Crispy, tender, and loaded with a sweet cinnamon flavour, these baked sweet potato tots make a perfect gluten-free and vegan snack!
I’m pretty sure I didn’t have my first taste of sweet potatoes until I started reading blogs back in 2010. I grew up eating plenty of regular potatoes since my family is European and they were one of the few veggies I would actually eat as a child, but sweet potatoes were an oddity to me back in those days. Along with avocado, coconut, almond butter, quinoa, hummus, and 90% of the other things I now eat.
In fact, my diet underwent such a dramatic shift over the years that the old me wouldn’t even recognize the new me… and she’d probably turn her nose up at my current food choices as well. But that’s probably a good thing considering I went through a pretty long phase where my idea of a quality meal involved blue boxes and golden arches. Mmm hmm. You know of what I speak. But I digress!
Sweet potatoes.
I honestly couldn’t tell you what my first experience with them was like (meaning I didn’t exactly have a Herbal Essences moment), but it must have been a good one considering I’ve kept them around to this very day.
The only thing is that I usually eat my sweet potatoes sweet. Like with maple syrup. And cinnamon. Usually a little bit almond butter thrown in there as well. I’ve never had the opportunity to try one of those sweet potato casseroles that are topped with toasted marshmallows, but I have a feeling I’d enjoy those as well. I mean, I may have walked away from the blue boxes and golden arches, but the sweet tooth in me will never die. Ever. Which is why it’s no surprise that I’d toss cinnamon and sugar into some tater tots…
I don’t really want to talk about this recipe and the huge headache that it gave me, but we’re going to anyways. Just for you.
The texture was the problem. I couldn’t get them to come out the way I wanted them to, and all my batches turned out either too crumbly or too wet. Sorry for the mental image — I had to go there.
The secret was a few spoonfuls of coconut flour — a magic little ingredient that solves all of life’s problems. Okay, not really. But it solved this one. Not only did it soak up the extra moisture and help these tots firm up, but it also added a subtle coconut flavour that pairs beautifully with the sweet potato and cinnamon.
I was originally going to use breadcrumbs in the coating, but decided to swap it out with almond meal for no other reason than the fact that I like to experiment and I wanted to see what I would end up with.
The result is a gluten-free sweet potato tot that’s tender on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. The more dominant cinnamon flavour is accented perfectly by the subtler flavours of coconut and almond, with a slight touch of caramel from the coconut sugar. Can you tell I spent a lot of time with these tots? Mmm hmm. But basically, they’re sweet and cinnamony pillows of sweet potato goodness, and they may just be my newest obsession. Hope you love them too!
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Baked Cinnamon Sugar Sweet Potato Tots
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 12 – 16 tots 1x
Ingredients
- 1 lb. of sweet potatoes (approx. 2 large), peeled and cubed
- 2 tbsp. coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 cup almond meal
- 1/2 – 1 Tbsp. coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil. Add cubed sweet potatoes and boil for 15 minutes, until soft. Drain well and shake off any excess water.
- Use a fork or potato masher to mash the sweet potatoes until no chunks remain. Add coconut flour and cinnamon, mixing well to ensure it is fully incorporated. Set aside.*
- In a small bowl, prepare coating by combining almond meal, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a tablespoon to scoop out sweet potato mash and roll it between your hands to create a small cylindrical shape.** Transfer to the bowl that contains the coating, and roll it around to ensure that it’s evenly coated, pressing gently. Transfer to baking sheet and repeat with remaining mash.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, rotating at the halfway mark, until coating begins to turn golden brown and desired level of crispness is reached.
Notes
* This can be done ahead of time and stored in the fridge until needed. Mine came out to a little less than 1 1/2 cups mashed.
** You can really make them any shape you want, just make sure they’re all uniform in size to ensure that they cook evenly.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
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YUM! Finally an easy and filling recipe i can do (i am useless)
Would this recipe work on frozen sweet potatoes? Yesterday I bought 8 packets of frozen sweet potatoes as they were very cheap and from a very good supermarket, so the quality is good. I’ve never had sweet dish from sweet potatoes. In the Uk we are new to eating sweet potatoes. People do eat them but not regularly. They are more expensive than normal potatoes too, If they are sold in fresh chip form of chopped in pieces they cost $4-6 for a small portion .
These were not what I expected. It still tasted like basic sweet potatoes even after I added extra sugar and cinnamon 🙁
These look super yummy, and I already have all of the ingredients.
I LOVE sweet potatoes, but I didn’t discover that fact until last year!! I guess I used to think they looked disgusting, and so avoided them. So sad….These tots sound amazing! I’ve got to try these next time I have sweet potatoes on hand!
I am typically a savory sweet potato girl, and yet for some reason, I love the entire idea behind these. I suspect it’s because the cinnamon sugar, one of my favorite sweet combos. I still occasionally use it on buttered toast. It reminds me of my childhood.
Also, you’re giving me ideas for my acorn squash in the basement.
so cute!! these look AWESOME ! thanks for sharing, as always 🙂
Amanda, you always come up with the most creative recipes! I was not raised eating sweet potatoes, in fact, I can only think of a handful of times in which I have tasted them! :O
I didn’t grow up eating sweet potatoes as a kid either. My parents made them for me when I was a baby, but once I started eating meals with my family I never ate them because both my parents don’t like them haha. But same as you, I started eating them once I started reading blogs – and I’ve been hooked ever since.
Love what you did with them in this recipe!