These Sweet Potato Hot Pockets are my favorite kind of gluten-free snack; they’re delicious, feel super indulgent, but are actually made with good-for-you ingredients. The dough is mostly mashed roasted sweet potato and gluten-free flour. No yeast, no rolling pin, no waiting around for anything to rise. You press it into a small bowl, spoon the smoky, Mexican-spiced black bean and corn filling into the middle, fold it over to seal, and bake until golden. Each pocket gives you 10 g of fibre and 16 g of plant protein when paired with the spicy cilantro sauce.
We ate them 3 times this week because I was playing around with the exact dough measurements to make them perfect, and there were zero complaints. I would happily have them another 3 times this week, and I can see how they could be super versatile with different fillings. Cam has gone fully gluten-free the past few months and is super excited for us to turn that dough into something reminiscent of the pizza pockets of his childhood!
Why I love this recipe (as a nutritionist)
- 10 g of fiber per pocket: most adults need 25 to 38 g a day and around 95% of people don’t get there. One of these takes you a third of the way!
- The sweet potato does double duty: it’s the base of the dough, so the beta-carotene and slow-release complex carbs are built into the bread rather than sitting in the filling. Those carbs release energy slowly, which is why one pocket keeps you full far longer than a slice of white bread would.
- Black beans boost the protein and iron: each serving has 16 g of plant protein and 5 mg of iron, with the flour and cashews in the sauce topping both up.
- 25 mg of vitamin C, and it’s doing a job: it comes mostly from the lime juice and the tomato paste, and vitamin C helps your body absorb the plant-based iron. Serving the sauce alongside isn’t only about flavor.
- Gluten-free without the fuss: the dough has four ingredients plus salt. No gums, no eggs, no hard to find ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Mashed roasted sweet potato: weigh it if you can. 330 g is the number to hit, and a cup measure shifts a lot depending on how firmly you pack it. Roast it the day before to save yourself time, and let it cool completely out of the fridge and uncovered so it doesn’t hold onto extra moisture.
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour: I use Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free baking flour. Don’t worry if you can’t find the exact same one; just search for a gluten-free flour blend with all-purpose, baking flour, or 1-to-1 on the packet. Brands vary a lot in how much liquid they absorb, so if your dough feels wetter or drier than you expected, that is usually the reason rather than anything you did. Easy to adjust by adding a bit more flour or a tiny drizzle of olive oil. Keep a little extra aside for dusting.
- Black beans and corn: I’d double the filling. It uses a full ear of corn and a whole can of beans, takes no extra time, and the leftovers are lovely with rice and avocado, or as a taco filling later in the week. Absolutely delicious and a great example of how to meal prep to make your life easier later!
- Silken tofu or dairy-free yogurt: either one works as the base of the sauce. Silken tofu is what I use. I’ve also tested it with dairy-free yogurt, and it was great. It is an easy swap if that’s what’s already in your fridge.
- Pickled jalapeños: this is where the heat comes from, so start with the 2 tablespoons and add more once you’ve tasted it. The lime and the maple syrup balance them out.
Step by Step Photos
Start with the sweet potato, ideally the day before. Pierce it a few times, roast it whole at 400°F (200°C) for about an hour until it’s completely tender, then let it cool all the way down before you scoop the flesh out. This is the one part you can’t rush, because warm or damp sweet potato makes a dough that won’t hold its shape.
Cook the filling while that happens. Onion first, then the corn, then the garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and tomato paste, which you want to cook for a couple of minutes until it darkens. Stir in the black beans, nutritional yeast, and water, and let it sit on low for another 5 minutes.
Blend the sauce next, silken tofu, cilantro, pickled jalapeños, lime juice, cashews, and a little maple syrup, then park it in the fridge where it thickens slightly.
Make the dough by mashing the sweet potato as smoothly as you can and mixing it with the flour, baking powder, salt, and olive oil, using your hands until it’s smooth. It stays a little sticky, and that’s normal, but add a tablespoon of flour at a time if it’s genuinely too hard to handle.
