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Soft, warmly spiced cookies made with sweet potato puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, offering a comforting fall dessert with optional mix-ins like pecans or chocolate chips.

  • Total Time: 25-30 minutes
  • Yield: 24 cookies 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup mashed sweet potato (sweet potato puree)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (or vegan butter)
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg (or 1 flax egg: 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water, chilled 5–10 min)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (or 1:1 gluten-free flour blend)
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • Optional mix-ins: ½ cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts, or ½ cup chocolate chips, or pecan halves for topping

Instructions

  1. Cook sweet potato by roasting or microwaving until tender, then mash until smooth.
  2. If making vegan, combine 1 tbsp ground flaxseed with 3 tbsp water and chill for 5-10 minutes to create flax egg.
  3. If browning butter, melt butter over medium heat until golden brown and nutty; let cool and chill before use.
  4. Cream unsalted butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until fluffy.
  5. Mix in mashed sweet potato, egg (or flax egg), and vanilla extract until combined.
  6. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda, and salt.
  7. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
  8. If desired, fold in ½ cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts, or ½ cup chocolate chips; alternatively, press a pecan half on top of each cookie before baking.
  9. If the dough is too sticky, chill in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes to firm up.
  10. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them adequately.
  11. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) until edges are set and golden but centers remain soft, approximately 10-12 minutes.
  12. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

For gluten-free cookies, substitute all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend., Dough may be refrigerated up to 2 days before baking to enhance texture and flavor., Take cookies out of the oven when edges are set but centers are still soft to avoid overbaking; residual heat will continue cooking them., Cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days, refrigerated for up to a week, or frozen for up to 2 months., Freeze unbaked dough balls on a tray until solid, then transfer to a bag and bake from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to baking time., Reheat cookies in a microwave for 10–12 seconds or in a 300°F oven for 5–8 minutes for freshness.

  • Author: Laura
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
  • Category: Desserts
  • Cuisine: American Favorites, Holiday Cuisine

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: Approximately 120 calories per cookie
  • Fat: 5g per cookie
  • Carbohydrates: 18g per cookie
  • Protein: 2g per cookie