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15 Desserts That Are Secretly Packed With Sweet Potato

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at AUC chapter.

We’ve already made black beans, zucchini, and pumpkins into desserts, so you probably expected that sweet potatoes were going to be next. If you’re not a fan of the veggies in desserts trend, you may want to consider sweet potato desserts. What sets them apart from the other vegetables is their naturally sweet flavour, which actually makes them even more ideal for dessert making.

Generally, you could enjoy sweet potatoes plain with a little seasoning or take it to the next level and make a sweet potato soufflé. There’s also nothing wrong with calling it a night and saying that one of these 15 sweet potato desserts will serve up as your main meal. Oh, the beauty of having your veggies and sweets in one dish.

1. Sweet Potato Cookies

sweet potato desserts chocolate
Carly Gulasarian

These sweet potato cookies are perfect for a fun taste test with your friends to see who could figure out the secret ingredient. 

2. Vegan Sweet Potato Brownies

sweet potato desserts cookie goody
Lily Lou

For every great vegetable-baked brownie, there exists its vegan counterpart

3. Sweet Potato Oaties

sweet potato desserts wheat corn
Agnes Chen

Tiny but mighty, these sweet potato oaties have got the nutrients to fuel your workout or a quick snack between classes. 

4. Purple Sweet Potato Pie

sweet potato desserts gif
Arden Sarner

In case you were worried you would turn orange from all that sweet potato, you can refer to its cousin and bake this purple sweet potato pie

5. Maple-Cinnamon Sweet Potato Cookies

sweet potato desserts cake candy
Katie Lee

The only way to make anything taste better is by adding maple syrup to it. Seriously, these maple-cinnamon sweet potato cookies prove it.   

6. Sweet Potato Banana Bites

These sweet potato banana bites are perfect for when you’ve got too many bananas or sweet potatoes left in your pantry. 

7. Sweet Potato Doughnuts 

sweet potato desserts shrimp sauce
Alexander Furuya

If you’re not afraid of a little challenge in the kitchen, then these sweet potato doughnuts are the perfect culinary task. Plus, you’ll definitely stand out at any potluck by bringing these out. 

8. Spiced Sweet Potato Bread

sweet potato desserts milk brownie
Clarisse Callahan

If you’re longing for some pumpkin spice outside of the fall season, then baking this spiced sweet potato bread will instantly bring back the aromas into your kitchen. 

9. Cinnamon-Honey Sweet Potatoes

sweet potato desserts sweet tofu
Wallis Linker

Thankfully, the sweet potato doesn’t really need more than a little honey or another type of sweetener to count as dessert. If you’re looking for something simpler, go for these cinnamon-honey sweet potatoes

10. Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Brownies

sweet potato desserts fudge cake
Nicole Laszlo

I will eat anything and everything with peanut butter in it, so these sweet potato PB brownies are moving up on my list.   

11. Vegan Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Cookies

sweet potato desserts wheat cake
Han Ooi

Don’t let your dietary restrictions stand in your way, and enjoy the sweet potato in this vegan and gluten-free alternative.  

12. Sweet Potato Truffles 

sweet potato desserts cake sweetmeat
Analiese Trimber

Truffles are usually considered a delicate dessert, but they’re not complicated nor do they need any fancy equipment. Whether you’ve got leftover or fresh sweet potatoes on hand, there’s no reason you can’t be making these sweet potato truffles.

13. Sweet Potato Pancakes

sweet potato desserts banana toast
Alexandra Capello

Sweet potato pancakes are not likely to be found on the menu at your local brunch spot. So make them yourself and add as much PB & J as you please. 

14. Chunky Monkey Sweet Potatoes 

Thankful for this healthy snack because I could eat at least two boats of these chocolate-stuffed sweet potatoes

15. Chocolate Zucchini Cake With Sweet Potato Frosting

Not only am I rounding it off with a zucchini chocolate cake, but I’m bringing you the best thing of 2016—sweet potato chocolate FROSTING. After hopelessly sifting through multiple Google pages, I can’t even begin to describe the hallelujah moment I felt when this simple and healthier take on cake frosting was brought to my attention. If you’re short on time, swap out the cake and just make the frosting. No judgement, no guilt, lick the entire bowl clean because the sweet potato frosting deserves way more love than it’s gathered. 

I constantly find people asking what the point is in making a dessert healthy. Personally, if my dessert comes with added health benefits, I wouldn’t be complaining. In fact, I prefer it. Adding vegetables to desserts doesn’t sacrifice any flavour or sugar, considering some of them have that added in already.

When we’re left with minimal ingredients in the kitchen, we’re required to get creative. So if all we had was sweet potato and chocolate for dinner, it’d be nice to have reassurance that our meal isn’t completely void of taste or nutrients. Otherwise trying it out yourself and seeing what comes out of it is really what these veggie-filled baked goods are all about.

I live for avocados, bananas, and nut butters. I hope to one day own a pug named Rocco.