Sweet Potato Bites
These sweet potato bites are the perfect holiday dessert. They are made with a sweet potato, cream cheese, chopped pecan, and mini marshmallows, coated and deep fried to golden perfection, then rolled in cinnamon and sugar.
Servings: 30 Bite-Size Balls
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Mixture
- 24 ounce bag sweet potatoes, cubed
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup mini marshmallows, cut into smaller pieces
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Crispy Coating
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, crushed
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Marshmallow Dip
- 8 ounce cream cheese
- 7 ounce jar marshmallow creme
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
Instructions
Sweet Potato Mixture
- In a large pot filled with water, over medium heat, add sweet potato cubes.
- Bring to a slow boil and boil until fork tender. Drain.
- In a large bowl, add cream cheese, mini marshmallows, chopped pecans, sugar, cinnamon, and cooled sweet potatoes. MIx until combined.
- Roll mixture into 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet.
- Flash freeze for 1 hour.
Crispy Coating
- In a shallow dish, whisk together egg and buttermilk.
- Next, using another shallow dish, mix together bread crumbs and graham cracker crumbs.
- In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium heat.
- Once balls have been in the freezer for an hour, dip each ball into the egg mixture and then into the crumb mixture.
- Place 6-8 balls into the hot oil and fry until golden on all sides. Work in batches so the oil stays at the optimal temperature. Overcrowding the pan will lower the temperature and cause the balls to become soggy.
- Remove the balls from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate to absorb any excess oil.
Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
- In a small bowl, stir sugar and cinnamon together. Set aside.
- Roll fried sweet potato balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Marshmallow Dip
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, marshmallow creme, ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon vanilla together until combined.
Notes
Tips
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- We recommend mashing the sweet potatoes before mixing in the other ingredients to make things easier.
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- Fully soften your cream cheese so it blends easily and completely with the rest of the ingredients.
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- Work in small batches when frying your sweet potato bites to ensure the oil stays nice and hot.
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- A hand mixer is the best way to make the marshmallow dip - unless you want a killer arm workout!