70+ Superior Sweet Potato Recipes to Make This Fall
These sweet potato recipes include casseroles, pies, candied yams & more!
Sweet potatoes are a classic Thanksgiving side dish, on par with mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese, and squash every which way. And because they're sweeter than their humble white spud counterpart, they lend themselves to even more Thanksgiving-inspired potato dishes—both savory and sweet.
Plus if you're from the South, sweet potatoes are a given around Thanksgiving time, making appearances on dinner and dessert tables in dressings, in pies, in casseroles and definitely candied, crumbled and caramelized.
Related: 150+ Best Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes
Best Sweet Potato Recipes
If you're just starting to plan your fall and Thanksgiving menus and can't decide which sweet potato sides to go with, consider this list of 70+ best sweet potato recipes for Thanksgiving. There are easy sweet potato casseroles, delicious sweet potato pies, soufflés and tarts, healthy sweet potato salads and lots of sweet potato snacks that hit the spot on Turkey Day, the day after and basically all weekend long.
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato and Cranberry Casserole
Clare Barboza / Bonnie Matthews
If you love sweet potatoes and cranberries, you're going to love this casserole. This slow cooker recipe is ideal with a holiday turkey or ham, but works great any time of the year.
Loaded Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes
Karry Hosford
These stuffed potatoes are a fun twist on the traditional sweet potato casserole. "Get the kids involved by letting them mash the potatoes and sprinkle on the toppings," suggests recipe developer Sara Welch, a mom of three and blogger at Dinner at the Zoo.
A Southern Classic: Sweet Potato Pie
Melissa Sperka
Sweet potato pie is a beloved classic that has adorned Southern dessert tables for decades. Even though it's not limited to the holidays, at this time of year it provides a tasty option for those who may prefer an alternative to pumpkin pie.
Katie Lee's Sweet Potato Casserole
Katie Lee
Who can resist a warm, cozy dish of whipped sweet potatoes with gooey marshmallows on top? Katie Lee, author of The Comfort Table: Recipes for Everyday Occasions, tops hers with a thin layer of chopped, toasted pecans to add a surprising crunch.
Related: 40 Best Potato Recipes
Taylor Swift's Favorite Sweet Potato Casserole
Photo courtesy of Del Frisco's Grille
A few years ago, Taylor Swift headed to Del Frisco's Grille in New York for supper after the VMAs and fell head over heels for this rich, pecan-and-oat-topped sweet potato casserole. We think it's a winner, too, especially if you've been asked to bring the sweet potatoes to the Thanksgiving feast.
Sweet Potato Wedges with Tahini and Scallions
Alison Ashton
Try this Mediterranean spin on sweet potatoes! Prepare the dressing up to two days ahead and refrigerate; let it come to room temperature while the sweet potatoes roast.
Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue
Courtesy of McCormick
This Thanksgiving, skip the pumpkin pie and prepare this Southern favorite instead. A richly spiced sweet potato filling is topped with a fluffy mound of marshmallow meringue that's toasted golden brown.
Giada de Laurentiis' Sweet Potato Rice Bowl with a Fried Egg
Kristin Teig
“This rice bowl is as colorful as it is packed with immunity-boosting antioxidants,” says Giada De Laurentiis of this recipe from her cookbook, Eat Better, Feel Better.
Roasted Carrot and Sweet Potato Tzimmes
Staci Valentine
Tzimmes is an eastern European stew of carrots and/or sweet potatoes and prunes traditionally cooked with beef flanken, often sweetened with brown or white sugar and sometimes thickened with flour. In Yiddish, the word tzimmes means “a big fuss,” probably because of all the work required to make the old-style dish. This version couldn’t be easier.
Basic Mashed Sweet Potatoes
iStock
You don't need to do much to sweet potatoes, other than getting them cooked! This dish reheats really well, so you can make it ahead of time.
MasterChef Junior's Perfect Pork Burger with Sweet Potato Fries
Parade
Roen's pork burger with sweet potato chips is such a winning fall lunch or day-after-Thanksgiving meal!
Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese
Parade
You can’t go wrong with sweet potato and goat cheese! When Chef Andrew Rea’s dinner guests asked him to create a recipe using these ingredients, he did not disappoint.
Related: 8 Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Salad
Teresa Blackburn
Try an autumn riff on potato salad, packed with vitamins A and C. Serve it at Thanksgiving or alongside roast pork or chicken. Leave out the jalapeños if you want to cut the spice.
Sweet Potato Bacon Salad
Mark Boughton Photography/Styling by Teresa Blackburn
Sweet potatoes aren’t just for fall. They’re perfect in this sweet ‘n’ salty toss that complements your favorite grilled ribs and pork chops. Steaming the potatoes helps them hold their shape.
Curly's Pulled Pork Loaded Sweet Potato Fries
Curly's
Curly's pulled pork-loaded sweet potato fries are the ultimate in game-day eats. But these loaded fries also make a family-friendly dinner everyone will love. Baked sweet potato fries are topped with Curly's Sauceless Pulled Pork, your favorite barbecue sauce, and plenty of melted cheese.
Sweet Potato Nachos
Callie Blount
Puts a lightened-up spin on a classic game-day appetizer with sweet potato nachos. This is a quick and delicious tailgating recipe you'll turn to again and again during football season!
Roasted Coriander-Spiced Chicken Thighs with Bacon and Sweet Potatoes
Courtesy of McCormick
Roasted coriander pairs well with the smokiness of the bacon and the earthy sweetness of the sweet potato in this one-pot chicken dinner.
Sweet Potato Slab Pie
Mark Boughton Photography/Styling by Teresa Blackburn
Bigger is better with this crowd-worthy dessert from Melissa Sperka of Melissa's Southern Style Kitchen.
Delta Gamma Sweet Potato Casserole
iStock
Don't let the casserole description fool you. The Comer family's tailgating favorite is definitely a casserole, but its sweet mixture of coconut coupled with a crunchy, nutty topping makes it easily double as a dessert.
Sweet Potato Cakes with Peas
Photo courtesy of TheKidsCookMonday.org
Sweet potatoes and Arborio rice are seasoned with shallots, lemon zest and sweet chili sauce to make delectable veggie cakes. Little chefs will love shaping the sweet potato mixture into patties and mashing peas with avocado for a simple side dish.
Mini Sweet Potato Muffins
iStock
Lab Rats star Kelli Berglund shares her family-favorite recipe for mini sweet potato muffins just in time for the holidays.
Sweet Potato-Coconut Soup with Spicy Relish
Photo by: Yunhee Kim
As fall approaches, nothing comforts quite like soup flavored with sweet potatoes and coconut.
Chipotle Sweet Potato Salad
Mark Boughton Photography/Styling by Teresa Blackburn
A creamy, smoky, tangy potato salad that hits all the right notes.
Baked Homemade Sweet Potato Chips
iStock
Served best warm and right out of the oven, sweet potato chips are a simple, wholesome snack your kids will love. Baking on aluminum foil ensures your chips won’t get stuck to the baking sheet—and clean-up will be fast and easy!
Sweet Potato & Sausage Bites
Callie Blount
This sweet and savory appetizer from Jocelyn Ruggiero, a blogger at Foodie Fatale, is perfect for any holiday bash.
Related: 50 Easy Sweet Potato Recipes for the Holidays
Sweet Potato Home Fries
Everyday Mom's Meals
Sweet potato home fries have the size, shape and flavors you love in the white variety and are just as yummy! These are perfect for whatever time of day you eat your favorite breakfast.
Foster Family's Candied Sweet Potatoes
Photo: Getty Images
Sara Foster, author of Southern Kitchen, shares a family recipe for candied sweet potatoes that no one can resist. Serve warm with the syrup spooned over and around the potatoes.
