I love making cozy, comforting foods when fall arrives, and sweet potatoes are always a favorite, much like baked potatoes. They’re naturally sweet, creamy, and full of nutrients, which makes them perfect for this season. Baking really brings out that delicious sweetness, and I’m excited to share my go-to baked sweet potato recipe with you.
What You’ll Find On This Page
This recipe is simple, flavorful, and perfect for any occasion—whether it’s lunch, dinner, or special gatherings like Thanksgiving or Christmas. You can load them with your favorite toppings or serve them as a side with chicken, seafood, or veggies. They’re great on their own, but you can also add them to casseroles, soups, and stews for a cozy, hearty touch.
Even though it’s an easy recipe, getting the temperature and cooking time just right is key for that creamy, perfect texture. I’ve included all the steps and tips you need to bake them to perfection every time for a satisfying and delicious meal.
Discover More Healthy Baked and Roasted Vegetables:
- Roasted Acorn Squash
- Baked Spaghetti Squash
- Roasted Pumpkin
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Green Beans
- Roasted Beets
Ingredients and Substitutions Overview
The ingredients for baked sweet potatoes are super simple: just sweet potatoes and a few basic seasonings to bring out their natural flavor. Let’s check out what you’ll need below!
- Sweet Potatoes: Choose orange sweet potatoes for their sweet and creamy texture, often labeled as yams. Look for ones with smooth, spot-free skin and no sprouts, as this indicates freshness and quality. You can easily find them in most grocery stores, especially during the fall season.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control how salty the dish turns out. This lets you season the sweet potatoes to your liking without them getting too salty.
- Salt and Black Pepper: These basic seasonings enhance the natural flavors of the sweet potatoes. If you like a little spice, consider adding paprika or smoked paprika.
- Chives or Spring Onions: Garnish your baked sweet potatoes with chives or spring onions for a touch of fresh, warm, mild onion flavor that complements the sweetness beautifully.
How to Bake Sweet Potatoes in the Oven?
Let’s bake the perfect sweet potatoes together! I’ll guide you through each step: cleaning, pricking, and baking them in the oven. We’ll enhance their natural flavor with simple seasonings to achieve that perfect taste and texture. I’ve included photos and a detailed video for each step to make it visually easy for you to follow along. So, let’s get started!
Enjoy a Wide Range of Potato Recipes:
- Baked Potatoes
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Baked Potato Wedges
- Breakfast Potatoes
- Boiled Potato
- Mashed Potatoes
- Potato Salad
- Potato Soup
- Potato Leek Soup
- French Fries
- Fish and Chips
Baked Sweet Potato
Ingredients
Main Ingredient
- 3 Sweet Potatoes
For Topping
- Unsalted Butter
- Black Pepper Powder, to taste
- Salt, to taste
- Chives, or spring onions, chopped
Instructions
Preparing Sweet Potatoes
- Start by rinsing your sweet potatoes under running water, scrubbing off any dirt, mud, or debris with a brush. Then, pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel. Sweet potatoes often have a bit of mud on them, so a thorough wash is important! After cleaning, use a fork to prick a few holes around the skin. These small holes allow steam to escape during baking, preventing any "explosions" in the oven and helping them cook evenly.
Baking the Sweet Potatoes
- Place the sweet potatoes on a parchment-lined baking tray. As they bake, they often release natural juices, so lining the tray with parchment or aluminum foil helps with easy cleanup. Make sure to leave some space between each potato to allow proper heat circulation for even cooking. If you're baking a larger batch, use an extra tray to avoid overcrowding.
- Bake the sweet potatoes in a preheated oven at 425°F for about 45-50 minutes. The cooking time may vary depending on the size of the sweet potatoes, so check for doneness when you see juices dripping from the pricked holes. If a fork slides in easily, they’re perfectly cooked!
- Remove the tray from the oven and let the sweet potatoes cool slightly, just until they’re easy to handle. Once they’re cool enough, make a slit down the center of each potato with a sharp knife. Then, using a towel, gently press the ends to open them up.
- Top each baked sweet potato with a pat of unsalted butter, or as much as you like. For extra flavor, fluff the sweet potato with a fork before adding the butter—this helps the seasoning spread more evenly.
- Finally, season with salt, black pepper, and freshly chopped spring onions or chives for that perfect classic flavor. Your delicious baked sweet potatoes are now ready to enjoy!
Serving
- Serve these baked sweet potatoes on their own with your favorite toppings, or enjoy them as a side dish with your main course. For more topping and pairing ideas, don’t forget to check out the Serving Suggestions section below!
