Maple Cream Cheese Sweet Potato Bars were adapted from a pumpkin bar recipe where I switched out pumpkin for sweet potato. Since I wasn’t sure I’d like the results, I halved the original recipe and baked it in a 9 inch square pan. I also added pecans and orange zest because those things always taste good with sweet potatoes.
I felt like the bars were too sweet the first time I made them, so I changed the recipe quite a bit. This is the new rendition, and since the original version called for pumpkin, you're safe using pumpkin in place of the sweet potato!
Recipe
Sweet Potato Bars with Maple Frosting
This was originally a pumpkin bar recipe but I replaced the pumpkin with mashed sweet potatoes, so you can use either one. For a half batch, use half of the ingredients and bake in a 9 inch square pan. These are very sweet, but they are supposed to be.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour (260 grams)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar (200 grams)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 15 oz go by weight mashed sweet potatoes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10x15 inch pan and line with parchment paper.
- Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a large bowl.
- Add the eggs, oil, sweet potatoes, vanilla and orange zest and stir until mixture is fully blended.
- Spread mixture evenly in the pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until cake springs back when touched.
- To make the icing, beat the cream cheese, butter and sugar until smooth, then beat in the maple flavoring.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Sonia says
Hi Anna, it's been a while since I visited your site because I've discovered several food intolerances and allergies so I've avoided cooking for the last 4 months. It's been tough!
I'm still careful but I can cook something for a friend's birthday and I decided to go with a couple of your recipes.
I'm writing because if you ever come to Italy do write me, I'll show you around and bring you to great (and cheap) restaurants! I live in Sicily, spring is the best time to come here 🙂
elise says
I feel like those bars just put me into a very happy coma........... THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL
Selba says
Wow.. the sweet potato bars look so yummy.
Tracy says
I love maple ... that frosting sounds divine!
bakingblonde says
I had bars very similar to these at a work meeting last week! They were awesome! My coworker's wife made them!! These sound super tasty
Sue says
This is the second time I've seen maple frosting/icing today! We love pumpkin bars, but I wouldn't have thought of putting maple frosting on them!
I keep thinking of logging onto one of the travel sites and picking out the cheapest airfare to some place warm and sunny and just going. If there wasn't so much on the calendar I'd be at the airport NOW!
LilSis says
Hi Anna,
If it's post-holiday wanderlust, then I have it, too! We seem to be having the same thoughts! Right at this moment, I'd love to either be in Maui on Kaanapali Beach about to have lunch at the Hula Grill! Or second choice, be in Rome on my way to Naples to try some real Italian pizza! Or maybe even be laying on a beach in Tahiti with no phones anywhere!
Aaahhh! We can dream, right?
Sorry, I can't even think about the recipe right now because I'm too busy dreaming about being somewhere far, far away!
Do you think it has anything to do with Mercury in Retrograde? haha
Anna says
Sarah, thanks!
What I meant by cooking a sweet potato was using an actual sweet potato and cooking it either in boiling water or the microwave before mashing it. But I'm sure the canned sweet potatoes you saw would have worked. I was super lazy and chose Sugar Sam's Yams because they were already mashed.
Anna says
Katy, maybe someone will make your office a batch using sweet potatoes and not SUGAR SAM yams. My friend Carol in Cleveland is testing them with actual sweet potatoes.
Katy says
MMMMM.... if only someone would bring these to my office.
dawn says
I have really bad cabin fever and am dying to hop on a plane, anywhere.
I am so making these as I love maple and have so many sweet potatoes sitting around staring at me.
VeggieGirl says
Just finished eating a sweet potato 😀
Lara says
I have wanderlust, too. I'm counting down the days until our Costa Rica trip (52 to go...). Those bars look tasty!
Carole R. says
Thanks, Anna
I just so happen to have all the ingredients on hand.
The sweet potato is in the oven and as soon as it is done and cooled I will make the bars.
Sarah says
Anna, this might be what you meant by "cooking" a sweet potato, I don't know...I found canned sweet potato (no sugar added) at HEB. It's next to the yams in the canned veggie aisle. I think it's similar to Libby's pumpkin puree, though not quite as sweet.
Katrina says
They sure look good!
abbie says
YUM!
Maple, cream cheese, frosted, and sweet potato are some of my favorite words to see in a recipe. Looks delicious! I'm going to have to try these.
abbie