13 Ways To Take Sweet Potatoes To The Next Level

Even at their most basic, sweet potatoes are great. The name really is a tip-off. Sweet. Potatoes. What's not to love about that? However, it's natural to want your food to taste as good as it possibly can, so you might be looking for ways to take sweet potatoes to the next level, making them even more delicious.

Perhaps you're searching for new seasonings and cooking methods to enhance the root vegetable. In that case, you might be interested in double-roasted sweet potatoes or the best spice pairings. Or, maybe you're looking to transform simple sweet potatoes into something distinct, such as gnocchi or hash browns. Either way, we've got you covered.

There are so many tasty ways to enjoy these root veggies, whether it's the classic orange variety or their lesser-used white or purple counterparts. We have some amazing ways to level-up your sweet potatoes, taking them from nice enough to incredible.

Baked sweet potatoes are a classic, but you might be sick of the same old toppings. Most of us have go-tos for these kinds of meals, and it's sometimes tricky to break out of a rut. You could start by getting inspiration from recipes. For instance, this loaded sweet potato recipe uses sour cream or Greek yogurt, corn, black beans, and herbs. Or you could try stuffed sweet potatoes with salsa, guac, sour cream, cheese, and more.

You don't have to follow a recipe though — you just have to know how to get creative with toppings. There are all kinds of options that you might not have thought about, such as mushrooms, spiced chickpeas, nuts, hummus, sun-dried tomatoes, or a fried egg. You could also opt for sweet toppings, such as sliced banana, berries, and a drizzle of maple syrup.

If you're not sure where to start, take your favorite toppings and give them a twist. For instance, if you normally top your baked sweet potato with cheddar, why not opt for blue cheese or brie instead? If you like to use store-bought tomato salsa, level it up by making it yourself or trying an alternative, such as salsa verde or mango salsa. You can also focus on finishing touches that take sweet potatoes to the next level, such as fresh herbs, condiments, or crispy onions.

Oven roasted sweet potatoes are a classic. These differ from baked sweet potatoes because you're roasting chunks rather than the whole tuber, which makes a difference to the flavor and texture. Roasting is such a great technique for these veggies, because it brings out and intensifies their natural sweetness. But, you can make things even better by adding spices and sweeteners.

Sugar and cinnamon are obvious choices for sweet potatoes — especially around Thanksgiving — but there are so many options beyond this duo. Liquid sweeteners are a great option, because they coat the potatoes evenly, making them sticky and caramelized. Date syrup, maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, and sorghum syrup are all great choices. Whatever you have on hand can work, just consider how the flavor will affect the finished dish. For instance, if you're using molasses, you might want to do so sparingly because of the strong flavor.

Some spices accentuate the sweetness of these roots, including those you'd usually associate with dessert, like nutmeg, cardamom, and allspice. Hot or earthy spices counter the sweetness, adding balance. These kinds of spices include cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. You can mix and match spices from each category to find a blend you like.

You can instantly make simple sweet potatoes memorable by turning them into hash browns. Crispy on the outside and meltingly soft on the inside, sweet potato hash browns can make any breakfast or brunch special, or you can incorporate them into a dinner dish. Basically, they're wonderful at any time of day.

What's great about this recipe is that it's so simple to make considering the delicious result. Start by shredding sweet potatoes; you can speed up this process with a food processor, but a box grate works well, too. You can choose to grate some onion in, but it's not essential. Next, season the mixture with salt and pepper at a minimum. However, herbs work beautifully in these hash browns. Sage, thyme, and oregano are all great choices. Then, bind the mixture together with flour and a little egg. Finally, shallow fry the hash browns for a few minutes on each side and you're good to go.

We love these with classic brunch foods, like avocado toast, scrambled eggs, and omelets, but you can branch out. You could use them to top a burrito bowl, serve them as a side for a sandwich, or just eat them straight-up with sour cream or applesauce.

Sweet potato casserole is a classic dish at Thanksgiving and Christmas, most commonly topped with either marshmallows or a combination of pecans and brown sugar. Don't get us wrong, both of these are delicious in their own way, but you can upgrade your sweet potato casserole by getting creative with the garnishes.

If you want to keep things simple, you could just drizzle it with maple syrup after baking. This adds sweetness but keeps the sweet potatoes as the main event. A fancier alternative to a marshmallow topping is meringue. It's fairly simple to whip up your own meringue mixture from egg whites and sugar, then you can just spoon it over before baking. You can even use a culinary blow torch if you want to caramelize the peaks more than your oven can.

