Skip the pie crust and make these easy sweet potato bars at your next fall gathering! A brown sugar pecan graham cracker crust holds a creamy sweet potato pie filling and gets topped with a soft cinnamon whipped cream.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Flavor - these sweet potato bars are packed with warm fall spices and hints of brown sugar. Paired with a buttery graham cracker pecan crust and topped with vanilla meringue, it has all of the best parts of a sweet potato pie that you can eat with your hands.
Texture - fluffy, creamy, chewy and crunchy all at the same time! Each layer has its own defined texture, but they play perfectly today leaving you yearning for just one more bite.
Easy recipe - this simple sweet potato pie recipe doesn't require a pie crust and is made in a square pan. It's a no-fuss recipe that transports well and would be the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table.
If you do want to get a little bit "extra" - try your hand at my purple sweet potato pie.
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Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes. Standard orange sweet potatoes are used in this recipe.
- Graham crackers. I find that Nabisco brand are the most sturdy and flavorful.
- Pecans. These get blended up into the graham cracker crust.
- Brown sugar. Either light brown or dark brown sugar can be used.
- Spices. Cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
- Dairy. Both whole milk and heavy whipping cream are used in this recipe, as well as unsalted butter.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
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Substitutions and Variations
- Use canned sweet potatoes in place of fresh.
- Use pure pumpkin puree (canned is great) in place of sweet potatoes for an equal substitution.
- Use an equal substitution of oats for pecans if you don't like nuts or have a nut allergy. You can also simply omit the nuts completely without any additional changes to the recipe.
- Make the sweet potato bars with a shortbread crust.
- Add a crumble topping to the sweet potato pie bars, following the method used in these pumpkin pie crumble bars.
- Top the bars with a fluffy vanilla meringue topping instead of whipped cream.
How to Make This Recipe
Timing tip! The sweet potatoes can be baked and either kept refrigerated in their skins or in pureed form for up to three days prior to making the recipe.
Preparing the Sweet Potatoes
- Clean the sweet potatoes with water, then puncture lightly with a fork all over one side.
- Bake in a 400℉ oven for 45 minutes to one hour. Note that the bake time can vary depending on the size. Press the tines of a fork into the sweet potato to check for doneness. When done, it will press in very easily without any give.
- Allow the sweet potatoes to cool until you can handle them, then peel off the skins.
- Transfer the sweet potatoes to a food processor or high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
One: Pulverize the graham crackers and pecans, then add all crust ingredients to a bowl.
Two: Use a fork to mix it together until completely moistened.
Three: Press the graham cracker crust into the pan (being sure to get the edges) until very compact, then bake.
Four: Whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl.
Five: Add the sweet potato puree and spices and whisk to combine.
Six: Add the milk and heavy cream.
Seven: Whisk until completely smooth and no chunks remain.
Eight: Add the sweet potato pie filling to the baked crust, smooth it out, then bake. Remove from the oven and chill until completely set.
Nine: Make the cinnamon whipped cream and whip until fluffy.
Ten: Spread on top of the sweet potato bars, adding decorative swoops.
Expert Tips
- Remove any fibrous pieces of sweet potato that didn't get blended up.
- Use a large, sharp knife to cut the bars downwards, then slide the knife out towards you while keeping the knife on the cutting board. Wipe off the knife completely in between each cut for the cleanest slices.
- Add the bowl to the freezer for 15 minutes prior to whipping up the whipped cream.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Once the bars are baked and chilled, wrap completely in plastic wrap and foil, then place in a zip top bag and freeze for up to three months.
Unwrap completely and thaw in the fridge, then add the whipped cream topping prior to slicing and serving.
Definitely not. You can simply omit the nuts without any changes to the recipe, or substitute the same amount of rolled oats.
Storage
Store the bars either covered or uncovered in the fridge for three days. Note that the whipped cream will begin to weep a bit after day two, but will still taste great.
To freeze, wrap the chilled sweet potato bars in plastic wrap and foil, then place in a zip top bag and freeze for up to three months.
Unwrap completely and thaw in the fridge, then add the whipped cream topping prior to slicing and serving.
More Dessert Bar Recipes You'll Love
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📖Recipe
Sweet Potato Bars with Cinnamon Whipped Cream
Equipment
- 8x8" pan
- Food processor or blender
- Mixing bowls
- Rubber spatula
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs 175g
- ½ cup pecan halves 50g
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted (113g)
- ¼ cup light brown sugar 50g
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Sweet Potato Layer
- 2 cups sweet potato puree 480g (about 3-4 sweet potatoes)
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar 67g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup whole milk room temperature (4 fl oz)
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream room temperature (4 fl oz)
Cinnamon Whipped Cream
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream very cold (12 fl oz)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar 30g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Prior to beginning, bake or microwave 3-4 sweet potatoes until done, and very soft on the inside.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/180℃ and line an 8x8" pan with parchment paper.
Graham Cracker Crust
- Pulverize the graham crackers and pecans in a food processor until fine crumbs form.1 ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs, ½ cup pecan halves
- Add the crumbs to a bowl, then use a fork to mix it together with butter, brown sugar and salt until completely moistened.½ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup light brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add the crumbs to the prepared pan, and press it down until a smooth, compact crust forms (be sure to get into the corners).
- Note: I like to use a ⅓ cup measuring cup and offset spatula for this job.
- Bake for 8 minutes, then remove to cool.
Sweet Potato Layer
- Roast the sweet potatoes, then scoop out the flesh and add it to a food processor and blend until completely smooth, then transfer to a large mixing bowl.2 cups sweet potato puree
- Whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the sweet potatoes, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves and whisk to combine.3 large eggs, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- Add the whole milk and heavy whipping cream and whisk it together until completely smooth.½ cup whole milk, ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- Pour it on top of the crust, then bake for 35-40 minutes until set and slightly puffy around the edges and keeps a slight jiggle in the center.
- Note: when tapping the side of the pan, the center will have a jello-type jiggle, but it should not be sloshy.
- Remove to a wire rack to cool for one hour, then transfer to the fridge and cool completely (uncovered) for at least 3 hours to fully set.
Cinnamon Whipped Cream
- Before cutting and serving, make the whipped cream topping.
- Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream, ¼ cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Mix on medium speed until it becomes frothy, then increase to high speed and whip until stiff peaks form, about one minute.
- Use the parchment paper slings to remove the bars from the pan and place onto a cutting board.
- Add the whipped cream to the chilled bars, adding decorative swoops. Top with a sprinkle of extra cinnamon (optional). Cut the bars into the desired pieces, then serve.
Notes
- Use a large, sharp knife to cut the bars downwards, then slide the knife out towards you while keeping the knife on the cutting board. Wipe off the knife completely in between each cut for the cleanest slices.
- When making the whipped cream, it helps to add the stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment to the fridge for the freezer for 15 minutes prior to whipping.
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