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Easy to make in any quantity, ultra-affordable, and universally loved by anyone who’s ever tried them, these Sweet Potato Black Bean Quesadillas are one of the longest-running recipes in my repertoire.

Cinnamon-spiced Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas cut into wedges with cilantro

With a crispy exterior and cheesy, smoky sweet potato and black bean filling. It’s no wonder I’ve been making these bad boys on repeat since 2008 (along with these Mushroom Quesadilla).

This sweet potato and black bean quesadilla recipe came into my life shortly after I graduated college, moved to Minneapolis, and was truly “on my own” when it came to cooking for the first time (farewell college cafeteria).

During this time, I sought recipes that were easy to make (like this Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries), relatively cheap, and healthy (like this Vegetarian Chili). Bonus points were awarded to recipes if they were easy to pack for lunch too.

These sweet potato black bean quesadillas met each of these recipe needs and best of all, they tasted incredible too!

Vegetarian Sweet Potato Quesadillas with black beans on parchment paper surrounded by fresh cilantro, avocado, and shredded cheese

5 Star Review

“Just tried these for the first time today and loved them! Even my meat-loving hubby enjoyed them.”

— Theresa —

How to Make Sweet Potato Black Bean Quesadillas

These sweet potato quesadillas with black beans are a healthy, fast, vegetarian Mexican recipe (like these Butternut Squash Spinach Enchiladas) that even the most ardent meat-lovers will enjoy.

(Of course, for a non-vegetarian option, there’s always this Chicken Quesadilla.)


The Ingredients

  • Sweet Potatoes. Not just for Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole on Thanksgiving. Sweet potatoes are also the star of today’s dinner offering TONS of vitamin C and vitamin B6 along with a healthy daily dose of potassium and fiber.
  • Black Beans. Add fiber, protein, and a little extra texture to the creamy, spicy sweet potato filling. (I also love them in this Roasted Sweet Potato Quinoa Black Bean Salad.)
  • Green Peppers + Onions. Lends that south-of-the-border flair and flavor to these sweet potato quesadillas.
  • Garlic. For a little zip.
  • Sharp Cheddar Cheese. Maximizes the cheesy flavor of these healthy vegetarian quesadillas.
  • Tortillas. Whole wheat tortillas are my favorite for this recipe however you may use any variety that you enjoy (Extra tortillas? Try these Vegetarian Tacos next).
  • Chili Powder. I like to use a blend of regular chili powder and smoky chipotle chili powder. (It’s also what I use in my Slow Cooker Turkey Chili with Sweet Potatoes.)
  • Cinnamon. Counters the spiciness of the chili powder with its earthy sweetness. I LOVE cinnamon so I didn’t skimp. If you want a lighter cinnamon flavor, feel free to adjust to suit your taste preferences.
  • Cumin + Paprika. A duo of warm, smoky spices whose savory profiles balance the sweetness of the cinnamon.
3 whole, unpeeled sweet potatoes

The Directions

  1. Cut, boil, and mash the sweet potatoes.
  2. Season the potatoes with the chili powders, cinnamon, cumin, smoked paprika, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Saute the onions, peppers, and garlic until tender and fragrant.
  4. Add the sautéed vegetables to the seasoned sweet potatoes and stir in black beans.
  5. Assemble the quesadillas by spooning a bit of filling onto half of a tortilla and top with cheese. Fold and repeat with the remaining tortillas.
  6. Cook in a skillet until the quesadillas are browned on both sides and crisp. Serve with toppings and ENJOY!
mashing sweet potatoes with spices in a saucepan to make vegetarian sweet potato quesadillas

Storage Tips

  • To Store. Leftover sweet potato black bean quesadilla filling can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Whole assembled and cooked quesadillas may be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • To Reheat. Reheat filling in the microwave until heated through then assemble and cook as directed. Assembled quesadillas may be warmed in a skillet over medium-low heat until the filling is heated through and the tortilla is crisp. 
  • To Freeze. Leftover filling may be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before using to assemble quesadillas.

Tools Used to Make These Quesadillas

Assembling healthy Sweet Potato Quesadillas with whole wheat tortillas, black beans, avocado, and cheese.

Fiesta time, sweet potato black bean quesadilla style!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Sweet Potatoes Need to Be Peeled?

No. While common practice, you don’t have to peel sweet potatoes. The skins, in addition to being edible, are actually very healthy for you. Therefore, in this particular recipe, I choose not to peel the sweet potatoes. If you do not enjoy the texture of the skins, you can, of course, peel the sweet potatoes.

How to Make Gluten Free Sweet Potato Quesadillas

While I have always made these with whole wheat flour tortillas, many readers have reported success swapping the traditional flour tortillas for gluten free corn tortillas.

How Can I Make Vegan Quesadillas with Sweet Potato?

To make this recipe vegan, swap the cheddar cheese for your favorite vegan cheese-style shreds and choose a vegan-friendly tortilla (some tortillas are processed with lard). or serving skip the sour cream and Greek yogurt and opt for your favorite non-dairy yogurt or vegan sour cream alternative.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Quesadillas

4.84 from 56 votes
Sweet potato black bean quesadillas are a healthy, fast, vegetarian recipe made with whole wheat tortillas, cinnamon, and cheddar cheese.

