These soft purple sweet potato cookies are made with purple sweet potatoes, tahini, almond flour, and a generous coating of toasted sesame seeds. They’re naturally gluten-free, vegan, egg-free, and dairy-free, and the original version is made without any added sweetener — the sweet potato provides enough gentle sweetness on its own. The texture is soft and tender rather than crisp, with an earthy, slightly nutty flavor from the sweet potato, tahini, and sesame.
I made these beauties with a Chinese friend of mine in Dallas, who told me her family had a similar recipe, but of course, with lots of added sugar. I absolutely love purple sweet potatoes, known as Stokes Purple here in the US, and I’ve made all sorts of things with them, but I’d never attempted a cookie. So we decided to work together and create a purple sweet potato cookie that would fit my diet, with no added sugar.
A delicious way to enjoy cooked and cooled sweet potato
Besides that gorgeous purple color, I love that these cookies are an easy and delicious way to enjoy cooked-and-cooled sweet potato and its resistant starch.
Sweet potatoes contain starch, and cooking and then cooling starchy foods can increase the amount of resistant starch they contain. As the name suggests, resistant starch resists digestion in the small intestine and reaches the large intestine, where it can be fermented by gut bacteria. For this reason, resistant starch is considered a prebiotic component of the diet and can help support a healthy gut microbiome.
Purple sweet potato cookies are not your traditional cookies
Purple sweet potatoes are one of my favorite varieties, not only because of that gorgeous color, but also because of their taste and texture. Stokes Purple sweet potatoes are earthy, relatively dry and starchy, and less sweet than the more familiar orange sweet potatoes. If you’ve ever had chestnuts, their flavor reminds me a little of those.
And I want to set expectations: these aren’t traditional crisp or chewy American cookies. They’re soft, tender, and substantial, and they taste unmistakably of sweet potato. That’s exactly what I love about them.
They’re also naturally gluten-free and 100% plant-based, with no eggs or dairy, which makes them a great little recipe to have if you’re avoiding either one.
Sweet or a little more savory
The original version didn’t have any added sweetener. Purple sweet potato already has a gentle natural sweetness, and I particularly like the contrast of that sweetness with tahini, toasted sesame, and a pinch of sea salt.
When we made these, my friend loved dipping hers in powdered sweetener, while I preferred mine without, so you can easily take them in either direction.
If you prefer a sweeter cookie, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of allulose to the dough. Once the cookies have cooled, you can also give them a light dusting of powdered allulose or another powdered sugar-free sweetener.
For the simple, slightly sweet-and-savory version, skip the sweetener and add a pinch of sea salt to the dough. You can also finish the cookies with a few flakes of sea salt before serving.
A few notes about the ingredients
Stokes Purple sweet potatoes: I recommend baking the potatoes in their skins rather than boiling them. Baking concentrates their flavor and natural sweetness and keeps them from becoming too watery, which is especially helpful for these cookies.
Tahini and sesame seeds: Tahini adds richness and a subtle nutty flavor to the dough, while the toasted sesame seeds coat the cookies and add a lovely contrast to the soft center.
Hemp milk: I used unsweetened hemp milk for this recipe.
Arrowroot and almond flour: You only need a small amount of each. Together they help bind the sweet potato mixture while keeping the cookies soft. You can also use tapioca instead of arrowroot.
Orange and lime juice: Just a tablespoon of each brightens the earthy flavor of the sweet potato — and creates that fun color change while you’re mixing the dough.
How to serve purple sweet potato cookies
Because these cookies aren’t very sweet, they don’t have to be reserved for dessert. They’re delicious on their own with a cup of tea or coffee, spread with tahini or nut butter, or paired with something savory.
They’re soft and substantial enough that you can even use them as a base for a small open-faced snack. And, of course, if you make the sweeter version, they work beautifully as a simple treat whenever you want something just a little sweet.
