25 Healthy Sweet Potato Recipes

By Benjamin Plackett
March 14, 2016
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Sweet potatoes are so good for your health. Need ideas for cooking them? These recipes should help.
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Greg DuPree

It's no surprise that sweet potatoes are at the top of nearly everyone's healthiest foods list. One baked, medium-sized sweet potato contains 438% of your daily value of vitamin A (a white potato contains 1%), 37% of your vitamin C, and some calcium, potassium, and iron too. All this at just 105 calories!

What's more, they also deliver 4 grams of dietary fiber—16% of the daily value—and absolutely zip in terms of fat.

And luckily there are many ways to whip them up. Here are 25 great (even kid-friendly!) sweet potato recipes.

RELATED: 5 Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

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Pork Chops With Sweet Potato & Apples

Greg DuPree

Try this recipe: Pork Chops With Sweet Potato & Apples

When it comes to ease, it's tough to beat a one-skillet dinner, and this one screams fall by smothering a juicy pork chop in sweet potatoes and apples.

Ingredients: pork chops, black pepper, kosher salt, olive oil, pearl onions, sweet potato, all-purpose flour, chicken stock, Gala apple, unsalted butter, fresh parsley

Calories: 530

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Ancho Sweet Potato Latkes

Greg DuPree

Try this recipe: Ancho Sweet Potato Latkes

Sweet potatoes give the traditional latke a nice fall twist. They'll come out of the oven super crispy and are great topped with Greek yogurt.

Ingredients: sweet potato, yellow onion, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, eggs, kosher salt, ground cumin, ancho chile powder, Greek yogurt, lime juice, canola oil, toasted pumpkin seed, fresh chives

Calories: 346

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Quinoa-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Greg DuPree

Try this recipe: Quinoa-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Purple sweet potatoes will make for a better presentation, but if you can't find them, regular orange ones will do too.

Ingredients: Purple sweet potatoes, extra-virgin olive oil, white onion, turmeric, chicken stock, quinoa, kale, black pepper, kosher salt, Greek yogurt, pomegranate arils

Calories: 440

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Oven-Roasted Sweet-Potato Wedges

Craving french fries? Whip up these oven-roasted sweet-potato wedges instead. A healthier way to satisfy those cravings, this recipe delivers more taste too, with a kick provided by mustard, garlic, and rosemary. Try them with a dip, as a snack all by themselves, or as a side dish; they pair particularly well with lamb.

Try this recipe: Oven-Roasted Sweet-Potato Wedges

RELATED: 7 Secrets of People Who Meal Prep Every Single Week

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Curried Carrot, Sweet Potato, and Ginger Soup

This dish is a great way to get more vitamin A and beta carotene. Both the carrots and the sweet potatoes deliver oodles of both, making this recipe particularly good for both your skin and vision.

Pair it with a whole grain baguette for a hearty and satisfying meal.

RELATED: 7 Health Benefits of Ginger

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Sweet Potato Casserole

This lightened-up take on a holiday classic is perfect for the season or really any time you need a hearty and healthy comfort food. The brown sugar and pecan topping will have kids (and adults!) clamoring for more.

To make this dish even healthier, use half-and-half instead of butter to cut down on fat and calories.

Try this recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole

Watch the video: Sweet Potato Casserole

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Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges

These wedges should be baked at a high heat, which gives them a crispy, caramelized outside and a soft and tasty inside—no frying necessary!

This peppery dish pairs particularly well with roasted meat, and delivers all of your daily vitamin A along with one-third of your vitamin C.

Try this recipe: Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges

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Buttered Sweet Potato Knot Rolls

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Cute and tasty, these knot rolls are proof that you can use sweet potatoes in almost anything. What's more, this recipe contains only one-third the calories and fat of traditional knot rolls because of the sweet potatoes' natural sweetness.

Try this recipe: Buttered Sweet Potato Knot Rolls

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Grilled Sweet Potato Fries

Simple and striking, this dish is a perfect complement to summer dishes. Season the wedges and grill for 3 minutes each side (pre-cooking in the microwave helps minimize cooking time).

These fries offer a satisfying crunch along with high levels of vitamins A and C.

Try this recipe: Grilled Sweet Potato Fries

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Sweet Potato and Spinach Quesadillas

Need a healthy and easy dish to throw together any weeknight? These quesadillas fit the bill.

Microwave the sweet potatoes to speed prep time, and top with other healthy ingredients like spinach and red onion. Grilling time is a quick 3 minutes per side, and voila! A meal that appeals to the whole family. Added bonus: The mozzarella alone provides more calcium than a glass of milk.

Try this recipe: Sweet Potato and Spinach Quesadillas

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Sweet Potato Pudding

Time for dessert! Try this sweet treat, which just happens to be rich in protein and fiber too.

This recipe uses whole-wheat bread, reduced fat Greek yogurt, and antioxidant-rich honey for a treat that’s healthy and delicious.

Try this recipe: Sweet Potato Pudding

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Oven Roasted Sweet Potato Chips with Ranch Dip

Spicy and crisp, these are chips you don’t have to feel guilty about gobbling down. You'll need just five ingredients, and love the kick they deliver thanks to the chili powder and cumin. Pair them with a store-bought light ranch dressing and you've got a tasty and easy snack. At last, a healthy chip-and-dip combo!

Try this recipe: Oven Roasted Sweet Potato Chips with Ranch Dip

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Creamy Sweet Potato Dip

It's party time! And what guest wouldn't be happy to see this appetizer? The combination of sweet and spicy (thanks to the chipotle chili powder) will get taste buds going and you'll be thrilled with the speedy prep time.

