These Sweet Potato Cookies are going to be a new Fall favorite! Soft, cakey, spiced, and topped with marshmallow frosting...pumpkin who??
This post may contain affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I’ll never link to anything I don’t use and love! Click here for full disclosure and privacy policy.
These Sweet Potato Cookies are soft, cakey, and deliciously spiced! In a nod to sweet potato casserole, they're topped with homemade marshmallow for an irresistibly sweet finish. These cookies would make a perfect (and unique!) addition to your Thanksgiving gatherings!
If you enjoy this recipe, check out the posts for my Buttermilk Cookies, Pumpkin Pie Cookies, and Dirty Chai Cookies!
Ingredients
With some a sweet potato and some fridge and pantry staples, you'll be whipping up these cookies in no time! Measurements for each of the ingredients are included in the recipe card, below.
Sweet Potato Cookie Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour - Provides structure for the cookies.
- Cornstarch - Lends the cookies a softer texture.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder - For leavening.
- Ground Cinnamon, Ginger, and Nutmeg - For flavor.
- Salt - To balance and enhance the flavors of the cookies.
- Sweet Potato Purée - For moisture, flavor, and color. The recipe includes instructions on how to use canned or fresh sweet potatoes.
- Unsalted Butter - For moisture and richness. Unsalted so that you control the amount of salt in the recipe. You want your butter to softened so it incorporates better with the other ingredients.
- Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar - For sweetness and keeping the cookies moist. The brown sugar add a hint of molasses flavor.
- Egg - For moisture, richness, and a little leavening. You want your egg to be at room temperature.
- Vanilla Bean Paste - For flavor and lovely vanilla bean flecks in your cookies! If you prefer to substitute, you can use an equal measure of vanilla extract.
Marshmallow Frosting Ingredients
- Granulated Sugar - For sweetness, texture, and flavor.
- Agave Syrup - For a smooth and creamy texture to the marshmallow. If you prefer, you can substitute with light corn syrup.
- Egg Whites - Makes the marshmallow light and fluffy. Be careful that your bowl is completely clean and you don't include even a drop of egg yolk, or the whites won't whip up!
- Cream of Tartar - Helps to stabilize the bubbles in the whipped egg whites.
- Salt - To balance the sweetness of the marshmallow.
- Vanilla Bean Paste - For flavor.
Hint: If you're looking for recipes to use up your leftover egg yolks, check out my post with 10+ Recipes Using Egg Yolks for instructions on storing leftover yolks and recipes to use them up!
Instructions
Here's what you need to do to make these delicious cookies, step by step! More detailed instructions are included in the recipe card, below.
Here is a general overview of the steps to making these cookies. For full instructions, see the recipe card, below.
- Purée sweet potatoes in a food processor.
- Combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add egg, sweet potato purée, and vanilla bean paste and mix to combine.
- With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Scoop the dough onto baking sheets and bake. *Full instructions in recipe card, beow.*
- Combine sugar, agave syrup, egg whites, cream of tartar, and pinch in a heatproof bowl. Warm the mixture over a pan of simmering water until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture reaches 160° F.
- Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with the whisk attachment until white and glossy. Add vanilla bean paste and mix to combine. Frost cooled cookies with the marshmallow frosting.
Equipment
Here are a few things I used when making these cookies:
- Food Processor - I used a food processor to purée the sweet potato. Alternatively, you could mash the sweet potato, but you'll likely have chunks of sweet potato in your cookies.
- Nonstick Parchment - I like using nonstick parchment on my pans to ensure no sticking and for easier cleanup.
- Large Cookie Scoop - I used a large cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons in volume) to portion out my cookies so they're all uniform in size.
- Candy Thermometer - A candy thermometer is the best tool to ensure the egg white mixture reaches a safe temperature.
- Pastry Bag - For piping the marshmallow frosting onto the cookies, if desired.
- 1M Piping Tip - This is the size piping tip I used if you'd like your cookies to look like the ones pictured here.
Variations
These cookies, while completely delicious as written here, can be treated as a blank canvas for whatever flavor you're craving! Here are a few examples:
- Use flavored sugar instead of regular granulated sugar - Add a little more ginger flavor by using Ginger Sugar instead of regular granulated sugar!
- Change the frosting - Instead of the marshmallow frosting, you could top these cookies with Buttermilk Frosting!
Storage
The cookie dough will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, or up to six months in an airtight container in the freezer. Once baked, the cookies will keep for up to three days in an airtight container on your counter.
