Baked Sweet Potato

Learn how to bake sweet potatoes with these tips & tricks! Enjoy them with butter, salt & pepper, or in one of my favorite baked sweet potato recipes.

Baked Sweet Potato

When the air starts to get crisp in the fall, I start craving two things: a bowl of soup and a big, puffy baked sweet potato. Both are warming, cozy, and healthy. But while making butternut squash soup might be one of my favorite Sunday activities, a baked sweet potato is my weeknight standby. They’re incredibly easy to make, as your oven does 95% of the work. While they bake, you’re free to do as you please! Prep the remaining components of your meal, finish up with the day’s work, or catch up with family or friends. Then, take them out of the oven, top them to your liking, and dig in to a yummy baked sweet potato dinner!

How to bake sweet potatoes

How to Bake Sweet Potatoes

For a long time, I thought I didn’t like sweet potatoes. When I was growing up, I only ever had them in casserole form, smothered in marshmallows and brown sugar. Turns out, I love sweet potatoes, but I have to prepare them the right way! I like mine puffy, with caramelized edges and a crispy skin. Here’s how I make them:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
  2. Use a fork to poke holes into the sweet potatoes, and set them on the baking sheet.
  3. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the skin has puffed up and you can easily pierce them with a fork.

The most important thing to note here is that I DON’T wrap them in foil. If you do, the sweet potato flesh will still cook, but the skin will be very moist and almost slimy. In order to get delectable, puffed up crispy skin and caramelization on the outside of each baked potato, place them onto the baking sheet bare!

If you’re in a hurry, you can also roast sweet potato halves for 30 minutes. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise, rub them with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook cut-side up until lightly browned and tender.

Baked Sweet Potato

Oven Baked Sweet Potato Recipes

Of course, a perfect baked sweet potato with butter, salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of chives is great, but your options for baked sweet potato recipes don’t end there. To make one into a full meal, I like to stuff it with a flavorful veggie filling and a yummy sauce. Find my 4 favorite fillings for stuffed sweet potatoes here, or click the picture below.

If you’re serving your oven baked sweet potatoes as a side dish, pair them with your favorite protein or vegetarian chili. For a topping, stick to butter, Greek yogurt, or sour cream, or try adding a dollop of cilantro lime dressing, tzatziki, chipotle sauce, pesto, guacamole, or a drizzle of tahini sauce.

If you have leftover baked sweet potatoes, save the soft flesh for another recipe. I blend it into the frosting of my vegan chocolate cake, transform it into a luscious Alfredo sauce, use it to bind quesadillas, or mix it into hummus!

Do you have any favorite baked sweet potato recipes? Let me know in the comments!

Oven baked sweet potatoes

If you love this baked sweet potato recipe…

Try these 4 stuffed sweet potato variations (pictured above)baked sweet potato friessweet potato tacos, twice baked sweet potatoes, or this sweet potato casserole next!

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Baked Sweet Potato

rate this recipe:
4.97 from 454 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Learn how to bake sweet potatoes with this simple recipe! Serve them as a side dish or stuff them to make them a meal on their own.

Equipment

Ingredients

  • Sweet Potatoes

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F and place a piece of foil on a baking sheet. Use a fork to poke holes into the sweet potatoes, set them on the baking sheet, and roast for 40 to 50 minutes, or until puffed up and soft inside when pierced with a fork.

 

114 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Macy
    01.18.2024

    Followed the exact instructions(50 minutes) and my sweet potatoes came out PERFECT!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      01.19.2024

      Hi Macy, so glad you loved them!

  2. Michelle
    01.10.2024

    5 stars
    Amazing recipe. Easy to make and melts in your mouth ofcourse cookies times vary as i did burn one but all depends on the oven. I suggest to keep an eye on it after 35mins 🙂

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      01.12.2024

      Hi Michelle, I’m so glad you enjoyed the sweet potatoes!