Other ingredients include low-fat Greek yogurt and whole-wheat pita, for a super healthy dish.

Try this recipe: Creamy Sweet Potato Dip

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Sweet Potato-and-Ginger Soup

This simple soup is easy to make, but delivers a complex and nuanced flavor thanks to the fresh ginger, which gives it a kick.

This recipe also offers a trifecta of healthy goodness; it's fat-free, cholesterol-free, and low-cal, to boot.

Try this recipe: Sweet Potato-and-Ginger Soup

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Lamb and Sweet Potato-Curry Stew

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This hearty meal is the ultimate comfort food, perfect for cool nights or holidays—but it's anything but boring. The lamb, couscous, and chickpeas give it a Moroccan feel and thanks to cumin, curry, and peanut oil, it has a kick too.

Fat-free chicken broth, bell peppers, and onion round out the healthy goodness.

Try this recipe: Lamb and Sweet Potato-Curry Stew

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Spicy Sweet-Potato Oven Fries

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These oven fries get their spicy taste from ground red pepper and paprika, and are super easy to make.

Preheat your pan in the oven with a dab of olive oil, then just pop in the sweet potatoes and wait about half an hour.

Your reward? A crispy and healthy treat to share (or eat all by yourself!)

Try this recipe: Spicy Sweet-Potato Oven Fries

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Sweet Potato Spread

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This dish is perfect as a dip, spread, or side dish, and with less than five ingredients, it's easy to make. Just bake the sweet potatoes and mash with curry and Greek-style yogurt.

Season to taste and serve with a garnish of chopped scallions for a simple and hearty meal.

Try this recipe: Sweet Potato Spread

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Maple-Pecan Sweet Potato Mash

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Warm and soothing, these mashed sweet potatoes also deliver healthy pecans and a touch of sweetness, thanks to the maple syrup.

Add in the flavors of cinnamon, cloves, and orange zest and you have a satisfying meal that's fancy enough for a holiday dinner, but simple—and popular!—enough for any weeknight meal.

Try this recipe: Maple-Pecan Sweet Potato Mash

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Chipotle-Glazed Sweet Potato Spears with Lime

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These aren't your grandma's sweet potatoes. Glazed with unsalted butter, chipotle powder, honey, lime juice, and sea salt, these tubers deliver a spicy glam flavor you won't find in other recipes. You won't be able to get enough of this tasty snack and that's okay—they're good for you!

Try this recipe: Chipotle-Glazed Sweet Potato Spears with Lime

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Sweet Potatoes Stuffed with Shrimp and Salsa

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Sweet potatoes and seafood? Heck yes!

This dish has about as much protein as four slices of turkey breast, but packs more punch in the flavor department thanks to diced kielbasa, shrimp, salsa, reduced-fat sour cream, and cilantro.

Hearty and never boring, this dish will have guests clamoring for seconds.

Try this recipe: Sweet Potatoes Stuffed with Shrimp and Salsa

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Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

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A traditional favorite, we made these twice-baked potatoes healthier by using reduced-fat sour cream and sharp cheddar cheese instead of milk and butter.

This recipe offers a delicious, smoky flavor thanks to diced Canadian bacon

Try this recipe: Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

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Sweet Potato Noodle Kugel

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A traditional kugel is a baked pudding or casserole made from egg noodles and fruit, and it's often so sweet it could be mistaken for a dessert.

This version delivers less sugar, and reduced-fat sour cream helps lowers the fat and calories even more.

Try this recipe: Sweet Potato Noodle Kugel

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Chicken with Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

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Use this recipe to create an entire healthy meal with ingredients like spinach, sliced red onion, and fresh lime juice, in addition to sweet potatoes.

Easy to make, you can roast the potatoes for 25 minutes while cooking the chicken in a skillet (about 5-6 minutes per side).

Serve with spinach and you have a healthy meal in roughly 30 minutes.

Try this recipe: Chicken with Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

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Maple-Walnut Sweet Potatoes

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This recipe blends sweet maple syrup with savory walnuts for a delicious sweet potato mash. Low in saturated fat and cholesterol, this healthy side dish is destined to be a family favorite.

Try this recipe: Maple-Walnut Sweet Potatoes

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Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Maple Butter

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It doesn't get any easier than this. With just four basic ingredients—including the kosher salt—this recipe is a no-brainer when it comes to finding a healthier substitute for your regular potato side dishes.

All you need to do is put eight small sweet potatoes in the oven, bake, and season with melted maple butter and salt. Yum!

Try this recipe: Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Maple Butter

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Oven-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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Simple and sweet, this delicious dish is made by roasting cubed, peeled sweet potatoes for 30 minutes then tossing in coarsely chopped onions and baking for 30 more.

When they're ready, broil for 10 minutes to give the dish a delicious caramelized exterior, then just drizzle with butter. Perfection!

Try this recipe: Oven-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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Sweet Potato Pie with Pumpkinseed Crunch

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This recipe is perfect for those times when you're hankering for something a bit more interesting than traditional pumpkin pie.

This sweet potato pie's yummy goodness is provided by ginger, nutmeg, and maple syrup. Add in the garnish of crunchy pumpkin seeds, and you have a healthy and tasty dessert that's a perfect complement to any meal.

Try this recipe: Sweet Potato Pie with Pumpkinseed Crunch

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Sweet-Potato Salad

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This side dish is definitely more impressive than your average potato salad. It's got mango chutney and cilantro, for a fabulous taste with a tropical feel, in addition to green beans that amp up the antioxidants.

Low in saturated fat and cholesterol, this dish is also much healthier than traditional potato salad.

Try this recipe: Sweet-Potato Salad

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