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

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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.