sweet potato chocolate chip cookies

As we all know, sweet potatoes are, well, pretty sweet. I’ve never really understood the standard Thanksgiving casserole that piles this already sweet vegetable with brown sugar and marshmallows. Shouldn’t it go on the dessert table rather than count as a vegetable?

It was this line of thinking that was the inspiration for creating this cookie recipe. Sure, we’ve heard of sweet potato pie and I’ve even seen recipes for sweet potato brownies, so it should work as the base for a cookie, too. Right?

My experiments resulted in a soft, cakey cookie that pairs perfectly with a cup of tea or glass of almond milk. These are also a great treat for little ones – I shared the recipe at my Bump Club Chicago healthy toddler cooking class and it received rave reviews.

I love that most of the sweetness comes from the sweet potato – and there is only 1/4 cup of added maple syrup. The pinch of cinnamon adds a sweet, earthy, warm kick that makes them a perfect fall treat. Use leftover sweet potato puree from yesterday’s dinner for extra convenience.