These Southern Sweet Potato Pie Cookies bring the warm, spiced flavor of a classic Southern dessert into a soft cookie. Made with real sweet potato, holiday spices, and chopped pecans, they are a flavorful addition to my fall cookie recipes.
When I was young, a coworker from the Deep South introduced me to sweet potato pie, and I have loved it ever since. It is amazing how simple ingredients can taste so warm and inviting. Now, all these years later, I get to bring those same flavors into a soft, spiced cookie. Sweet potatoes are available year-round, but to me, they always feel like fall and the holidays.
If you enjoy cookies with warm spices, try my Vintage Spiced Date Cookies or Apple Raisin Walnut Oatmeal Cookies. For another nutty cookie, my Chocolate Chip Cookies with Glazed Pecans are filled with buttery pecans.
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A Quick Look: Southern Sweet Potato Pie Cookies
Recipe Name: Southern Sweet Potato Pie Cookies
Ready In: About 1 hour and 40 minutes, including chilling the cookie dough.
Yield: 30 cookies
Texture: Soft and creamy with a gentle crunch from the pecans
Flavor Profile: Sweet potato, warm holiday spices, maple, and pecans
Difficulty: Medium
Why You'll Love These Cookies
- 🍠 Real sweet potato flavor: Homemade sweet potato puree gives the cookies their signature flavor and soft texture.
- 🍁 Warm, familiar spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and maple bring the flavor of sweet potato pie into every bite.
- 🥜 A little crunch: Chopped pecans add texture without overpowering the soft cookie.
Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes - Fresh sweet potatoes give the puree the best flavor. Two medium to large sweet potatoes should provide the cup needed for the cookie dough. You can use drained canned yams in a pinch and mash them with a fork. Because canned yams are packed in syrup, do not add the butter or maple syrup to the puree. Instead, increase the maple syrup in the cookie dough to 1 teaspoon.
- Pure Maple Syrup - Maple syrup is used in both the sweet potato puree and the cookie dough to complement the warm spices.
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg - These warm spices give the cookies their familiar sweet potato pie flavor.
- Pecans - Chopped pecans add a gentle crunch and pair naturally with sweet potato, maple, and spices.
- Kosher Salt - I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. Because Morton's Kosher Salt has denser flakes, use half as much Morton's when converting a recipe.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Spice Note!
Cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla give these cookies their classic sweet potato pie flavor. If you would like a little more spice, add a small amount of ginger or allspice.
How to Make Southern Sweet Potato Pie Cookies
Can you really make a cookie with sweet potatoes? Absolutely. Baked sweet potatoes add flavor and moisture, much like applesauce helps keep a cookie soft.
Prep
You can cook the sweet potatoes however you prefer, but I find the microwave easiest.
Step 1: I butter the outside of my two sweet potatoes and take a fork and make about four or five jabs into each potato. I also take a wet paper towel and lay it on top of them both. It takes about ten to fifteen minutes, and I dampen the paper towel a couple of times during that time. My microwave has a potato button. If yours does not, check the potatoes about every five minutes by sticking a fork into them to test for doneness.
Step 2: Once the potatoes are done, set them out to cool before cutting them open. They will be very hot. You want a cup of the inside of the potato, not the skin. It took both potatoes to get a cup of the sweet potato flesh.
Step 3: If you have a stick blender, this is the perfect time to use it. You could also use a regular blender or a food processor. But you do need the consistency of a puree. I blended the maple syrup, butter, and sweet potato for about thirty seconds to one minute to get it nice and smooth.
Step 4: Weigh or measure the sugar into a bowl and set it aside.
Step 5:In another bowl, weigh or measure the flour. Add the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and finally the salt to the flour. Take a whisk and blend them together.
Mix the Dough
Step 6: In a mixing bowl, cube the butter. I cream the butter for a minute or two.
Step 7: Add the sugar to the creamed butter and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. Because there is more sugar than butter, the mixture will look grainy rather than creamy.
Step 8: This is the time to add the vanilla extract, maple syrup, and sweet potato puree, and blend them into the butter-sugar mixture.
Step 9: I break the egg into a small bowl to check that there are no eggshells before adding it to the cookie dough.
