Sweet Potato Butter Recipe

 

Sweet Potato Butter is a creamy spread of cooked sweet potatoes and warming spices that is perfect for your morning toast!

The idea for this sweet potato butter came to me after I made a batch of pumpkin butter for my brother and sister-in-law when we were heading to their house for a birthday party.  I came home and couldn’t believe I didn’t make a double batch so we could have some!

I set out to make another batch of pumpkin butter, but when I saw the sweet potatoes in the pantry, I thought, Why not?

I need to ask myself that question more often.  Good things come from questions like that.  This sweet potato butter is a great example.

I basically used my pumpkin butter recipe, with a few tweaks.  Instead of xylitol, I sweetened it with maple syrup.  You can really use whatever your preferred sweetener is, and you don’t need very much.

The same spices and flavorings that work so well with pumpkin work just as well with sweet potato.  The result was a smooth, spicy, sweet butter that is loaded with nutrients.  This recipe is bound to become a fall staple in my household.  I think you should make it one in yours, too.

Ingredients for Sweet Potato Butter Recipe

Sweet Potatoes

We need about 1 pound sweet potatoes for this recipe, cut into chunks for more effortless blending. Sweet potatoes are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin B, vitamin C, potassium, and manganese.  They are also a decent source of calcium and iron. They are also antioxidant-rich and a good source of prebiotics.

Apple Cider

Next, we need 1/2 cup unsweetened apple cider. This helps sweeten the sweet potato butter naturally.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a must! We need 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon in this recipe. It brings out the sweet potato flavor and gives the butter a hint of warmth. Plus, cinnamon helps regulate your blood pressure

Maple Syrup

I prefer natural sweeteners over artificial ones. So, I used 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup in this recipe. This finger-licking syrup is incredibly nutritious and provides your body with plenty of antioxidants. If you’re out of maple syrup, dark brown sugar works just as well.

More Spices

You’ll also need 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves. They’ll enhance the flavor and make this butter irresistibly delicious.

How to Make Sweet Potato Butter

Now that you have all your ingredients for this easy and yummy butter recipe let’s check out what you need to do.

1. Steam your potatoes for 15-20 minutes or until they are super soft. For me, my rice cooker with the steamer option works great. You can stick to a steamer basket if you don’t have one. Place it on top of a pot of boiling water, and viola! A slow cooker also works fine.
2. Blend your softened sweet potatoes in a blender or a food processor till you get a smooth puree.
3. Now, pour the puree into a medium pot along with all the rest of the ingredients and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow your mixture to thicken a bit. It’ll take about 20 minutes.
4. Let the mixture cool to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container. This way, your butter will stay fresh in the fridge for 2-3 weeks easily.

Tips and Tricks

• Many varieties of sweet potatoes will work here. For the bright orange hue, look for Jewel Sweet Potatoes.
• Peel your sweet potatoes for a smooth texture. Sweet potato skin has a lot of nutrients, however, so if you want to keep the peel on for health benefits (I do), use a professional-grade blender. It’ll still be smooth and delicious!
• If you’re out of apple cider, orange juice or unsweetened apple juice will work.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to use Leftover Sweet Potato Butter?

You can easily find a spot for this sweet butter in your other sweet potato recipes. It works great in sweet potato pie or sweet potato biscuits.

Can I Manually Mash the Sweet Potatoes?

It’ll be a bit of a workout, but it’ll do the job. Use a potato masher and mash until you get an even texture throughout. If you’re going manual because your food processor is out of order, you can also use your hand mixer or immersion blender.

What Other Similar Butter Recipes Can I Try?

Oh, there are so many. I love apple butter and honey butter. You can also try pumpkin butter; it’s pretty versatile too.

If you make this recipe, or any of my other healthy recipes, please leave a star rating below! It’s so helpful for other readers to see which recipes are tried and true! I’d also love to see it–share your photo of this dish and tag me on Instagram and I’ll feature you!

If you need more sweet potato recipes, scroll below the recipe card to see some of my absolute favorites.

 

Print

 

Meghan enjoyed this spread on top of a sliced apple…that apparently got cut out of the picture.  The evidence is on her face.   This is a perfect way to add vegetables to your toddler’s snack time.  In case you are wondering, Meghan’s going through a phase where she must be in some sort of dress up costume at all times.  This is her hippie dress.  🙂

Want some more ideas on how to use this versatile and super healthy sweet potato butter?
Check it out:

• Spread it on sliced apples, bananas, or your favorite fruit.
• Spread it on toast.
• Spoon a bit into plain Greek yogurt.
• Add it to your oatmeal for a warm, fall-themed breakfast.
• Blend a few tablespoons up with ice, banana, and yogurt and/or milk for a delicious smoothie.

Want more sweet potato recipes?  Try my flourless sweet potato muffins, sweet potato chips, Loaded Sweet Potato Fries or my sweet potato soup recipe.  All great ways to get more of this super star into your diet!

This recipe was first published in 2011. Photos were updated in 2023. Enjoy!