Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Bars Recipe
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If you love the flavor of traditional sweet potato pie but want something a little simpler to serve at a gathering, this sweet potato bars recipe is the perfect dessert. Made with a buttery Graham cracker crust, spiced sweet potato filling, and a golden marshmallow topping, it’s an easy, family. fall favorite treat that’s great for any holiday table or any time of year you’re craving comfort food.
As I productivity manager, I love easy recipes like this one, that looks very special but don’t take a lot of time to make.
Why You’ll Love These Sweet Potato Pie Bars
- Made with simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store
- Uses real sweet potato mash for a rich, smooth sweet potato filling
No pie crust needed thanks to the easy Graham cracker crust - Marshmallow topping adds that sweet potato casserole feel
- Great recipe for picky eaters, especially around the holiday season
- Easy to bake, chill, slice, and store in an airtight container
- A fun twist on dessert bars with the flavor of actual pie
Ingredients for easy sweet potato bars
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Melted butter
- Mashed sweet potatoes
- Packed brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Cloves
- Heavy cream
- Mini marshmallows
How to make sweet potato pie bars
Step by Step Instruction overview – refer to recipe card for full instructions.
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Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a bowl, mix Graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until evenly combined.
Step 2 – Press mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form a crust. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside.
Step 3 – In a separate bowl, whisk together mashed sweet potatoes, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
Step 4 – Stir in the heavy cream until smooth and fully combined.
Step 5 – Pour the sweet potato mixture over the crust and spread evenly. Bake as directed or until the center is set, and a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
Step 6 – Remove from the oven and sprinkle marshmallows evenly over the top. Return to the oven and broil for 1–2 minutes, watching carefully, until marshmallows are golden and toasted.
Raquel’s Time Saving Tips
- Use fresh sweet potatoes for a creamier sweet potato mixture. A food processor helps make it extra smooth.
- Let ingredients like eggs and heavy cream come to room temperature before mixing for better blending.
- Watch closely during broil time – the marshmallows go from golden brown to burnt quickly.
- Chill completely before slicing with a sharp knife for cleaner cuts.
- For the best results, bake bars in a square pan lined with parchment paper for easy removal.
- For cleaner bars, place marshmallows in bunches in sections instead of all over the top.
- If using canned sweet potato mash, check that it’s unsweetened to avoid an overly sweet final product.
- Use canned or freshly mashed sweet potatoes, be sure to make sure they’re smooth and not watery.
- The filling will be slightly jiggly when done—don’t over bake or it can become dry once cooled.
- Try swapping graham crackers for biscoff cookies, vanilla wafers, or gingersnaps for unique variations.
- Let bars cool fully, then refrigerate for 1–2 hours for easier slicing.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the Graham cracker crust with a shortbread crust or even a ginger snap crumble mixture if preferred.
- Add a pinch of sea salt to the sweet potato mixture to balance the sweetness.
- Replace heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk for a dairy-free version.
- Stir in a splash of maple syrup for extra flavor or use it as a topping.
- Use pumpkin pie spice instead of the individual spices for a shortcut.
- Try mini chocolate chips, coconut flakes, or chopped pecans for a sweet and crunchy topping underneath the marshmallows.
- Use marshmallow fluff instead of mini marshmallows if you prefer.
FAQs
Yes, just make sure it’s plain sweet potato and not labeled “pie filling” to avoid added sugar and spices.
Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe bag.
No, you can mash the sweet potatoes with the tines of a fork or a hand mixer, but a food processor creates a smoother texture.
More sensational sweet potato recipes
Storage Suggestion
Store bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Not freezer-friendly once marshmallows are added—they become sticky and chewy after thawing.
Sweet Potato Bars
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 5 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until evenly combined.
- Press mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form a crust. Bake for 5 minutes then remove from the oven and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together mashed sweet potatoes, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
- Stir in the heavy cream until smooth and fully combined.
- Pour the sweet potato mixture over the crust and spread evenly.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the center is set and a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle marshmallows evenly over the top.
- Return to the oven and broil for 1–2 minutes, watching carefully, until marshmallows are golden and toasted.
- Let cool completely before slicing into bars. Chill for cleanest cuts.
Nutrition
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These look so phenomenal! Visiting from the blog hop, Have a great week.
Amber
~The Hungry Mountaineer Snack Sherpa
This is such a fantastic recipe, perfect for the season. Thanks for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty, I will be featuring your post this week.