26 Sweet Potato Recipes to Make for Every Meal (Including Dessert)

Sweet potatoes shine in these autumnal recipes—including desserts!

slow-baked sweet potatoes served on a white plate
Photo: Con Poulos

There’s so much more to sweet potatoes than that much-loved casserole found on many a Thanksgiving table. Beyond the side dish, sweet potatoes are as delicious as they're versatile, making their color and texture shine in any kind of recipe.

Though sweet potatoes are available year-round, they are at their sweetest in fall and winter. They are sometimes mislabeled as yams, which are not widely available in North America (but are also tasty).  When shopping for sweet potatoes, look for very firm ones, with no areas of softening, sprouting, or wrinkling, all of which are signs of age. To store sweet potatoes, keep them in a cool, dark place for up to one month. They should never be kept in the refrigerator, as their natural sugars will convert to starch, making them less sweet.

Keep reading to learn how to incorporate sweet potatoes into any meal recipe, including dessert!

01 of 26

Old Bay-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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This sweet and spicy (not to mention easy!) side goes well with roasted chicken or pork, seared steak, or sauteed shrimp.

02 of 26

Spiced Sweet-Potato Cake With Meringue Frosting

spiced sweet-potato cake with meringue frosting
Dana Gallagher

This spectacular single-layer cake pairs sweet potatoes with pumpkin pie spice—and it’s a great combination. On top is an Italian meringue frosting that’s toasted under the broiler (or using your kitchen torch).

03 of 26

Smoky Sweet-Potato Soup

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A puree of sweet potatoes, apples, and leeks gets an earthy spiciness from a chipotle chile coated in adobo sauce. The creamy consistency is all down to the sweet potatoes since this soup is made without dairy.

04 of 26

Sweet-Potato Biscuits

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Amp up the color and nutrition of your breakfast baked goods by making these sweet potato biscuits. They bring everything you love about homemade biscuits and then some to the table.

05 of 26

Baked Sweet-Potato Chips

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Krause, Johansen

Crispy, tasty, and good for you, these homemade sweet potato chips make the best snack—and are also a great accompaniment to a sandwich lunch.

06 of 26

Cauliflower-Sweet Potato Curry

cauliflower-sweet potato curry served with cilantro and lime
Con Poulos

A satisfying vegan main that appeals on so many levels; hunks of sweet potato and cauliflower soak up a coconut milk and red curry sauce. Baby spinach, edamame, and zucchini bring plenty of green appeal. This might be the most colorful—and delicious—dinner of the week.

07 of 26

Sweet Potato Pancakes

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These sweet potato pancakes are too good to save for Hannukah. They’re a tasty riff on latkes that you’ll want to make all through the fall and winter.

08 of 26

Tzimmes

Tzimmes with sweet potatoes, dried apricots, and prunes

Served as a side dish for Passover, this traditional stew combines sweet potatoes and carrots with prunes and dried apricots, cooking them in orange juice and honey. It pairs well with robust meat dishes like brisket.

09 of 26

Black-Bean and Sweet-Potato Stew

Black-Bean and Sweet-Potato Stew recipe
Lennart Weibull

In under one hour, you can prepare this hearty vegan stew. Chopped sweet potatoes are cooked with a combination of whole and puréed black beans, quinoa, minced chipotle in adobo, and chopped poblano peppers.

10 of 26

Slow-Baked Sweet Potatoes

slow-baked sweet potatoes served on a white plate
Con Poulos

There's no way to rush when making this easy, healthy side dish—medium sweet potatoes are wrapped in parchment and foil and roasted for an hour and a half until they're super tender and their sweet flavor shines. The cooking time might be lengthy, but very little of it is hands-on.

11 of 26

Sweet Potato Casserole

sweet potato casserole
John Kernick

Here's a Thanksgiving classic: Mashed sweet potatoes are placed in a baking dish, topped with marshmallows, and baked until bubbling and golden brown. Who could resist this sweet side?

12 of 26

Brown-Butter Sweet-Potato Gnocchi With Seeds

brown butter sweet potato gnocchi with seeds
Paola + Murray

Upgrade basic potato gnocchi by using sweet potatoes in place of the usual russet in this colorful, better-for-you pasta recipe. They're garnished with pepitas, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and a butter-sage sauce.

