. And I’m not just talking about sweetbreads and muffins! You’ll find brownies, cookies, scones, and even cinnamon rolls on this list. Sweet potatoes are available year-round, and they’re way easier to work with. So, put down that pumpkin pie spice and grab your peeler because the kitchen is calling.
1. Fudgy Sweet Potato Brownies
Vegan, gluten-free, and loaded with sweet potatoes, I guarantee you’ll fall in love with these brownies at first bite! Just like bananas are added for flavor and moisture, the mashed potatoes in here will make these extra fudgy. Just be aware that the recipe also calls for almond butter, so these aren’t suitable for anyone with a nut allergy.
2. Sweet Potato Cookies
When I make mashed sweet potato, I almost always make too much, which leaves me with leftovers. So, what else can I do but make these moist and tender cookies? The maple glaze and chopped pecans give this an extra tasty boost, but the cookies are perfectly soft and sweet without it.
3. Sweet Potato Scones With Brown Sugar Glaze
Even though these are full of dense mashed sweet potatoes, they’re still impossible light and fluffy. They’re also full of butter and buttermilk for the most tender crumb ever! To make sure these come out perfect, be very gentle when mixing. I’m talking about using a spatula and folding/stirring everything until it barely comes together.
4. Sweet Potato Marshmallow Bars
Sweet potato and marshmallows are made for each other. The silky smooth texture of the potato is only made better by the sticky sweetness of the marshmallow. And then there’s the crust! It’s just the right amount of crisp and crumbly, but keep in mind that it needs to be pretty thick to hold all that filling!
5. Dark Chocolate Chipotle Sweet Potato Fudge
I was blown away by this recipe! Not only is it dairy-free, but it’s also oil-free and yet, incredibly creamy and chewy. Start by cooking and mashing the sweet potato, which you’ll need to process until it’s totally smooth. This will act as the binder, ensuring this stays wonderfully soft. For the best chocolate flavor, be sure to choose something nice and dark to mellow out the sweetness of the syrup and potato.
6. Sweet Potato Pie
Is sweet potato pie the same as pumpkin pie? Pretty much. Can you just substitute sweet potatoes for pumpkin puree? Absolutely! When you take a look at the recipe here, you’ll notice that it’s the same as your average pumpkin pie recipe. It even calls for pumpkin pie spice! The only real difference is that this pie might be a touch sweeter, and the orange color will be more pronounced.
7. Sweet Potato Cake Recipe
You might’ve tried sweet potato cookies and even sweet potato sweetbread, but have you ever tried sweet potato cake? Between the warm, carrot cake-like spices and the cinnamon and cream cheese frosting, this cake will soon be your new favorite! I really enjoy the tangy of the cream cheese with the sweetness of the cake, but I also like to fill my version of this with marshmallow Fluff frosting and a drizzle of caramel. Let your sweet tooth be your guide!
8. Dessert Baked Sweet Potato
I don’t know about you, but I typically fill my baked sweet potatoes with butter, chili, and sometimes leftover BBQ pulled pork. But this recipe is something else entirely! You’ll bake sweet potatoes just like usual (you can even do it in the microwave), but then it gets filled with toasted coconut, cinnamon, almond butter, pecans, and dark chocolate. Of course, those fillings are just examples. Why not try chopped bananas and caramel or milk chocolate and mini-marshmallows?
9. Sweet Potato Pie Fudge
You absolutely read that right, and this fudge absolutely tastes like sweet potato pie. It’s uncanny! Getting the sweet potato part is easy. You’ll just need to combine and melt white chocolate, evaporated milk, brown and white sugar, butter, vanilla, mashed sweet potatoes, cinnamon, and ginger. Cook until this is smooth and thick. Then, just before you pour the fudge out to set, stir through chopped walnuts for added texture. I tried it with crushed Graham Crackers, and it was hit! Just bake them a little first, so they keep their crunch.
10. No-Bake Sweet Potato Cheesecake Bars
This recipe for double-layer pumpkin cheesecake is one of my faves. But, I don’t always have the time or energy to make a baked cheesecake. That’s why I love these no-bake bars! You get a creamy layer of sweet vanilla cheesecake, plus a top layer of dreamy, lightly spiced sweet potato cheesecake. As much as I like the layers, I also think this looks great when you swirl the two together.
11. Peanut Butter Sweet Potato Cookies
Between the banana, sweet potato, and peanut butter, I like to think of these as breakfast cookies. They’re nice and big, plenty soft, and will fill you up until lunch. Or, they also make terrific mid-morning snacks. The crushed nuts are optional, but I like the added crunch they give. Also, feel free to throw in some mini-chocolate chips!
12. Sweet Potato Pie Cinnamon Rolls
As with any decent cinnamon roll recipe, these babies take some time to make. You’ll need to make the dough, rest it, roll it, fill it, and then let it rest again before baking. But it’s so worth it! The filling is super unique, using mashed sweet potatoes, nutmeg, cinnamon, butter, sugar, vanilla, egg, and milk. I know, it’s like a dessert on its own.
