sweet potato | Freshly Dafna

A fall inspired twist on the popular cookie skillet! This Sweet Potato Cookie Skillet is perfect for Thanksgiving or any fall occasion when you feel like enjoying something incredibly delicious without all the fuss. This giant deep dish autumnal cookie is made in just one bowl, bakes up in just about 20 minutes, has the perfect amount of cozy warming spices, a healthy dose of chocolate, and so delicious you’ll be saying, “Pumpkin, who?”.

What Does This Cookie Skillet Taste Like?

This Sweet Potato Cookie Skillet is like one big cookie that’s perfectly soft and just melts in your mouth. It is packed with one whole cup of sweet potato puree and an easy blend of warming spices. It has incredibly satisfying crispy crust and edges and the center is addictingly moist and just perfectly dense. Although it’s incredibly similar in flavor to pumpkin, sweet potato is a bit more subtle which I found to be incredibly refreshing. The cookie is simply spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger which really lets the sweet potato shine in all its glory. These earthy flavors are well complemented by a heavy hand of dark chocolate chips.

How Is This Cookie Skillet Made?

The steps to making this super comforting dessert could not be any easier! You can go from empty bowl to completed cookie skillet in just about 30 minutes! Here’s a rundown of the steps:

Heat oven & prepare skillet or other baking dish.
Mix wet ingredients together in a large bowl if mixing by hand or in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until a thick dough forms.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Pour the dough into prepared skillet.
Add additional chocolate chips to the top. This is totally optional, butttt really, it’s not. Just throw those chippies on and never look back. You’ll thank me later.
Bake for 21-22 minutes. Or slightly less/more if using a different type of baking dish.
Let cool, then slice, and enjoy! Oh, and don’t forget the ice cream.

This is amazing served warmed. And if you’re enjoying this with an intimate party I highly recommend ditching the plates, topping this with a few big scoops of your favorite vanilla ice cream, and diving right in. There’s something incredibly satisfying about eating straight out of the baking vessel and, somehow, makes it taste even better. This might just be the peak of cozy fall enjoyment. This cookie skillet can also be made ahead and either served at room temperature or to serve warm, reheat the whole pan for a few minutes in the oven, let cool slightly, then slice!

Don’t Have A Skillet? No Problem!

I used a large 10 1/4 inch deep dish cast iron skillet and love how the extra hot pan creates crispy edges while keeping the center moist. So, using a similar heavy pan is ideal. However, if you do not have a cast iron you can absolutely make this in any similarly size, oven-safe pan. Alternatively, you can use a baking dish such as a 9 or 10 inch round cake/pie pan, or an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish. Just keep in mind that these will change the baking time, bake for 18 minutes and then start to keep an eye on the cookie. The edges should be golden brown and the center set and slightly puffed. Test for doneness by piercing the center with a toothpick, it should come out clean, with no batter, but potentially some melty chocolate.

What Ingredients Are Used?

This healthified dessert is made better-for-you as it contains no refined sugars, flours, or oils. It is paleo-friendly meaning it has no gluten, grain, or dairy. Plus it’s nut-free! Here’s a look at the main ingredients and some subs/variations.

Sunflower Seed Butter – I love using sunflower seed butter for this recipe as it is thick and creamy and gives the cookie a delicious moistness. The flavor is fairly neutral so it does not overshadow the sweet potato and spices. Use any other thick and creamy nut or seed butter that contains only one ingredient (no added sugar or oil). Some good options are almond butter, cashew butter, or peanut butter.
Sweet Potato Puree – I used canned sweet potato because it was easiest but this is a great way to maximize your (Thanksgiving) meal prep. Just steam, boil, or roast some extra sweet potato and puree or mash until it becomes a smooth and even mixture.
Avocado Oil – This adds more moisture and helps the cookie crisp! Feel free to use olive oil or melted and cooled coconut oil. I use and love Chosen Foods Avocado oil which I buy from Costco for the best pricing.
Coconut Sugar – Adds the perfect amount of sweetness and keeps the dessert free from any refined sugars! I use and love Nutiva’s organic coconut sugar.
Eggs – To help puff the cookie!
Vanilla – Adds depth of flavor to the cookie.
Cassava Flour – A gluten and grain free flour very similar to white flour but is not bleached, refined, or overly processed. Cassava flour is nut free and paleo!
Tapioca Flour – Tapioca flour helps thicken the dough without making it too floury.
Chocolate Chips – I’ll be honest, when I’m baking for myself I never measure chocolate chips. I just toss them in, in copious amounts, until I see that there’s a reasonable (read: heavy handed) distribution of chocolate to dough/batter. In this recipe I use a responsible 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in the dough and another 1/4 cup scattered over the top which, I think, is the perfect balance of chocolate to sweet potato cookie, so that is my official recommendation. I also used a mix of both mini and regular sized chocolate chips because that’s what I had on hand. So use whatever feels right to you! To keep this refined sugar free, use your favorite coconut or maple sugar sweetened bar chopped into chunks!
Spices – Fall desserts are all about the warming spices and this is no different. You’ll need cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to enhance the sweet potato flavor.

