We’re always pleased to see a sweet potato, be it baked and slathered in butter or roasted with garlic and herbs. That said, we often overlook this spud’s dessert potential (c’mon guys, it’s in the name), so we’re here to right that wrong. Here, a tasty list of sweet potato desserts that are too delicious (and foolproof) to turn down. Our favorites range from classic sweet potato pie and doughnuts to marshmallow-topped cookies and sweet potato brownies.
From Fudgy Brownies to Silky Pies, Here Are 26 Sweet Potato Desserts You’ll Love
Dinner does *not* have dibs on spuds
•
Published Jan 2, 2024
Photo: Christine Han/Styling: Erin McDowell
Sweet Potato Cakes
1. Sweet Potato Bundt Cake with Maple Icing
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly
An impossibly moist and tender sweet potato bundt cake, finished with a maple glaze so yummy, you’ll want to eat it by the spoonful. (Be sure to use real maple syrup to make it—not the pancake stuff.) If you're eager to riff on the O.G., substitute butternut squash or pumpkin puree for sweet potato.
2. Spiced Sweet Potato Cheesecake
- Time Commitment: 5 hours and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead
If you’ve never put sweet potato in a cheesecake before, you’ve been doing it all wrong. The combination is rich, creamy and sinfully delicious. The starchy sweetness of the spuds curbs the tang of the cream cheese like a charm.
3. Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Caramel Drizzle
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
Presenting your new cream cheese-frosted favorite. Warm fall spices give these cupcakes an earthy taste that's similar to carrot cake, but with an incredibly moist, tender texture that only sweet potato can achieve. Make them ahead for a Halloween party, Thanksgiving dessert or any old weeknight.
4. Sweet Potato Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly
You really can’t go wrong with coffee cake, and this sweet potato version is a delicious upgrade of the classic. (Looking at you, cinnamon swirl filling.) The duo of sweet potato purée and sour cream is guaranteed to produce a cake that’s supremely tender and fluffy.
5. Aran Goyoaga’s Spiced Sweet Potato Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, gluten free
Sweet potato, sorghum flour and almond flour keep this autumn delight gluten free. We love the addition of finely chopped candied ginger to the batter for a touch of spice. To make the frosting dairy free, use plant-based cream cheese and refrigerate it after whipping to firm its consistency.
6. Sweet Potato Cake with Marshmallow Frosting
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly
Nutmeg and cinnamon and marshmallow buttercream, oh my! This tender sweet potato cake melts in your mouth and tastes like fall in dessert form. Go ahead and toast the top with a mini blow torch, if you feel so inclined.
Sweet Potato Cookies, Brownies and Pies
7. Sweet Potato Sugar Cookies with Marshmallow Topping
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly
A deliciously moist sweet potato confection with a cake-like texture and a sweet, melty marshmallow in the center—suffice it to say, this is not your average sugar cookie. Need more convincing? These poppables are only ten ingredients away.
8. Sweet Potato Brownies with Date Caramel Frosting
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan, gluten free
A healthy, low-calorie baked good that you actually want to eat? These decadent sweet potato brownies will make you a believer, whilst giving you a solid dose of beta-carotene to boot. (The date caramel frosting will satisfy your sweet tooth for sure.)
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Move over, pumpkin pie—this gently spiced sweet potato version of the classic holiday dessert is every bit as rich and delicious. Crown your slice with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. (We won't tell if you use store-bought pie crust.)
- Time Commitment: 4 hours and 20 minutes (includes chilling time)
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
This hybrid dessert boasts a silky sweet potato filling and a crunchy, candied pecan topping. Decadent without being cloying, one slice may not be enough once you give it a taste. We'd bookmark it now for next Thanksgiving if we were you.
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
You’ll never forget sweet potato pie’s magic once this dessert graces your table. Here, the secret ingredient is maple syrup. Just a touch added to the filling yields seasonal, swoon-worthy results.
