Sweet Potato Crisp

Sweet potato crisp is a cozy fall dessert made with real mashed sweet potatoes, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Then topped with a buttery brown sugar oat topping.

Our pumpkin crisp goes viral every fall on Instagram, so this is the natural next version to try for Thanksgiving dessert. There’s no pie crust to roll out and you can make it ahead.

Why This Sweet Potato Crisp Deserves a Spot on Your Holiday Table

One of my favorite side dishes during the holidays is sweet potato casserole. It’s like dessert, but acceptable for a vegetable dinner? Count me in.

This sweet potato crisp is similar, but this recipe has a little more of a custard texture thanks to more milk and less sweet potato. It’s like a sweet potato pie, but you don’t have to roll out Grandma’s pie crust, which makes it easy.

The crisp is excellent served warm, but will firm up lightly as it sets, meaning you can make this ahead for your holiday meal. And by using gluten-free oats you it makes a great gluten-free dessert option.

If you’re planning a holiday dessert table, pair it with a classic pumpkin pie recipe, homemade apple crisp recipe, or old-fashioned pecan pie recipe. I like having a mix of creamy pies and crumb-topped desserts so everyone can pick their favorite.

-Julie

What Goes Into Sweet Potato Crisp?

This recipe uses simple baking ingredients, but a few are worth clarifying:

• Mashed sweet potatoes. You’ll need 2 cups, or about 16 ounces, of cooked mashed sweet potatoes. Mash them until smooth so you don’t have large lumps in the filling. I made 5 small baked sweet potatoes, but use canned sweet potatoes that have been well drained if you’d like to save a step.
• Evaporated milk: Gives the filling its creamy, custard-like texture. Use a 12-ounce can of evaporated milk, not sweetened condensed milk. They are very different ingredients.
• Eggs: Two large eggs help the sweet potato filling set as it bakes.
• Cinnamon, ginger and cloves: That familiar holiday flavor everyone loves.
• Old-fashioned oats: Give the topping its hearty, crumbly texture. They work with flour and brown sugar to create a crisp-style topping.
• Cold butter: Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until coarse crumbs form. Keeping the butter cold helps the topping stay crumbly instead of turning into a smooth paste.

How to Make Sweet Potato Crisp

This sweet potato crisp comes together in two bowls and bakes in a 9-inch pie plate.

1. Prepare the pan. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. This recipe will fill a 9″ pie plate completely, so don’t use a smaller pan.
2. Mix the filling. Whisk together the eggs, mashed sweet potatoes, granulated sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and evaporated milk until smooth. Pour into the prepared pie plate.

Julie’s Tip: If your mashed sweet potatoes are stringy or lumpy, blend them until smooth before mixing the filling. Smooth mashed potatoes give you that creamy texture you’re looking for.

3. Make the crumble topping. In a separate bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, baking soda and baking powder. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter until coarse crumbs form. Keep that butter cold so it makes a crisp crumble top.

4. Add the topping. Sprinkle the oat crumbs evenly over the sweet potato filling.

5. Bake. Bake for 38-40 minutes, until the filling is mostly set with a slight jiggle in the center. The internal temperature should be about 175°F.
6. Cool. Allow the crisp to cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Sweet Potato Crisp

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This sweet potato crisp has a smooth, cinnamon-spiced sweet potato filling topped with buttery brown sugar oat crumbs. Made with real mashed sweet potatoes and baked in a 9-inch pie plate, it's an easy, make-ahead dessert for Thanksgiving or any fall gathering.

Servings 8

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

 

US Customary – Metric

• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups mashed sweet potato about 16 ounces
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 can evaporated milk 12 ounces
• 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup cold butter

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spray a 9″ pie plate with non-stick cooking spray.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sweet potato, sugar, salt, spices and milk until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan. 2 large eggs, 2 cups mashed sweet potato, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, 1 can evaporated milk
• In a medium bowl, use a pastry cutter to cut together the oats, sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder and butter until you get coarse crumbs. ⅓ cup old-fashioned oats, ⅓ cup brown sugar, ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ cup cold butter
• Sprinkle the oat crumbs over the top of the sweet potato filling.
• Bake for about 38-40 minutes, until the pie is mostly set (the center may still be slightly jiggly). Internal temperature of the pie should be about 175ºF.
• Allow the crisp to cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Then cover and refrigerate until serving.

Notes

If the sweet potatoes are cold, the crisp may take longer to bake. Warm the mashed potatoes first before mixing for even baking.

Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.

The calories shown are based on the recipe serving about 8, with 1 serving being ⅛ of the crisp. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. **

Nutrition

Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 311mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 5069IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 153mg | Iron: 1mg

Author Julie Clark

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Calories 297

Keyword baked, easy, make-ahead, sweet potato

Have you tried this recipe?

Share a review below or share on Instagram with the tag #tastesoflizzyt.

How do you know when sweet potato crisp is done?

The filling should look set around the edges and the center may still have a slight jiggle. An instant read thermometer should read about 175ºF.

If the oat topping is getting too brown, loosely cover the pan with foil as it finishes baking.

Can You Make it Ahead of Time?

Yes! Sweet potato crisp makes a great make-ahead Thanksgiving dessert because the filling needs time to cool and set. Make it 1 day before serving.

Let it cool to room temperature completely before covering it and refrigerating it. The oat topping will soften slightly as it sits. Store leftovers for 3-4 days in the fridge.