Today we’re sharing a super simple baked sweet potato recipe, which is one of our favorites for when the weather starts to turn cool. Healthy and easy, a baked sweet potato is so yummy as a hearty side dish, served just like a regular Baked Potato, all warm from the oven and topped with butter, salt, and pepper. Or, you can turn that baked sweet potato into dinner by loading it up with toppings (more on that later!). Everyone should know how to bake a sweet potato, and soon, you will! For an even faster baked sweet potato recipe, check out our Roasted Sweet Potatoes and for a majorly loaded experience, try our twice-baked potatoes!
How To Bake A Sweet Potato
Set your oven to 400°F.
Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork.
Brush the sweet potatoes with olive oil (hands work fine here, too, if you don’t have a pastry brush.)
Bake the sweet potatoes directly on the oven rack with a baking sheet on the rack below to catch any juices that drip while they bake.
How long to bake the sweet potato will depend on the size of your sweet potato, but generally takes about an hour for the baked sweet potato to be tender and perfect.
Enjoy! Slit the sweet potato right down the middle (careful — the steam that will come out is very very hot) and top it with whatever you’d like. Dig in!
Baked Sweet Potato Topping Ideas
We’re all making these sweet potatoes so that we can load them up with toppings, right? If you want to turn your baked potato into a super hefty side dish or even just a healthy, simple dinner, here are some of our favorite, go-to baked sweet potato topping ideas:
Chili! Either our Vegetarian Chili or our Award-Winning Chili if meat is OK
Guacamole, Salsa, sour cream and our Instant Pot Black Beans
Our Homemade Refried Beans, and some cheese
Generous amount of Tahini Sauce and Roasted Cauliflower
Got leftover baked sweet potatoes? Great! Use them in place of butternut squash in our Butternut Squash Quesadilla, Butternut Squash Soup, or put the baked sweet potatoes on top of Shepherd's Pie instead of regular baked potatoes.
Don’t Wrap Your Sweet Potato In Foil!
Some people think wrapping sweet potatoes in foil makes them bake faster, but we say no foil! If you want a seriously delicious sweet potato with a crispy skin and fluffy interior we think the best way to bake a sweet potato is directly on the wire rack of your oven. When you wrap a sweet potato in aluminum foil, it steams as it cooks, changing the texture of the baked sweet potato.
More Sweet Potato Recipes
Beyond Baked Sweet Potatoes
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