thanksgiving

74 Sweet Potato Recipes That Will Make You Fall Even Harder for the Vegetable

updated Oct 24, 2023
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Credit: Joe Lingeman

There’s a whole lot to love about sweet potatoes, but best of all is the sheer versatility that comes with these humble spuds. Sure, you can bake them whole, roast cubes or crispy fries, and even toss them on the grill, but those classics just scratch the surface. What I’m trying to say is, there are a lot of ways to get sweet potatoes on the table from morning through night, as a crowd-pleasing side, the main course, or even dessert.

When choosing sweet potatoes, go for medium-sized tubers with unmottled, unbroken skin. If it’s soft or rubbery, or if the skin is wrinkled, then it’s no longer fresh and not worth buying. And while they’re quite similar, there is a difference between yams and sweet potatoes.

Ready for some inspiration? We’re sharing 74 of our best sweet potato recipes.

Basic Sweet Potato Recipes

Even if you’ve made roasted, baked, or grilled sweet potatoes so many times you’ve lost count, you might still need to check the recipe for the oven temp or cook time. We get it — us, too.

1 / 10
Air Fryer Sweet Potato
Even better than the air fryer recipe are the many toppings you can experiement with.
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2 / 10
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Crispy-on-the-outside, soft-and-creamy-on-the-inside air fryer sweet potato fries.
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3 / 10
How To Make the Best Roasted Sweet Potatoes
In the hierarchy of all the ways to cook a sweet potato, perfectly roasted chunks of sweet potato will forever sit at the top of my list.
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4 / 10
How To Bake a Sweet Potato in the Oven
This is the easiest, simplest way to make the best baked sweet potatoes every single time.
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5 / 10
How to Cook a Sweet Potato in the Microwave
Here's the best, easiest way to cook a sweet potato in the microwave, including how to prep it, how long to cook it for, and how to get crispy skins.
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6 / 10
How to Make the Best Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
Instant Pot sweet potatoes cook up with irresistibly tender, creamy centers, and pressure cooking them takes half as much time as baking them in the oven. Here's everything you need to know about making them.
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7 / 10
How To Make the Best Mashed Sweet Potatoes
This recipe comes together entirely on the stovetop and leaves you with impossibly creamy, fluffy and flavored with nutty brown butter and a splash of maple syrup.
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8 / 10
How To Make Baked Sweet Potato Fries
For the crispiest oven-baked sweet potato fries, you need to walk over to the pantry and take out the cornstarch because that ingredient is the secret.
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9 / 10
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chips
These air fryer sweet potato chips deliver everything you love about the deep-fried version, but require way less oil to make.
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10 / 10
Easy Grilled Sweet Potatoes
Consider this your playbook for perfect grilled sweet potato rounds every single time.
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Sweet Potato Breakfast Recipes

Whether you stuff one with yogurt and crunchy things, bake it into a hash, or transform it into pancakes, sweet potatoes make an amazing breakfast.

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Sweet Potato Hash Brown
These crispy sweet potato hash browns come together quickly in the skillet — no soaking or pre-cooking required!
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2 / 11
Tahini-Maple Sweet Potato Pancakes
These tender pancakes are totally gluten-free, thanks to the power of mashed sweet potato and eggs.
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3 / 11
Sweet Potato Waffles Recipe
These crisp waffles are full of mashed sweet potatoes, sweet spices, and just a touch of brown sugar.
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4 / 11
Sweet Morning Potato
Stuffed a baked sweet potato with your favorite yogurt, a drizzle of maple syrup and shower of toasted nuts or granola and you've got an A+ breakfast.
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5 / 11
Sweet Potato Hash with Caramelized Onions, Sausage & Eggs
The beauty of this savory sweet potato hash is that it mostly gets made in advance, so come morning all that's left to do it spread it on a baking sheet, crack some eggs on top, and slide the whole thing into the oven.
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6 / 11
Sweet Potato Cardamom Buns with Pistachio and Orange

Adding sweet potato to the dough gives these buns their gorgeous orange hue, as well as a slightly earthy flavor that offsets the sweetness, and a bit of moisture that ensures they bake up tender, never dry.

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7 / 11
2-Ingredient Sweet Potato Pancakes
Baked sweet potato and eggs are truly all you need to make these gluten-free, dairy-free pancakes.
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8 / 11
Morning Glory Sweet Potato Muffins
The best part of these tender, autumn-inspired muffins is the sweet potato that's grated into the batter.
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9 / 11
Spicy Kale and Sweet Potato Egg Bake
This hearty egg bake is built on a base of thick-cut roasted sweet potatoes. Feel free to get a head start by cooking the potatoes a day or two in advance.
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10 / 11
Sheet Pan Sweet Potatoes and Black Bean Hash
Take your pick between serving up this meat-free hash for breakfast or dinner. It's great either way.
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11 / 11
Sweet Potato Pancakes
This stack is everything you love about fluffy buttermilk pancakes with a lightly spiced sweet potato twist.
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Sweet Potato Soup, Stew, and Chili

Craving something warm and cozy? This lineup offers lots of inspiration for transforming sweet potatoes into a pot of soup, stew, or chili.