Can I Make This With Pumpkin Puree Instead?

Yep! Just replace the sweet potato in even amounts for pumpkin puree and prepare the recipe exactly the same way. Should you decide to use pumpkin puree I recommend doubling the amount of spices as the pumpkin flavor is a little more assertive than sweet potato.

This Sweet Potato Cookie Skillet is the perfect dessert to enjoy for Thanksgiving, a gathering, or any fall day! It’s quick and super easy to make, made with better-for-you ingredients, and just so incredibly tasty that it’s sure to be a new family favorite! Especially when topped with a scoop of your favorite vanilla!

paleo friendly (gluten/grain/dairy free), naturally sweetened, nut free

If you make this recipe, share your experience with others by leaving a review or rating down below. And I’d LOVE to see your creation! Please tag me on Instagram @freshlydafna and use #freshlydafna.

Sweet Potato Cookie Skillet

A thick, chewy, and melt-in-your-mouth cookie spiked with sweet potato puree and cozy warming spices. This is the perfect quick, easy & delicious dessert to celebrate fall and sure to please your friends and family. Especially when topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

paleo-friendly (gluten/grain/dairy free), refined sugar free, & nut-free

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

1 cup sweet potato puree (243 grams)
3/4 cup coconut sugar (114 grams)
1/2 cup sunflower seed butter (140 grams)
1/3 cup avocado oil (79 grams)
2 eggs ideally room temp
1 tsp vanilla

Dry Ingredients

1 cup cassava flour (130 grams)
1/4 cup tapioca flour (30 grams)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder (6 grams)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon (2 grams)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 - 3/4 cup chocolate chips or chunks (94-141 grams)

Instructions

Heat oven to 375 degrees and prepare 10 1/4 inch deep skillet by greasing with additional oil. See notes for alternative baking dishes.
Mix wet ingredients together in a large bowl, if mixing by hand, or in the bowl of a stand mixer until thick and fully combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add all dry ingredients (except chocolate chips) to wet mixture and stir together until just fully mixed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once during mixing to ensure the ingredients are thoroughly distributed and avoid over-mixing.
Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into prepared skillet and, using a rubber spatula, spread out into an even layer.
Add additional chocolate chips to the top of the dough. Optional, but not really.
Bake for 21-22 minutes (if using an alternative dish start checking for doneness after 18 minutes). Cookie is done when the edges are crisp and starting to brown and the center is set and slightly puffed. Use a toothpick pierced into the center to test for doneness. The toothpick should come out clean.
Let cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temp with a scoop of your favorite vanilla!

Recipe Notes

Helpful Kitchen Tools (affiliate links): 10 1/4 inch cast iron deep skillet, silicon spatula, kitchen scale

Serving Tips: This is best served warm with vanilla ice cream.

Make Ahead: This cookie skillet can be made ahead, then re-heated at 350 for 5-7 minutes, let cool slightly then slice. This can also be a few hour before and served at room temperature.

No Skillet? Use a 9 or 10 inch pie or cake pan or square baking dish. This will change the baking time. Bake for 18 minutes then begin to check the cookie for doneness.

Ingredient Subs/Variations:
Sunflower Seed Butter: Use any thick and creamy nut/seed butter such as cashew butter, almond butter, or peanut butter instead of sunflower seed butter. Ideally use one that contains one ingredient (no added sugars or oil). Thoroughly mix the nut/seed butter in the container before measuring and do not use the compacted paste at the bottom.

Avocado Oil: Instead use olive oil or melted and cooled coconut oil.

Sweet Potato Puree: Use homemade sweet potato that has been thoroughly mashed or pureed instead of canned. And if you like, sub pumpkin for sweet potato, just double the spices called from in the original recipe.

