Sweet Potato Cookies

You all know I am a lover of fall cookies, and these sweet potato cookies are my new favorite. They are soft, chewy, vegan-friendly and filled with chocolate. Cinnamon makes these cookies feel like the ultimate-cozy, and cream of tartar adds a distinct softness and tang that you don’t get in other sweet potato cookie recipes.

And the best part is this vegan sweet potato cookie recipe is insanely easy. It’s like a classic chocolate chip recipe, but with a few tweaks 😉 I’ll explain everything below!

A bit about sweet potato chocolate chip cookies

Sweet potatoes are naturally well, sweet! So they are a chocolate chip cookie match made in heaven. The sweet potato aids in the cookie’s leavening (like an egg replacer!) and also aids with the sweetness and texture.

It’s not as commonplace as say, a pumpkin cookie, but using this vegetable in a vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe is now one of my favorite things.

The dry ingredients you will need for this recipe

• 150 grams all-purpose flour, if you are gluten free you can use a 1:1 flour blend
• 24 grams cornstarch
• 1 & 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar, optional but highly recommended!
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Why use cream of tartar in these sweet potato cookies?

Cream of tartar used to be used as a leavening agent when combined with baking soda. But now that we have baking powder, which naturally includes cream of tartar in it, I use cream of tartar for a different reason.

I use it as an agent for flavor and texture. Cream of tartar gives cookies a signature tang (think snickerdoodles) as well as softens the texture of a cookie since it prevents sugar crystallization and gluten formation.

1/4 tsp is not a long, but it really changes the game when it comes to this recipe.

The wet ingredients you will need for these vegan sweet potato cookies

In this recipe, the sweet potato is technically a wet ingredient. Here’s a full list of what will be in the stand mixer:

• 6 ounces sweet potato, raw with the peel on
• 113 grams butter, or plant-based butter
• 40 grams light brown sugar
• 110 grams white sugar

Why is this recipe in grams?

Grams is always my preference for baking, and I hope it will be yours, too. The only way to ensure complete accuracy is through measuring by weight, not volume. One cup of flour can weigh all the way from 120 grams to 160 grams, depending on how it was packed. This ends up causing some volatility and miss-matched results.

I want to ensure you get the best results with this recipe (and I want to keep this recipe fool-proof!) so I highly recommend getting a small affordable kitchen scale if you want to move forward with this particular recipe.

How to prep the sweet potato for this sweet potato chocolate chip cookie recipe

The sweet potato is obviously the star of this cookie recipe. And how you prepare it matters. It should be the first step you take, because it needs time to cool and fully soften. The structure of a cooked sweet potato changes as it cools. Here’s how I recommend preparing it:

1. Microwave the sweet potato with the skin on, only puncture a few holes in it with a fork or knife.
2. Put it in a bowl with a bit of water so it can steam while it microwaves. Flip the potato after three minutes, and then microwave for another three minutes.
3. Let it cool slightly, the remove the peel. Then let sweet potato continue to cool and soften at room temperature. It will make all the difference!

Instructions for this sweet potato cookie recipe

Treat this recipe like a normal chocolate chip cookie recipe, but with a few tweaks. The most important thing to remember is to get the sweet potato to room temperature before combining it with the wet ingredients. This takes a bit of time, but I’ve listed out my preferred method/order of steps below!

1. Poke holes in the sweet potato using a fork. Add it to a bowl with 1 tbsp of water and microwave for 3 minutes. Flip in the bowl and microwave for another 2 minutes or until it is fully soft. Peel the sweet potato and let it cool to room temperature.
2. While the sweet potato is cooling, whisk together 150 grams of flour, 24 grams of cornstarch, 1 & 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar.
3. In a stand mixer, cream together the 113 grams butter, 40 grams light brown sugar and 110 grams white sugar until the mix lightens in color and is fluffy. This will take about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add in the peeled sweet potato to the stand mixer once the potato is fully cooled. Use the mixer on medium speed to mash and combine the potato with the creamed butter and sugar. Stop the mixer when the potato is fully combined with the mixture and the color is a light orange.
5. Gradually add in the dry ingredients to the wet and stir to combine. This dough will be somewhat soft.
6. Chop 120 grams of chocolate into small pieces, about the size of a lentil, and add it into the dough.
7. Put the dough in the fridge to cool while you preheat the oven to 400F.
8. After 15-30 minutes, scoop the dough into 10 equal 75 gram balls.
9. Bake the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet for 13-15 minutes at 400°F. When they are out of the oven, drop the baking tray on the counter a few times to help the cookies flatten.
10. Let cool for 10 minutes, and serve whenever!

Storage tips

Here’s the best way to store these cookies, based on each method:

To store the baked cookies in the fridge: These will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 to 5 days. I like to wrap each cookie in a layer of wax paper to prevent the from sticking to each other.

To store the baked cookies in the freezer: These will freeze well for up to six months. I like to line them with wax paper so they don’t stick to each other, then place them in a freezer gallon bag. To thaw, remove the cookies from the bag and let them sit at room temperature for 3-4 hours. Then they should be ready to eat!

Looking for other chocolate chip cookie recipes?

You are in the right place. TBH, cookies are my calling. Here are a few of my favorites.

And that’s everything for these Sweet Potato Cookies!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3