Why You’ll Love This Sweet Potato Breakfast Cookies

• They’re genuinely wholesome. Unlike many store-bought breakfast bars or pastries, these cookies are packed with real food ingredients like sweet potato, oats, and nuts, giving you lasting energy without the refined sugar spike.
• The texture is everything. You get a soft, almost muffin-like interior from the sweet potato, contrasted with the chewy oats and the satisfying crunch of walnuts or pecans. It’s a party in your mouth, honestly.
• Meal prep magic. You can bake a batch on Sunday and have a ready-to-go breakfast for the entire week. They freeze beautifully, too—just pop one in the microwave for 20 seconds and it’s like it just came out of the oven.
• Incredibly versatile. Not a fan of walnuts? Use pecans. Out of maple syrup? Honey works wonderfully. You can truly make these your own, which means you’ll never get bored of them.

Ingredients & Tools

• 1 cup mashed, cooked sweet potato (about 1 medium potato)
• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup almond butter (or any nut/seed butter you prefer)
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (optional, but highly recommended)

Tools: Mixing bowls, baking sheet, parchment paper, fork or potato masher

The sweet potato is the star here—it provides natural sweetness and keeps the cookies wonderfully moist. And don’t skip the baking powder; it’s what gives them a little lift and a lighter texture, so they’re not hockey pucks!

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 185 kcal
• Protein: 5 g
• Fat: 9 g
• Carbohydrates: 22 g
• Fiber: 3 g

Serves: 12 | Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 18 mins | Total Time: 33 mins

Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes

• How to cook your sweet potato. The easiest method is to prick a whole sweet potato with a fork and microwave it for 5-7 minutes until tender. You can also bake it at 400°F (200°C) for 45-60 minutes. Just let it cool completely before you mash it!
• Get the right consistency for your mash. You want a smooth, lump-free puree for the best texture. A few tiny lumps are okay, but a fork or potato masher will do the trick—no food processor needed.
• Don’t use instant oats. Old-fashioned rolled oats are crucial here. They provide the right chewy, substantial texture. Instant oats will turn the cookies mushy, and steel-cut oats won’t soften enough during baking.
• Let the dough rest. After you mix everything together, let the dough sit for 10 minutes. This allows the oats to absorb some of the moisture, which helps the cookies hold their shape and not spread too much.

How to Make Sweet Potato Breakfast Cookies

Serving Suggestions

Complementary Dishes

• A simple fruit salad — The fresh, juicy acidity from berries or citrus cuts through the earthy sweetness of the cookies and makes the whole meal feel more balanced.
• A side of Greek yogurt or skyr — The tangy, creamy yogurt provides a great protein boost and creates a lovely contrast in both flavor and texture with the soft, spiced cookie.
• Scrambled eggs or tofu scramble — For a truly hearty breakfast, pair a cookie with some savory eggs. The combination of savory and subtly sweet is surprisingly satisfying and keeps you full for hours.

Drinks

• A hot cup of black coffee — The bitterness of the coffee is a classic partner for the sweet, spiced notes of the cookie, making each bite and sip feel like a cozy morning ritual.
• Cold brew or iced latte — If you’re a cold coffee person, the smooth, mellow flavor of cold brew complements the cookies without overpowering them, perfect for a warm morning.
• Chai tea latte — The warm spices in a chai latte—cinnamon, cardamom, clove—echo the spices in the cookie, creating a wonderfully harmonious and comforting flavor experience.

Something Sweet

• A small bowl of mixed berries — Sometimes you just want a little more sweetness, and a handful of fresh raspberries or blueberries alongside your cookie feels like a treat without being too much.
• A drizzle of extra maple syrup — For those days when you need an extra indulgence, warming a cookie and drizzling a tiny bit of maple syrup over it transforms it into a decadent-tasting dessert-for-breakfast.
• A square of dark chocolate — If your cookies don’t have chocolate chips, having a piece of high-quality dark chocolate on the side is a simple, elegant way to satisfy a sweet tooth.

Top Mistakes to Avoid

• Using hot sweet potato. If your mashed sweet potato is still warm when you mix in the egg, you risk cooking the egg prematurely, which can give your cookies a weird, scrambled-egg texture. Always let it cool completely.
• Skipping the dough rest. I know, it’s tempting to just get them in the oven. But that 10-minute rest allows the oats to hydrate, which means your cookies will hold together better and have a superior, less crumbly texture.
• Overbaking. These cookies are meant to be soft and moist. If you bake them until they’re firm and dark brown, they’ll be dry and crumbly. Take them out when the edges are just golden and the centers look slightly underdone.
• Not flattening the dough balls. This dough doesn’t spread like traditional cookie dough. If you don’t press them down, you’ll end up with muffin-top-looking domes that are awkward to eat. A quick press with your palm is all it takes.

Expert Tips

• Tip: For a flavor boost, toast your nuts and oats. Spread the oats and chopped walnuts on a baking sheet and toast at 350°F (175°C) for 5-7 minutes before adding them to the dough. This deepens their flavor immensely and makes the whole cookie taste richer and more complex.
• Tip: Make them gluten-free effortlessly. As long as you use certified gluten-free oats, this recipe is naturally gluten-free. It’s a fantastic option to have in your back pocket for friends or family with dietary restrictions.
• Tip: Create your own mix-in combinations. The base recipe is a perfect canvas. Try dried cranberries and orange zest, sunflower seeds and coconut, or even a dash of nutmeg and ginger alongside the cinnamon for a different spice profile.
• Tip: Freeze them for instant future breakfasts. Once the cookies are completely cool, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. They’ll keep for up to 3 months. To serve, just microwave from frozen for 20-30 seconds.

FAQs

Can I make these without an egg?
Yes, you can! A “flax egg” works wonderfully here. Just mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water and let it sit for 5 minutes until it becomes gel-like. Use this in place of the egg. The binding power is great, and you’ll hardly notice a difference in the final texture—maybe just a tad more dense, but still delicious.

My dough is really wet and sticky—is that normal?
Absolutely, and it’s a good sign! The dough is supposed to be thick and sticky, not a dry, crumbly mixture. This is what keeps the baked cookies so moist. If it feels unmanageable, that 10-minute rest will help a lot. If it’s still too sticky after resting, you can add another 2-3 tablespoons of oats to help it firm up.

How should I store these breakfast cookies?
Once completely cool, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, I highly recommend the fridge (up to a week) or the freezer (up to 3 months). They hold moisture well, but refrigeration prevents the natural oils in the nuts from going rancid.

Can I use canned sweet potato puree?
You can, but be very careful to get plain sweet potato puree, not the canned pie filling, which is loaded with sugar and spices. If you use canned, make sure the only ingredient is sweet potato. Even then, I find the texture and flavor of fresh, home-cooked sweet potato is far superior and less watery.

Why didn’t my cookies spread and flatten?
This is by design! There’s no butter or oil to melt and cause spreading, and the oats absorb the moisture, holding the shape. That’s why we flatten them before baking. If you want a flatter, crisper cookie, you can press them down a bit more, but I love the soft, substantial texture of the thicker version.