Sweet Potato Pie Cookies, y’all! These babies take the classic Thanksgiving dessert we all know and love and turn it into a bite-sized treat that’s ideal for sharing (or sneaking straight off the cooling rack). Each cookie starts with a nutty brown butter dough that’s rolled in warm spices, then topped with the silkiest sweet potato filling. SO good! And don’t even get me started on how cute they are. Almost too adorable to eat… almost.
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There’s nothing like a big ol’ slice of sweet potato pie. But let’s be real boos, after a holiday dinner where you’ve had turkey, dressing, mac and cheese, and that second helping of greens you swore you wouldn’t take, sometimes all you want is a little bite of something sweet. That’s where these sweet potato cookies come in clutch! They’re the perfect way to get all the cozy flavors of your favorite pie without the commitment of a whole slice. Plus, you can eat one, two… Okay, six, and it still feels like a “light dessert”. It’s math, I promise!
The Lowdown on These Sweet Potato Pie Cookies
Cuisine Inspiration: Southern holiday magic, y’all!
Primary Cooking Method: Baking
Dietary Info: Vegetarian, can be made gluten-free
Key Flavor: Sweet potato pie vibes with a hint of cinnamon spice and everything nice
Skill Level: Beginner-friendly!
Fork-Free Dessert
You get all the flavor of a sweet potato pie without the need for a plate, fork, or even a napkin (unless you’re as messy as me). Portable, sharable, and easy to make!
Perfect Texture Combo
These cookies have the best of both worlds: soft, chewy cookie on the outside and creamy, velvety filling in the middle.
Brown Butter Magic
Y’all, the brown butter in these cookies? Incredible. It’s got that nutty, toasty flavor that’s the BOMB. If you’ve never browned butter before, don’t worry. It’s simple, and once you smell it, you’ll wanna put it in everything!
Ingredients you’ll need to make Sweet Potato Pie Cookies
For the Sweet Potato Filling
- Sweet Potato: Bake it up until it’s soft and sweet. Scroll down to the recipe card to learn how to do it!
- Oil: A little goes a long way to help that sweet potato bake. Use whatever you’ve got, vegetable oil, canola, or even olive oil.
- Salted Butter: Adds richness to the filling.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens up the filling just right.
- Egg: Helps hold everything together.
- Vanilla Extract: A touch of vanilla rounds out the flavors in this sweet potato pie cookies recipe. Don’t skip this one boos!
- Nutmeg & Cinnamon: They give the filling that classic sweet potato pie flavor.
For the Brown Butter Cookie Dough
- Unsalted Butter: Browning it gives the cookie dough its signature nutty flavor. No shortcuts here y’all, it’s worth it!
- All-Purpose Flour: The base of the dough.
- Cream of Tartar: Keeps your sweet potato cookies soft and gives that signature tang.
- Baking Soda: Helps the cookies puff up.
- Kosher Salt: Balances out the sweetness. If you’re using table salt, cut the amount in half.
- Cinnamon: Adds a little spice to the dough.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens everything.
- Egg: Keeps the dough soft and chewy.
- Vanilla Extract: For that classic cookie flavor.
For the Rolling Mixture
- Granulated Sugar: For that addictive cinnamon-sugar coating.
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, & Allspice: This spice blend is giving all the holiday feels. Adjust the mix if you want more or less of a certain spice.
- Powdered Sugar: Just a light dusting to make these cookies look bakery-worthy.
How to make Sweet Potato Pie Cookies
What to serve with these easy sweet potato cookies
- Top It Off Right: I always finish mine with a dollop of homemade whipped cream (with a sprinkle of cinnamon, of course!).
- Drizzle ‘Em: Drizzle on some chocolate ganache, caramel sauce, or both because why not?
- Warm Drink Pairings: Cozy cookies deserve a cozy drink! Serve these up with a mug of spiced apple cider, creamy hot cocoa, or a piping hot cup of buttered rum.
- Cookies Galore: Add these beauties to your Thanksgiving cookie tray alongside soft shortbread cookies, pecan pralines, or classic sugar cookies.
Recipe Substitutions
- Sweet Potato: Use canned sweet potato puree instead, but make sure it’s plain (not the pre-seasoned pie filling). It’ll save you some time on the big day.
- Flour: For a gluten-free version, swap out the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking mix.
- Cream of Tartar: Use a teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar instead.
- Granulated Sugar: If you’re low on powdered sugar, just toss granulated sugar into a blender and blitz until it’s super fine.
Recipe Variations and Additions
- Pecan Topping: Sprinkle some chopped pecans on top of the filling before baking. It adds an addictive crunch!
- Extra Spice Kick: Love bold sweet potato pie cookies? Add a pinch of cardamom or ginger to the rolling mixture.
- Maple Magic: Swap the vanilla in the filling with maple extract or add a little maple syrup for a deeper, richer flavor that screams fall.
Expert Tips and Tricks for making the best sweet potato cookies recipe
- Prep Ahead for Less Stress: Make the cookie dough and sweet potato filling a day in advance. Store the dough in the fridge and the filling in an airtight container. That way, on baking day, all you gotta do is assemble and bake.
- Whisk Away the Strings: When whipping up that sweet potato filling, remember to stop and rinse the whisk to get rid of those pesky stringy bits. Do this a couple of times, and your filling will be silky smooth.