Step 10: Scrape down the bowl and blend until all the wet ingredients have been incorporated.
Step 11: Turn the mixer to a low speed and add the flour about a third at a time. Try not to over mix. Take a spatula and incorporate any loose flour at the bottom of the mixer bowl.
Step 12: Finally, add the chopped pecans and mix for about 5-10 seconds. The dough is soft, so it does not take long to blend the pecans through.
Step 13: Scrape down the bowl and check to see if the pecans are evenly distributed throughout the cookie dough.
Chill
Step 14: Cover the bowl and chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 45 minutes. Chilling firms the soft dough and helps control spreading during baking.
Scoop and Bake
Step 15: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) and line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper. I also get out my medium cookie scooper for these cookies.
Step 16: Scoop twelve mounds of the cookie dough on one of the prepared cookie sheet pans.
Step 17: Bake for 11-13 minutes. Move them to a cooling rack once they are out of the oven. These will be soft and moist sweet potato cookies.
🫙🍪 Storage
These cookies stay soft because of the sweet potato. Stack the completely cooled cookies in a container with parchment paper between the layers. Set the lid on loosely to allow a little air to circulate, and store them at room temperature for 4 to 5 days.
FAQs
Oh my, yes. I did not add it to mine simply because I do not have any marshmallow-loving people in my family, but it is a wonderful idea.
I do not see why not. It would have a milder taste, but you can adjust some of the spices to amp up the flavor.
I have Rubbermaid 1.1-gallon TakeAlongs containers and just set them on my counter. I do not seal the lid since these cookies have sweet potatoes in them and are moist cookies. I also put a half sheet of parchment paper between the layers.
Still Have Questions?
Need help with ingredient swaps or wondering if these cookies freeze well? I've added a few extra baking helpers below for common home baker questions.
Other Fall Cookies
If you tried this Southern Sweet Potato Pie Cookies recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a ⭐ star rating and share your thoughts in the comments. Thanks!
Recipe
Southern Sweet Potato Pie Cookies
Ingredients
SWEET POTATO PUREE
- 1 ½ pounds (680.39 g) Sweet potatoes about 2 medium to large
- 1 Tablespoon Butter unsalted
- ½ Tablespoon Pure maple syrup
COOKIE DOUGH
- ½ cup (113.5 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) Sugar white
- 1 Egg
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Maple syrup
- 1 cup (280 g) Sweet potato puree
- 2 ½ cups (312.5 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 cup (99 g) Pecans chopped
Instructions
SWEET POTATO PUREE
- Bake or microwave 2 large or 4 small sweet potatoes until cooked. Set them aside until they cool, then cut the sweet potatoes open and scoop out the flesh. I added the sweet potatoes to the immersion blender cup, plus the maple syrup and butter. Pulse until it becomes a puree. It took me less than a minute to blend the ingredients. You can use canned sweet potatoes, but they are usually canned in syrup, so mash them and don't add maple syrup or butter.
COOKIE DOUGH
- Weigh or measure the sugar and set aside. In another bowl, weigh or measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and run a whisk through to blend. In a stand or hand-held mixer, add the sugar and the butter and mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, maple syrup, sweet potato puree, and mix through. Break the egg into a small bowl (just in case some shells pieces break off) and add it to the rest of the wet mixture. Once blended through, turn the mixer down and add the flour mixture about a third at a time until it is incorporated. Add the pecans and mix through for about about 5-10 seconds. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) and line 2 cookie pans with parchment paper (I use parchment sheets). Using a medium cookie scooper, space out twelve scoops onto the cookie pan about 2" apart. This gives it space to spread and rise. Bake for 11-13 minutes. Move them to a cooling rack once out of the oven.
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NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
Lorraine says
I just made the sweet potato pie cookies. I love them how should you store them. I didn't have any pecans so used walnuts next time I will use pecans
Barbara says
Hi Lorraine, I am so glad you love these cookies. I have those Rubbermaid 1.1gal Take along containers, and just set them on my counter. I do not seal the lid since these cookies have sweet potatoes in them. I also put a half sheet of parchment paper between the layers. Let me know if you need anything else. - Barbara
Annette Schweinefus says
Do these cookies freeze well?
