Baked sweet potatoes are a comforting vegetable to add to your meal prep routine, especially when it’s cold outside. They make an easy side dish and can be used in a variety of different ways throughout the week. Add them to sweet recipes like smoothies and muffins, or use them in a savory recipe, like Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese or Southwest Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. You can even blend it into hummus, turn it into dairy-free frosting, or add it to eggnog for extra creaminess.
Tips for Choosing Sweet Potatoes
When shopping for sweet potatoes, look for ones that are firm with relatively smooth skin. Avoid sweet potatoes that have soft spots (they shouldn’t give when you squeeze them) because that’s a sign they’ve gone bad. When you want to bake several potatoes at once, it’s important that you choose ones that are relatively the same size (within an ounce or two of each other by weight) and it’s best if they have a similar shape. Narrow sweet potatoes will cook faster than ones that are thick or wide, so if you pick several that are the same shape, you’ll get the most consistent results. (If you can’t find potatoes that are a similar shape, just let the wider/thicker potatoes cook for a little longer in the oven.)
How to Bake Sweet Potatoes
Preheat your oven to 425ºF. This is the perfect temperature for baking sweet potatoes that are sweet and tender on the inside, without a starchy texture. Start by scrubbing the potatoes under running water to remove any dirt, then dry them with a towel to remove all of the moisture. Carefully pierce each sweet potato several times in the center to vent. I think it’s easiest to use a sharp knife, but a fork will work as well. Update Note: I recently learned that you don’t have to poke holes in a sweet potato before baking it. If you skip this step, the potato will not explode in the oven and it won’t have quite as much “ooze” release during the baking process. (If you’re attempting to microwave a potato, however, I’d be more nervous to skip this step.) Arrange the sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Drizzle them with a bit of olive oil and use your hands to rub the oil evenly, all over the outside of each sweet potato. Place the pan of sweet potatoes in the preheated oven and let them bake on the parchment-lined baking sheet for 45 to 60 minutes. Sweet potatoes that are not too thick and roughly 8 ounces in weight should be ready in about 45 minutes, but larger ones will take longer. Feel free to err on the longer side of cooking, because it’s difficult to over-cook the inside of a sweet potato. I usually assume my potatoes will take 60 minutes to cook and always start with that amount of time, because I like them to be very tender inside. You’ll know the sweet potatoes are done when they smell fragrant (your whole kitchen should smell good!) and a fork can easily slide in and out of the center. If you keep an instant-read meat thermometer on hand, you can be sure by making sure the internal temperature of the sweet potato reaches at least 205ºF in the thickest part. Reaching an internal temperature of 210ºF is even better! Serve baked sweet potatoes warm with any toppings you love, like butter, sour cream, green onions, salt, and pepper. Or sprinkle a little brown sugar and cinnamon on top for a sweet flavor. Baked sweet potatoes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Looking for more sweet potato recipes? Try baked Sweet Potato Fries, Vegetarian Chili, or roast sweet potato cubes on a sheet pan in my favorite Sweet Potato Hash. If you try this baked sweet potato recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
