From the roundup: 24 Easy School Snack Recipes Kids Will Actually Eat
Sweet potato rounds with cinnamon cream cheese have become my go-to after-school snack on the days when I need something warm and filling but don’t have the bandwidth for an actual cooking project. The potatoes go into a 400-degree oven, and I have about twenty minutes to unload the dishwasher and sign whatever folder came home from school before I need to flip them.
The cream cheese topping comes together in one small bowl while the rounds finish their last five minutes in the oven. Softened cream cheese, a teaspoon of cinnamon, a drizzle of honey, and a pinch of salt. That’s the whole thing. No mixer, no special tools, nothing to wash that won’t fit in the top rack.
Total time is right around thirty-five minutes, and most of that is hands-off. If you slice and roast a batch on Sunday, you’re looking at five minutes of reheating on a weeknight. The cream cheese keeps separately in the fridge for up to three days, so assembly is just a quick spread before serving.
How this one started
I made these for the first time because I had two sweet potatoes that needed to be used and a block of cream cheese that was already open. I wasn’t trying to create anything, I was just trying to use up the fridge before grocery day. My youngest watched me spread the cream cheese on and immediately asked if it was dessert. I said yes, because sometimes that’s the right call.
Now I keep a bag of sweet potatoes on the counter specifically for this. I’ve learned to cut the bigger rounds in half so they cook evenly, after one batch where the thick end pieces were still firm in the middle while the smaller ones had gone soft.
Why you will love this
- Only 10 minutes of actual prep before the oven does the rest
- The cream cheese mixture takes about 2 minutes to stir together while the potatoes finish roasting
- Naturally sweet enough that a small drizzle of honey is all you need
- Rounds refrigerate well for 4 days, so one batch covers most of the week
- No special equipment: one baking sheet, one small bowl, one fork
Tips for success
- Slice the rounds as close to 1/4 inch as you can. Thicker rounds stay firm in the center; thinner ones can dry out and curl at the edges before the 25-minute mark.
- Give each round a little breathing room on the pan. Crowded rounds steam instead of roast, and you lose the caramelized edges that make these worth eating.
- The cream cheese must be fully softened before you mix it. Cold cream cheese stays lumpy no matter how long you stir, and it tears the potato instead of spreading cleanly.
- Don’t skip the flip at the 20-minute mark. The bottom side caramelizes faster than the top, and without flipping you’ll get uneven texture from one side to the other.
Picky-eater notes
- If your kids won’t eat anything orange, these tend to do better than mashed sweet potato because the texture is firm, not soft and mushy.
- Serve the cream cheese on the side for kids who don’t like mixed things. They can dip instead of having it spread on top.
- Leave the cinnamon out of one small portion of the cream cheese if you have a kid who is suspicious of spice. Plain honey cream cheese on a sweet potato round is still good.
- The rounds are mild enough that most picky eaters accept them as a snack even if they’d refuse sweet potato at dinner.
Substitutions
Plain Greek yogurt works as a lighter swap for the cream cheese. It’s thinner, so it’s better as a dip than a spread. Dairy-free cream cheese holds up well on the warm rounds and blends with the cinnamon and honey the same way. Coconut oil can replace olive oil and adds a faint sweetness that works with the cinnamon topping. Maple syrup is a straightforward swap for honey in the cream cheese mixture, same amount, same result.
If you want a little crunch on top, a pinch of chopped pecans or a dusting of pumpkin pie spice in place of straight cinnamon both work without changing the rest of the recipe.
Make-ahead and storage
Roast a full sheet pan of rounds and let them cool completely before storing. They keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Mix the cinnamon cream cheese separately and store it covered in the fridge for up to three days. Keep them apart until you’re ready to eat so the rounds don’t get soggy sitting under the topping.
To reheat, spread the rounds in a single layer on a baking sheet and warm them in a toaster oven at 375 degrees for five to seven minutes. They come back crisp at the edges and tender in the center. The microwave works in a pinch but softens the edges, so the toaster oven is worth the extra few minutes. Freezing is not recommended here. The rounds turn watery when thawed and the texture doesn’t recover.
Sweet Potato Rounds with Cinnamon Cream Cheese
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. This keeps the rounds from sticking and makes cleanup easy.
- Slice each sweet potato into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. If one end of the potato is noticeably wider than the other, cut those larger rounds in half so every piece is a similar size and cooks at the same rate.
- Place the rounds in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over them, sprinkle with kosher salt, and toss gently to coat each piece. Spread them back into a single layer with a little space between each round so they roast rather than steam.
- Roast for 20 minutes, then flip each round with a thin spatula. Return the pan to the oven and roast another 5 minutes. The rounds are ready when the edges are lightly caramelized and the centers feel tender when you press them gently. They should not be mushy.
- While the potatoes roast, beat the softened cream cheese in a small bowl with a fork until smooth. Add the cinnamon, honey, and a pinch of salt and stir until everything is fully combined. Taste and add a tiny extra drizzle of honey if you want it a little sweeter.
- Let the roasted rounds cool for two to three minutes so they are warm but not scorching. Spoon or spread a small amount of the cinnamon cream cheese onto each round and serve right away. If you are prepping ahead, keep the rounds and cream cheese separate and assemble just before eating.
Notes
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