Sweet potato butter makes great homemade holiday gifts and is perfect for slathering over biscuits, toast, your favorite bread, or even apple slices.
Sweet potato butter is a smooth creamy mixture of sweet potatoes, brown sugar, and fall spices that sends bread over the top. Serve it on your Thanksgiving table and you’re sure to wow your guests!
What’s in it?
While researching for this recipe, I was surprised to find that there is so much variety in the ingredients of sweet potato butter out there! We chose to use apple juice along with cinnamon, cloves, ginger and dark brown sugar for the added sweetness.
Other recipes use orange juice or even lemon juice for a little tartness. You can also add nutmeg and sweeten with honey, molasses, or even agave if you prefer those over brown sugar. We’re all about making recipes your own!
You’ll find sweet potato butter to be similar to pumpkin butter or apple butter, but with that distinctive sweet potato flavor that we love so much.
In fact, you’ll find lots of sweet potato recipes here if you do a quick search. A reader favorite is Sweet Potato Muffins with Crumble Topping. They have an optional praline drizzle that’s just divine!
Homemade food gifts are so appreciated
Sweet potato butter is also a perfect homemade Christmas present or hostess gift! Let’s be honest, the past couple of years have not been kind to any of our bank accounts and the best gifts come from the heart anyway!
You can whip up enough for everyone on your gift list in less than 30 minutes. Find more great gift ideas here!
The key to making your butter the easy way to is to buy the sweet potatoes already cooked and mashed. If you want to make it from scratch, though, you’ll just need an extra 30 minutes or so to dice, boil, and mash your sweet potatoes.
Alternatively, you can bake the sweet potatoes. When they’re done just cut in half, scoop out the flesh, and mash it with a potato masher or in a food processor or blender.
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A few items you may need:
- Top rated, but affordable blender
- A food processor you are going to love
- Adorable mason jars with labels
- a more contemporary gift jar style
If making it from sweet potatoes you’ve cooked yourself you may want to run it through a blender or food processor to ensure there are no lumps. Other than that, it is seriously so simple and easy to make!
More sweet potato recipes you’ll love
We’re thinking if you’re here you must adore sweet potatoes. Imagine the oohs and ahhhs you’ll get when you pull a skillet of Smoked Sweet Potatoes off the grill or smoker!
For breads there is a Sweet Potato Biscuits and Sweet Potato Cornbread. And if you enjoy recipes with a history behind them you’ll want to check out the one from the Gullah culture.
Sweet Potato Butter
Ingredients
- 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
- 1-½ cup unsweetened apple juice
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium high heat. Simmer, stirring frequently, until liquid is mostly absorbed, about 15 minutes.
- If lumps remain, blend in a food processor until smooth. Be sure to vent so steam can escape!
- Store in an airtight container for up to one week, or divide between 4-8 oz. sterilized jars and can to give as gifts.
If you make this or any of our recipes we’d love for you to leave us a comment and star rating. If you’re into sharing your creations, snap a photo and tag us when you post it to Facebook or Instagram.
More Fall Favorites like Sweet Potato Butter
Luci says
I’ve never made sweet potato butter, but after seeing your recipe I’m definitely giving it a try! I looks so creamy and delicious! Makes for the perfect Thanksgiving spread! How long do you recommend for storing the spread? Thanks!
Sara says
Hey there! I would recommend using it within a week if you store it in the fridge, but you can also freeze it for several months.
Zainab says
I’ve had pumpkin butter, but never sweet potato butter! This looks divine and I can’t wait to try it soon!
Pam says
Hope you enjoy, Zainab!
Angela says
This is a fun gift to give. I have never had anything like it. Yum!
Pam says
We think it will be a unique gift too!
Soniya says
Sweet potato butter sounds so delicious . My family loves apple butter Can’t wait to make this recipe…Thanks !
Sunrita says
I have never heard of sweet potato butter! So easy to make and I am sure it will taste great too! What a good idea.
Pam says
Thanks so much, Sunrita!
Maria says
WOW! Never tried this as butter! This is awesome <3 and looks so yummy too
Pam says
Thanks so much Maria.
Diane says
This sounds great! Can this be processed for long time storage?
Pam says
I feel sure that it could Diane. Canning/processing has never been our thing, so we haven’t test it.
Jessica Stroup says
What a fantastic idea! Absolutely love this recipe!
Emily Flint says
This sweet potato butter was so delicious! I’m so glad I found something unique to give as a gift this year.
Pam says
Hope everyone loves it!
Jenn says
This is amazing! I put it on everything from biscuits to toast, and I even made a few jars to give away. Great recipe!
Pam says
Thanks for letting us know!
Natalie says
This sounds delicious. What a great idea! I have sweet potatoes in my pantry. I will make the spread this weekend. Can’t wait.
Myra says
Can’t wait to make this . I have a Question . Will Sweet potato butter spread last longer if you do a water bath
Pam says
I would think so, Myra. Preserving is the purpose of water bath canning, right? However, we have literally no experience at all, so we are not experts on the matter.
Carrie says
Okay I want to make this but when you three times it the apple juice is a weird amount what is 3 1.5 cups ?should be four and a half cups total ?
Pam says
Yes, 3 x 1.5 = 4.5 Sorry, if the calculator made it sound odd.
David P says
I’ve bought this before with chopped pecans in it. What would be the best time to add them to the sweet potato butter?
Pam says
Hi David, If you want your pecans in fairly large pieces I would add them after the food processor step, but if you want them more fine add them part of the way through the food processing.