Cinnamon Sweet Potato Cookies

Here is my favorite sweet potato cookie recipe, with soft, chewy cookies made from roasted sweet potatoes, warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and a touch of vanilla that makes them smell amazing.

These sweet potato cookies have become my go-to fall treat when I want something cozy but not too heavy. My kids love finding them in their lunchboxes, and honestly, I love sneaking one with my morning coffee when no one’s looking.

What Kind of Sweet Potatoes Should I Use?

For these cookies, you’ll want to use orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, which are the most common variety you’ll find at the grocery store. These have that classic sweet, creamy texture that works perfectly in baked goods. You can use either the darker-skinned varieties or the lighter tan ones – both will give you great results. Make sure your sweet potatoes are firm and free of soft spots when you’re shopping, and don’t worry if they’re different sizes since you’ll be mashing them up anyway. If you only have access to the white-fleshed sweet potatoes, they’ll work too, though your cookies might be a bit less sweet and have a slightly different color.

Options for Substitutions

These sweet potato cookies are pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps and substitutions:

• Sweet potatoes: You can use canned sweet potato puree instead of fresh – just measure out 2 cups. Butternut squash or pumpkin puree work too, though they’ll give a slightly different flavor.
• All-purpose flour: Whole wheat flour can replace up to half the all-purpose flour for a nuttier taste. For gluten-free cookies, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
• Rolled oats: Quick oats work fine, but your cookies will have a softer texture. You can also substitute with chopped nuts or extra flour (use 1 cup flour instead of the oats).
• Brown sugar: White sugar can replace brown sugar, but you’ll lose some of that rich molasses flavor. Coconut sugar is another good option that adds a slight caramel taste.
• Spices: Don’t have all the spices? Use 3 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead of the individual spices, or just stick with cinnamon if that’s all you have.
• Chocolate chips: Feel free to swap these with butterscotch chips, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, or mini marshmallows for different flavor combinations.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making sweet potato cookies is using sweet potatoes that aren’t completely cooled and dried out, which can make your dough too wet and result in cookies that spread too much or don’t hold their shape – always let your mashed sweet potatoes cool completely and pat them dry with paper towels if needed.

Another common error is overmixing the dough once you add the flour, which can lead to tough cookies instead of the soft, chewy texture you want – mix just until the ingredients are combined.

Don’t skip chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking, as this helps prevent excessive spreading and gives you thicker, more tender cookies.

Finally, resist the urge to overbake these cookies since they’ll continue cooking on the hot pan after you remove them from the oven – they should look slightly underdone in the center when you take them out.

What to Serve With Sweet Potato Cookies?

These sweet potato cookies are perfect on their own, but they’re absolutely amazing with a tall glass of cold milk for dunking. I love pairing them with a warm cup of coffee or spiced chai tea – the cinnamon and nutmeg flavors really complement those cozy fall spices. They also make a great dessert alongside vanilla ice cream or even a scoop of cinnamon ice cream if you want to go all out. For a fun fall treat, try serving them with some hot apple cider or even pack them up for a picnic or lunchbox snack.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: These sweet potato cookies stay soft and chewy when stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. I like to toss a slice of bread in the container to help keep them extra moist. Just make sure they’re completely cooled before storing or they’ll get sticky.

Freeze: You can freeze these cookies for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container or bag. I love making a double batch and freezing half for later when I’m craving something sweet. They thaw perfectly at room temperature in about 30 minutes.

Make Ahead: The cookie dough freezes really well too! Scoop the dough into balls, freeze them on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. You can bake them straight from frozen – just add an extra minute or two to the baking time.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3700-4000
• Protein: 40-50 g
• Fat: 150-170 g
• Carbohydrates: 540-580 g

Ingredients

For the dry mixture:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

For the wet mixture:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (enough for 2 cups mashed)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened, 1 stick)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

To fold in:

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

Step 1: Prepare and Mash the Sweet Potatoes

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (enough for 2 cups mashed)

Peel the sweet potatoes and chop them into chunks.

Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil.

Add the sweet potato chunks and cook for about 15 minutes, until they are fork-tender.

Drain the water and mash the potatoes until smooth.

Set aside the mashed sweet potato and allow it to cool slightly—you’ll need 2 cups for the dough.

Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, rolled oats, baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground ginger.

Mix everything together until evenly distributed and set the bowl aside.

Step 3: Make the Wet Mixture

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened, 1 stick)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups mashed sweet potato (from Step 1)

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter, packed brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture is smooth and slightly fluffy.

Add in the egg and vanilla extract, and continue mixing until well combined.

Once the mashed sweet potato (from Step 1) has cooled to warm room temperature (not hot), fold it into the butter and sugar mixture.

Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures; Add Chocolate

• dry ingredients (from Step 2)
• wet mixture (from Step 3)
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

Gradually stir the dry ingredients (from Step 2) into the wet mixture (from Step 3), being careful not to over mix.

Once combined into a dough, fold in the chocolate chips or chocolate chunks gently to distribute them evenly throughout the dough.

I like to reserve a few chocolate chips to press on top of each cookie before baking—they look irresistible this way!

Step 5: Bake the Cookies

• cookie dough (from Step 4)

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Prepare a baking sheet by greasing it or lining it with parchment paper.

Scoop portions of dough onto the baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart.

Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are slightly crisp and the centers appear soft.

Do not over bake—the softness in the center means they’ll stay chewy and moist.

Step 6: Cool and Finish the Cookies

Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 20 minutes before transferring them to a container.

While they’re still warm, gently squish each cookie with a spatula for a rustic look and chewy texture.

For an extra treat, I sometimes sprinkle a touch of sea salt on top right after squishing—it really brings out the chocolate flavor!

Cinnamon Sweet Potato Cookies

Delicious Cinnamon Sweet Potato Cookies recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 12 minutes mins

Cook Time 24 minutes mins

Total Time 36 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 3850 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the dry mixture:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

For the wet mixture:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (enough for 2 cups mashed)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened, 1 stick)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

To fold in:

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

Instructions

 

• Peel the sweet potatoes and chop them into chunks. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add the sweet potato chunks and cook for about 15 minutes, until they are fork-tender. Drain the water and mash the potatoes until smooth. Set aside the mashed sweet potato and allow it to cool slightly—you'll need 2 cups for the dough.
• In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, rolled oats, baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground ginger. Mix everything together until evenly distributed and set the bowl aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter, packed brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture is smooth and slightly fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla extract, and continue mixing until well combined. Once the mashed sweet potato (from Step 1) has cooled to warm room temperature (not hot), fold it into the butter and sugar mixture.
• Gradually stir the dry ingredients (from Step 2) into the wet mixture (from Step 3), being careful not to over mix. Once combined into a dough, fold in the chocolate chips or chocolate chunks gently to distribute them evenly throughout the dough. I like to reserve a few chocolate chips to press on top of each cookie before baking—they look irresistible this way!
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare a baking sheet by greasing it or lining it with parchment paper. Scoop portions of dough onto the baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are slightly crisp and the centers appear soft. Do not over bake—the softness in the center means they'll stay chewy and moist.
• Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 20 minutes before transferring them to a container. While they’re still warm, gently squish each cookie with a spatula for a rustic look and chewy texture. For an extra treat, I sometimes sprinkle a touch of sea salt on top right after squishing—it really brings out the chocolate flavor!