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These sweet potato casserole cookies combine all the flavors of the classic Thanksgiving dish! A sweet potato cookie spiced with cinnamon and topped with toasted marshmallows and pecans.

Sweet potato cookies topped with pecans and toasted marshmallows lined up on a baking sheet

Sweet Potato Casserole Cookies Overview

I first created this recipe back in 2012, my second year of blogging. I wanted a unique Thanksgiving dessert that was a little different from the traditional offering while still sticking with the theme. 

Sweet potato casserole cookies combine all of the flavors from the favorite Thanksgiving side dish. The cookie base is a super soft sweet potato cookie made with dark brown sugar and cinnamon. And then after the cookies are baked I topped them with pecans and mini marshmallows which I then place under the broiler to toast them up. 

These are one of my favorite cookies in the holiday cookie recipes series! They look adorable on a dessert table and are sure to be a hit!  

How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole Cookies

Step 1: Make the Sweet Potato Cookie Dough

The cookie dough for the sweet potato cookies is a super soft dough. It is very similar to  the dough for my pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting. 

This cookie dough does also call for shortening. This keeps the cookies ultra soft and keeps them from spreading out. You can substitute butter for the shortening but be aware that the cookies will likely spread more and won’t be quite as soft. 

Step 2: Bake the Sweet Potato Cookies

Scooping sweet potato dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet

Scoop the sweet potato cookie dough onto parchment lined baking sheets. I like to use about 2 1/2 TBSP per cookie. The cookies will not spread out so you can press down on them a bit if you want them to be a little thinner. 

Step 3: Top the Cookies with Pecans and Marshmallows

As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, add some pecans on top and then top with a few mini  marshmallows. Gently press the toppings into the tops of the cookies, being careful not to burn yourself. 

Step 4: Broil the Topping

Move the oven rack to the top position or the second to top position, whichever will keep the cookies at about 3″ under the broiler. Turn the broiler on. 

Place the cookies under the broiler and do not walk away. It will only take about 15-20 seconds to toast the toppings. You can keep the oven door slightly open and watch the cookies closely. 

MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like to try these other festive recipes for your holiday cookie tin!

Sweet potato cookies topped with pecans and toasted marshmallows lined up on a baking sheet
Yield: 16-18 medium cookies

Sweet Potato Casserole Cookies (Sweet Potato Cookies with Pecans and Toasted Marshmallows)

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes

These sweet potato casserole cookies combine all the flavors of the classic Thanksgiving dish! A sweet potato cookie spiced with cinnamon and topped with toasted marshmallows and pecans.

Ingredients

For the Cookie

  • 145 grams (¾ cup) vegetable shortening *see note below
  • 200 grams (1 cup) brown sugar, preferably dark
  • 1 large egg
  • 262 grams (1 cup) mashed cooked sweet potato, fresh or canned
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 240 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour

For Topping

  • 50 grams (½ cup) chopped pecans
  • 50 grams (1 cup) mini marshmallows

Instructions

PREP:

  1. Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  2. Chop the pecans (50 grams/ ½ cup) into fine pieces and some slightly larger pieces. Set aside and measure out the rest of the ingredients.

Method:

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream the shortening (145 grams/ ¾ cup) and brown sugar (200 grams/ 1 cup) on medium/high speed until light and fluffy. This should take about 2-3 minutes.
  2. Add the egg (1 large), mashed sweet potato (262 grams/ 1 cup), and vanilla extract (1 teaspoon) and mix until well incorporated.
  3. Add the baking soda (1 teaspoon), salt (½ teaspoon), and cinnamon (1 teaspoon) to the bowl. Mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again to make sure the ingredients are evenly distributed.
  4. Add the flour (240 grams/ 2 cups) to the bowl and mix just until it is absorbed into the cookie dough. You don't want to over-mix or your cookies will be tough.
  5. Drop rounds of cookie dough onto the lined baking sheets about 2 ½ tablespoons in size. I like to keep them tall and rounded so the cookies bake up thick. They will not spread out much. If you want thinner cookies, press down on the dough a bit before baking.
  6. Bake one sheet pan at a time for 9-11 minutes until the edges and tops are set and golden brown.
  7. Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately sprinkle the tops with chopped pecans and a few mini marshmallows (about 5 per cookie). Gently press them into the tops of the cookies being careful not to burn yourself.
  8. Turn the broiler on in the oven. Position the oven rack to the top position or the second to top position - whichever will keep the cookies about 3 inches (8 cm) away from the broiler.
  9. Put the cookie sheet back in the oven under the broiler. Do NOT walk away. Watch the cookies closely for 10-20 seconds to toast the marshmallows and nuts. You can keep the oven door cracked to watch them. As soon as the marshmallows are a golden brown, remove from the oven.
  10. Let cool on the sheet pan for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  11. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.

Notes

*You can substitute the shortening for softened unsalted butter but beware that the cookies will spread more and won't be quite as soft.

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© Bettie
Category: All Recipes