Cooler weather officially brings with it the season of the sweet potato!
You can find this orange root veggie in a wide variety of dishes we associate with the colder seasons of the year: baked, mashed, hashed, candied, roasted, and so much more.
If you already have a few of these at home, and you find yourself staring at them each time you pass by your produce basket, completely clueless about a new way to tackle them, we have the perfect collection of sweet potato recipes for you.
Are you an ardent lover of this tasty piece of produce? Read on, and you’ll find some fresh new ways to love it even more.
Not that big of a fan? You might be surprised by just how much you’ll actually enjoy eating it in many of these fun recipes, some of which have the veggie very expertly hidden from plain sight!
Whether you’re a friend or foe of this wonderful ingredient, there’s something for everyone in the following recipes.
19 Must-Try Sweet Potato Recipes
Breakfast
Your morning will be brighter and better with a serving of sweet potato!
And with a range of recipes to enjoy when the sun is rising, there’s a recipe for everyone to eat as the perfect start to the day.
Get that coffee brewing…
1. Breakfast Hash
Here’s a little something to start your day that capitalizes on this veggie’s savory side.
Slice, dice, and boil those taters. Then saute them with white onions, green onions, bell peppers, and fresh rosemary and basil.
If you’re vegan, you can stop there. For omnivores, you can take it to the next level by topping it all off with an egg fried to your likeness.
It’s that simple.
But don’t take our word for it. Check out the recipe for yourself, and give it a try for a new spin on a classic American breakfast.
2. Olive Oil Fried Egg with Broccoli
Super simple and packed with all the nutritious goodness from a medley of colorful veggies – namely broccoli, onion, and sweet potato – this is a no-frills breakfast idea.
Everything is cooked in different steps while using the same pan, saving on your cleanup time after you scarf the dish down.
Frying the egg in olive oil gives you perfectly crispy edges – a major textural victory in the culinary department.
And with a few dollops of your favorite salsa on top, made from scratch or bought from the store, you’ll enjoy juuuuust the right punch of spice and acidity.
3. Waffles
Can you add sweet potatoes to your waffle mix?
The good news: yes, you can!
This tasty recipe incorporates sweet potato puree into the batter – but you can also use an equal amount of pumpkin puree, if that’s what you have lurking in the fridge as leftovers.
And since this delightful puree is already naturally high in sugar content, you only need to add a little bit to make these waffles flavorful enough.
Though a teaspoon or two of maple syrup would be a welcome addition if you know you have a sweet tooth that needs to be satiated!
This recipe is spiced with the warming flavors and aromas of nutmeg and cinnamon, making it the perfect autumn breakfast.
This particular version is vegan, and includes wholesome ingredients like ground flax seed, almond milk, and whole wheat pastry flour.
Soups and Salads
As a light lunch, dinner, or starter course, a soup or salad studded with sweet potatoes has its healthful perks.
Take a look at two options right now – both are packed with big, bold flavors and beaming with vibrant colors.
4. Corn and Black Bean Salad
Are you a big eater of taco salads, but searching for more meatless recipes to make a couple times a week?
Here’s our vegan and veggie-packed version!
We roast sweet potatoes, and mix them together with corn kernels, black beans, spinach, and tomatoes. A spicy miso dressing pulls the whole gang together.
Don’t forget crumbling crunchy tortilla chips on top!
Learn how to make the recipe here.
5. Spicy Tatsoi Soup with Chickpeas
This soup will warm you right up on any chilly night.
Snuggle up to the comforting combo of greens, assorted veggies, curry paste, chili, and chickpeas.
Tatsoi is an Asian leafy green with a deep color. If you’re having trouble finding it, swap in an equal weight of bok choy, chard, collards, or spinach.
You can use a homemade chicken broth or stock base, like our low-sodium slow cooker chicken stock. But this recipe can be vegetarian with a simple switch to vegetable broth or stock.
Sides
We love the ease of serving sweet potatoes as a side dish for any main. And the versatility of this orange root is so impressive!
We all have our go-to favorites to cook – but why not add on a few more creative and delicious recipe ideas to your collection?
The more the merrier! There’s plenty of room on that dinner plate!
6. Cajun Fries
Move over, Russet! Catch you later, Yukon Gold!
