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 Alisa Fleming ~ Since so many of you already have a copy of Go Dairy Free, I thought it would be fun to offer a delicious variation on one of my recipes in that book. I altered the Maple-Spice Pumpkin Cookie recipe in Go Dairy Free to come up with some scrumptious Cinnamon Sweet Potato Cookies that are excellent for gift-giving, cookie swap parties (even allergy-friendly ones!), or simply enjoying the flavors of the season.
Beyond switching the pumpkin to sweet potato, I went solely with cinnamon for the spice, opted to use oil for the fat (to show you its versatility in cookies!) and added a wee bit of fiber by using whole wheat pastry flour (though you can use plain old all-purpose white flour if desired). I have yet to experiment with the gluten-free flours or blends in this recipe, but plan to soon ...
Please note that I use coconut oil in this recipe as we like it's naturally buttery flavor (there are other options, read on!). Don't be scared off by this "specialty" ingredient, as it really is easier to find and less expensive than you might imagine. Trader Joe's recently added coconut oil to their product line-up for a fair price, but I still buy the organic extra-virgin coconut oil from Nutiva. I usually buy the big containers of Nutiva coconut oil from Amazon for the best value, but it comes in various sizes should you want to trial a smaller amount. But have no fear ... if coconut oil just isn't your thing, then any type of baking oil should work just fine. I recommend grapeseed oil, extra-light olive oil, or another neutral-tasting oil like canola. If you want the richness in your cookie, but not the coconut, palm shortening also works nicely. Recipe: Cinnamon Sweet Potato Cookies Summary: These deliciously soft cookies are perfect for sharing this holiday season. This recipe is adapted from Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living. Ingredients - 2 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour or All-Purpose (Plain) Flour (You can sub your flour blend of choice though I haven’t tested GF flours in this cookie as of yet)
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Cup Melted Coconut Oil, Grapeseed Oil, or other Neutral-Tasting Baking Oil
- 1 Cup Sweet Potato Puree (can sub pumpkin puree)
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
- 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions - Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC).
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the oil, sweet potato, sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla until well combined.
- Slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the wet mixture. The dough will be rather sticky.
- For best results and better manageability, chill the dough for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. If using coconut oil, it will firm up particularly well.
- Drop the dough by the heaping tablespoonful onto baking sheets (ungreased non-stick or lined with non-stick silpats or parchment paper).
- Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, or until they no longer look wet, and are just beginning to brown around the edges, or to your desired doneness. (I like them a little softer on the insides, so I bake them for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on the size).
Quick notes If you use coconut oil (as I did), just make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. I have a bad habit of adding chilled maple syrup, which causes the coconut oil to solidify. If you like a soft cookie, store any leftovers in a ziploc bag once cool. Variations Pecan Topper: I like the festive touch of pressing one nice half pecan into the top of each ball of dough before baking. The pecans toast up nicely. This is obviously not a good option for nut-free. For nut-free, stick with the cinnamon-sugar topper, or one of the suggested non-nut add-ins that follows ... Flavorful Add-ins: If you like, you can add dried cranberries, raisins, chocolate chips, or nuts to your cookies. Stir about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of your desired add-ins into the dough after you stir in the dry ingredients. Cinnamon-Sugar Topping: If desired, combine 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar (white sugar, palm sugar, etc.) and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a small dish, and sprinkle the mixture atop each ball of dough before baking. For reference, here's the Maple-Spice Pumpkin Cookies with the cinnamon-sugar topping. Diet type: Vegan, Dairy free, Egg free, Nut free, Peanut free, Soy free Number of servings (yield): 36 Copyright © Alisa Fleming. Article, recipes, and photos by Alisa Fleming, founder of GoDairyFree.org and author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living. Alisa is also a freelance writer for several publications, with an emphasis on creating recipes for various types of special diets. Photos courtesy of the blogger recipes. Click through for the recipes and blogs. 
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