Maple Sweet Potato Pie Bars

These maple sweet potato pie bars feature a buttery Biscoff crumb crust and a smooth maple-flavored sweet potato filling. Top with a generous layer of cinnamon-spiced, lightly sweetened maple whipped cream. They’re a wonderful make-ahead dessert for Thanksgiving, fall gatherings, or anytime you’re craving something a little different from traditional pumpkin pie!

While I’ll always have a soft spot for classic sweet potato pie in a flaky pie crust, I also believe there’s plenty of room for a twist… like today’s maple sweet potato pie bars.

That’s why I’ve created bar versions of several popular Thanksgiving pies, including pumpkin pie bars, pecan pie bars, and apple pie bars. You get all the familiar flavors of a homemade pie in an easier-to-make (and easier-to-serve) dessert.

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Why You’ll Love These Maple Sweet Potato Pie Bars

• Easier than pie: The filling comes together in a food processor—no complicated steps required. And the 2-ingredient crumb crust is 100x easier than making traditional pie crust.
• Smooth, creamy filling: Cooked sweet potatoes blend with butter, cream, and eggs to create a velvety filling that slices neatly once chilled.
• A flavorful cookie crumb crust: Biscoff cookies bring a buttery, caramelized flavor that pairs beautifully with sweet potatoes, maple syrup, and warm spices.
• Warm fall spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger give these bars the familiar, cozy flavor of a classic sweet potato pie.
• Perfect for making ahead: The bars need several hours to chill before serving, making this an excellent dessert to prepare a day in advance.

Sweet potato pie has deep roots in African American culinary traditions, particularly in the South. It’s a beloved dessert that holds a special place at holiday tables, family gatherings, and celebrations.

Today’s maple sweet potato pie bars are my own spin on the flavors of sweet potato pie, rather than a traditional version of the dessert. If you’re looking for a traditional Southern sweet potato pie, my friend Jocelyn at Grandbaby Cakes specializes in soulful Southern cuisine, and she has a fantastic assortment of sweet potato pie recipes to choose from!

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Key Ingredients You Need & Why

• Sweet potatoes: The star of the show! Cook until soft for the smoothest texture.
• Biscoff cookies: For the flavorful cookie crumb crust.
• Butter: You need melted butter for the crust and softened butter for the filling.
• Pure maple syrup: Adds natural sweetness and flavor to both the filling and whipped cream on top.
• Dark brown sugar: Enhances the sweet potato and maple syrup flavors.
• Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves bring the best seasonal dessert flavors.
• Heavy cream: Smooths out the filling, and is the base for the topping.

You’ll also need flour, salt, eggs, and vanilla.

How to Make Maple Sweet Potato Pie Bars

Start by boiling the sweet potatoes. You need 1 lb (454g), weighed before boiling, which is usually about 2 medium sweet potatoes. Place them in a pot of water. The exact cooking time depends on their size, but it’s usually around 45 minutes. They’re ready when a fork or knife easily slides into the center. You want them very soft so they puree into a smooth filling! Drain and let cool until you can handle them, then the skins should peel right off.

Feel free to do this step a day ahead of time. Just be sure to bring the boiled sweet potatoes to room temperature before blending with the other ingredients. And you could cook an extra sweet potato while you’re at it for these sweet potato dinner rolls! (A staple in my kitchen year-round.)

2-Ingredient Biscoff Crumb Crust

While you can absolutely make these pie bars with a graham cracker crust, my team and I especially loved the caramelized, cinnamon-spiced flavor of Biscoff cookies. We love them in the crust for pumpkin cheesecake pie, too!

The steps to make the Biscoff crust are exactly the same as a graham cracker crust, minus the added sugar. And, what we’ll all appreciate most: it conveniently uses exactly one standard-size package of Biscoff biscuits/cookies!

A food processor is best for breaking down the cookies into fine crumbs. (And you’ll need a food processor for the filling, too.) I have a separate post about making a Biscoff pie crust if you want to read more.

Press the mixture into a 9-inch square baking pan lined with parchment paper.

Why line the baking pan? Lining the pan makes it easier to remove the bars as a whole and slice them on a cutting board.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes before adding the filling.

Why pre-bake the crust? A short bake helps the butter and cookie crumbs bind together, creating a sturdier base for the creamy sweet potato filling. Without pre-baking the crust, your bars could fall apart.

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Maple Sweet Potato Pie Bar Filling

Place the cooked, peeled sweet potatoes in a food processor or blender. Add the butter, heavy cream, and maple syrup. Butter and cream smooth out the filling, while maple syrup adds sweetness and flavor. Be sure to use room-temperature butter and room-temperature heavy cream. If the butter is too cold, it won’t blend smoothly into the filling.

Process until the mixture is completely smooth, then add the dry ingredients, including a little dark brown sugar to enhance the flavors of sweet potatoes and maple syrup.

Process again until everything is incorporated:

Finally, add the room-temperature eggs and pulse just until combined:

Why add the eggs last? Blending the sweet potatoes and other filling ingredients first helps create a smooth base. Adding the eggs at the end and mixing just until incorporated helps avoid incorporating excess air into the custard, so the bars don’t puff up too much in the oven and then sink as they cool. (Similar to cheesecake.)

Pour the filling over the pre-baked crust and spread it into an even layer:

After baking, cool the bars in the pan at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours.

Don’t skip this step! The filling needs time to firm up so the bars hold their shape when you cut them. Chilling also gives the flavors time to meld together. Again, we can all appreciate a good make-ahead recipe!

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Spiced Maple Whipped Cream

When you’re ready to serve the bars, make the whipped cream. This is an upgraded version of regular whipped cream, sweetened with maple syrup and flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I used vanilla bean paste in the pictured bars!

Lift the chilled bars out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang, then spread the maple whipped cream on top in a very generous layer:

I like to grate a little nutmeg over the whipped cream. For extra flair and a bit of crunch, crush up a couple more Biscoff cookies and sprinkle them on top.

My taste testers and I loved how all the different textures worked together: the smooth sweet potato filling, the buttery cookie crumb crust, and the fluffy cloud of whipped cream on top. I also appreciate that these pie bars aren’t overly sweet. We’re letting the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes and maple syrup shine.

6 Sweet Potato Pie Bars Success Tips

1. Cook the sweet potatoes until very soft. Tender sweet potatoes blend more easily, creating a smooth filling without fibrous pieces.
2. Use room-temperature filling ingredients. Room-temperature butter, cream, and eggs incorporate more evenly into the sweet potato mixture.
3. Blend until smooth. Take the time to process the sweet potatoes thoroughly before adding the eggs. A smooth base makes a big difference in the finished texture.
4. Don’t overmix after adding the eggs. Pulse just until they’re evenly incorporated to avoid adding excess air to the filling.
5. Check the center for doneness. An instant-read thermometer is more reliable than judging by appearance alone! When done, the internal temperature of the filling should be between 175–185°F (79–85°C).
6. Allow plenty of chilling time. Refrigerate the bars for at least 4 hours before cutting. Overnight chilling works especially well if you’re preparing them for a holiday meal.

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This recipe is part of Sally’s Pie Week, an annual tradition where I share a handful of new recipes that fit into the pie/crisp/tart category. Join the community below!

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