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Soft Purple Sweet Potato Cookies with Tahini
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: Multiple
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Fusion
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan
Description
These soft purple sweet potato cookies are made with purple sweet potatoes, tahini, almond flour, and a generous coating of toasted sesame seeds. They’re naturally gluten-free, vegan, egg-free, and dairy-free, and the original version is made without any added sweetener — the sweet potato provides enough gentle sweetness on its own. The texture is soft and tender rather than crisp, with an earthy, slightly nutty flavor from the sweet potato, tahini, and sesame.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups mashed baked Stokes Purple sweet potatoes
- 3 heaping tablespoons tahini
- 1/2 cup unsweetened hemp milk
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 4 tablespoons arrowroot or tapioca flour
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- About 1/3 cup sesame seeds
- Pinch of sea salt, optional
- 1–2 tablespoons allulose, optional, for a sweeter version
- Powdered allulose or another powdered sugar-free sweetener, optional, for finishing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Wash and dry the sweet potatoes, lightly rub them with coconut or avocado oil, and cut them in half lengthwise. Arrange them cut-side down on a baking sheet and bake for 30–40 minutes, or until completely tender.
- Meanwhile, lightly toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet, stirring frequently. Transfer them to a shallow bowl or plate.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 320°F (160°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and measure 3 1/2 cups into a large mixing bowl, avoiding any hard, overly caramelized pieces. Mash until smooth.
- Add the tahini, hemp milk, lime juice, orange juice, and a pinch of sea salt, if using. For the sweeter version, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of allulose, to taste. Mix well.
- Add the arrowroot (or tapioca) and almond flour and mix until you have a soft, sticky dough that holds together well.
- Shape the dough into small balls with your hands. Roll each ball in the toasted sesame seeds, then gently flatten it into a fairly thin cookie. Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes. These cookies are meant to remain soft rather than become crisp. Let them cool before serving. For the sweeter version, dust lightly with powdered sweetener after cooling, if desired.
- Store in a glass container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
These cookies are naturally only mildly sweet. For the original sweet-and-savory version, leave out the allulose and add a pinch of sea salt. For a sweeter cookie, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of allulose to the dough and optionally dust with powdered sweetener after baking.
Baking the purple sweet potatoes rather than boiling them gives them a more concentrated flavor and prevents excess moisture in the cookie dough.
The cooking time for the sweet potatoes is not included in the cookie baking time.
8 Comments
JayJay
March 30, 2025 at 4:21 amHeyyy! I was wondering, what other flours could you substitute for almond flour in this recipe?
Claudia
March 30, 2025 at 7:30 amHi JJ! You can use any GF flour you like. -Claudia
The Girl Next Door
January 6, 2021 at 1:50 amHey! These look superb! I have some purple sweet potatoes on hand, as luck would have it, and would absolutely love to try these cookies out. Any substitutes for the tahini and hemp milk, please?
Claudia
January 6, 2021 at 4:20 amHey girl! Thank you, you can replace tahini with any nut butter and hemp milk with any alternative milk. Just be aware that this is actually made traditionally in some parts of Asia specifically to combine tahini and the sweet potatoes. But you can taste the mix in the process and see how you feel about the new taste and adjust it if need be. Let us know how it goes. <3
Liz
December 29, 2020 at 9:46 amHi Claudia! Do you think this recipe would also work well with almond milk instead of hemp milk? Or is it better not to sub in this case? Thanks for all you do. LOVE your recipes!!
Claudia
December 29, 2020 at 11:44 amHi Liz, yes, totally! Thanks for the kind words, happy new year! xx
Taylor
October 29, 2020 at 12:03 amHow long do they stay fresh and how should they be stored?
Claudia
October 29, 2020 at 9:37 amHi Taylor, I don’t like to eat foods after a couple of days, so for me that’s about it (that’s also due to histamine build up). They freeze well though, like anything made with sweet potato. Storing is always best in glass containers with a good lid. In the fridge, of course.