Sweet Potato Gratin
Sweet Potato Gratin has amazing flavors with goat cheese, Parmesan, and thyme, and this is perfect for a special side dish. And these cheesy sweet potatoes are especially great for people who love savory sweet potato recipes!
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This delicious Sweet Potato Gratin that’s a Thanksgiving favorite in my extended family is this week’s Friday Favorites pick! I know sweet potatoes are a splurge when you’re limiting carbs, but I do love savory sweet potatoes. And for a holiday meal I wouldn’t pass up a small serving of this cheesy sweet potato side dish. And if I had to pick my favorite sweet potato recipe on the blog, it would be this one!
When I tested the Sweet Potato Gratin recipe, (once with Jake and once with Kara), we absolutely could not stop eating it! We loved how cream (or half and half) gives it so much flavor, and the creaminess is bumped up with melted goat cheese.
Of course, Sweet Potato Gratin is a holiday treat, so it’s more indulgent than the usual things you find on this blog. But sweet potatoes are loaded with nutrients and do have some fiber, and this is also gluten-free! I hope you enjoy the recipe if you’re also a fan of savory sweet potato recipes!
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What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)
- sweet potatoes
- black pepper
- goat cheese
- half and half (or cream)
- Dried Thyme (affiliate link)
- Parmesan
What is a Gratin?
A Gratin is a dish where food is topped with a browned crust that usually contains cheese, breadcrumbs, or butter. Iโve become a huge fan of cheesy gratin dishes like Sweet Potato Gratin, and donโt think any breadcrumbs are needed!
Can Sweet Potato Gratin be made ahead?
This recipe could be assembled earlier in the day (or even the day before) and then cooked when it’s dinner time. I would let it come to room temperature before baking when it’s been in the fridge.
What other cheeses can you use for Sweet Potato Gratin?
I know some people don’t enjoy the pungent flavor of goat cheese and might not consider a recipe for Sweet Potato Gratin. If you’d prefer another cheese I think Feta would be amazing or use a milder cheese like Mexican Queso Fresco.
Want low-carb options for Thanksgiving?
Some people don’t want this much of a splurge on carbs, even for a holiday meal. If you’re keeping it as low-carb as possible, here are holiday options for Keto Side Dishes, Appetizers and Salads and Low-Carb and Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Side Dishe Recipes. If sweet potatoes are too high in carbs for you, I hope you’ll check those out!
How to Make Sweet Potato Gratin:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Try to find long thin orange-fleshed sweet potatoes for this recipe (called yams or sweet yams in many U.S. stores)
- Peel sweet potatoes and cut in thin slices.
- Layer slices in a glass baking dish and season with salt and pepper. (I used an oval 4-quart baking dish, but any 3-Quart Baking Dish (affiliate link) would have been big enough.)
- Whisk together softened goat cheese, thyme, and half and half.
- Spread half the goat cheese mixture over the sweet potatoes.
- Top with half the Parmesan.
- Make another layer of sweet potatoes, goat cheese mixture, and Parmesan.
- Bake covered with foil for one hour.
- Then remove foil and bake about 20 minutes more, or until the top is browned and sweet potatoes are soft.
- When I shared the Sweet Potato Gratin on Instagram people immediately starting asking for the recipe; enjoy!
If you’re a sweet potato fan you might like to look at my other Healthy Sweet Potato Recipes. Quite a few of those are relatively low in carbs and some have tips to make them even lower in carbs.
Sweet Potato Gratin
This delicious Sweet Potato Gratin has goat cheese, Parmesan, and thyme, and it's perfect for people like me who love savory sweet potato recipes!
Ingredients
- 3 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoesย
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
- 10 oz. log soft goat cheese
- 1 cup half and half (see notes)
- 2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F/190C.ย Take goat cheese out of the fridge and let it soften at room temperature.
- Spray a 3-4 quart glass casserole with with non-stick spray or olive oil. I used an oval 4-quart baking dish, but any 3-Quart Baking Dish (affiliate link) would have been big enough.
- Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into slices about 1/4 inch thick.ย (Don't make them too thick or they will take longer to cook.)
- Put the softened goat cheese in a small bowl, add the half and half and the thyme, and whisk together until it's smooth.ย (You can put the package of goat cheese in the microwave and heat in 10 second intervals until it's soft to make this easier to mix.)
- Layer half the sweet potatoes in the baking dish and season well with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
- Spread half the goat cheese mixture over the sweet potatoes and sprinkle on half the grated Parmesan.
- Make another layer each of sweet potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper, goat cheese mixture, and Parmesan.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake 1 hour (or until the sweet potatoes are quite soft when you stick a fork in them.)
- Remove foil and bake 20 minutes more, until the sweet potatoes are very soft and the top is nicely browned. Serve hot.
- This will stay good in the fridge for several days and may have reheated a little too well, if you know what I mean.
- I haven't tried it, but I'm sure the Sweet Potato Gratin could be assembled in advance, refrigerated, then allowed to come to room temperature when it comes out of the fridge and baked later in the day.
Notes
Use heavy cream if you prefer.
