20 Recipes To Make The Most Of Your Leftover Sweet Potatoes

If you have lots of sweet potatoes leftover after Thanksgiving and you don’t know what to do with them then you are in the right place.

We have put together this list of the best recipes to help you use up your leftover sweet potatoes. 

1. Sweet Potato Pancakes

Sweet potato pancakes are a great way to start the day. They are tasty and filling and contain lots of nutrients. You can top them with whatever you fancy – syrup, yogurt, fresh fruit or caramel sauce.

The pancakes are fluffy and light and so delicious. 

2. Sweet Potato Cornmeal Loaf

This cornmeal loaf is perfect for sandwiches and is a great way to use up your leftover sweet potatoes.

The bread is light and soft, and the color is warm and inviting. This is a milk loaf, which makes it nice and light.

Both the sweet potato and the cornmeal make the bread nice and sweet in flavor which is a great contrast to the savory sandwich fillings. 

3. Sweet Potato Tuna Fish Cakes

Fish cakes are a nice, light dinner that you can serve with whatever vegetables you fancy- they work especially well with steamed greens.

Using sweet potato instead of white potatoes makes these fish cakes even more flavorsome. It takes less than half an hour to throw together these tasty fish cakes for a quick and easy meal. 

4. Cheesy Sweet Potato Cakes

These simple cheesy potato cakes are made with mashed sweet potato and delicious melty cheese. Make sure you cook these potato cakes in a non-stick pan so that they keep their shape.

You can use whatever cheese you fancy – this recipe uses a combination of mozzarella and parmesan, but you could also use cheddar or gruyere. The green onions add a savory flavor along with the salt and pepper. 

5. Sweet Potato Ice Cream

You might not have thought that sweet potato would work well in ice cream, but it really does. The dark brown sugar gives the ice cream a caramelized flavor that is super delicious.

The ice cream is flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg to give it some warmth, similar to the flavors in pumpkin pie. This ice cream works really well with a praline sauce. 

6. Sweet Potato Butterscotch Scones

These butterscotch scones are a great alternative to cinnamon rolls or traditional scones. The butterscotch is super sweet and the perfect flavor to pair with the sweet potato.

The scones are soft and fluffy, with tasty butterscotch chips. The scones are flavored with ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg to give them a winter spiced flavor. 

7. Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Gnocchi is an Italian food made out of potato and pasta flour. The only other ingredient you need is salt to flavor the gnocchi.

Cook the potato until it is soft and mash it, then mix it with the pasta flour to make a dough.

The dough is shaped into small balls which are then boiled. You can also saute the gnocchi for an alternative texture. Gnocchi can be served with whatever sauce you like. 

8. Leftover Sweet Potato Cake

If you have lots of sweet potato left after the holiday then you should have a go at making this tasty sweet potato cake.

It uses mashed sweet potatoes and is flavored with cinnamon and vanilla essence. This cake can be made in three simple steps and bakes in just 35 minutes.

You can serve it with cream or custard or even ice cream. 

9. Sweet Potato Donuts

Using sweet potatoes in this recipe makes the donuts moist and adds some tasty sweetness. They are finished off with powdered sugar which makes them super irresistible.

You can also mix some cinnamon in with the powdered sugar to give the donuts a warm, spiced flavor. You don’t need to let the dough prove, and all the ingredients come together very quickly with an electric mixer. 

10. Sweet Potato Smoothie

When you think of putting vegetables in a smoothie you probably think of spinach or kale, but you can actually use sweet potatoes in a smoothie as well.

There is no added sugar, just a teaspoon of maple syrup, so the smoothie is lower in sugar than traditional fruit smoothies. The almond butter makes it very creamy along with almond milk.

You can add cinnamon to taste to give the smoothie more depth of flavor. 

11. Sweet Potato Lasagna

This vegetarian version of lasagna is made with slices of sweet potato instead of pasta sheets. The filling is a vegan version of ricotta, made with nutritional yeast with tofu and parmesan cheese.

The pesto sauce introduces a delightful basil flavor to the dish. You will need a blender to mix up the ingredients for the filling, and then you can layer up the bake in a dish. 

