Description
Sweet Potato Crescent Bites are a delightful bite-sized treat featuring creamy mashed sweet potatoes sweetened with brown sugar and warm spices, wrapped in flaky crescent roll dough, topped with mini marshmallows and toasted pecans. Perfect as a comforting appetizer or sweet snack, these bites combine simple ingredients into a deliciously gooey, golden pastry.
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Potato Filling
- 3 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 1/4 lb.), scrubbed clean
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Assembly & Topping
- 1 (8-oz.) can refrigerated crescent rolls
- 3/4 cup mini marshmallows
- 24 whole pecans
- Cooking spray
- 3 Tbsp. maple syrup (for serving, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Sweet Potatoes: Preheat your oven to 375°F and grease a mini muffin tin thoroughly with cooking spray. Pierce each sweet potato 3 to 4 times with a fork, then microwave on a microwave-safe plate for 15 minutes. Check if the potatoes are fork-tender; if not, continue microwaving in 30-second increments until tender.
- Mash Sweet Potatoes and Mix Filling: Once cooked, slice open the sweet potatoes and scoop out the filling into a large bowl, discarding the skins. Use a potato masher or a fork to mash the sweet potatoes until smooth. Add light brown sugar, heavy cream, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, and kosher salt to the bowl, then whisk everything together until well combined.
- Prepare Crescent Dough Cups: Lightly flour a clean surface, then roll out the crescent roll dough and pinch the seams to seal. Cut the dough into 24 equal squares. Press each square into the prepared mini muffin tin cups to form little dough cups.
- Fill and Top the Bites: Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the sweet potato mixture into each crescent dough cup. Top each with mini marshmallows, then place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the crescent pastry is golden brown.
- Add Pecans and Finish Baking: Remove the muffin tin from the oven and place a whole pecan in the center of each sweet potato bite. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes to lightly toast the pecans and melt the marshmallows thoroughly.
- Serve with Maple Syrup: (Optional) Before serving, brush each pecan with maple syrup for added sweetness and glaze. Serve warm and enjoy these sweet, comforting bites.
Notes
- Microwaving the sweet potatoes speeds up the cooking process significantly compared to baking them traditionally.
- Make sure crescent roll seams are pinched tightly to prevent filling from leaking during baking.
- Optional maple syrup glaze adds a lovely sweet finish, but the bites are delicious without it as well.
- You can substitute pecans with walnuts if preferred, or omit nuts for nut-free version.
- For extra flavor, consider sprinkling a pinch of nutmeg into the sweet potato filling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 bites
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