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Sweet Potato Soup
This blended soup is velvety and deep from the backbone of roasted sweet potato, warm from the addition of cinnamon and garam masala, and gently spiced with fresh ginger and crushed red pepper.
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2 / 10
Sweet Potato and Leek Soup

Don't toss those peels! This simple soup is topped with crispy potato skins for extra crunch and flavor.

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3 / 10
Vegan Sweet Potato Chowder
This vegan sweet potato chowder delivers everything you want in a warm fall soup. It has a velvety broth laced with seasonal spices, like sage and paprika, and chunks of tender root vegetables.
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4 / 10
Red Lentil Sweet Potato Soup
You only need a handful of pantry-friendly ingredients to make this hearty vegan soup.
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5 / 10
5-Ingredient Sausage, Kale, and Sweet Potato Soup
Browned sausage, tender sweet potatoes, just-wilted kale, and Italian herbs infuse store-bought broth in this hearty Whole30-compliant soup.
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6 / 10
Sweet Potato Soup with Miso and Ginger
Creamy sweet potatoes, spicy ginger, and sweet, salty miso all meet in this easy, delicious soup.
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7 / 10
Sweet Potato Curry
Hearty chickpeas and sweet potatoes join forces for a weeknight curry that's swimming in a creamy coconut milk broth that’s rich with Thai red chili paste and spicy ginger.
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8 / 10
Slow Cooker Turkey Sweet Potato Chili
Cubes of sweet potato give this chili an extra hearty texture and a subtle touch of sweetness to balance the warm spices.
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9 / 10
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

This hearty root vegetable soup that's incredibly versatile — and perfect for meal preppers.

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10 / 10
Instant Pot Sweet Potato Soup
This comforting winter soup cooks in less than 20 minutes in the Instant Pot, but tastes like it's been simmering away all day on the stovetop.
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Sweet Potato Side Dishes

A basic roasted or baked sweet potato side is timeless, but for those nights you crave something a little more, these recipes have you covered.

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Butter-Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Trust me when I tell you that these melt in your mouth potatoes are like no other roasted sweet potatoes you've ever tasted!
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2 / 13
Sour Cream Balsamic Sweet Potatoes
Tangy sour cream and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar really take this sweet potato mash up a notch.
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3 / 13
Garlicky Parmesan Sweet Potatoes
Thick chunks of sweet potato are roasted, then dusted with a snowy layer of nutty Parmesan cheese that crisps up under the broiler.
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4 / 13
Sweet Potato Soufflé
This elegant take on sweet potato casserole is made with whole eggs, spices, and brown sugar, and baked until light and puffed.
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5 / 13
Roasted Sweet Potato Slices with Cilantro Pesto
A swipe of vibrant herby pesto turns roasted sweet potato rounds into a light, bright side.
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6 / 13
Shredded Cabbage and Sweet Potato Slaw
This winter slaw is loaded with texture, and the sturdy red cabbage and crunchy raw sweet potato hold up Monday through Friday in the fridge.
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7 / 13
Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls
These tender rolls get their pale orange hue and delicate sweetness from mashed sweet potatoes.
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8 / 13
Sweet Potato Biscuits with Ham

What makes these biscuits extra special is the full cup of sweet potato, subtle warm spice of the cinnamon, and pillowy and flaky interior.

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9 / 13
Sweet Potato Latkes
A delightful riff on the Hanukkah classic.
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10 / 13
Sweet Potato Salad
The classic potato salad is a staple of summertime meals and picnics, so why not lighten things up a bit and try this version of sweet potato salad.
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11 / 13
Sweet Potato Chips
These crispy sweet potato chips take under an hour to make.
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12 / 13
Sweet Potato Cornbread with Maple Butter
To make sweet potato cornbread even more irresistible, pair it with homemade maple butter.
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13 / 13
Raw and Roasted Radicchio Salad with Sweet Potato, Manchego, and Crunchy Seeds
This topping-heavy salad is designed so that it's all good parts: roasted sweet potato keeps the raddcchio's bitterness in check and toasted sunflower seeds add crunch.
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Sweet Potato Casseroles

Sweet potato casserole might immediately make you think of the version topped with marshmallows. Beyond that classic side, though, sweet potatoes are a topping for a riff on shepherd’s pie or in an enchilada-inspired dinner casserole.