- Measure Your Flour Right: Scoop and level your flour with a spoon instead of packing it into the cup. Too much flour can make the cookies dry.
- Don’t Skip the Chill Time: This is REALLY important, boos! Letting the cookie dough chill for at least an hour makes it easier to handle and helps the cookies keep their shape in the oven.
How to store Sweet Potato Pie Cookies
Once your cookies are fully cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool, dry spot, or inside the fridge.
If you store them in the fridge and wanna reheat them, zap them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or pop them in a 300°F oven for a couple of minutes.
How long will Sweet Potato Pie Cookies last in the fridge?
At room temp, they’ll stay fresh for about 3 days. In the fridge, they can stay fresh for about 5-6 days.
Can I freeze sweet potato cookies?
You definitely can! Bake the cookies, let them cool completely, then freeze in a single layer before transferring them to a freezer bag or container. They’ll stay fresh for up to 2 months.
You can also scoop out your cookie dough, skip the rolling mixture, and freeze on a sheet pan until firm. Once frozen, pop the dough balls into a freezer bag. When you’re ready to bake, let the dough thaw slightly, roll it in the spice mix, and bake.
Frequently asked questions
I haven’t tried it (yet), but I think it’s totally worth experimenting! Swap the sweet potato for canned pumpkin puree and adjust the spices to taste, pumpkin loooves a little extra cinnamon and nutmeg.
Make sure your sweet potato is completely cooked and drained of any excess moisture before mashing. Also, don’t skip the flour in the filling.
Your dough might be too warm. Pop it back in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to firm up before baking.
And there you have it, boos! Soft, buttery sweet potato pie cookies, all wrapped up in holiday spice and love. These cookies are the perfect excuse to grab one now and “test” it, just to make sure it’s as good as you remember… You know, for quality control. Because nothing says “Happy Holidays!” like sneakin’ a cookie before the guests arrive.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
- Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Peach Cobbler Cookies
- Southern Tea Cakes
- Key Lime Pie Cookie Cups
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
- Shortbread Cookie Recipe
Sweet Potato Pie Cookies
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Ingredients
Sweet Potato Filling
- 1 8- ounce sweet potato baked
- Oil
- 2 tablespoons salted butter room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
Brown Butter Cookie Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup granulated sugar + 2 tablespoons
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Rolling Mixture
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- Powdered sugar for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Start on the filling by washing and drying the sweet potato, then piercing with fork all over. Lightly rub a little oil over the entire surface of the sweet potato, then place on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer is inserted into the center of the potato with no resistance. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, for the cookie dough, in a small 1-quart saucepan, add unsalted butter and cook over medium low until it melts and starts to bubble. Continue cooking until bubbling subsides and butter turns brown and smells fragrant and nutty, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from the heat, set aside and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until combined. Set aside.
- When browned butter is cool, combine cooled butter and sugar in stand mixer fitted with a beater attachment. Mix on medium speed until combined and smooth, 3 minutes.
- Add in egg and allow to incorporate completely. Scrape down bottom and sides of bowl and mix again for 30 seconds.
- Reduce the speed of the mixer to low, then add in your flour mixture and mix until just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of bowl. Add in heavy cream and vanilla and mix for a final 30 seconds.
- Once combined, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in refrigerator until dough has firmed up, but is still easily shaped, about 1 hour.
- While the cookie dough chills, return to the sweet potato filling. While the sweet potato is still warm, carefully remove the potato from its skin and discard. Place the potato in a large bowl and whisk in salted butter and sugar for 1 minute. (Once you start to mix the baked potato, long little stringy pieces will attach to the whisk; you'll want to rinse the whisk to get rid of those. Removing them makes the filling super smooth, so you're not eating the stringy parts.) Repeat these two or three times, each time rinsing the strings from the whisk.
- Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract, followed by the nutmeg, cinnamon, and flour until your filling mixture is smooth. Cover with plastic wrap, until the cookie dough has finished chilling.
- Reduce oven to 350F. Prepare two sheet pans each with parchment paper.
- For the rolling mixture, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir together.
- To assemble cookies, remove cookie dough and filling from the refrigerator. Using a #40 scoop, scoop out cookie dough, press it into a small 2-inch disk, then roll it in the rolling mixture. Place 6 cookies on each sheet pan, spread evenly apart.
- Then use the scoop to press in the center of each cookie, leaving an indentation for the filling. Place about a tablespoon of filling in the middle of each cookie.
- Bake until the filling has softened, and the cookie has spread and just started to brown at the bottom and edges of the cookie, about 13-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 2 minutes on the pan, then move to a wire rack to continue cooling for another 3-5 minutes. Dust lightly with powdered sugar and enjoy warm!
Notes
- Prep Ahead for Less Stress: Make the cookie dough and sweet potato filling a day in advance. Store the dough in the fridge and the filling in an airtight container. That way, on baking day, all you gotta do is assemble and bake.
- Whisk Away the Strings: When whipping up that sweet potato filling, remember to stop and rinse the whisk to get rid of those pesky stringy bits. Do this a couple of times, and your filling will be silky smooth.
- Measure Your Flour Right: Scoop and level your flour with a spoon instead of packing it into the cup. Too much flour can make the cookies dry.
- Don’t Skip the Chill Time: This is REALLY important, boos! Letting the cookie dough chill for at least an hour makes it easier to handle and helps the cookies keep their shape in the oven.
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