Sweet Potato and Bacon Hash with Eggs
Jennifer Farley
With this recipe, everyone's favorite breakfast gets an upgrade by adding vegetables and transforming a simple breakfast into a flavorful hash that highlights bacon, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and onions. Feel free to be creative and add whatever additional vegetables you have on hand to the hash!
Antoni Porowski's Roasted Sweet Potato Fries with Chimichurri
Photo by Paul Brissman
"Tangy, garlicky chimichurri (aka Argentina’s answer to pesto) is better than ketchup on sweet potato fries," says Antoni Porowski (Queer Eye's food guy) of these tasty combos from his new cookbook, Antoni in the Kitchen.
Sweet Potato Casserole Pancakes
Mark Boughton Photography/Styling by Teresa Blackburn
This sweet potato pancake recipe is an easy way to enjoy Thanksgiving favorites after the big day. Use leftover sweet potato casserole in a simple pancake batter for a hearty breakfast and reserve the casserole’s sweet streusel topping to crumble on top of the finished pancakes.
Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes
Simply Scratch
This recipe is perfectly spiced with chili powder and cinnamon, sweetened with maple syrup, and, of course, butter is involved. Who even needs a main dish when there are twice-baked potatoes?
Chicken and Pesto-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Parade
In this chicken and pesto-stuffed sweet potatoes recipe, bright and garlicky pesto partners deliciously with baked sweet potatoes and shredded chicken.
Loaded Sweet Potato Nachos
Parade
This version of the game-day favorite is packed with superfoods like sweet potatoes and spices that will boost your immunity—and help you fight off colds and flu. Make a batch of these plant-powered nachos today.
Spicy Chipotle Chicken Wings with Sweet Potato Wedges, Cilantro & Lime Yogurt
David Loftus
"For a summery outdoor lunch or game-night snack, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better option than these sticky, spicy chicken wings," says London-based food stylist, food writer and recipe developer Rukmini Iyer.
Sweet Potato Casserole
Whiskey Kitchen/M Street
Chef Luke Senderling from Nashville’s Whiskey Kitchen/M Street developed an entire meal on the spot using ingredients his dinner guests collectively chose on the spot. For the main dish, he created a sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows!
Sweet Potato, Yogurt & Almond Butter Breakfast Parfait
Theresa Greco
Although they taste like dessert, sweet potatoes are in fact extremely good for you. They are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B6, so these parfaits will keep you feeling fuller and energized longer.
Oktoberfest Beer Sweet Potato Fries with Spiced Balsamic Dipping Sauce
Seduction in the Kitchen
When paired with a spiced balsamic dipping sauce, it just takes sweet potato fries to the next level.
Black Bean Burgers with Fiesta Slaw
Photo courtesy of TheKidsCookMonday.org
Black beans and mashed sweet potato are seasoned with garlic, cilantro and lime juice, then formed into patties in these hearty bean burgers. Top them off with this refreshing Fiesta Slaw.
Jack-O’-Lantern Sweet Potato Fries
Mark Boughton Photography/Styling by Teresa Blackburn
Channel kids’ excitement before putting on their costumes by having them cut shapes and faces into sweet potato slices. Serve with barbecue sauce for dipping.
Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie
iStock
Creamy and sweet, this beverage tastes like sweet potato pie in a milkshake. Cook the sweet potato the night before, peel and chop it, then stash it in the refrigerator. Sub soy or almond milk for the 2% milk, if you wish.
Gold Flake Sweet Potato
Komodo
Komodo in Miami, FL is best known for their sushi, dim sum and celeb sightings. The hot spot Southeast Asian fusion restaurant in Brickell takes classics like chicken salad and Peking duck to the next level—along with Money Bag Dumplings—but it's their Gold Flake Sweet Potato that's really why you go.
The Chicago White Sox's Sweet Potato Dessert Fries
Photo by Alison Ashton
This sweet spin is a popular snack with Chicago White Sox fans at Guaranteed Rate Field. Douse these sweet potato dessert fries with as much or as little chocolate sauce as your sweet tooth demands.