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5-Ingredient Sweet Potato Casserole
You know and love sweet potato casserole. Here's how to make it even easier.
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2 / 8
Vegan Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Shepherd's Pie
A plant-based alternative to a classic dish, this vegan version of shepherd’s pie boasts of a delicious filling of sweet potato, butternut squash, and "meat" crumbles.
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3 / 8
5-Ingredient Enchilada Casserole
With a smart grocery list in hand, you can make easy sweet potato enchiladas with just five ingredients and no tortilla rolling required.
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4 / 8
Deep-Dish Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potato and Chicken Curry
This version of a "shepherd’s pie" plays with the regional flavors of India, and cooks up with a creamy sweet potato blanket over the casserole.
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5 / 8
Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
You'll find all the usual suspects, like butter, cream, and a shower of nutty Gruyere cheese, plus a sprinkle of fresh thyme and nutmeg to balance the sweet potatoes.
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6 / 8
Lentil, Mushroom & Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
This vegetarian riff on shepard's pie starts with a hearty lentil base and finishes with a mashed sweet potato topping.
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7 / 8
Smoky Sweet Potato & Black Bean Casserole
This hearty vegetarian casserole with sweet potatoes, black beans, and smoked mozzarella works as both a main or a side dish.
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8 / 8
Sweet Potato Casserole
With a fluffy, just-sweet-enough filling and crackly streusel topping that'll remind you of candied nuts, this sweet potato casserole will become an instant classic on your Thanksgiving table.
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Sweet Potato Dinner Recipes

Hearty sweet potatoes can play more than just a supporting role on the dinner plate — they can also be the star of a wholesome dinner.

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Vegetarian Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
These weeknight-friendly sweet potatoes are stuffed with chipotle black beans, avocado, cilantro, and chipotle yogurt.
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2 / 14
Sweet Potato-Chickpea Patties with Sriracha-Yogurt Dip
No need to cook the potatoes first. These patties start with grated sweet potato.
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3 / 14
Roasted Cauliflower Bowl with Lentils & Sweet Potato Hummus
This "hummus" skips the chickpeas and mixes roasted sweet potato flesh with nutty tahini for silky smooth, knockout dip.
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4 / 14
Creamy Tortellini with Sweet Potato and Spinach
Sweet potato cubes soften and melt into a creamy sauce, while spinach makes the final product even more substantial.
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5 / 14
Sweet Potato Fajitas
These fajitas have roasted sweet potatoes seasoned with cumin and smoked paprika. Stuff them into tortillas and drizzle with a tangy crema.
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6 / 14
Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Baked sweet potatoes are topped with hot sauce-poached chicken breast and ranch dressing in this easy, 5-ingredient Whole30 dinner.
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7 / 14
Sweet Potato Lasagna
The sweet potato lasagna's sweetness complements the savory meat sauce.
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8 / 14
Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe
Pasta may be a weeknight staple for many of us, but fresh, homemade gnocchi is definitely a special treat.
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9 / 14
Saucy Coconut Collards with Crispy Sweet Potato Rounds
Here, roasted chickpeas are combined with sweet potato rounds (also roasted, to caramelize their naturally present sugars), millet (for its ability to soak up flavors without competing), and saucy, turmeric-spiced collards.
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10 / 14
Sweet Potato Smash
Twice baked and tossed in miso brown butter, this dish, from Chef Camilla Marcus, is an elevated take on the classic holiday dish we all know and love.
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11 / 14
Saucy Sheet Pan Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Peppers
This big-batch sheet pan dinner has it all: saucy chicken, caramelized vegetables, and a pantry-friendly sauce everyone will love.
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12 / 14
Tofu Teriyaki with Broccoli and Sweet Potato
This sheet pan tofu teriyaki with broccoli and sweet potatoes is like your favorite stir-fry reimagined.
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13 / 14
Sweet Potato Curry
Hearty chickpeas and sweet potatoes join forces for a weeknight curry that's swimming in a creamy coconut milk broth that’s rich with Thai red chili paste and spicy ginger.
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14 / 14
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos
A quick and easy recipe for soft tacos filled with black beans and sweet potatoes, which can be made vegan without the cheese.
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Sweet Potato Dessert Recipes

Just like the name implies, sweet potatoes come packed with a natural sweetness and creamy texture that makes them a natural fit for pie, cakes, and even an indulgent chocolate frosting.

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Classic Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet potato pie is lighter yet creamier than its pumpkin cousin, with a heavy dose of vanilla and subtle spices.
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2 / 8
Sweet Potato Cheesecake
Sweet potato cheesecake features a buttery graham cracker crust and is finished with a lightly-sweetened whipped sour cream topping. The dessert would be a lovely addition to any Thanksgiving table.
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3 / 8
Sweet Potato Pecan Cake
Expected to feel warm and comforting with each bite of this Southern-inspired cake.
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4 / 8
“New School” Sweet Potato Pie
This sweet potato pie is a twist on the traditional Thanksgiving recipe. It includes a couple variations: a baked sweet potato pie recipe (with homemade crust), or a crustless custard recipe.
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5 / 8
Chocolate Sweet Potato Frosting
That lush, rich chocolate frosting you see is made from just two ingredients, and one of them is a vegetable.
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6 / 8
Chai Sweet Potato Cupcakes
These spiced cupcakes bring the flavor of masala chai to every bite, from the black tea-laced frosting to the fragrant sweet potato base.
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7 / 8
Ancho Chile Sweet Potato Pie
This classic sweet potato pie gets a little heat and smoke thanks to the ancho chile. It's the perfect pie for your Thanksgiving table and beyond.
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8 / 8
Sweet Potato Snickerdoodles
These sweet potato snickerdoodles made with brown butter are chewy, cinnamon-y perfection.
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