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HEALTHY THANKSGIVING RECIPE SERIES!

Recipe #4: Spiced-Up Sweet Potato Casserole

When I was younger our Thanksgiving dinners looked very similar to our regular dinners except with the inclusion of a big ole turkey. Which we never ate at any other time of year. My mother is not much a cook and just prepared her standard dishes that she was comfortable making. My dad, more so the cook, immigrated here in his late 20’s and was not familiar with the “traditional” Thanksgiving dishes. As I started to help more with the cooking of the meal I would (out of envy of my friends and new exposure to Food Network) start to incorporate more of the “classic American Thanksgiving” dishes into the menu.

I clearly remember discovering that one of these traditional side dishes was yams with marshmallows on top and being completely dumbfounded. Marshmallows during a meal. The idea of a sweet component before dessert was so foreign to me. I couldn’t wrap my mind around the concept but knew that we needed it on our table. So that year I opened a can of cooked yams placed it in a casserole dish, spread out those marshmallows right on top, watched as they got all toasty and basically my life was changed forever. It’s one of those dishes that I only have once a year and no matter what my regular diet, I’m going to have some of that casserole! So be warned this recipe is a bit outside the regular type of recipes I post here. But I do make add a couple options for those who want to stay within a certain dietary restriction.

Over the years, I’ve improved upon the dish and this has been my steady recipe for the past four to five years. Instead of yams I use sweet potatoes but feel free to use whichever you prefer, I have used both and it always turns out great. I love this recipe so much because I spice it up with some chipotles in adobo sauce and a healthy dose of spices like ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon to balance out the natural sweetness of the sweet potato/yam and the extra sweetness of the marshmallows. Also, this is slightly lighter because there is no butter or milk as in the more traditional recipes, I find the sweet potatoes/yams to be creamy enough and just use a bit of coconut butter to give it that little extra oomph.

vegan option, dairy free, gluten free, grain free

Spiced Up Sweet Potato Casserole

This is a healthified and spiced up version of the classic Thanksgiving dish. I add in a healthy dose of spices and chipotle peppers to give a little balance between the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes and extra added sweetness of the marshmallows to give a more well balanced version of this delicious side dish.

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Ingredients

3 lbs sweet potatoes (or yams) (about 7-8 )
3 tbsp coconut butter or oil melted
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1-2 tbsp chopped chipotles (from canned chipotle in adobo sauce)
1-3 tbsp adobo sauce from can of chipotles
salt and pepper
2 cups regular or vegan marshmallows (see notes for options)

Instructions

Cook the sweet potatoes or yams. I usually use a pressure cooker to get it done quickly OR just place them in a 375 degree oven until they are cooked through. About 40 minutes.
Once the sweet potatoes are cooked, skinned, and slightly cooled, place them in a large bowl and mash with a large fork or masher. Add in the coconut butter and spices and mix thoroughly. Add 1 tablespoon of the chopped chipotles and 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce and mix again. Taste and adjust to your preferred spiciness level by adding more sauce and/or chopped chipotles. The chipotles will bring more heat. Add salt and pepper to your liking.
Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a 2 quart baking dish (8x8 or 9x9). And smooth the surface so it's evenly distribute. (MAKE AHEAD: You can prepare this portion of the dish, cover, and place in the fridge, 1 day before serving.)
When ready to serve, top sweet potato mixture with marshmallows. Place in center of the oven and bake until the bottom layer is warm and the marshmallows nicely toasted. The cook time will depend on the type of marshmallows used, so keep a good watch. Probably around 10-15 minutes. (If you have made the sweet potato mixture the day before, place the dish in the oven for about 10-15 minutes without marshmallows to bring the temperature back up. Remove from the oven, arrange marshmallows, and place back in the oven to toast the marshmallows and allow the inside to heat up completely.)

Recipe Notes

Options, options, option.

Vegan/Vegetarian: Use vegan marshmallows

Low Sugar/Sugar Free: Leave out the marshmallows entirely and serve this as a mash.

No Limits, I'm All In: Make the marshmallows from scratch! I usually prepare homemade marshmallows to top this dish and it seriously a game changer. I use this recipe every year and it's perfect.

If you make this recipe I'd love to see your creation! Please either post a comment or picture on this page or if you're posting on Instagram please tag @freshlydafna and use #freshlydafna