Shape the pockets by dividing it into 4, pressing each ball up the sides of a lightly oiled small bowl to make a cup, spooning in the filling, and folding the edges over to seal. Invert the bowl into your hand and the pocket drops out.
Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 to 25 minutes, after a good sprinkle of sesame seeds and flaxseeds, until they’re firm and lightly golden.
Serve warm with the cilantro sauce. View recipe card below for detailed instructions, and quantities.
Variations and tips
- Change the filling completely. Leftover chili, roasted vegetables, a scoop of refried beans, or a spiced lentil mix all sound great to me, as long as the filling isn’t wet enough to soak through the dough. Let us know in the comments what your favorite is, and make sure to pair it with a sauce!
- Make it nut-free. Replace the cashews with sunflower seeds.
- Make it soy-free. Swap the silken tofu for a non-soy dairy-free yogurt. Everything else in the recipe is already soy-free.
- Skip the blender. Finely chop the cilantro and jalapeño and stir them through the silken tofu or yogurt with the lime juice. The sauce comes out chunkier and still makes a great dip. Our chipotle dressing is the other easy option.
- Wet your hands before you shape. The dough is sticky by design, and damp hands are the difference between a smooth sealed pocket and a torn one. Re-oil the bowl between each pocket too.
- If you like this recipe, you’ll also love our Mexican-Style Roasted Sweet Potatoes, and our Sweet Potato Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing.
Why you’ll love these Sweet Potato Hot Pockets TL;DR
- Naturally gluten-free
- No yeast
- Endless filling options
- 10 g fiber
- Make-ahead friendly
FAQ
- Are these actually gluten-free? Yes. The dough uses gluten-free all-purpose or baking flour, and every other ingredient in the recipe is naturally gluten-free. Check your baking powder if you’re cooking for someone with celiac disease, since a few brands aren’t certified.
- My dough is too sticky to handle. What do I do? Add flour a tablespoon at a time until it’s workable. Gluten-free flours absorb very differently between brands, so this is normal. Lightly wetting your hands helps.
- Can I prepare anything ahead? Yes, and I’d recommend it. Roast the sweet potato the day before, since it needs to cool completely anyway. The filling and the sauce can both be made ahead too, and the sauce thickens slightly in the fridge.
- How do I store the leftovers? These are at their best the day you bake them, while the outside is still firm and the middle is soft. The filling and the sauce are the parts worth making ahead. I have not tested freezing them yet.
Sweet Potato Hot Pockets
Soft gluten-free dough made from roasted sweet potato, stuffed with smoky black beans and corn, then baked with sesame and flaxseeds. Served with a spicy cilantro sauce, with 10 g of fiber per pocket.
Equipment
- Sheet Pan
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Dough:
- 1 ½ cups (330 g) mashed roasted sweet potato - see notes
- 1 ¾ cups (210 g) gluten-free all-purpose baking flour - plus more to dust
- 1 tsp (4 g) baking powder
- 1 tsp (5 ml) olive oil - plus more to oil the bowl
- 1 pinch sea salt flakes
- 1 tbsp (9 g) sesame seeds - for topping
- 1 tbsp (7 g) flaxseeds - for topping
Black Bean Filling: (see notes)
- 1 tsp (5 ml) olive oil
- ½ onion - peeled and finely diced
- ¼ cup (40 g) corn kernels - fresh or frozen
- ½ tsp (2 g) garlic powder
- 1 tsp (2 g) smoked paprika
- 1 tsp (2 g) ground cumin
- 1 tbsp (15 g) tomato paste
- ¾ cup (130 g) cooked black beans
- 2 tbsp (15 g) nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) water
- sea salt flakes - to taste
Spicy Cilantro Sauce:
- ½ cup (125 g) silken tofu - or dairy-free yogurt
- ½ cup (14 g) fresh cilantro
- 2 tbsp (30 g) pickled jalapeños - this is spicy, adjust to taste
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) lime juice
- 2 tbsp (18 g) cashews
- 1 tsp (5 ml) maple syrup
Instructions
- Roast the sweet potato: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C), convection / fan on. Wash the sweet potato well, then place on a baking tray and pierce a few holes with a fork. Bake for about 1 hour, or until tender. Allow to cool completely outside of the fridge; avoid adding to a closed container so it does not retain extra moisture. I usually do this the day before to save time when making the recipe.