Barbara Hall says
Hi Annette, I have not frozen the cookie dough for this cookie but I am sure it would be like most cookies. I would make the dough and and scoop and roll into balls. Add them to a tray and refrigerate for a couple of hours then transfer to a zip lock bag or container and freeze them. They should be be good for up to 3 month. Barbara
Monet says
is there a recommendation for fresh potatoes? still use them in a plastic bag to steam?
Barbara says
Hi Monet, The fresh sweet potatoes can be baked, steamed in a bag, or microwaved. I just steamed them because I found in the grocery store these steamer bags with fresh sweet potatoes. They were so tender and not over baked. Plus, the steamed sweet potatoes took less time than if I baked them. Hope this helps! - Barbara
GaryPeter Casella says
Hello, Again....OK, made 1 cookie to see how long it should cook in our oven, given every oven has its own ways...and the cookie I made was marvelous! I did a bit extra flour, seeing that the dough was now as firm as I was used to seeing, as well as en extra sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg. The edges were browning when I removed it from the over and then I gave it, as you said, a few minutes to cool. Then I ate it and happily, the cookie was crunchy on the edges and chewy in the middle (I love chewy cookies and have, with other recipes for other cookies, added a pinch of corn starch or egg yolk to assure the chewy texture. Oddly, I am no fan of sweet potatoes no matter how they are made, whether roasted or in a casserole with marshmallows, a Christmas staple for some, which I cannot undertand. However, a sweet potato pie I have made and learned from, adding more or 1 extra potato to make it thicker. I only began to learn how to bake during lockdown, and here, in Italy, was able to buy US measuring cups and spoons, etc...but some things I have to get the algebra out to measure between ounces/stick, etc...into grams. We are many, Americans, I mean, in Europe and every person from Europe enjoy, so much, our baking recipes. My husband, from Naples, where cooking is divine, so looks out baked goods which makes me happy to make them for him. Of course, it is the holidays so after they are done, on January 6, here, we go back to less baked goods as my blood sugar cannot take it for more than a month! My 1 guilty, somewhat, pleasure is a banana bread, as mine has 3 bananas in it...less sugar, or cut with brown sugar, and less butter so I feel less guilty.
Again, I am sorry for my 1st comment about the sticks to grams issue I was having, though it was how much do 2 potatoes weigh. I should have read on.
Thank you for this, as it is going in my notebook of recipies I want to keep.
Tanti Auguri per un Buon Natale!
Gary
Gary says
Sorry, I found the measures in grams/cups further down. Just habit asking US recipe sites to post in grams and such. So far so good....yummy batter but will bake tonight when husband can walk in and smell "Christmas"!
Again, sorry.
Gary
Gary says
Hello, I am baking your cookies recipe right now. I was wondering, in future, if you might put how many grams you need for this recipe...as I am not sure what makes up a "small" sweet potato and a large one. I had 4, not enormous sweet potatoes, but I am in Italy, so per memory, they are not those huge potatoes my mother would bake. I am going to blend them when they cool (only took about 15 minutes to steam...but I already chopped them). As I am in Italy and I know other people here use American recipes, it would be such a help if the portions were in grams. I am lucky that I have US measuring cups and spoons, and a scale to weigh things out...but grams/ounces for the correct potato amount would be helpful. Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Barbara says
Hi Gary, I have been trying hard to make my recipes easy for my fellow bakers no matter where they live. The fact that someone in Italy is making a recipe that I created is the best reward I can get. I am glad you liked the cookies, and I have a friend whose husband is the same way; he did not like sweet potatoes but enjoyed this cookie. I am also glad you can tweak a recipe to suit your taste; this is how the recipe really becomes yours. - Happy Holidays to you also - Barbara
Kayla says
Ms. Barbara you are the jam! This recipe was a night baking experiment and I enjoyed how much these cookies taste like a real slice of pie. Cookie recipes are always a concern of mine but this is perfect. Many blessings to you ma’am!
Barbara says
Oh, Kayla, you made my night! I am so glad you enjoyed this cookie and I hope I made the South proud with my version of Sweet Potato Pie! - Barbara