Related: Is a Potato a Vegetable? We've Got the Answer
Sweet Potato Hummus
Courtesy of Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow.
Devour this satisfying spread any time of the day: Smear it on toast for breakfast, serve in a wrap with veggies for a protein-packed vegetarian lunch, dollop on top of burgers or rice bowls for a quick dinner, serve as a crowd-pleasing appetizer with pita or tortilla chips, or pack in a small glass jar with carrot and celery sticks.
Patricia Ballard's Sweet Potato Pie
Alison Ashton; Kyle Dreier/Styling by Callie Blount
"As a young girl, I loved my mom's sweet potato pie, which was handed down from my grandmother," recalls Patricia Ballard, who lives in Los Angeles and works as a senior case manager at American Honda Motor Corp. "I remember during the holidays she would make four or five pies, and I would sneak slices."
Chorizo, Potato and Kale Hash
Let Them Eat Kale
This chorizo, potato and kale hash is a sweet and savory dish, in which eggs are poached on top. If the vegetables are prepared the night before, this morning dish is a time saver.
Spiced Sweet Potato Salad
MARK BOUGHTON PHOTOGRAPHY / STYLING BY TERESA BLACKBURN
Chili powder perks up roasted vegetables in this seasonal, healthy salad.
Sweet Spaghetti Squash with Sweet Potato
Tasha Edwards
Any savory dish can and should be flipped into a dessert. Today’s dessert makeover: the spaghetti squash. We're going to replace the traditional tomato sauce with a sweet potato delight—and like it.
Guerrilla Tacos' Sweet Potato Taco
Photo © 2017 by Dylan James Ho and Jeni Afuso
These flavor-packed vegetarian tacos are one of the most popular Wesley Avila serves, and they're inspired by the tacos de papa dorados—mashed potato tacos his aunt used to fry up for him and his friends. "These days you can probably get something like this at other places, but back when we started out, you would never see sweet potato on a taco," says Avila.
Harvest Sweet Potato Pie
Sheila Lukins
One of the reasons to bake so many sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving Day is knowing that you can turn any leftovers into this sweet-potato dessert. The non-fat yogurt adds just the right tang to what is usually a sweet and dense filling. If you’re too busy to make your own pie dough, a pre-baked pie shell from the supermarket will do just fine.
Chef Marc Kusche's Honey-Glazed Jalapeño Sweet Potatoes
Chef Marc Kusche
Honey-glazed sweet potatoes with just a hint of jalapeño heat!
Sweet Potato Pie
Photo Courtesy of Community Servings
This delicious, classic recipe is one of the thousands baked by 150 Boston-area restaurants taking part in Pie in the Sky, one of the biggest charity bake sales in the country.
Black-Bottom Sweet Potato Pudding Pie
Alison Ashton
If you're in charge of dessert for this week's Thanksgiving feast, this update on traditional sweet potato pie will be a hit. It's a delicious make-ahead treat, with an optional boozy kick.
Mexican Beef Stew Over Chipotle Sweet Potato Mashers
Courtesy of the Beef Checkoff Program
This meal is hearty, healthy and super flavorful.
Sweet Potato Pie with Gingersnap Crust
Photo by: Sara Wyse/Finding Joy In My Kitchen
This recipe took first place in the Sweet Potato Pie category of PARADE's All-American Pie-Off. Kathleen Purvis, Pie-Off judge and veteran food editor of the Charlotte Observer, says, "Combining the gingersnap crust with the sweet potato filling was a natural twist without being overwhelming."
Sweet Potato Home Fries
iStock
Roasted sweet potatoes are like home fries but with a tinge of sweetness and earthy spice. Chef Eugene Fritzler says the trick is to pull them from the oven only when they are fully caramelized, but not charred.
Sweet Potato Cheesecake with Candied Pecans
Parade
This luscious cheesecake is perfect for fall.
Quinoa-Crusted Shrimp, Sweet Potato Croquettes, Passion Fruit Reduction
Laura Manske
This dish is definitely elevated sweet potato fare, but SO worth it!