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 3 small sweet potatoes (about 6 ounces) peeling is optional
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon (more or less to suit your personal taste)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chili pepper
  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 1 large green bell pepper cored and diced
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 can reduced sodium black beans (15 ounces) rinsed and drained
  • 6 medium-sized 100% whole wheat flour tortillas
  • 1 1/4 cups  freshly grated sharp shredded cheddar cheese
  • Optional toppings for serving: light sour cream or plain non-fat Greek yogurt, diced avocado, salsa, chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions
 

  • Cut potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Place in a large saucepan, cover with water, then bring to a boil. Continue boiling until the potato chunks are fork-tender, about 8 minutes. Remove pot from heat, drain the potatoes, then return the potatoes to the pot and mash.
  • Stir in the chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, smoked paprika, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and chipotle chili pepper until incorporated. Set aside.
  • Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and peppers and sauté until beginning to soften; about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Continue to sauté until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes more.
  • Combine the sautéed vegetables with the sweet potato mash. Stir in black beans until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then lightly coat with cooking spray. Place a single tortilla in a skillet, then spoon a heaping 1/2 cup of filling onto half of the tortilla and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of shredded cheese. Fold the empty half of tortilla over the top.
  • Let cook until the bottom of the tortilla is browned and slightly crispy (about 1-2 minutes), then flip and brown the other side. Serve immediately with any desired toppings.

Notes

  • TO STORE: Leftover sweet potato black bean quesadilla filling can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Whole assembled and cooked quesadillas may be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • TO REHEAT: Reheat filling in the microwave until heated through then assemble and cook as directed. Assembled quesadillas may be warmed in a skillet over medium-low heat until the filling is heated through and the tortilla is crisp. 
  • TO FREEZE: Leftover filling may be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before using to assemble quesadillas.

Nutrition

Serving: 1quesadilla without extra toppingsCalories: 486kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 22gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 52mgPotassium: 600mgFiber: 12gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 10409IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 512mgIron: 4mg

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Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

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69 Comments

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  1. Oh my god I am late to this party but these were BANGING! As a recent vegetarian looking for new recipes these are 100% going in my regularly cooked category! I had run out of chilli powder though and used cayenne as an alternative. Was not a bad move as we love us some spicy in this house. Many thank for the recipe, loved it!5 stars

  2. This is my family’s new favorite dinner/lunch/snack. I have made it twice now, both times the filling makes enough to make additional quesadillas for a week. The second time I accidentally doubled the cayenne and my spice loving family thought that was just the right amount. We use a quesadilla maker and it makes it so easy that my husband and teenage will actually make their own quesadillas once I’ve made up the filling.5 stars

    1. I’m so pleased that the recipe was a hit, Jennifer! Thank you for sharing this kind review!

  3. I made these for the 2nd time this week with my boyfriend; they are so delicious! I wrote about it on my blog, Imperfect Pursuits, too.
    https://www.imperfectpursuits.com/sweet-potato-black-bean-quesadillas/5 stars

  4. Delicious! Made as is but next time would probably use half the cinnamon – agreed with other commenters that it was a bit much for me. Otherwise though, delicious, healthy, and easy! Thanks for the recipe!4 stars

  5. This was really good!! I added chicken, but would also be great without meat, it with steak. I would recommend NOT using the entire 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. It was a bit overpowering. Next time I will use 1 teaspoon. Otherwise, very good, will make again with the modifications.4 stars

  6. Very tasty! I thought the whole wheat tortillas especially complimented this recipe. The green pepper was an out-of-place flavor to me, so next time I think I’d sub some spinach or kale and saute it with the same spices as in the potatoes. The cheddar was good, but I might try this with mozzarella next time – let the other flavors shine a bit more! All in all, a tasty, simple meal. Thanks for sharing your recipe!4 stars

  7. I didn’t have onion, I used mushrooms instead. Very very good, and made plenty for a single college aged person. Probably 3 meals worth. I love cinnamon, and I love sweet potatoes so this is a win win. Thank you so much!5 stars

  8. Just tried these for the first time today and loved them! Even my meat-loving hubby enjoyed them. :) Thanks!5 stars

  9. Amazing meal prep lunch recipes!! Per other commenters, I used 1/2 cinnamon, but otherwise followed recipe to a T. It was delicious and super easy to meal prep for lunches for the week. For meal prep, I cooked quesadillas, let them cool, then refridgerated. Heated up at work in the toaster oven and tasted amazing. I also topped my quesadillas with pico de gallo for some extra flavor!5 stars

  10. This was great! Followed everyone’s advice and used half the amount of cinnamon, and I replaced the capsicum with kale. The rest of the spices went really well with the sweet potato, and I’m always a fan black beans + sweet potato. Thank you so much!5 stars

  11. I’ve been using this recipe for years! I thought I’d finally leave a comment and say thank you for such a simple and incredibly delicious recipe. This is the one recipe that will always be in my regular meal rotation, probably for life!5 stars

  12. This is excellent!! And it’s a healthy meal!! I wondered how the cinnamon would taste in it, but it added a wonderful flavor. I will be making this again!!!5 stars

  13. I’ve made these a number of times now ..l they are always a huge success. This is such a yummy combination of things! Absolutely BANGING as one commenter writes. I do have one question though. Just how much sweet potato is actually called for? Is it three sweet potatoes each weighing approx 6 oz for a total of 18oz? Or should I be using far less?
    What I have been doing is just guessing … relying on the old “eyeball” approach. I manage to get really spicey results … which we “suffer” (not!) through whilst adding creme fraiche and guacamole as garnish. Let me repeat … we love these. Just curious.
    Meanwhile, I’m off to make them again! Thanks for this delicious recipe/meal idea.5 stars

  14. This was delicious! I’ve never put mashed sweet potato in a quesadilla before- with the spice mix- soooo satisfying. I added corn and pickled jalepenos. My 4 1/2 year old, 14 and 16 year olds all enjoyed this recipe and everyone was full and satisfied. Thanks!5 stars

  15. Very good! My only suggestion would be to add corn. I think it needed another main ingredient. I would probably also use a different colored pepper. Overall these were delicious and with minor improvements they can absolutely be a 10/10 dish!4 stars

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