For our next adventure in the land of fries, we’re using sweet potatoes as the main ingredient for this dynamic snack or appetizer idea.
We season the baked strips with a homemade Cajun spice mixture, packing a BIG punch of savory heat.
Serve these feisty little guys with your favorite dipping sauce – we love the refreshing balance of a chilled and creamy garlic aioli, but a homemade ketchup would be an equally solid pairing.
Got the munchies? Make the recipe ASAP.
7. Coconut Patties
Another among our cherished greats, we share with you this dressed-up vegetarian patty recipe, with a touch of bold flavors.
A hint of lemon or lime brightens up the mix, along with scallions and chili flakes.
Serve them next to a roasted chicken with your favorite chutney as a dip, but they can also double as a smart replacement for meat-based burger patties.
Or, make a zesty alternative to falafel when you’re out of chickpeas, and serve them stuffed into homemade pita pockets with chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and tzatziki sauce.
Enjoy this delicious favorite from Foodal.
8. Electric Pressure Cooker
If you’re looking for just the basics, we have an essential cooking technique that’s easy to master:
Learning how to cook sweet potatoes in your electric pressure cooker!
You’ll achieve an irresistibly tender and creamy final result, and in just half the time it usually takes to cook them.
In our step-by-step tutorial, we will teach you how to cook them whole or cubed, depending on what you’re in the mood for this week for dinner.
Get the full how-to on Foodal now.
9. Potato Pancakes
If you live for latkes, you’ll love our colorful take!
These latkes showcase two types of shredded potatoes – sweet and russet – mixed together with grassy fresh parsley and finely diced sweet onion.
Shallow-fried with vegetable oil, they have the most addictively crunchy texture. For the best eating experience ever, serve them hot from the pan sprinkled with a pinch of salt.
Read more here for the recipe.
10. Roasted Butter Pecan
A fantastic choice for a fall feast, our easy roasted butter pecan sweet potatoes might actually outshine your Thanksgiving turkey!
If you typically serve your orange roots in a mashed casserole format every holiday, start a new tradition this year by trying something different.
Everyone will love the nutty crunch from the pecans, but they’ll go crazy over the heavenly tastes and aromas from the warmed butter and sweet brown sugar.
And the velvety melt-in-your-mouth texture is unbeatable – you’ll get these perfect results every time.
Vegetarian Dinner
No meat? No problem!
If you’re worried that eating a bunch of veggies for dinner won’t be filling enough, think again.
We are confident our list of vegetarian dinner options will keep you full and happy, especially with hearty sweet potatoes as the base for the following recipes.
11. Baked with Cranberry Wild Rice Stuffing
Need a nourishing fall meal on Meatless Monday?
These stuffed sweet potatoes are the edible dreamboats you’ve been waiting for this season.
After we bake them whole until the interiors are tender and fluffy, we fill them with a sweet-and-tangy mixture of sauteed balsamic cranberries, crunchy pecans and pepitas, and wild rice.
What a satisfying fall supper idea!
Interested? Read more.
12. Gnocchi
If you have experimented in the past with making gnocchi, you know the traditional base for these tender Italian dumplings is made from starchy russets.
But let’s introduce a little more flavor and color, shall we?
In our updated version, we use sweet potatoes instead, providing a subtle earthy sweetness to this homemade dish.
And you’ll hit the dinner jackpot by tossing them in a nutty sage brown butter sauce, and topping them with a delicate mountain of shredded pecorino cheese.
Here’s the recipe. Mangia.
13. Spicy Quesadillas
What’s spicy, earthy, and perfect topped with salsa and guacamole?
Our homemade sweet potato quesadillas!
This dish is a nutritious veggie-packed spin on a casual dinner classic, with a filling of grated sweet potatoes mixed with a dry spice mix of oregano, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
And you can’t make a quesadilla without one very important ingredient: cheese! We load the tortillas up with shredded cheddar cheese.
14. Spiralized Noodles
This recipe is one of those delicious dishes that you can confidently serve as a healthy and hearty gluten-free main course.
A spiralizer is used to cut the noodles into shape, which are then prepared with typical pasta accompaniments to round out the flavors.
Add some flavorful roasted red peppers and garlic, a handful of sun-dried tomatoes, a little olive oil, fresh sage, and some shaved fresh parmesan – there’s no way you’ll be missing the wheat-based pasta.
