These easy Sweet Potato Cookies are soft, pillowy, and studded with chocolate chips. They taste like the holidays…covered in chocolate! It doesn’t get much better than that.
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Simple, consoling, and warm with fall spices, healthy sweet potato cookies are an autumn afternoon spent sipping hot cider (or Mulled Wine) with your beloved grandmother, or your affectionate cat.
Unless your cat isn’t affectionate, in which case you should invite your best friend over instead.
If your cat and your best friend are one and the same, then that’s twice the sweet potato cookies with chocolate chips for you.
5 Star Review
“I just made these cookies for my daughter and her friend, I definitely give them 5 stars and so do the girls and my husband, they loved them!”
— Lexa —
Move over pumpkin because today we are giving the spotlight to sweet potatoes. In my humble opinion, sweet potatoes are grossly overlooked when it comes to fall baking for a few reasons:
- Like pumpkin, sweet potatoes have a naturally sweet taste, add fantastic moisture to baked goods, and boast a lovely hue.
- Unlike pumpkin, sweet potatoes are easy peasy to use fresh. Sorry pumpkin, I love you, but starting with a from-the-ground pumpkin is a real piece of work. (My advice? Stick with a can when making Healthy Pumpkin Cookies or Vegan Pumpkin Muffins.)
- Hands-off oven roasting transforms the firm sweet potato into a soft, sweet baking material with an amazingly robust caramelized flavor (I’m looking at you, Sweet Potato Brownies).
These easy sweet potato cookies are part of my permanent cookie rotation from October through January.
I love to tuck a few into holiday cookie boxes (along with these Chocolate Ginger Cookies) for friends and family while saving a few dozen in my freezer for personal snacking all season long.
How to Make Sweet Potato Cookies
Spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and coriander, these easy sweet potato cookies are sweetened with applesauce and finished with a generous sprinkle of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
The Ingredients
- Sweet Potato. Roasted, mashed, and caramelized, sweet potatoes lend flavor, moisture, and sweetness to these tender cookies. (If you’re team sweet potato, you’ll also love my Sweet Potato Pie.)
- Flour. A combination of all-purpose and whole wheat flour keeps the cookies soft while sneaking in a bit of wholesome whole grains.
- Applesauce. Adds natural sweetness and moisture while also reducing the fat content of these cookies. (Applesauce is also my secret to these Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies.)
Tip!
Try baking these cookies with my Crockpot Applesauce. Between the cookies baking and the applesauce simmering in your crockpot, your kitchen will smell like heaven!
- Oil. Keeps these healthy sweet potato cookies moist and tender.
- Brown Sugar. The one true soulmate to sweet potatoes everywhere. Brown sugar adds sweetness and subtle molasses flavor and helps the cookies’ exterior caramelize and crisp in the oven.
- Eggs. For tenderness and moisture.
- Cinnamon. Paired with cloves and coriander creates the perfect fall spice blend for these easy sweet potato cookies.
- Vanilla. Enhances and smooths out the flavors.
- Chocolate Chips. Because I love you…and chocolate. (For further proof of my love for chocolate, see these Dark Chocolate Cookies.)
The Directions
- Roast and mash the sweet potatoes.
- Mix together the dry ingredients.
- Stir together the wet ingredients.
- Fold in the mashed roasted sweet potatoes.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients, then fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, then bake!
TIP!
For best results, use the toothpick test to test sweet potato cookies for doneness. If a toothpick, when inserted in the center, comes out clean, the cookies are ready!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Sweet potato cookies may be stored in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze. Freeze baked cookies in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and enjoy as desired.
Make Ahead
- To Freeze Cookie Dough. Scoop cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pop the sheet into the freezer. Once the dough balls are hard, transfer to a ziptop bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To Bake from Frozen. Place the desired number of frozen dough balls on a baking sheet and bake as directed—no need to thaw! Note that the baking time may need to increase so keep an eye on them and adjust accordingly.
What to Serve with Sweet Potato Cookies
Recommended Tools to Make Sweet Potato Cookies
- Stand Mixer. If you’re into marathon holiday baking, a stand mixer is well worth the investment.
- Potato Masher. I bet you never thought you’d need one of these for a cookie recipe!
- Baking Sheet. This set of sheet pans are my absolute favorite for baking and easy sheet pan dinners.
I can see it now: You, me, my grandmother, and soft sweet potato cookies with chocolate chips. Care to come for a cup of tea (or Healthy Hot Chocolate)?