13. Vegan Sweet Potato Pudding
This recipe is like lightened-up sweet potato pie without the crust. So, if you enjoy that creamy filling, you’ll go nut for this! I prefer some cream on my pie to help cut through the intense flavor of the filling, so I went ahead and folded through some whipped coconut milk. This kept it vegan but also lightened it up even more and gave it a creamier finish.
14. Sweet Potato Pie Cupcakes
These little cupcakes are like individual sweet potato pies. They’re sweet, moist, and pretty dense, but they’re packed with flavor. Since they’re more like mini-pies, you’ll notice that the batter is quite thin. That’s normal! A nice way to finish these is with a sprinkling of Graham Crackers over the whipped cream.
15. Sweet Potato Pie Parfaits
Sick of overnight oats? Me too. There are only so many days I can eat them in a row before I start craving a bagel or pancakes. That said, I have been adding this recipe to my rotation, and it’s such a scrumptious way to t start my day. I swapped out the sunflower seeds for chopped pistachios, and I also threw in some golden raisins for their chewy texture.
16. Baked Sweet Potato Donuts
Baked donuts are such a great middle-ground for when you want that classic round treat but don’t want the hassle of working with hot oil. This recipe, in particular, is a fantastic way to trick encourage kids to eat their veggies! If you don’t have time to make the brown butter glaze, no worries! A simple maple glaze will be more than enough.
17. Sweet Potato Bundt Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze
The recipe list for this bundt is a little long, but everything has a purpose, and I can tell you that it all makes one helluva cake! I highly recommend pureeing the sweet potato. I’m not the biggest fan of pockets of mash in my cakes, but that might just be me! I’ve made this a couple of times, and in the second round, I swapped out the applesauce for mashed bananas. It was extra sweet and even more delicious.
18. No-Churn Sweet Potato Pie Ice Cream
As far as ice creams go, this one is insanely creamy. It incorporates whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk, and full-fat Greek yogurt for an ultra-smooth and delicately creamy flavor. Then there’s the sweet potato and spices. You’ll need cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, brown sugar, and bourbon. Oh, and plenty of pureed sweet potato! The worst part of this recipe is the wait. It will be 8 to 10 long hours, but I know you’re strong.
19. Sweet Potato Chocolate Muffins
For too long, vegan recipes consisted of coconut milk, fruit, and lackluster cakes. But now, there are so many incredible options! And these muffins should be at the top of your list. The recipe calls for cocoa powder and chocolate chips for maximum yumminess, and they’re unbelievably moist due to the sweet potato.
20. Sweet Potato Blondie Bars
Being a cookie fanatic, I had to try these right away! I just love the thick and sweet chewiness of a blondie married with the caramel flavors and chocolate chips! Unfortunately, cookies and blondies aren’t the healthiest treats around. So, having something that’s bursting with vegetables of all things, that’s also tasty? Count me in! Along with sweet potato, these contain mashed chickpeas, so there’s a ton of protein in here.
21. Purple Sweet Potato Tapioca
Purple sweet potatoes have a slightly more mild flavor, but their starchier, which means they need to be cooked a little longer than regular sweet potatoes. But just look at how they come out! That deep purple looks like it’s artificial, but it’s all-natural. Along with the veggies, you’ll need coconut milk and tapioca pearls. It’s nice and easy, and something a little different from your usual desserts.
22. Sweet Potato Truffles
I’m firmly in the cake truffle camp. I’d much rather have a cake pop than a boring chocolate truffle. But those expecting a holiday box of treats from me this year should be ready to get a big bag of these! And they couldn’t be easier to make. Just add cooked sweet potato, almond meal, dates, cocoa powder, and cinnamon to a food processor and work it until smooth. Sometimes, you might need to add a little extra almond meal. That will depend on the moisture content of the potatoes.
23. Vegan Sweet Potato Chocolate Buttercream
If you’ve ever tried vegan buttercream before, you’ll know that it almost always contains soaked cashews or coconut milk. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but those ingredients don’t come cheap! So, if you need a tasty, creamy, chocolatey, and inexpensive frosting, this one’s for you.
24. Sweet Potato Rice Crispies
You know the old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?” Well, some things might not be “broke,” but that doesn’t mean you can’t play around! I’ll bet any kid would happily devour a few pieces of this sweet potato rice crispy recipe and then come back for more! Instead of being overly sweet, they’re wonderfully spiced and have a fantastic orange hue.
25. Purple Sweet Potato and Strawberry Smoothie
I like my smoothies colorful, sweet, and thick. This recipe ticks every box and then some! Like any good smoothie, this recipe calls for frozen bananas for an ultra-creamy and thick finish, but they’re optional and can be left out. In lieu of frozen bananas, I suggest you use frozen strawberries. That way, you’ll still get a thicker consistency without having to add ice. Click on a star to rate it!
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