  3. Hilary
    01.01.2024

    2 stars
    Cook time was not accurate. I cooked two sweet potatoes that were in the range of 370g each and they were not soft/ready to eat by 50 min. I cooked them for another 10 minutes and still not ready. I then had to then cut them open and cook for another 17 min and the one still wasn’t as soft as it should have been.

  4. Maria S
    01.01.2024

    5 stars
    I love it ! Sweet potatoes was perfect , I sliced it thick and topped with organic tahini. Delicious

  5. Lil
    01.01.2024

    3 stars
    Is that fan forced or not? (Doesn’t say)

  6. Keith
    12.24.2023

    Can this be used to make sweet potato casserole?

  7. Lisa
    11.26.2023

    5 stars
    Melts in your mouth, so delicious

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      11.28.2023

      Hi Lisa, so glad you loved it!

  8. Jan
    11.08.2023

    5 stars
    I’ve started baking an extra sweet potato or two just to have the leftovers to make sweet potato pancakes in the morning. Delish!

  9. Cami
    10.16.2023

    5 stars
    Grandmother Strickland taught me to smear BUTTER all over the outside of freshly washed whole potatoes, sweet or Idaho. She told me it helps them bake faster and adds a nice buttery flavor. Been cooking like that for 47 years!

  10. Gerilyn
    09.06.2023

    5 stars
    I tried it turned out real good I added marshmallows to sweeten it. Thank you.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      09.08.2023

      Hi Gerilyn, I’m so glad you loved the baked sweet potatoes!

  11. Ralph Ellenburg Jr
    06.11.2023

    5 stars
    I always hate it when people rate and comment on a recipe before trying it, but here I am doing the same thing. This recipe is so much like my mother’s that I know it is the best I’ve found down to temperature and times. My comment comes immediately because you also mention that they can be baked as cut halves as Mom always did. Thank you. Subscription forthcoming.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.14.2023

      I hope you enjoy the recipes!

  12. Travis
    05.09.2023

    5 stars
    Mine are just in the oven now. They look gorgeous. I’ve just prepared my filling as follows for anyone struggling for ideas.

    1 whole red pepper cubed
    4 spring onions
    Handful of cherry tomatoes
    One can of black beans drained and rinsed well.
    Pinch of salt, pepper, garlic granules, chilli flakes for a little zing

    Then added low fat mayonnaise until I got the desired consistency.

    I couldn’t help but try some of the filling and it’s lovely. I’m on a weight loss diet and this is a filling meal. I’ve only had once before so had to come back and refresh the baking stages. ❤️

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      05.12.2023

      That filling sounds fantastic! What a great simple dinner idea.

      • Stanley and Andrea
        07.18.2023

        4 stars
        Edgefield SC has the best sweet potatoes

  13. Danny
    04.06.2023

    5 stars
    I followed instructions as is, and came out great ..
    I did have to cook for longer though since the potatoe I used was on the larger side.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      04.07.2023

      So glad you enjoyed the baked sweet potato!

  14. Lara M
    03.08.2023

    5 stars
    The cooking time is perfect absolutely the best baked sweet potato ever!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.10.2023

      Hi Lara, so glad you loved it!

  15. Dawn Marnell
    02.03.2023

    5 stars
    They turned out great, thank you!

  16. Judy
    01.14.2023

    My family has never poked holes in sweet potatoes and has had no problems.

  17. Reg Sypher
    12.02.2022

    5 stars
    You can use the left over mashed sweet potato to make salmon cakes.

    • Sandy
      11.06.2023

      That sounds delicious! Do you have a recipe?

  18. Sue C
    11.20.2022

    1 star
    Good afternoon. Not sure if this comment will stay posted but I did exactly what you stated. Preheat oven to 425, wash the postatoes scrub if really dirty and within 15 minutes I smelt something burning. Check the oven and there was smoke coming off the pan but I didn’t see fire. I left them in for another 10 minutes and the burnt smell was getting so bad, I turned on the fan and opened the storage drawer in fear of a fire breaking out. The smoke was that strong. Turns out, in just 25 minutes, every potato was burnt on the bottom. I have now started cooking them one by one in the microwave. Am I the only person this happened to? Anyone know why it happened? smoking

    • Gayle Mallinger
      11.20.2022

      I have done this on a foil lined baking sheet forever and have never had them burn…that being said, if you do t put them on a baking sheet, they may drip into the oven and that could have been the issue…just my thoughts.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      11.22.2022

      Hi Sue, I would check that your oven is calibrated to the correct temperature that it’s reading. I check mine from time to time with a separate oven thermometer.