It’s nutritious and delicious at the same time!
Get dinner on the table soon, and learn how to make this quick dish now.
Meatier Mains
When you’re looking for a showstopping meaty main course, the sweet potato will be here to boost any chicken, pork, beef, or seafood dish.
Here are a couple dinner ideas to consider when you and the family are craving a home-cooked meal with a robust and meaty star.
15. One-Pan Balsamic Pork Loin
There’s something so impressive and special about serving pork loin, and this one-pan dinner will help you show off your skills in the kitchen with a fabulous – yet effortless – presentation.
Prepared and cooked in one baking dish, this simple and flavorful meal will be a winner any night of the week, but it is still upscale enough to serve at a large dinner party.
The balsamic-marinated pork is subtly tangy and tender, served alongside a seasonal mix of roasted vegetables like sweet potatoes, onions, and carrots.
16. Slow Cooker Chicken Stew
You won’t mind waiting a few hours for this slow cooker chicken and peanut stew to come together.
A mix of chicken thighs and breasts, sweet potatoes, spices like cinnamon and coriander, fresh ginger and garlic, and fiery chilies slowly simmer in a tomato-based broth in the slow cooker until tender and aromatic.
We particularly enjoy it with a simple side of steamed white rice to catch all the delish liquids.
Too impatient to eat this heavenly meal?
If you can’t wait the 6 to 8 hours of cooking on the low setting, we’ll give you a break – you can choose to cook this dish on the high setting for 3 to 4 hours.
Dessert
Is it already time to start thinking about dessert? Always!
Don’t let all the previous savory recipes fool you… the sweet potato is a perfect ingredient to make the most delectable treats at the end of a meal!
Still not convinced? We’ll prove it to you with blondies, brownies, and pies on our side.
17. Blondies
If you love baking with pumpkin, then you’ll find it just as easy to use sweet potatoes.
When mashed, they can be used just like pumpkin puree in a medley of recipes, like in cookies, cakes, and…
Blondies!
These soft and moist spiced sweet potato blondies feature a thin and delicate maple syrup glaze.
18. Chocolate Brownies
What’s the secret to the fudgiest brownies? Our little trick might surprise you…
When you are hoping to bake a batch of the thickest and chewiest brownies, turn to the ingredient you’d least expect: veggies.
Don’t run away!
Adding a cupful of pureed sweet potato to this brownie batter will help you achieve the rich and dense texture you have been craving.
Learn how to make this recipe with a twist now.
19. Pie
To truly dive into all the dimensions of this tasty root, you just can’t skip out on the classic pie, like this tasty homemade offering.
You’ve been basking in the spotlight for far too long, pumpkin pie.
It’s time for sweet potato pie!
This recipe’s rich, creamy filling and homemade pie crust combine with the powers of nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla to create a down-home dessert.
It perfectly captures that balance of flavors and textures we know so well, and look forward to, when the holidays roll around each year.
We share the recipe on Foodal.
A Savory Start or Sweet Ending – You Choose!
So tell me…
Is your mouth watering? Do you think you might be a newly-converted fanatic for this fantastic veggie now?
Here’s to hoping some of these ideas change your mind from hater to lover. You might be surprised!
Or were you already a lover before, but find your appreciation – and your appetite – growing for sweet potatoes even more than you thought was possible?
Needless to say, you have plenty of choices for any meal throughout the whole day, and you won’t be getting bored anytime soon!
Now, it’s your turn. Were there any recipes we missed? Do you have special traditions and preparations to share featuring this ingredient? Give these suggestions a try, and surprise us! Let us know all about your ideas in the comments section below.
If you saved a lot of ideas from this list, continue your cooking and baking adventures by reading our other roundups. We have carefully curated collections of our homemade recipes that cover holidays, seasons, themes, and more. Start with these next:
About Nikki Cervone
Nikki Cervone is an ACS Certified Cheese Professional and cheesemonger living in Pittsburgh. Nikki holds an AAS in baking/pastry from Westmoreland County Community College, a BA in Communications from Duquesne University, and an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University. When she's not nibbling on her favorite cheeses or testing a batch of cupcakes, Nikki enjoys a healthy dose of yoga, wine, hiking, singing in the shower, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
