Not interested in making a pie for your holiday dessert? No problem! These Brûléed Sweet Potato Bites with Bourbon Maple Whipped Cream are the perfect solution!

I didn’t plan to share another new recipe before Thanksgiving since I’m sure many of you already have your menus set. However, if you’re still in need of an easy dessert and not interested in making pie, then you NEED to make these Brûléed Sweet Potato Bites with Bourbon Maple Whipped Cream!

First off, let me tell you that I spent way to much time debating if I should add all those special characters to brûléed or just put bruleed. Either way the word looks weird, but it’s an awesome cooking technique that’s perfect for these sweet potato bites.

The idea for these came to me last weekend while I was warming up for my run on the treadmill. I always like to get nice and hot before I head out into the cold, that way it isn’t quite as shocking when the freezing temperatures hit me. Anyways, I had Food Network playing and saw a similar idea, but using an entire half of a sweet potato and no whipped cream.

Their version was a little healthier than mine and I tried a couple alternatives to cane sugar for the brûléeing part, but I wasn’t satisfied with the results. I tried maple syrup first, but it wouldn’t get that crisp crack on top. Then I tried coconut sugar, but it burned really quickly and also wouldn’t get the hard top I was looking for. So plain white sugar it was. It doesn’t take much since these are small bites, so I wouldn’t worry about it, plus it’s dessert!

Making these sweet potato bites is easy. The sweet potato slices are tossed in a mixture of olive oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla and a little salt. They’re then roasted on a sheet pan until they’re tender on the inside and crisp on the out side. Once out of the oven, sprinkle with a little sugar and get out your kitchen blow torch and torch them until they turn golden brown and get a hard, crisp top.

If you don’t have a kitchen blow torch, no problem! Just set the oven to broil and put the oven rack as close to the top as you can. Broil them until the tops a caramelized then remove from the oven and let them rest for at least 15 minutes so the sugar has a chance to harden.

While you’re waiting on the sugar to harden make the glorious bourbon maple whipped cream…and try not to eat it all before it makes it’s way onto the sweet potato bites. These bites are sweet without being overly sweet and they’re just the right size to satisfy that dessert craving when there’s not enough room in your stomach for a slice of pie! Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Brûléed Sweet Potato Bites with Bourbon Maple Whipped Cream

Name: Brûléed Sweet Potato Bites with Bourbon Maple Whipped Cream
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 2 sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch thick rounds; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 tablespoon maple syrup; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; Granulated sugar for bruleeing; Toasted pecans for garnish (optional); 1/2 cup whipping cream; 1 tablespoon bourbon; 2 tablespoons maple syrup; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch thick rounds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Granulated sugar for bruleeing
Toasted pecans for garnish (optional)

Bourbon Maple Whipped Cream

1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon bourbon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl stir together the olive oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Add in the sweet potato rounds and toss together until coated. Place the rounds onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.
Roast the sweet potatoes for 15 minutes then flip them over and roast another 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
While the potatoes roast make the whipped cream.
Use a stand mixer or hand held mixer and beat the whipping cream, maple syrup, bourbon and vanilla into stiff peaks. Refrigerate the whipped cream until ready to use.
Remove the roasted sweet potatoes from the oven and sprinkle the tops with a thin layer of sugar. Use a kitchen blowtorch and move the flame evenly back and forth just above sugar until the sugar is caramelized. (See note for oven instructions) Let stand for several minutes or until the sugar hardens.
Top with the bourbon maple whipped cream and sprinkle with toasted chopped pecans and cinnamon if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

If brûléeing in the oven, set the oven to broil and move the top rack in your oven as high as it will go. Place the baking sheet with the prepared sweet potatoes on the top rack and broil for 4-8 minutes, rotating them frequently so that they broil evenly. Remove them when they're golden brown and bubbling.