Cranberry, Pecan and Goat Cheese Sweet Potato Bites
Danae Halliday
Roasted sweet potato "coins" stand in for traditional crackers in this healthy and colorful appetizer from blogger Danae Halliday, of RecipeRunner.com. Look for long, slim sweet potatoes about 2 inches in diameter.
Sweet Potato Pie with Almond-Oat Crust
Jonny Bowden
Rich in vitamin A and beta-carotene, this dessert works perfectly well crustless. To avoid flour or speed up the preparation time, omit the crust and bake the filling in an 8-inch square glass baking dish.
Sunny Sweet Potatoes
Sheila Lukins
Lemon zest and a splash of juice will brighten the flavor of potatoes.
Not Too Sweet, Guilt-Free Sweet Potato Pie
Pam Beth
Usually around Thanksgiving, someone always makes their recipe for sweet potato pie. The problem is, most recipes could have over 400 calories for a small slice! This version is a hit and no one knows it’s lower in calories and lower in fat.
Sweet Potato Tortilla Soup
Courtesy of Forks Over Knives
This tortilla soup combines sweet and smoky flavor with sweet potatoes, roasted bell peppers and chipotle chiles. Using frozen corn saves time, but if you do use fresh, char the corn in a dry sauté pan before adding it to the soup; this adds a chewy texture and another layer of flavor to the soup.
Southern-Style Sweet Potato Souffle
Melissa's Southern Style Kitchen
The beauty of this dish is that the filling can be made a day in advance and chilled then topped with the streusel just before baking. It's a beloved Southern side dish that's sure to delight your Harvest guests.
Related: 23 of the Strangest Fruits & Vegetables from Around the World
Hot Turkey Croissant Sandwiches with Sweet Potato and Harvarti
Mark Boughton Photography/Styling by Teresa Blackburn
One of the joys of Thanksgiving dinner is knowing there will be leftovers. Here, Chef Jon Ashton fills a buttery croissant with all the best food from your Thanksgiving feast for a truly memorable sandwich.
Ruth’s Chris Sweet Potato Casserole with a Brown Sugar Pecan Crust
Courtesy of Ruth’s Chris
This copycat Ruth’s Chris sweet potato casserole is creamy and topped with a brown sugar pecan crust, just like the one at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse.
Instant Pot Sweet Potato Nachos
Lauren Volo
Heavy, salty tailgate fare doesn't have to wreck your healthy eating goals. Swap your go-to chip and dip with this nutritious twist, ready in less than 30 minutes thanks to the pressure cooker's speedy cook time.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Sorghum and Chipotle-Pecan Butter
Anthony Lamas
This sweet potato casserole from Chef Anthony Lamas marries the flavors of his native Southern California (chipotle) and his adopted Southern home (sorghum and pecans).
Sweet Potato Pie Granola Bars
Stefani Pollack
These sweet potato pie granola bars are a quick and healthier version of everyone's favorite pie—sweet potato pie! Although the texture is different from that of pie, many of the ingredients are the same: sweet potato puree, pecans, nutmeg, lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk.
Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
The Meal Makeover Moms
This recipe is easy to make, naturally sweet, and at just 230 calories per serving, a side dish worth making again, and again, and again!
Sweet Potato Casserole Marshmallows with Bourbon and Pecan
Stephanie Pollack
Sweet potato casserole topped with fluffy marshmallows is an American Thanksgiving tradition.
Cilantro-Lime Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes
Kathy Hester
This recipe would make a wonderful Thanksgiving side because it's so easy. You get a lot of flavor and the beautiful orange color of the sweet potatoes with minimal effort. What more can you ask for?
Chef Nyesha Arrington's Korean Braised Short Ribs with Sweet Potato Grits
Nyesha Arrington
Chef, restaurateur and TV personality Nyesha Arrington's Korean Braised Short Ribs with Sweet Potato Grits recipe is full of flavor—second and third helpings are definitely encouraged.