Those who prefer a crunchy texture might want to try cornflakes as a topping. Mixing them with melted butter and sugar makes the dish more decadent. Breadcrumbs are another great crunchy option. You can even mix them with herbs and garlic for extra flavor. Love the sweet potato part of the casserole but don't enjoy the sweet topping? Try covering it with a layer of cheese before putting it in the oven, or combine cheese and breadcrumbs for richness and texture.

Take sweet potatoes from a side dish to the main component of your meal by using them in a curry. We love how the spices complement the sweetness of these spuds. Whether you're vegetarian, vegan, or just looking for more meat-free meal ideas, this is an excellent option.

Of course, curry spans a range of cuisines, so there's not just one variety to try. There are simple recipes out there — such as this one pot sweet potato curry — but you could also adapt a range of other curries to make sweet potato the star of the show.

Many people think of Indian curries as the first port of call, from creamy, mild kormas to fiery vindaloos. But, of course, there are many other cultures that incorporate curry in their cuisine. Thai curry is one that most people know, with red and green curries being especially popular. There's also Cambodian curry, made from a lemongrass-rich curry paste called kroeung. It's cooked with coconut milk, making it similar to Thai curries, but with its own twist. Or, you might head to the Caribbean, where curries are often made with Scotch bonnet peppers and thyme. 

Sweet potatoes are often used in savory food, but they're great for sweet dishes, too. One way to take these root vegetables to the next level is to use them in pancakes. Not only do sweet potatoes add more nutrition, but they also bring natural sweetness and keep the pancakes moist and fluffy.

To make this dish, you'll need cooked and mashed sweet potatoes. If you have leftover mashed or baked sweet potatoes, it's the perfect opportunity to make pancakes. However, you can cook them specifically to use in the batter. Just make sure to give them enough time to cool before you mix up the recipe, as hot potatoes could affect the texture of the finished product.

Aside from mashed sweet potatoes, you just need conventional pancake ingredients, such as eggs, milk, and flour. Spices like cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg work well here, too. It's easy enough to adapt your favorite pancake recipe to include sweet potato by using a little less of the other ingredients, such as flour and milk. However, if in doubt, you can find plenty of sweet potato pancake recipes online. Serve them just as you would any other pancake, with fruit, syrup, or your choice of toppings.

It might not seem like the obvious ingredient, but sweet potato is excellent in mousses and puddings. It adds a creaminess to the texture and a natural sweetness. There are all kinds of recipes out there you can try — and several variations.

If you're interested in sweet potato chocolate mousse, it's simple to make. The most straightforward recipes just call for sweet potatoes, cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt. It's a great way to make a mousse without added sugar. However, if you want extra sweetness, there are recipes that use sugar as well as sweet potatoes. Some include additional ingredients, such as coconut milk or cream and vanilla extract. A pinch of salt to accentuate the chocolate flavor doesn't go amiss, either.

Sweet potato pudding isn't exactly out-there if you come from the Southern states, but not everyone has tried it. Basically, it's just a classic pudding with that desirable dense, creamy consistency, with added sweet potatoes. Some versions are baked, but there are also stovetop recipes. Spices like ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon round out the taste so it's more than just sweet.

A classic way to take sweet potatoes to the next level is with a pie. Sweet potato pie is iconic for a reason: It's delicious. Essentially, it's a thick sweet potato pudding baked into a pie crust. It's a little similar to pumpkin pie, so if you love that, you're bound to be a fan. Although you can make either pie in any season, they have a fall vibe. For some households, they're a dessert staple for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

While it's simple to make, you're best off finding a sweet potato pie recipe, because you don't want to mess it up by winging it. If you want to save time, you can use a store-bought pie crust. However, if you're confident about making pastry, a homemade crust is always so much better. Shortcrust and flaky pie crust are go-to options for this type of dessert, but a graham cracker crust tastes great, too.

The filling is pretty simple, and basically consists of mashed sweet potatoes mixed with eggs, which helps the filling set and become sliceable. Some recipes call for spices, such as cinnamon and nutmeg. Although they're optional, they make a nice addition, but some people prefer an unadulterated sweet potato taste.

Sweet potato fries are amazing when they're good, but they can be soggy with an underwhelming flavor if you don't get them right. And, there are few things more disappointing than lackluster fries. It doesn't have to be like that, though. One simple way to take sweet potato fries to the next level is with spices.