13 of 26

Taco Salad With Sweet-Potatoes

sweet potato taco salad served in pink bowl
Lennart Weibull

Roasted sweet potatoes are the base of this Southwestern-inspired salad bowl. They're topped with black beans, sliced radishes, crushed tortilla chips, and crumbled goat cheese (which you can leave off for a vegan meal).

14 of 26

Rutabaga-Sweet Potato Mash With Garlic and Sage

Rutabaga–Sweet Potato Mash with Garlic and Sage
Lennart Weibull

Take a break from the usual mashed potatoes and serve your family this innovative root vegetable side dish instead. Rutabaga and sweet potatoes are mashed with minced garlic, fresh sage, and heavy cream for a flavorful autumnal recipe.

15 of 26

Sweet-Potato Custard Pie

sweet-potato custard pie topped with marshmallows
Johnny Miller

Yes, you can serve sweet potatoes for dessert! Roasted sweet potatoes are puréed in a food processor and mixed with eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then topped with mouthwateringly sweet large marshmallows.

16 of 26

Roasted Sea Bass With Sweet Potatoes, Spinach, and Salsa Rustica

fish and vegetables on baking sheet
Justin Walker

Sheet-pan suppers are big on taste and short on cleanup. Sliced sweet potatoes roast alongside fresh spinach and sea bass fillets. This recipe comes together in under an hour and will surely be a hit with the whole family.

17 of 26

Vegan Sweet Potato Chili

vegan sweet potato chili
Bryan Gardner

This vegan chili recipe doesn't lack flavor—tomato paste, chili powder, ground cumin, and cayenne pepper add plenty of heat.

18 of 26

Sweet Potato Home Fries

sweet potato home fries
Bryan Gardner

Upgrade bacon and eggs with these breakfast potatoes. Diced sweet potatoes are roasted on a sheet pan, then tossed with chopped onion, green bell pepper, jalapeño peppers, and plenty of unsalted butter.

19 of 26

Sweet-Potato-and-Cauliflower Mash

sweet potato cauliflower mash
Louise Hagger

Here's a totally creative way to make use of cauliflower: boil it with sweet potatoes and then mash it with milk, butter, freshly grated nutmeg, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. It's a delicious side dish for Thanksgiving—or any night of the week.

20 of 26

Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes

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Loaded sweet potatoes get a healthy upgrade with this better-for-you recipe featuring trimmed broccoli rabe, cannellini beans for protein, and sliced pepperoncini.

21 of 26

Pork Tenderloin With Kale Salad

Pork Tenderloin with Kale Salad
Con Poulos

This simple dinner will transport you to Tuscany. Diced sweet potatoes are roasted with chopped kale for a colorful, plentiful salad that's topped with dried currants and lots of freshly grated pecorino. It's served alongside pork tenderloin and steamed quinoa.

22 of 26

Sweet Potato Parmesan Fries

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Linda Pugliese

A healthy take on French fries, we keep the skin on for these sweet potato fries. The potatoes are tossed with olive oil, coarse salt, and Parmesan cheese for a rich, sweet flavor and a slightly caramelized texture.

23 of 26

Sweet Potato-Sausage Soup

sweet potato sausage soup

Twenty minutes of prep time yields a hearty pot of soup with Italian sausage aplenty, pasta shells, sweet potato, and nutritious winter greens.

24 of 26

Sweet Potatoes and Buttermilk

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Marcus Nilsson

Simply roasted wedges of sweet potatoes take on an almost candied flavor. Pair them with an easy, tangy buttermilk-mayo for dipping.

25 of 26

Sweet Potato and Sage-Butter Casserole

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Sage adds a savory note to sweet potato casserole topped with crunchy toasted breadcrumbs. Best of all: It can be made two days ahead of time.

26 of 26

Bourbon Sweet Potatoes

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Bourbon and brown sugar have a natural affinity for sweet potatoes. This simple side dish can be roasted in the oven along with the main dish such as turkey, ham, or pork loin.

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