These sweet potato cookies are a vegan and gluten free recipe that are perfect for Fall! With lots of chocolate chunks, oats and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. They’re perfectly sweet, nut free and so easy to make.
Last year, I may have over done it on the pumpkin recipes, so this Fall, we’re focusing on all things sweet potato and apple!
Starting with these simple sweet potato cookies. They’re kind of like a cross between a pumpkin cookie and oatmeal cookie, but with sweet potato instead of pumpkin!
These vegan oatmeal cookies are spiced with a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger for all of those delicious Fall flavors. Trust me, they are just SO good.
Since sweet potato acts as a really good binder in cookies, this recipe is naturally completely egg free and vegan if you use dairy free butter! If you love this recipe, try my sweet potato muffins next.
Key Ingredients
Butter. I used regular butter, but dairy free butter works just as well. Be sure it is softened or at room temperature so it creams really easily with the sugars.
Sugar. You need a mix of white and brown sugar which will add moisture but also help provide a nice crispy edge to the cookies.
Flour. I of course used gluten free flour, but regular all purpose flour will work just as well. Be sure to spoon and level so you don’t end up with too much!
Oats. I always prefer using quick oats in my cookies, but you can swap for rolled oats if that’s what you have on hand.
Sweet potato. To make life easier, we’ll just use sweet potato puree from a can!
How to make sweet potato cookies
Cream wet ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and both sugars for 1 minute.
Add in the sweet potato and vanilla and beat until combined.
Beat in dry ingredients. Add in the flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Beat until combined.
Fold in the oats and chocolate until an even dough forms.
Scoop. Scoop using a medium cookie scoop or 2 tablespoons. Press extra chocolate on top.
Bake & serve. Bake for 13-17 minutes, I usually do 15. They will continue to firm up as they cool. Let cool completely, then enjoy!
How to store and freeze
These sweet potato cookies will keep at room temperature for about 3 days in a container. Because of the fresh ingredients, they do get a bit soft if left completely covered, so keep the lid slightly ajar.
You can also freeze the cookies, either before or after baking!
To freeze just the dough, scoop into balls, then place in a freezer safe bag. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for a few extra minutes to account for the frozen dough.
To freeze after baking, allow the cookies to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in the oven at 300 until warm through the center!
Tips for soft cookies
If you’re like me and love really soft and chewy cookies, I have a few tricks for you.
First, use a mix of white and brown sugar. Brown sugar has a higher molasses content which will yield softer cookies than those baked with all white sugar.
Second, slightly underbake your cookies! There’s nothing worse than dry and hard cookies.
They always firm up after they come out of the oven, so be sure to take them out when the center still looks a bit soft if you love that soft and chewy texture.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use almond flour?
Unfortunately, you cannot sub the all purpose flour with almond flour in this recipe.
That would completely change the proportions and the almond flour won’t absorb the wet ingredients in the same way all purpose flour does.
Can I make them refined sugar free?
You can swap both the white sugar and brown sugar for coconut sugar, but keep in mind this will change both the color and texture of the cookies.
What’s the best chocolate for cookies?
My go to chocolate for everything is semi-sweet, but you can use whatever you like! Milk chocolate if you’re not vegan, dark chocolate if you like a rich and bitter flavor, or something in between!
I used a mix of chocolate chunks and chocolate chips because it yields such a great texture, but whatever you use is totally fine.
You’re also welcome to leave out the chocolate entirely or sub for raisins, chopped nuts etc.
More cookies you’ll love!
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Sweet Potato Oatmeal Cookies
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Wet
- ½ cup room temperature butter regular or dairy free
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅔ cup sweet potato puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry
- 1 ½ cups gluten free all purpose flour can sub regular
- 1 ½ cups quick oats
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set side.
- In a medium mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and both sugars for 1 minute.
- Add in the sweet potato and vanilla and beat until combined.
- Add in the flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Beat until combined.
- Fold in the oats and chocolate until an even dough forms.
- Scoop using a medium cookie scoop or 2 tablespoons.
- Press extra chocolate on top.
- Bake for 13-17 minutes, I usually do 15. They will continue to firm up as they cool.
- Let cool completely, then enjoy!
Roza R says
Hi – the recipe calls for softened butter but the picture and video shows melted butter. Which should it be ? Thanks!
Claire Cary says
It should be softened.