    • Lowell Thompson
      11.26.2022

      There should be no oil in the bottom of your pan. Also your oven rack should be in the middle and not close to the top so they won’t broil. I just put 1/2 tsp of oil in the palm of my hand and rub it on each potato. Then sprinkle as much salt as you like in your hand and thoroughly rub it on each potato. I wash them thoroughly and eat the whole potato, skin and all. I do mine at 400° for an even hour. I then turn the oven off and let them cook in there. Hope this helps.

    • Safaa
      12.09.2022

      I’m making it now and same thing happened to me. I don’t know why

    • Sue
      12.11.2022

      Hi Sue, whatever the problem it’s definitely not worth a 1 star on the review. Come on.

    • CF3
      01.13.2023

      5 stars
      So, sweet potatoes carry more sugars that other potatoes, even Japanese Sweet potatoes. When the sugers begin to cook and seep through the holes you have poked, it will cook and burn into a black, smelly mass producing black smoke as well, just like burning sugar in any other application.

      Here are a few pointers to help you avoid this…1. Poke less holes. You really only need to poke with a fork at each end and 1 on top. Not much is needed. You only need enough to allow the potato to release pressure from inside of itself but honestly poking holes aren’t necessary on sweet potatoes, as the skins usually have natural ventilation. They are required for white, baking potatoes. 2. Poke holes only on one side and place that side facing up in the oven. That will help slow the drippings from reaching foil and burning. 3. Place foil or foil wrapped pan on the rack below the rack the sweet potatoes are on. I place mine directly on the rack above the foil. That’s my preferred way.
      Outside of that, you can turn the oven down if your potatoes are on the smaller side as the sugars generally take 30-40 minutes to work their way out and it usually means the potatoes are done. With that in mind. Pay attention while you cook. Produce is like meats, following directions to a “T” might not work for your setup or the cooking objects. Adjust accordingly.

      • Deborah Baron
        03.24.2023

        Exactly right. I have been baking sweet potatoes for 40 years–directly on the oven rack with a sheet of foil spread out on the rack below (don’t put foil on the whole rack, just underneath where the potatoes are. Poke three holes only on the top, one on each end and in the middle. Bake at 425 degrees for 45-50 min, but depends on the size of the potatoes. Check smaller ones at 40 minutes. The drippings will land on the foil. If they start to burn, it means the potatoes are probably done! Also, if the drippings burn on the foil you can just pull it out of the oven easily and put a new piece in. I always check the potatoes every 15 minutes. It’s not that hard, and actually, as soon as you see juices bubbling out of the holes you poked, it won’t be long before the potatoes are done.

      • Beth
        12.24.2023

        5 stars
        Very helpful hints. Thank you!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.12.2023

      Hi Sue, I’ve never had this happen, it sounds like your oven might not be evenly heating.

    • Jes
      07.31.2023

      Sounds like your pan was dirty. Probably old oil or residue on the pan &/or in the oven. Definitely not the recipe at fault.

    • Felicity
      09.17.2023

      Your oven temperature might not be accurate. I am almost positive mine runs hotter than indicated. Haven’t used a thermometer to check this, but I always decrease bake times for everything I put in the oven (since I haven’t actually measured the temp) and the results are always great. I am cooking the sweet potato now.

  19. Mark
    11.15.2022

    Because it’s a baked potato how much you put on it afterwards is up to you

  20. Francene
    11.14.2022

    Directions state 425º for 40 to 50 minutes. Hope this helps.

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We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.