Simple Vegan Sweet Potato Cookies

I used to think vegan cookies meant giving up all the good stuff—the butter, the eggs, the chewy texture that makes cookies actually worth eating. Then I discovered sweet potatoes could do most of the heavy lifting.

Sweet potatoes bring natural sweetness and that perfect chewy bite without any of the usual suspects. Plus, they’re packed with good stuff your body actually wants. These cookies taste like fall and comfort food had a baby, but you can feel good about eating three of them after dinner.

What Kind of Sweet Potato Should I Use?

Any variety of sweet potato will work for these cookies, but orange-fleshed sweet potatoes like Beauregard or Centennial tend to give the best results since they’re naturally sweeter and have a creamier texture when mashed. You’ll want to choose sweet potatoes that feel firm and have smooth skin without any soft spots or wrinkles. For the easiest mashing, bake your sweet potato whole in the oven at 400°F until it’s fork-tender, then let it cool before scooping out the flesh. If you’re short on time, you can also microwave the sweet potato for 8-10 minutes, turning it halfway through, though baking gives you a slightly better flavor.

Options for Substitutions

These simple cookies are great for swapping ingredients based on what you have in your pantry:

• Sweet potato: You can substitute with mashed butternut squash, pumpkin puree, or even mashed carrots. Just make sure whatever you use has a similar consistency to mashed sweet potato.
• Mashed banana: Try applesauce, mashed pumpkin, or even chia eggs (1 tbsp chia seeds mixed with 3 tbsp water per banana) as binding alternatives. The cookies might be slightly less sweet without banana though.
• Oat flour: No oat flour? Just toss rolled oats in a blender or food processor until they form a fine powder. You can also use almond flour, but you might need to add a bit more since it behaves differently.
• Brown rice flour: Feel free to skip this entirely and use more oat flour instead, or try coconut flour (but use only half the amount since it’s very absorbent).
• Rolled oats: Quick oats work fine here, though your cookies will have a slightly different texture. Steel-cut oats won’t work well since they’re too hard.
• Maple syrup: Swap with agave, honey (if not strictly vegan), or just leave it out completely since the sweet potato and banana already provide natural sweetness.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making these vegan cookies is using sweet potatoes that aren’t completely cooked through – undercooked sweet potato will create lumps and uneven texture, so make sure to bake or steam your sweet potato until it’s fork-tender and mashes easily. Another common error is using bananas that aren’t ripe enough, as green or yellow bananas won’t provide the natural sweetness and binding power you need, so wait until your bananas have brown spots and give slightly when pressed. Since these cookies rely on natural moisture from the sweet potato and banana, overbaking is a real concern – they should look set but still feel slightly soft to the touch when you remove them from the oven. For best results, let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring them, as they’ll continue to firm up and be less likely to break apart.

What to Serve With Vegan Sweet Potato Cookies?

These naturally sweet cookies are perfect with a warm cup of coffee or chai tea, especially since the cinnamon and sweet potato flavors pair so nicely with those cozy spices. I love having them as an afternoon snack with some almond milk or oat milk, or even crumbling them over a bowl of vanilla yogurt (use coconut yogurt to keep it vegan!) for a fun breakfast treat. They’re also great packed in lunch boxes or taken on hikes since they’re made with wholesome ingredients that give you lasting energy. For a special dessert, try serving them alongside some dairy-free ice cream or with a drizzle of almond butter for extra richness.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: These sweet potato cookies stay soft and chewy when stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. I like to put a piece of bread in the container to help keep them moist. Just make sure they’re completely cooled before storing so they don’t get sticky.

Freeze: You can freeze these cookies for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers. They thaw really well at room temperature in about 30 minutes, making them perfect for when you want a healthy treat without the wait.

Make Ahead: The cookie dough actually gets better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours or overnight – it helps the oats soften and the flavors blend together. You can scoop the dough onto baking sheets and freeze the raw cookies, then bake them straight from frozen by adding just a couple extra minutes to the baking time.

Estimated Nutrition

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

• Calories: 400-470
• Protein: 8-10 g
• Fat: 2-3 g
• Carbohydrates: 90-105 g

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potato (about 2 1/2 cups cubed from 1 large potato)
• 1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas (around 2 medium bananas)
• 70 g oat flour (roughly 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp; gluten-free as needed)
• 50 g brown rice flour (about 1/4 cup, or sub with oat flour)
• 70 g old-fashioned oats (approximately 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp)
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup (optional)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

Step 1: Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Baking Sheet

Set your oven to preheat at 375℉ (190℃).

While it heats up, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking.

Step 2: Cook and Mash the Sweet Potato

• 1 1/4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potato (about 2 1/2 cups cubed from 1 large potato)

Peel the large sweet potato and cut it into cubes (about 2 1/2 cups cubed for 1 1/4 cups mashed).

Place the cubes in a pan or pot, cover them with water, and bring to a boil.

Let them cook until they’re soft, about 8-10 minutes.

Drain the cubes and return them to the pan, then mash thoroughly using a potato masher.

Step 3: Prepare the Cookie Dough

• mashed sweet potato from Step 2
• 1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas (around 2 medium bananas)
• 70 g oat flour (roughly 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp; gluten-free as needed)
• 50 g brown rice flour (about 1/4 cup, or sub with oat flour)
• 70 g old-fashioned oats (approximately 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp)
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup (optional)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

Add the mashed bananas, oat flour, brown rice flour (or additional oat flour if substituting), old-fashioned oats, maple syrup (if using), and ground cinnamon (if using) into the pan with the mashed sweet potato from Step 2.

Stir everything together well.

The resulting batter will be quite thick and sticky.

I like to add a little extra cinnamon for a more aromatic flavor boost.

Step 4: Shape and Bake the Cookies

• cookie dough from Step 3

Using a cookie scoop or spoon, portion out the dough and form it into balls.

Place each ball onto the prepared baking sheet.

Gently press each ball down with a fork to flatten and shape the cookies.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until the cookies are golden.

Step 5: Cool and Serve the Cookies

Remove the baked cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before enjoying.

For extra deliciousness, I sometimes drizzle a little extra maple syrup on top when serving.

Simple Vegan Sweet Potato Cookies

Delicious Simple Vegan 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 435 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potato (about 2 1/2 cups cubed from 1 large potato)
• 1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas (around 2 medium bananas)
• 70 g oat flour (roughly 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp; gluten-free as needed)
• 50 g brown rice flour (about 1/4 cup, or sub with oat flour)
• 70 g old-fashioned oats (approximately 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp)
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup (optional)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

 

• Set your oven to preheat at 375℉ (190℃). While it heats up, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking.
• Peel the large sweet potato and cut it into cubes (about 2 1/2 cups cubed for 1 1/4 cups mashed). Place the cubes in a pan or pot, cover them with water, and bring to a boil. Let them cook until they're soft, about 8-10 minutes. Drain the cubes and return them to the pan, then mash thoroughly using a potato masher.
• Add the mashed bananas, oat flour, brown rice flour (or additional oat flour if substituting), old-fashioned oats, maple syrup (if using), and ground cinnamon (if using) into the pan with the mashed sweet potato from Step 2. Stir everything together well. The resulting batter will be quite thick and sticky. I like to add a little extra cinnamon for a more aromatic flavor boost.
• Using a cookie scoop or spoon, portion out the dough and form it into balls. Place each ball onto the prepared baking sheet. Gently press each ball down with a fork to flatten and shape the cookies. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until the cookies are golden.
• Remove the baked cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before enjoying. For extra deliciousness, I sometimes drizzle a little extra maple syrup on top when serving.