Recipe created by Kalyn with recipe testing help from both Kara and Jake.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 307Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 43mgSodium 599mgCarbohydrates 29gFiber 4gSugar 17gProtein 15g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Sweet Potato Gratin might be too much of a carb splurge for strict low-carb eating plans, and this is kind of a rich dish for the original South Beach Diet. But this is so much lower in carbs than traditional holiday sweet potatoes, and I’d eat this in small amounts for a Thanksgiving treat.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use the Holiday Recipes to find more Thanksgiving recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalynโs Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes Iโm sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for savory Sweet Potato Gratin was first posted in 2014, and it’s been ultra-popular ever since. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2025.
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40 Comments on “Sweet Potato Gratin”
Can ย this be made using butternut squash ย instead of sweet potatos
Interesting idea! I haven’t tried that myself but I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t be good. I’d love to know how it works if you try it.
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I have made this several times, and I always prepare the dish a day ahead. I bring it to room temperature the following day, pop it in the oven and it comes out great. It has become a Thanksgiving staple. Everyone loves it.
Deborah, great idea to make it ahead! So happy you have enjoyed it!
For some reason, my family doesn’t love sweet potatoes, so I’m always looking for new ways to cook them that just might appeal to my picky eaters. I’m adding this recipe to my list!
Lydia, this is so good for anyone who likes the savory flavors of goat cheese and Parmesan. Maybe that will win them over?
This sounds absolutely wonderful. And I’d probably veer away from my purple potatoes and purple sweet potatoes to make this (I can tell you that purple mashed potatoes are weird, even though they taste good). I’m not doing a fancy TG dinner, but am definitely saving this recipe.
Hope you enjoy, and I do agree that orange sweet potatoes would be best for this!
Do you think it would be good with Feta cheese instead of Goat? I usually prefer feta to goat.
Thanks.
Oh yes, I think Feta would be fantastic in this recipe!
My wife made this just now. Taste good. But I think she put too much cheese in it.
You can certainly use less cheese if you prefer.
Yes. It tastes better with lesser cheese.
Everyone has their own preferences, so I am glad you were able to adjust it to fit yours Bill.
Made this last night for Easter. It was freaking FANTASTIC!! Thanks for all you do here.
My pleasure James; I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! (I am nuts about that recipe!)
Can you make this ahead of time?
As I said in the recipe, I haven't tried assembling in advance and cooking later, but I'm guessing it would work. You could also probably cook partially and then heat when you serve it, but I haven't tried that either so I can only guess that it would work. I'm guessing that because it's really good reheated, but if you try it I'd love to hear how it works. And if you have the option of cooking right before you eat it, that's probably going to give the best results.
Tyler I haven't tried it but I am guessing that if you like the tanginess of buttermilk it would be great in this. I'd use the same amount. I'd love to hear how it works if you try it.
Has anyone tried substituting buttermilk for half and half? If so, how was it, and did you use the same amount?
Alice, great idea to make it in an 8X8 dish for a smaller crowd. So glad you and your guests have enjoyed it!
I have made this a few times now. It is always a surprise hit at parties, because people are not expecting the savory flavors. I usually make 1/2 recipe, which works well in an 8×8 glass dish. Thanks for the great recipes, Kalyn.
I've always preferred savory sweet potatoes (they ARE a vegetable) but I never thought about goat cheese – I love goat cheese…. I'm doing this one soon (but not Thanksgiving)
Thanks Katie, hope you enjoy!
This was so amazing! Thanks for letting me have some. I ate the leftovers for dinner and they were amazing!
Thanks Karen! It was so great to see you; glad you enjoyed the leftovers!
I'd love to see a few gluten free and dairy free recipes. It's hard to find good recipes for Thanksgiving that don't involve either one.
My site is loaded with recipes that are both gluten-free and dairy free. Scroll through the Can Be Paleo category to find them.
I really wasn't sure what to make for Thanksgiving this year…I was thinking sweet potato casserole and I love how this is savory instead of sweet! Definitely a contender.
Joanne, we went seriously crazy over this when we tested the recipe!
Looks fantastic! Will give it a try and report back:-) Thanks.
Thanks Anna; hope you enjoy!
I bet this is so good! These flavors are perfection!
Thanks, we seriously did love it!
Is it no longer possible to save messages to a recipe box on your site? Did I lose all my saved ones?
I wrote a reply to you right away, but now I don't know why I don't see it here. Hope you were not worried. The recipes are still there; you can access them from the Recipe Box link in the right sidebar.
Ziplist is closing down the recipe box feature (not me!) You should have received an e-mail at the e-mail address you signed up with explaining how to move your recipes. They will be available until December 10. You can read the message from Ziplist at that link if it's not in your e-mail.
I have only heard from two people about this (counting you) so I don't know if I will post about it, but here's a post from my friend Lydia with some more suggestions.
Hope that helps. I am sad that they shut down, but I can't do anything about it.
Love the combination of sweet potatoes and cheeses! I'm not hosting Thanksgiving this year, but if someone asks me to bring a side dish, I'll make this one.
Lydia, I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did!