14 Sweet Potato Desserts to Enjoy This Fall

Pumpkin who? We're loving these sweet potato desserts.

In fall, pumpkin seems to get all the hype, but we encourage you to turn your focus to another orange-hued ingredient: sweet potatoes! Sweet potatoes and yams are full of earthy flavor and subtle sweetness. They also add moisture to desserts—not to mention their natural taste goes so well with fall spices.

So what are you waiting for? Pull out a peeler or pull out a can of sweet potatoes for these sweet potato desserts.

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Sweet Potato Pie

Cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla add flavor to this classic sweet potato pie. You can use store-bought pie crust as a base or make our Test Kitchen’s favorite butter pie pastry.
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Sweet Potato Pound Cake

Pumpkin pound cakes get all the love this time of year, but sweet potato is such a welcome swap when it comes to seasonal cakes. A few cups of mashed sweet potato adds moisture and color to this fall-spiced cake.
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Fried Sweet Potato Pies

Yes, you can use Thanksgiving leftovers to make sweet potato desserts! This fried pie recipe uses mashed sweet potatoes as a filling. Fry them up in a skillet and serve as a day-after Thanksgiving treat.
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Classic Sweet Potato Pie

There’s something so cozy about desserts made in a cast-iron skillet—including this pie. This rustic recipe comes together easily thanks to canned sweet potatoes and a favorite spice blend: pumpkin spice. And if you’re new to skillet pies, learn how to bake a pie in a cast-iron skillet.
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Raisin Sweet Potato Cookies

Cozy up to the fire with a plate of satisfyingly sweet cookies that taste like home. They’re filled with sweet potatoes, pecans, raisins and other fall spices. They’re a great accompaniment to a cup of coffee or chai.
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Apple-Sweet Potato Pecan Dump Cake

We love dump cakes because they don’t require much effort to deliver delicious results. Just combine cake mix, canned apple pie filling, canned sweet potatoes and a few extras in a 13×9″ pan to make this treat.
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Mini Sweet Potato Pies

Press pie crust into a mini muffin tin for these compact treats. A sprinkling of streusel adds sweetness and crunch.
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Holiday Sweet Potato Cheesecake

When it comes to sweet potato desserts, this one might be the most lush. This recipe is made with a graham cracker crust. Then a layer of classic cheesecake filling is added; it’s then topped with a velvety sweet potato filling. Combined, you get a treat everyone will be lining up for at your next celebration.
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Gingersnap Sweet Potato Praline Pie

Gingersnaps form the base for one of our top-rated sweet potato desserts. Fill this crust with a velvety sweet potato mix and top with plenty of toasted pecans for the ultimate fall treat.
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Sweet Potato Cream Cheese Bars

Take a break from pumpkin and stir up one of our reader-favorite sweet potato desserts. These cream cheese-based bars can be made a day in advance and stashed in the fridge. Let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before enjoying.
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Sweet Potato Tartlets

These tartlets are a great shortcut dessert to make at Thanksgiving. Use premade phyllo cups and fill them with a sweetened filling and top with a mini marshmallow.
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Sweet Potato Pone

Pone is a versatile dish that can be served as a side (have you tried our corn pone yet?) or dessert. This sweet potato version is sweetened with sugar and gets a boost of flavor from orange zest, cinnamon and nutmeg.
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Southern Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet potato pie is popular in the South. This version is wonderfully rich thanks to a bit of evaporated milk and butter. Top with homemade whipped cream.
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Billie’s Southern Sweet Potato Cake

Cream cheese frosting is the perfect topper for this fall-flavored cake. It pairs so well with sweet potato, cinnamon, ginger and allspice.

Lisa Kaminski
Lisa is a former Taste of Home editor and passionate baker. During her tenure, she poured her love of all things sweet (and sometimes savory) into Bakeable, Taste of Home's baking club. Lisa also dedicated her career here to finding and testing the best ingredients, kitchen gear and home products for our Test Kitchen-Preferred program. At home, you'll find her working on embroidery and other crafts.