12. Sweet Potato Waffles

One of the best ways to use up your thanksgiving sweet potatoes is to make these wonderful sweet potato waffles.

They are actually made with sweet potato casserole, along with flour, eggs, sugar, baking powder, milk and vanilla extract. You will need a waffle maker, and you can serve the waffles with whatever toppings you fancy.

Maple syrup and toasted pecans would be an excellent choice. 

13. Sweet Potato Falafel

Falafel is usually made with just chickpeas, but this recipe uses sweet potatoes as well for even more flavor.

They are very savory, with minced garlic, cumin, parsley, and coriander. You will need to bake the potatoes in the oven, peel off the skin then mash up the potatoes.

Add them into a bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mix. Use a food processor to get the ingredients nice and smooth. 

14. Sweet Potato Flan

This sweet potato flan is the perfect dessert to help you to use up the leftover sweet potatoes.

It is flavored with nutmeg and cinnamon which makes it very festive, along with fragrant ginger. The flan also contains maple syrup, with creamy buttermilk.

The vanilla essence ensures that the flan is nice and sweet. The flan is served with pecan and maple yogurt. 

15. Sweet Potato And Black Bean Chilli

This delicious chili is a great vegetarian alternative to a classic meat chili. It is super healthy, with plenty of vegetables like zucchini, tomatoes, onions, and black beans along with the delicious sweet potato.

This chili is vegan, gluten free, paleo friendly, and free from oil. You can enjoy it on its own or serve it with rice or some warm bread. 

16. Chai Spiced Sweet Potato Pudding

This inventive dessert uses chai tea bags to flavor the plant based milk of your choice. You could go for coconut milk, almond milk, hazelnut milk or whichever one you fancy.

This milk is used to make the pudding with cooked and mashed sweet potatoes, vanilla extract and salt. The pudding is smooth and silky and very delicious. 

17. Sweet Potato Layer Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

This show-stopper of a dessert is made with leftover sweet potatoes and decorated with tangy cream cheese frosting.

It is flavored with cinnamon and the brown sugar creates a lovely caramelized flavor.

The cake also contains pecans, and the nutty flavor works really well with the other ingredients. You can also finish the cake off with toasted pecans and coconuts. 

18. Sweet Potato And Pancetta Gratin

You can make these individual gratin to serve as an appetizer at a dinner party to impress your guests. Simply make them in muffin tins to get the perfect shape.

The salty bacon contrasts with the sweetness of the potato and the gratin is chopped with deliciously melty cheese.

You can use whatever cheese you like, but this recipe uses gruyere. It is an indulgent recipe, with lots of double cream mixed in with the mashed sweet potatoes. 

19. Sweet Potato And Chickpea Coconut Curry

This gluten free and vegan curry really showcases how versatile sweet potatoes can be. It goes really well with chickpeas and the sauce is rich and creamy.

You can top the curry with fresh cilantro and parsley and serve it over boiled rice. 

20. Sweet Potato Hash

This sweet potato hash is the perfect brunch dish to enjoy on a Saturday morning. The diced sweet potatoes are combined with meaty sausage and a perfectly fried egg with runny yolk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Sweet Potatoes Good For You? 

Sweet potatoes are high in fiber and nutrients. They have more nutritional value than white potatoes, and a sweeter flavor. They are a great choice of carbohydrates. 

Are Sweet Potatoes And White Potatoes Interchangeable? 

In a lot of savory recipes, sweet potatoes and white potatoes can be switched out for each other. In sweet recipes, it is important to stick with sweet potatoes because the flavor is very different. 

Can You Eat Sweet Potato Skin? 

The skin of a sweet potato is thicker than the skin of a white potato, but you can still eat it. Just make sure that it is cooked thoroughly. 

What Does Sweet Potato Taste Like? 

Sweet potato tastes similar to pumpkin because it is sweet, but it has a texture more like white potato. 

Summary 

Sweet potato is a very versatile ingredient that you can use in both sweet and savory food. This list of recipes has something for every meal, whether you want lunch, or dinner.