Spicy Sweet Potato & Peanut Butter Gratin

This melt-in-your-mouth sweet potato gratin will amaze your taste buds. Slightly spicy, sweet, with a fresh touch of lime. It’s love at first bite.

New culinary challenge for me today as I’m taking part in the Foodista Challenge organized by food blogger Goulucieusement. The idea? Create an American recipe with an orange ingredient. Since everyone is totally obsessed with pumpkins, I went for another seasonal produce: sweet potatoes.

I looooove sweet potatoes. I find them sweet, comforting and so soft too. Also, did you know they are actually on the healthy side too? Really there is no reason not to love them.

Among all the sweet potato recipes, there is one I love more than anyone else: this sweet potato gratin. I found it a while ago in a Swedish cookbook, tried it, and it since became my go-to sweet potato recipe when they are in season.

So what’s in this sweet potato gratin?

• Sweet potatoes (obviously!)
• Peanut butter
• Chili
• Lime juice

I usually go for chunky peanut butter rather than smooth peanut butter as I like the extra crunchiness, but it is really up to you to go for your favorite one. Whatever you decide, make sure it is unsweetened. Because it’s a savory dish, you don’t want and don’t need any sugar in this recipe, unlike a sweet potato casserole.

You can serve this gratin as a side dish or like me as a main vegetarian dish. If so, there are several sides you can serve with your gratin: fresh cilantro, goat cheese sprinkled on top, avocados, salad… and extra fresh limes to squeeze over the gratin!

Note that I layered the sweet potatoes in a fancy way on the photos but you could simply lay them flat in the dish. It may be less beautiful but the taste will be no different!

For a vegan version:

Simply replace the cream with soy cream or any other dairy substitute you would use in a quiche or a gratin. This recipe is very forgiving and can easily adapt, so feel free to explore the possibilities.

Naturally gluten-free, it’s also a great meal idea if you happen to be gluten intolerant or simply want to reduce your gluten consumption on a regular basis.

The result: a sweet and sour dish, bursting with comforting flavors and a hint of spice. Perfect for those chilly days out there.

Spicy Sweet Potato & Peanut Butter Gratin

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• Author: Delphine Fortin
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Plant-based
• Cuisine: American

This melt-in-your-mouth sweet potato gratin will amaze your taste buds. Slightly spicy, sweet, with a fresh touch of lime. It’s love at first bite.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2.2 lbs (1 kg) sweet potato, peeled and sliced into 0.5 inch thick
• 3 Tablespoons (45g) vegetable oil, neutral in taste
• 1 small chilli pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup (240ml) whipped cream
• Sea salt & freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon (135g) crunchy peanut butter
• 1 lime, finely grated + 2 Tablespoons fresh juice

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 370°F (190)C) and grease a gratin pan. Blend the sweet potatoes in a large bowl and with 2 Tablespoons of oil, chilli, garlic, cream and season with salt and pepper.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, blend the crunchy peanut butter with the remaining oil, lime zest and juice.
3. Add half the sweet potato in a layer in the dish, then sprinkle the peanut butter mixture on top. Cover with the second half of sweet potatoes and pour the remaining cream from the dish.
4. Cover the gratin pan with foil and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, then remove foil. Bake again for 30 minutes more until the sweet potatoes are soft and the surface slightly browned and crisped. For extra crispness, you can finish under the grill for a few minutes, but keep a close eye so it doesn’t burn. Serve with a salad to balance the sweetness of the gratin.

Christmas, Fall, Family-Friendly, Gluten-Free, Main Dishes, Nuts, Sides, Sweet Potatoes, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian, Winter

Did you make this recipe?

Lastly, if you make this Spicy Sweet Potato & Peanut Butter Gratin, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!

Note: the original photos have been updated on February 2019.