You may not know this but sweet potatoes are my absolute favorite vegetable. And I especially love a good baked sweet potato! Oftentimes I will bake a batch of sweet potatoes, store them in the fridge, and eat them for lunch during the week. They’re also the foundation for some of my all-time favorite recipes like my brown butter sweet potato pie! When cooked perfectly they are creamy and soft on the inside and delicious with your favorite toppings.
These baked sweet potatoes are also the foundation for my sweet potato casserole recipe!😉
How To Bake Sweet Potatoes
Wash the sweet potatoes well and prick them a few times with a fork on all sides.
Place the sweet potatoes on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet.
Bake in the oven until they are tender and can be pierced easily with a fork or knife.
I like to serve my sweet potatoes with butter, brown sugar, a little cinnamon, and sometimes a little nutmeg and vanilla extract. Chopped pecans are also really good sprinkled on top.
How Long Does It Take To Bake Sweet Potatoes?
The time it takes to bake sweet potatoes in the oven will vary depending on the oven temperature and the size of your sweet potatoes. I’ve tried several different times and I like baking medium size sweet potatoes at 400°F for 60 minutes. If your potatoes are large in size, then you’ll want to bake them a little bit longer, roughly 75 minutes.
Important Baking Tip!
Try to purchase even size sweet potatoes. It may be a little challenging but try to purchase sweet potatoes that are roughly the same size and shape. This helps them bake evenly in the oven so they will all be done at the same time.
More Sweet Potato Recipes
I’m a true sweet potato lover, so I cook sweet potatoes all the time. During Thanksgiving and the holidays I always make my southern candied yams. And when soup season comes around, one of my favorite soups is this sweet potato and black bean tortilla soup! It's the perfect combination of sweet and savory flavors.
On the weekends, my family loves when I make sweet potato pancakes. All you need is one baked sweet potato and some warm spices. It’s really easy to incorporate it into your regular pancake batter and the flavor is amazing! And during the weekdays my go-to is always this creamy mashed sweet potatoes recipe for a quick and easy side dish!
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes (about 3lbs. total)
- 2 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
- cinnamon and ground nutmeg to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash the sweet potatoes well using a vegetable brush or your hands, then dry them with a paper towel.
- Prick the sweet potato several times on all sides with a fork to allow steam to escape. Place the sweet potatoes on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet.
- Bake in the oven for 1 hour depending on the thickness of your sweet potatoes. If you are baking large sweet potatoes you will need to bake for 60-75 minutes. You’ll know the sweet potatoes are done when you can stick a fork or knife in the potato easily with no resistance.
- After baking, remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and let them rest for 5-10 minutes. Then slice them open lengthwise and serve with your favorite toppings. I like dividing the butter and brown sugar and adding ½ tablespoon to each sweet potato. Feel free to make it even more decadent with a sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract and some chopped pecans.
Notes
- You do not have to wrap the sweet potatoes in foil. You can bake them bare directly on the baking sheet.
- Storage: You can easily store baked sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This makes them perfect for meal prep and they’re ready to go for all your baking needs.
Nutrition
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