6 Ways to Cook With Sweet Potato Butter

Kimberley Stakal |

Sep 10, 2024

While you’re more likely to find pumpkin butter at a gourmet food shop or farm stand this season, sweet potato butter is also a seasonal treat—and one just as worthy and taking home to try out in your fall recipes. Sweet potatoes have a slightly higher sugar content per serving than pumpkins, according to the USDA, so when cooked down into fruit butter, they have a more noticeably sweet flavor. Is sweet potato butter candy-sweet? No. But it has a distinctive enough flavor and spice profile that it’s worth straying from the usual pumpkin butter for a season. Ready to give it a go? Here are 6 ways to cook with sweet potato butter.

Ham, cheese, and sweet potato butter sammie. Make an instant-autumn sandwich by layering thinly sliced ham (or prosciutto, if you’re feeling fancy), Swiss cheese, and a smear of sweet potato butter on soft bread like sourdough or soft whole grain. Skip the meat altogether for a meatless sammie—and for a vegan version, try nut butter, sweet potato butter, and a slice of baked tofu.
Sweet potato-infused pancakes. You can take two options with pancakes—either spoon sweet potato butter atop your freshly cooked pancakes once done, or add a few dollops of the butter to your batter before you cook it. Just cut back on the amount of regular butter or oil called for and use equal substitutions sweet potato butter.
Sweet potato-filled fruit pies. Make sweet potato the secret ingredient in a seasonal apple or fruit pie. Simply add a few spoonfuls of sweet potato butter to your usual pie filling (along with the chopped fruit of choice, of course!) to add an extra layer of thickened, spiced fruitiness once it’s baked.
Easy-peasy breakfast toast. Sometimes it’s the simple things we do that make us happiest. Like morning autumn toast with a smear of sweet potato butter atop coconut or regular butter on a warm piece of whole grain bread.
Sweet potato-glazed ham (or meatloaf, or salmon, or tempeh …). Basically any meat or meat substitute that you’re cooking in the oven will benefit from an incredible glaze sauce made from basic sweet potato butter. Just brush your meat, fish, or meat replacement of choice with ample sweet potato butter before cooking, and enjoy the sweet glaze crust when it comes out of the oven.
Sweet potato fall smoothie. Fall smoothie? Don’t mind if we do! Combine a frozen banana, dairy or non-dairy (try coconut!) milk, sweet potato butter, and a bit of yogurt in a blender; puree until smooth. Add extra cinnamon, cloves, or even a splash of apple cider for an extra boost of autumn flare.