If you’re a lover of all things sweet potato, these sweet potato cookies will become your favorite cookie recipe after one bite. These cookies are the perfect balance of chewy-yet-crispy, with delicious notes of caramel-y sweet potatoes, sweet cinnamon and warm allspice. Nutty pecans and chewy raisins are dotted throughout the dough for texture and body. It’s a truly alluring cookie from the first bite to the last crumb.
Sweet Potato Cookies Ingredients
- Butter: Room-temperature butter creams together more easily with sugar than chilled butter. If you forgot to soften the butter, learn how to soften butter quickly.
- Sugar: Sugar is one of the main sweeteners in this sweet potato cookies recipe, and it also adds browning power to the cookies for a golden finish.
- Egg: An egg binds the ingredients together so the cookies don’t fall apart.
- Mashed sweet potatoes: Roasted whole sweet potatoes have a creamy, concentrated center that’s easy to mash up and use in these sweet potato cookies.
- All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour gives these cookies their structure.
- Cinnamon: Sweet cinnamon’s lovely, cozy aroma is a warm welcome in these cookies.
- Allspice: Allspice is one of the quintessential fall spices. It imparts a sweet cinnamon, aromatic nutmeg and spicy clove flavor to the cookies.
- Pecans: Pecans add a nutty flavor and crunchy texture to the cookies.
- Raisins: Raisins have a super-sweet taste and chewy texture that gives the cookies more body.
Directions
Step 1: Beat together the wet ingredients
Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, five to seven minutes. Beat in the egg, sweet potato and vanilla until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Editor’s Tip: Knowing how to cream butter and sugar together properly will set you up for success with this step.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and allspice. With your mixer on low, gradually add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture, and beat just until combined. Fold in the pecans and raisins.
Step 3: Bake the cookies
Drop the cookie dough by tablespoonfuls 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until the edges begin to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Take the cookies out, and let them sit for one minute. Transfer the cookies to wire racks, and let cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container.
Sweet Potato Cookies Variations
- Swap in chocolate chips: If raisins or pecans aren’t your thing, then chocolate chips must be. Semisweet, dark, milk and mini chocolate chips work well here.
- Drizzle on vanilla glaze: Whip up a quick vanilla glaze, and generously drizzle it on the cookies. You could also half-dip the cookies in the glaze and shake sprinkles on the glazed tops!
- Garnish with powdered sugar: Sprinkle on a light dusting of powdered sugar for a pretty finish and a sweetness boost.
How to Store Sweet Potato Cookies
To store, allow the sweet potato cookies to cool to room temperature, then place them in an airtight container. The cookies can be left at room temperature for three days or stored in the fridge for four days.
To freeze, allow the sweet potato cookies to cool to room temperature, then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and flash freeze them for an hour. Remove the cookies from the baking sheet, and store in a freezer-safe airtight container or resealable bag in the freezer for up to three months.
One of the most common cookie storage mistakes you can make is not using the right storage container, so we made a list of the best cookie storage containers to keep your cookies fresher longer.
Sweet Potato Cookies Tips
Can you use canned sweet potato puree to make sweet potato cookies?
No, you cannot use canned sweet potato puree to make these sweet potato cookies. Canned sweet potato puree usually has excessive water, which will alter the texture of these cookies. Instead, roast the sweet potato whole, with the skin on. This technique will soften the flesh of the sweet potato and concentrate the flavor—without adding excess liquid to the batter. (Just be sure to peel the skin before you mash the sweet potato!)
What are the benefits of sweet potato cookies?
These sweet potato cookies contain real sweet potatoes, and there are lots of benefits of sweet potatoes. They’re loaded with potassium, fiber and antioxidants.
