Sweetpotato Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

Love fall flavors but still clinging to summertime nostalgia? These sweetpotato ice cream cone cupcakes are for you! This treat features a better-for-you sweetpotato cupcake batter baked directly into ice cream cones. You’ll add frosting on top, either piping on to resemble soft serve or spreading on to resemble scooped ice cream. (I use a protein-boosted frosting, but you can also just use a standard cream cheese frosting recipe too).

Disclosure: This recipe was developed in a paid partnership with the North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission. 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

As a dietitian, here are some of the highlights for me – and I think you’ll agree!

• Perfectly portion-controlled
• Handheld dessert is great for summer parties
• More protein than a standard cupcake – 7.5 grams each
• Less added sugar than most cupcakes – only 7 grams including the frosting
• Enjoyed by adults and kids alike
• Mashup of fall flavors and summer fun

Ingredients

Here’s a photo of all the ingredients you’ll need for the cupcake base:

And here’s what you’ll need for the frosting. Obviously I like this protein-boosted frosting (it’s pretty similar to what I use in the filling of my sweetpotato whoopie pies), but you can also make a standard cream cheese frosting instead.

Some helpful ingredient notes:

• Sweetpotato Puree – The star ingredient! This adds natural sweetness and moisture to the recipe, allowing for less added sugar and added fat. It also adds a boost of vitamins and phytochemicals to the recipe.

• Oat flour and almond flour – Instead of all-purpose flour, I like this blend for creating a more satiating option. Almond flour features healthy fats, and both flours offer additional fiber, which helps make the cupcake more filling.

• Olive oil – One of my favorite oils for baking, because the naturally fruity and earthy flavor of olive oil plays well off the sweetpotato. That said, you can use any neutral oil here.

• Ice cream cones – You want the cones that have flat bottoms for this recipe so that they stand up in the oven. Sometimes they’re labeled “ice cream cups” instead of “ice cream cones” on the box.

Instructions

You’ll find the full recipe amounts and instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s a helpful overview with photos and tips.

Start by making the frosting. Use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment (or a standard bowl and a hand mixer) to combine the Neufchâtel cream cheese, butter, protein powder, powdered sugar, yogurt, and vanilla. Whisk on low to start, then increase speed to high until frosting is light and fluffy. Place the bowl in the fridge while you make the cupcakes. This will help the frosting to thicken up and hold shape if you want to pipe it. (Depending on the protein powder, sometimes the frosting can be quite thick after refrigerating though. If this occurs, just add another spoonful of Greek yogurt and whisk again until it’s a pipeable or spreadable texture.)

Preheat the oven while you prepare the cupcake batter. Whisk together the sweetpotato puree, olive oil, maple syrup, almond milk, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined.

In another mixing bowl, combine the oat flour, almond flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until combined.

Put the ice cream cones into a muffin tin. Using a muffin tin is ideal for this recipe because the cones sit nicely in each well and stay upright while baking. If you don’t have one on hand, you can place them on a baking sheet, but just be super careful when placing it in the oven to ensure they don’t fall.

Fill each cone about ¾ full, or until it reaches the first ridge on the ice cream cone. You can see in the photo below where this is. The batter will rise as it bakes, and overfilling can cause overflow.

Bake those at 350 degrees F for 20-24 minutes. The best way to check if they’re done is by sticking a toothpick in the center – it should pull out mostly clean; some moist crumbs are fine, but it shouldn’t pull out with batter.

Let ‘em cool completely, then add the frosting! You can pipe the frosting on for swirly layers (like soft serve) or you can spread it on for more of a scooped ice cream cone look. The amount of frosting in this recipe is enough to do half the cones each way. If you want them all to have big swirls, you will need to make extra frosting.

Recipe Tips and Modifications

Preparing in advance: You can prepare these the day before, but just keep in mind that the cones tend to get a bit soft the longer they stay out. I find the texture to actually be appealing with the cupcake, but if you want crisp cones, then bake right before serving. If you don’t mind the slightly softer cone, you can bake them a day in advance and leave them unfrosted. Frost right before serving.

Storage: Store leftover frosting or frosted cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. They will stay safe to eat for several days, but the texture of the cone can get overly soft after 2 days.

Traditional Frosting Swap: If you want a traditional frosting instead of the protein-boosted option, you can use 8 oz Neufchâtel cream cheese, ½ cup butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

To Make Gluten Free: Purchase gluten-free ice cream cones (generally available at major grocery stores or online) and look for a certified gluten-free oat flour. Other than those modifications, the rest of the recipe is naturally gluten-free.

To Make Dairy Free: The cupcake alone is already naturally dairy-free. You will need to modify the frosting, though. If you’re not concerned with the nutritional composition, store-bought vanilla or cream cheese frosting is often dairy-free and makes an easy swap. If you want to make the protein frosting from scratch, use a dairy-free cream cheese, dairy-free butter, dairy-free yogurt, and dairy-free protein powder in place of the standard dairy versions. Note, though, that the taste and texture can vary widely based on product choices and I have not tested multiple substitutions in this recipe.

To Make Lower-Sugar: Use a sugar-free maple syrup in place of the pure maple syrup in the cupcakes, and use a sugar-free confectioners sugar product in place of the powdered sugar in the frosting.

More Sweetpotato Desserts

If you’re looking for more delicious desserts using sweetpotatoes to try this season, be sure to give one of these a try:

• Peanut butter sweetpotato Greek yogurt bark
• Strawberry matcha sweetpotato ice cream
• Strawberry shortcake with sweetpotato biscuits
• Blueberry sweetpotato crisp

I hope you enjoy these fun ice cream cone cupcakes! If you get a chance to try them, feel free to leave a recipe rating or comment below.