Smoked Sweet Potatoes

Total Time
1 hr 15 mins

Oakland chef Tanya Holland typically puts cream and butter in her smoked sweet potatoes (often called yams), but to make them kosher for her Passover Seder, she uses coconut butter instead.

This recipe, and others like it, can be found in the article “These 9 Tanya Holland Recipes Represent a New Soul Food for the West.”

Photo: Thomas J. Story

4 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (often labeled "yams")

3 cups mesquite chips, soaked in water at least 30 minutes

1/4 cup virgin coconut butter*

3 to 4 tbsp. maple syrup

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne

About 3/4 tsp. kosher salt

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400°. Peel yams, then slice crosswise 1 in. thick. Sprinkle wood chips in a large roasting pan. Set a baking rack over chips. Pour in 1/4 in. water. Put yams on rack, cover with foil, and roast until a knife slides in easily, 1 hour.

Step 2

Mash yams. Stir in remaining ingredients and a little hot water if they seem stiff.

Step 3

*Find at well-stocked markets and online.

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving
Calories 219Calories from Fat 21

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5.1g8%

Saturated Fat 4.8g24%
Cholesterol 0.0mg0%
Sodium 236mg10%
Total Carbohydrate 41g14%

Dietary Fiber 5.9g24%
Protein 3.1g7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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Smoked Sweet Potatoes