Curry powder is a perfect seasoning for sweet potato fries. The blend of fragrant spices with a little kick of heat nicely complements the sweet notes. Curry powder blends vary, but often include spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, and chili powder. If you don't have curry powder, garam masala is another great alternative. Or, you can mix and match spices yourself.

Smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon — mix any combination of these together and you'll make your fries shine. You don't have to stop at spices, either. Dried herbs like thyme and oregano go beautifully with sweet spuds, as do ingredients like onion powder and garlic powder, which play a similar role.

You might also be wondering how to make your sweet potato fries crispier. It's easier to get them crunchy when frying, but they are prone to sogginess in the oven. A light coating of flour or cornstarch with the seasonings can help. It's also important to make sure the sweet potatoes are dry before seasoning and baking them in the oven.

Sick of soggy spuds? You might need to try double roasting sweet potatoes to make them crispier. The first roasting cooks them through, while the second roasting gets them extra crunchy. This method can take basic roasted sweet potatoes up a notch.

To pull this off, first roast your sweet potatoes whole, like you would if you were making baked sweet potatoes. Once they're soft enough to stick a fork in, take them out of the oven and leave them until they're cool enough to handle. At this point, you can either slice them up or tear them into chunks. Tearing might sound a bit unhinged, but the uneven edges will become even crispier. Transfer your potato chunks to a baking dish and drizzle them with a generous amount of oil and your choice of seasonings. Roast them for around 20 to 30 minutes until crispy.

If you want to minimize the amount of time your oven is on, parboiling the sweet potatoes before roasting them is another option. Cut them into chunks and boil them for 5 to 10 minutes, then drain and let them sit for a few minutes until the water evaporates from the surface. Finally, toss them in cornstarch and seasonings, drizzle with oil, and roast for around 35 minutes.

Gnocchi are usually made with white potatoes, but it's possible to make them with sweet potatoes, infusing an orange color and a sweeter taste. It's also a double-whammy, because you both level-up sweet potatoes and gnocchi in one shot.

But, how do you turn sweet potatoes into gnocchi? Turns out it's quite simple, as this easy sweet potato gnocchi recipe proves. You simply microwave or bake whole sweet potatoes until soft, let them cool and mash the flesh, then mix in flour and salt, kneading lightly until you form a dough. Then, use the palms of your hands to roll the dough into long ropes and cut them into ¾-inch segments. These are your gnocchi; just simmer them for a few minutes and they're ready to eat.

You can serve them with any sauce you like, but a simple sage butter is a great way to highlight their flavor without overwhelming them with sauce. However, if this doesn't take your fancy, a creamy mushroom sauce, pesto, or olive oil with sauteed garlic all go well with sweet potato gnocchi.

Anyone with a sweet tooth will be pleased to know that sweet potatoes and baked goods go hand-in-hand. The moisture they bring to doughs and batters helps produce a tender crumb. Plus, their natural sweetness means you can cut down on refined sugar a little.

Using mashed sweet potatoes in cookies gives them a cake-like texture. Although some people prefer a chewy or crispy consistency, if you're on team cakey cookie, sweet potato is the perfect addition. You can add sweet potatoes to basically any cookie recipe, although you'll need to adjust the ratio of other ingredients. Alternatively, you can look for dedicated recipes that already use the root veggie.

It's not just cookies they're great in; they also work beautifully in cake, whether they're a main ingredient or take a backseat role. Muffins, cupcakes, brownies, and blondies can all get the sweet potato treatment, too. If you're looking to experiment with lesser-used ingredients in baked goods or just want to use up a bunch of sweet spuds in new ways, this is a great idea.

Some people like their veggie burgers meaty, such as Beyond Burgers. But others want to put the veggie back in veggie burgers. If you want to take your sweet potatoes up a gear and indulge in a little meat-free comfort food, turning sweet potatoes into burgers is a perfect plan.

There are hundreds of recipes for sweet potato veggie burgers online, so you can take your pick. Most of them call for cooked sweet potatoes, so it's a great way to use up leftovers. Sweet potatoes might be the star of these patties, but most incorporate other ingredients into the mix. For instance, some combine sweet potatoes with mashed chickpeas or beans to firm them up, whereas others might mix in tofu or breadcrumbs.

How you season the burgers is up to you; herbs, spices, diced onion and garlic — there are plenty of choices. While you can bake the patties, pan-frying gives them a nice crispy exterior. When it's time to eat, serve them in a bun with your choice of salad and condiments.