12. Sweet Potato Double Chocolate Cookies
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Sweet potato desserts are great, but chocolate certainly couldn't make them worse. Cocoa and chocolate chips unite with the starchy veg and a flurry of fall spices for the ultimate mashup.
Unexpected Sweet Potato Desserts
13. S’mores with Homemade Sweet Potato Graham Crackers
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Good news for gluten-free eaters: You don’t need to sit and stare sadly into the flames while everyone else enjoys s’mores. Just bake a batch of these sweet potato gems and you’ll be sinking your teeth into the campfire classic in no time.
14. Cinnamon Sugar Sweet Potato Fries with Vanilla Icing Dip
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, dairy free
We’re big fans of sweet potato fries in all forms, but this spin has us outside our comfort zone in the best possible way. These shoestring sweet potato fries doused in cinnamon-sugar and icing are sweet, salty and crunchy.
15. Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding
- Time Commitment: 2 hours
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
It might sound like blasphemy, but the silky-smooth custard of this baked sweet potato pudding is, dare we say it, better than pie filling. Don't believe us? There's only one way to find out...
16. Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls
- Time Commitment: 3 hours
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead
Cinnamon rolls are never a hard sell, but these are truly special, thanks to sweet potato folded into the batter. The end result is much like the classic, but with a complexity you just won’t find at Cinnabon.
17. Sweet Potato Casserole with Crunchy Pecan Crumble
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, vegetarian
No list of sweet potato desserts would be complete without a good ol’ sweet potato casserole. This buttery mash, finished with drool-worthy brown sugar pecan crumble, checks all the boxes.
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, make ahead, beginner-friendly
Sweet potato purée and Cool Whip are a match made in heaven, as evidenced by this airy and creamy mousse. Just add gingersnap crumbs and marshmallow frosting to complete the deconstructed pie, and you’ll be rewarded with a next-level dessert that even newbies can pull off.
19. Sweet Potato Ice Cream with Toasted Marshmallows
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
After all the warm, rich baked goods you’ve enjoyed during sweet potato season, you might be craving a palate cleanser. Might we suggest a scoop of sweet potato ice cream dappled with toasty mallows?
20. Fondant Slow-Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
Enjoy these fondant sweet potatoes as a sweet and you’ll be all kinds of confused...and very happy. The spuds are cooked in a savory style, emerging as golden nuggets that will melt in your mouth. Once drenched in maple-pecan sauce, well, you’re looking at dessert.
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly
We love a good apple cider fritter, but if you prefer your doughnuts on the moist side, these sweet potato rings are the way to go. Don’t wanna fry your own? Fear not: These glazed beauts are a cinch to make on the stovetop.
Healthy Sweet Potato Desserts
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free, beginner-friendly
Is it dessert? Is it breakfast? We’ll let you decide—but we can promise that this deconstructed pie is downright delicious (and the oats will do you good at any time of day).
23. Carrot Cake-Flavored Orange Smoothie
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes (plus soaking time)
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, no cook, beginner-friendly
Raw sweet potato and carrots go for a spin in the blender along with walnuts, vanilla and spices (among other things) to make this very convincing liquid alternative to a slice of a carrot cake. Bonus: There’s no grating involved.
24. Sweet Potato Goguma Green Tea Latte
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten-free, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes
If you want to end your meal with something sweet that isn't a full-blown dessert, we strongly suggest you snuggle up with a mug of this unconventional latte, inspired by Korean sweet potato. The comforting beverage gets its caffeine kick from green tea.
25. Fluffy Almond Butter Sweet Potato Muffins
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, dairy free, beginner-friendly
In this recipe, almond butter and sweet potato combine to create a mean muffin that's moderately sweet, fluffy and flavorful. (Oh, and gluten free.)
26. Sweet Potato Soufflé in Orange Cups
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, gluten free, beginner-friendly
Fresh orange juice makes the sweet potato sing in this fluffy soufflé, while candied pecans provide a pleasant textural contrast—and an extra dose of sugar. Serve this to your guests and you’ll look instantly fancy.