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Recipe Video
Chef's Notes and Tips
- Choose the Right Variety: Sweet potatoes are easy to find in most grocery stores, especially during the fall. However, you might come across different varieties that can be a bit confusing. For this recipe, go with orange sweet potatoes—they’re sweet and creamy, making them perfect for baking. While purple, white, and Japanese sweet potatoes are also available and delicious, I recommend sticking to the orange variety for the best results
- Opt for Similar Sizes: When selecting sweet potatoes, aim for ones that are about the same size. This can be tricky since they naturally vary, but choosing uniformly sized potatoes ensures they cook evenly in the oven. This helps avoid the issue of some potatoes being perfectly cooked while others are still underdone!
- Season the Skin: If you enjoy eating the skin, try rubbing it with a bit of olive oil and salt before baking to make it deliciously crispy and flavorful. This step is optional, so feel free to skip it if you’re not a fan of the skin.
- Use of Foil: If you prefer softer skins instead of crispy ones, as suggested in this recipe, wrap each sweet potato in foil before baking. This method traps steam, keeping the skins tender and moist, which some people prefer.
- Chopped Baking Method: If you prefer not to bake sweet potatoes whole, you can chop them into your desired shapes after cleaning. Toss the chopped sweet potatoes with your favorite seasonings and bake them, similar to my roasted potatoes recipe.
- Pre-Bake Softening: To speed up cooking, microwave whole sweet potatoes for 4 to 6 minutes before baking. This softens them slightly and reduces the overall baking time. After microwaving, bake them in the oven at 425°F (220°C) for about 30 minutes, depending on their size. Be sure to poke a few holes in each potato with a fork to let steam escape. Keep in mind, though, that baking for a longer time brings out the sweet, rich flavors of the potatoes, so you might miss some of those delicate flavors with this quicker method.
- Customize Your Toppings: I’ve topped the baked sweet potatoes in a simple, classic way with butter and basic seasonings. However, if you're interested in trying something different, be sure to explore the serving suggestions below for more creative options!
Nutrition Info
Disclaimer
We're not nutrition experts, and the nutritional information provided is an estimate. Please use it as a guide. For precise details, it's best to consult a professional. To learn more, please view our Detailed Disclaimers.
Serving Suggestions
Baked sweet potatoes are wonderfully versatile—enjoy them as a hearty meal with loads of toppings or as a delicious side dish. Here are some of my favorite ways to serve them, and I hope you’ll love trying them too!
Toppings
- Classic Butter and Seasoning: If you like simple tastes, add a little unsalted butter, salt, and black pepper to your baked sweet potatoes. Chopped chives or spring onions give them a fresh touch.
- Creamy Toppings: For a creamy flavor, top your sweet potatoes with sour cream, Greek yogurt, tzatziki, or cream cheese. These go really well with the sweetness of the potatoes.
- Sweet Toppings: For a sweet treat, drizzle maple syrup and sprinkle some cinnamon on your sweet potatoes. A little butter on top makes them even richer.
- Tex-Mex Style: If you enjoy Mexican flavors, top your sweet potatoes with salsa, baked beans, and guacamole. Add some cheese on top for a filling meal.
- Mediterranean Flavor: Try topping your sweet potatoes with cooked quinoa, tahini, red onion, and crumbled feta for a Mediterranean twist.
Side Pairings
- Salads: Complement your sweet potatoes with a fresh salad. Choose from a Greek Salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, and feta; a vibrant Quinoa Salad; or a simple green salad packed with fresh greens and veggies
- Roasted or Baked Meats: Serve your sweet potatoes with roasted meats like whole chicken, thighs, breasts, or drumsticks for a complete meal. Or, for a richer option, pair them with juicy steak or roasted pork for a deliciously satisfying combination.
- Seafood: They also taste great with seafood like baked salmon or tilapia, matching well with the sweet and savory flavors.
Storage Suggestions
I always enjoy baked sweet potatoes best when they’re warm because they’re just so creamy and naturally sweet. If you happen to have leftovers, here’s how I like to keep them fresh for later:
- In the Fridge: First, let your baked sweet potatoes cool to room temperature before you store them in an airtight container. This prevents condensation, which can make them soggy. They’ll keep well for 2 to 3 days in the fridge. When you're ready to enjoy them again, just reheat them quickly in the microwave.
- In the Freezer: For longer storage, scoop out the flesh of the sweet potatoes and put it into portion-sized, freezer-friendly bags. They'll stay fresh for up to a month. When you're ready to use them, just thaw in the refrigerator and add to soups, casseroles, curries, or even pasta sauce.
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