Other Recipes You May Like
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Sweet Potato Cookies
These Sweet Potato Cookies are soft, cakey, and deliciously spiced! In a nod to sweet potato casserole, they're topped with homemade marshmallow for an irresistibly sweet finish. These cookies would make a perfect (and unique!) addition to your Thanksgiving gatherings!
Equipment
- Large Cookie Scoop (about 3 Tablespoons in volume)
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Cookies
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- ¾ cup puréed sweet potatoes (fresh or canned;~7.25 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (see note)
Marshmallow Frosting
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup agave syrup (see note)
- 4 egg whites (see note)
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (see note)
Instructions
For Sweet Potato Cookies
- If using canned sweet potatoes: drain well and move onto the next step.If using fresh sweet potatoes: Peel your sweet potatoes and cut them into cubes that are 1-2 inches in size, trying to keep the size as uniform as possible so they cook evenly. Fill a pot with 2-3 inches of water, add a steamer basket, and pour the sweet potato cubes into the basket and cover the pot. Bring the water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once simmering, steam the sweet potatoes for 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and easily pierced with a fork.
- Process the sweet potatoes in a food processor until they are a smooth purée. (If you used fresh sweet potatoes, allow the purée to cool completely.)
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line baking sheets with parchment (see note) and set aside.
- Combine the dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt) in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Combine the sugar, brown sugar, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Add egg and mix to combine. Add cooled sweet potato purée and vanilla bean paste (see note) and mix until combined.
- With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. The dough will be quite soft.
- With a large cookie scoop (see note), scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake cookies until set, 10-12 minutes. I turn the baking sheets around in the oven after 5 minutes to help promote even baking. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
For Marshmallow Frosting
- In a large heatproof bowl, combine first five marshmallow ingredients (sugar, agave syrup, egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt) and whisk to combine.
- Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, taking care that the water doesn't touch the bowl. Whisking constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture to is warmed to 160° F on a candy thermometer (see note), about 5-10 minutes.
- Carefully transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip on high speed using the whisk attachment until it reaches medium-stiff peaks. The mixture will be smooth and glossy. Add vanilla bean paste (see note) and beat to incorporate.
- Dollop or pipe the marshmallow frosting (see note) on the cooled cookies immediately, as the marshmallow will set as it sits.
- The cookie dough will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, or up to six months in an airtight container in the freezer. Once baked, the cookies will keep for up to three days in an airtight container on your counter.Enjoy!
Notes
Note on parchment: I like using nonstick parchment on my pans to ensure no sticking and for easier cleanup.
Note on vanilla bean paste: I love the flavor of vanilla bean paste, and the beautiful flecks of vanilla bean it leaves in both the cookies and the marshmallow! If you don't have vanilla bean paste or prefer not to use it, you can use an equal measure of vanilla extract.
Note on cookie scoop: I used a large cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons in volume) to portion out my cookies so they’re all uniform in size.
Note on leftover yolks: If you're looking for recipes to use up your leftover egg yolks, check out my post with 10+ Recipes Using Egg Yolks for instructions on storing leftover yolks and recipes to use them up!
Note on agave syrup: If you prefer, you can substitute with light corn syrup.
Note on candy thermometer: A candy thermometer is the best tool to ensure the egg white mixture gets to the appropriate temperature.
Note on piping marshmallow: These cookies are completely delicious with the marshmallow dolloped on top with a spoon, there's no need to pipe the marshmallow on top. If you do want your cookies to look like mine, I used a pastry bag fitted with a 1M piping tip.
Nutrition Estimate
Serving: 1 cookieCalories: 191kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 115mgPotassium: 64mgFiber: 1gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 933IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate.
Tried this recipe?I'd love to hear all about it! Leave a review below, then snap a pic and tag me on Instagram!
Shannon Kahl
I'm getting ready to make these, I'm so excited! I was a bit confused at the recipe notes. I have no idea if you'll see this before I make my grocery list (and that's totally okay), but just in case!
In the recipe, you wrote "⅔ cup agave syrup (see note)" -- but there's nothing in the notes that references the agave syrup. I was curious if there was any special attention needed for this ingredient, or if it matters to use amber vs. golden agave syrup!
Thanks so much! 🙂
Amee
I'm so sorry that the note wasn't there, and for my late reply--I definitely didn't make it ahead of your grocery list! Amber or golden agave syrup will work just fine. The note would have just said that if you don't have agave you could use honey or light corn syrup as substitutions. I hope you loved the cookies!