Sweet Potatoes with Gingersnap Cranberry Crumble is a crowd-pleasing recipe that takes a simple side dish to the next level.
I managed the production of the largest sweet potato casserole on record during the California Sweet Potato Festival for the Food Network. It weighed in at a half ton, and I had to have a 10-foot long vessel custom made to hold it. Food Network wanted to add something a little more exciting than marshmallows, so we created two additional recipes for the project. This one was everyone’s favorite – I’ve reduced it to a more manageable size, but I’ll be happy to share the version that serves 2000 people if you need it.
Of course, you’ll want to use gluten-free gingersnap cookies for the topping. If you’re making the dish dairy-free, be sure the cookies are dairy-free too. My favorite are the ones from Pamela’s, but any crunchy GF gingersnap will do.
If Sweet Potatoes with Gingersnap Cranberry Crumble don’t sound quite your style – or if you want another version on the table, try these Butter Pecan Sweet Potatoes too!
About Sweet Potatoes:
There are several varieties of sweet potatoes, but really two types: orange or white flesh. Orange sweet potatoes are dense, velvety on the inside and sweeter. White sweet potatoes are starchier and more like “standard” potatoes. In either case, sweet potatoes are lower on the glycemic index and higher in vitamin density than other potatoes. That’s why they are included in the Paleo diet and other low-carb diets. This recipe works with either type, but I prefer orange here. (Also, sweet potatoes and yams are NOT the same thing. But that’s a post for another day.) "Sweet potatoes" is also spelled sweetpotatoes - in fact, most sweetpotato farmers will tell you it's one word, not two.
I get my olive oil from the amazing family from Rosenthal Olive Ranch. If you’d like to score some of my favorite olive oil from some of my favorite people, go here.

Sweet Potatoes With Gingersnap Cranberry Crumble
Ingredients
For the Sweet Potatoes:
- 3 sweet potatoes, about 2 ½ lbs peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon fresh rosemary minced
- ½ cup pecans chopped
For the topping:
- 7-8 ounces crispy Gluten-Free ginger snap cookies smashed into crumbs
- ½ cup pecans chopped
- ¼ teaspoon fresh rosemary minced
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup dried cranberries chopped
- ½ cup butter, melted OR 6 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
- Prepare a 2 or 3 quart casserole dish with pan spray. In a large bowl, toss the cubed sweet potatoes with the olive oil, salt, honey and chili powder, and place them evenly in the casserole dish. Place the potatoes in the oven and roast for 30 minutes.
- While the potatoes are roasting, prepare the topping. Place the gingersnap crumbs in a bowl and add the pecans, rosemary, chili powder, salt and cranberries, and stir to combine. Then pour in the honey and butter, and stir until everything is evenly mixed (you can do this by hand or with a food processor.)
- When the potatoes are done, remove them carefully from the oven and stir in the rosemary and pecans. Crumble the topping mixture evenly over the potatoes and return to the oven for 45 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
photos by Katie Roletto
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