- Make the filling: Heat a pan on medium heat. Add the olive oil and diced onion, and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the corn and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and tomato paste. Cook for a couple of minutes, until the tomato paste has darkened. Stir in the black beans, nutritional yeast, water, and a pinch of sea salt flakes. Cook on low heat, covered, for another 5 minutes.
- Prepare the cilantro sauce: Add the silken tofu, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, cashews, and maple syrup to a small high-speed blender. Blend until smooth. Place in the fridge until ready to serve, it will thicken slightly.
- Make the dough: Mash the roasted sweet potato as smoothly as possible, then add 1½ cups to a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, sea salt flakes, and olive oil. Mix to combine with your hands, then gently knead until a smooth dough forms. The dough will remain a little sticky, that’s normal but if it is too hard to handle (this can vary depending on GF flour brand), add 1 tbsp flour at a time.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C), convection / fan on, and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Shape the pockets: Divide the dough into 4 small balls. Wet your hands before handling the dough. Lightly oil a small shallow bowl. Press one dough ball into the bowl, pressing it up the sides to create a hollow cup. Don't spread the dough too thin, about ½ inch (1 cm) thickness is ideal.
- Fill and seal: Add ¼ cup of the filling to the center. Fold the edges over the filling to seal completely and form a round bun. Place one hand over the bowl, gently invert the bowl, and let the bun release into your hand. Handle it very gently, then place it on the prepared baking tray. Lightly oil the bowl again, then repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
- Bake the pockets: Sprinkle the buns with flaxseeds and sesame seeds. Bake for 20 minutes, until firm and lightly golden.
- Serve: Serve with the spicy cilantro sauce and enjoy.
Notes
Mashed roasted sweet potato: The weight is for the mashed sweet potato once packed into the cup. If you have a kitchen scale, I recommend using grams, as it is more precise. The cup measurement can vary depending on how firmly the sweet potato is packed. If the dough feels too sticky to handle, add a little more flour as needed.
Double the filling: I recommend doubling the filling, which uses a full ear of corn and a full can of black beans. It takes no extra time to prepare, and the leftovers are delicious with rice, avocado, and any leftover spicy cilantro sauce. It also makes a delicious taco filling.
No-blender sauce option: Finely chop the cilantro and jalapeño, then stir with yogurt, a pinch of salt, and lime juice. The sauce will be chunkier, but still make a delicious dip. Or use our chipotle dressing from: Chopped Southwest Salad with Chipotle Dressing
Nut-free option: Replace the cashews with sunflower seeds. Soy-free option: Swap the silken tofu for a non-soy dairy-free yogurt. Everything else in the recipe is already soy-free.
Nut-free option: Replace the cashews with sunflower seeds. Soy-free option: Swap the silken tofu for a non-soy dairy-free yogurt. Everything else in the recipe is already soy-free.
Nutrition Information
Per Serving/Portion
Calories: 404 kcalCarbohydrates: 70 gProtein: 16 gFat: 9 gSodium: 322 mgFiber: 12 gVitamin A: 827 IUVitamin C: 26 mgCalcium: 199 mgIron: 56 mg
You might also like
-
Viral Crispy Rice Paper Nuggets (Vegan) -
Matcha Tiramisu Overnight Oats
-
No Bake Mini Chocolate Tart (GF)
-
Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Brownies
-
Protein Edamame Avocado Spread
-
Viral Soup Dumpling Lasagna (Vegan version)
-
Apple Cranberry Baked Oatmeal with Warm Spices
-
Crispy Apple Chocolate Bark
-
Crispy Almond Flour Crackers (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
Your creations
Straight from your kitchens.
Snap a photo in the comments on any recipe. We love to see it! Here’s what the community has been cooking recently.
2 baes shared a photo this week
View all creations
Just leave a comment on any recipe and attach a photo
Another winning recipe! <3