These Sweet Potato Cookies with Pecans and Maple Glaze are knock-your-socks-off kind of good, and with the hidden nutrition of sweet potatoes, they are light, crispy, and not too sweet. The maple glaze puts them over the top, and the nutty crunch of pecans is perfect in them.
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Sweet Potato Cookies with Pecans and Maple Glaze are on my list of favorite cookies. You don’t even taste the sweet potato in these cookies, which adds to the appeal and makes them kid-friendly! And that glaze! Flavored with a bit of maple syrup, it’s light, not too sweet, and adds the perfect finish to these glorious cookies.
What you’ll love about Sweet Potato Cookies with Pecans and Maple Glaze
- They’re not too sweet and have a nutty crunch.
- They freeze like a dream!
- They’re a tasty way to get more nutrition into kids!
You need cooked sweet potato for these cookies. So, whenever I’m making sweet potatoes for dinner, I’ll make sure to have some extra to make these cookies. You could also freeze leftover sweet potatoes in anticipation of making these easy sweet potato cookies, and then prep is a breeze.
This is such an easy and forgiving sweet potato cookie recipe, too. There’s no chilling time, so you can go from the mixer to the oven and right to your mouth – after letting them cool a bit.
Skip the nuts if you’re not a fan of pecans, but they add such a lovely texture to the Sweet Potato Cookies with Pecans and Maple Glaze.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Pumpkin pie spice – Or apple pie spice.
- Kosher salt – Use half the amount if you’re using table salt.
- Butter – Salted butter, softened.
- Brown sugar – Lightly packed.
- Sugar – White granulated sugar.
- Cooked sweet potato – Soft sweet potato.
- Egg – Just one.
- Vanilla extract – Pure or artificial vanilla is fine.
- Pecans – Toasted and chopped.
For The Glaze:
- Powdered sugar – AKA confectioners or icing sugar.
- Maple syrup – Use the real stuff!
- Milk – Just a few spoonfuls.
- Pecans – Toasted and chopped.
- Maple sugar – Optional.
How To Make The Best Sweet Potato Cookies with Pecans and Maple Glaze
- Preheat your oven to 375-F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (for easy cleanup).
- Combine the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a small bowl.
- Cream the butter, brown, and white sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the sweet potato until well-mixed, then add the egg and vanilla. Mix well.
- Add the flour mixture to the stand mixer and mix on low until combined. Add the chopped pecans and mix until just combined.
- Scoop balls of dough with a 1-inch cookie scoop and place them about 2-inches apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for about 10-11 minutes until they’re set up and golden brown on the bottom.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
To Make The Glaze
- Mix the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and milk in a small bowl.
- Add enough milk, a teaspoon at a time, until the glaze is thick but still runny.
- Top each cookie with a teaspoon of glaze, a sprinkle of pecans, and a pinch of maple sugar.
- Let the cookies dry, then enjoy!
Recommended
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Don’t like pecans? Leave them out, or use toasted chopped walnuts or almonds.
- Never overmix cookie dough – mix only enough to incorporate the ingredients and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Let the cookies cool to room temperature before icing them.
- The pecans and maple sugar will stick to the wet icing.
Storage
These Sweet Potato Cookies with Pecans and Maple Glaze will keep in an airtight container on the counter for 4-5 days. You can also freeze them. Simply package them in an airtight container or freezer-safe plastic bag and freeze them for 1-2 months. Then, just thaw and enjoy!
Step By Step Process
Sweet Potato Cookies with Pecans and Maple Glaze
Equipment
- 2 baking sheets
- cookie scoop 1-inch scoop
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp sweet potato cooked and mashed
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup pecans toasted and chopped
For the glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/4 cup pecans toasted and chopped
- 2 tablespoons maple sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375-F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (for easy cleanup).
- Combine the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a small bowl.
- Cream the butter, brown, and white sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the sweet potato until well-mixed, then add the egg and vanilla. Mix well.
- Add the flour mixture to the stand mixer and mix on low until combined. Add the chopped pecans and mix until just combined.
- Scoop balls of dough with a 1-inch cookie scoop and place them about 2-inches apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for about 10-11 minutes until they're set up and golden brown on the bottom.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack.
To make the glaze
- Mix the powdered sugar, maple syrup, milk, and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl.
- Add enough milk, a teaspoon at a time, until the glaze is thick but still runny.
- Top each cookie with a teaspoon of glaze, a sprinkle of pecans, and a pinch of maple sugar.
- Let the cookies dry, then enjoy!
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Don’t like pecans? Leave them out, or use toasted chopped walnuts or almonds.
- Never overmix cookie dough – mix only enough to incorporate the ingredients and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Let the cookies cool to room temperature before icing them.
- The pecans and maple sugar will stick to the wet icing.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
Sweet potatoes are underrated as an ingredient in dessert recipes. This recipe is proof. So yum!!!
I’d never tried sweet potato cookies before so was very intrugied. They are now firmly on my cookie schedule and I love the pecans too – thank you!
I was drooling before I even started making these! Sweet potato in desserts makes them oddly decadent.
This cookie recipe is fantastic. My cookies turned out super moist and flavorful. My entire family loved them!
I have been looking for more sweet applications for sweet potatoes and this was definitely a winner! Desserts can be intimidating (for me, anyway), but this one turned out perfectly and everyone loved it. Thank you!