Frequently Asked Questions
I have not tried making these easy sweet potato cookies with pumpkin or squash before, but it would be worth experimenting with. If you try this swap, I’d love to know your results in the comments. (If you’re looking for a pumpkin cookie recipe, you could also try these Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies.)
I have not made these sweet potato cookies with frozen sweet potatoes before so I cannot say with confidence what the results would be. If you attempt, you could try defrosting the sweet potatoes prior to roasting and then allow them to roast for several extra minutes to extract any excess moisture. Then bake as directed. If you choose to experiment, I’d love to know your results. Happy baking!
This recipe, as it is written, is not gluten free. If you would like to experiment and adapt this into a gluten free sweet potato cookie recipe, you could try substituting the flours for your favorite 1-to-1 gluten free flour alternative. (These No Bake Pumpkin Energy Balls are another gluten free, fall-flavored treat you could try.)
Sweet Potato Cookies
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Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato about 8 ounces
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place rack in the upper third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Clean and scrub sweet potato, pierce all over with a fork, then roast directly on the oven rack for 40 minutes, until fork tender in the thickest part of the potato. Once cool enough to handle, peel away the skin, mash, and measure out 1 cup of puree for baking the cookies. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and brown sugar until thick and smooth. Slowly mix in the oil, applesauce, and vanilla.
- Carefully fold the sweet potato puree into the wet ingredients.
- Add sweet potato mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Fold in by hand, just until no streaks of flour remain. Do not over mix. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Drop cookies by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart (they will look fairly small). Bake for 9-11 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then remove to a wire rack to let cool completely.
Notes
- TO STORE: Sweet potato cookies make be stored in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 5 days.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze baked cookies in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and enjoy as desired.
- TO FREEZE COOKIE DOUGH: You can store the cookie dough in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then give it a good stir before serving.
- TO BAKE FROM FROZEN: You may freeze individual balls of cookie dough then bake as directed from frozen. Note that the baking time may need to increase slightly so keep an eye on them and adjust accordingly.
Nutrition
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Okay, pumpkin. You can have the spotlight back now. Here are some of my favorite sweet pumpkin recipes:
I just made these cookies for my daughter and her friend, I definitely give them 5 stars and so do the girls and my husband, they loved them! I didn’t have the applesauce so used more sweet potato and they turned out so yummy, super good consistency, light and fluffy and delicious, thank you!
I’m so glad everyone loved the cookies, Lexa! Thank you so much for stopping by to leave such a nice review. :) I really appreciate it!
My husband and I loved them. And the recipe is so simple yet precise and well explained, that even a cookie-rookie like me managed to make them yummy. This is truly the first time I don’t ruin it and it’s all thanks to you, Erin <3
Hi Fernanda! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
These turned out great! My 7yo loved them and he normally won’t eat sweet potatoes. They are both dense and fluffy. I did not have apple sauce so I just added a bit more brown sugar. Def keeping this recipe. Thanks!
Hi Sasha! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Yum! The flavor, the texture, the nutrition—everything is right about these cookies. Mine were more, um, rustic than yours. When I make them again, I’ll make an effort to shape and smooth the cookies (maybe with wet hands?)
Hi Eileen! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I’m excited to make these cookies and wonder if King Arthur measure for measure gluten-free flour will work okay.
Hi Jennifer! It might, I just haven’t tested it out myself. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!
Hi, I was wondering if honey would work instead of brown sugar?
Hi Maria! I’ve only tested the recipe as written, so I am unsure how the honey would work out. If you decide to experiment with it, let me know how it goes! Hope you enjoy them if you make them!
AMAZING!! Relatively simple to make once the sweet potato is pureed! The only way I’ll eat sweet potatoes! lol!
I subbed with GF flour to make these gluten free and added 1/2c coconut sugar with 1/2 c brown sugar to eliminate some of the processed sugars. I have gotten so many compliments on these cookies and will be making this recipe again!!
So pleased to hear it, thank you Cassie!
Taste delicious! But the recipe didn’t work as written for me. Very wet, so I added an extra cup of white flour and had to bake for over 20 minutes.
Glad you enjoyed the flavor, sorry it didn’t work for you. Make sure to weigh the sweet potato and precisely measure the flours. Hope this helps!
These cookies are fabulous! I love how adaptable this recipe is and will definitely use it again. Thanks so much for sharing, Erin!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it Lisa!