A perfectly baked sweet potato is one of my favorite side dishes. It’s incredibly easy to make, endlessly versatile, and always a delicious and healthy addition to any meal.
Why You’ll Love These Baked Sweet Potatoes
A perfectly baked sweet potato has long been one of my go-to vegetable side dishes. It pairs beautifully with weeknight dinners like baked chicken breast or baked pork chops, and during the holidays, it’s right at home next to a roast chicken or prime rib. The sweet potato’s natural sweetness and soft, fluffy texture make it an easy addition to meals. Plus, it’s a great vehicle for both savory and sweet toppings. Here’s what else you’ll love:
- It’s nutrient-dense. Sweet potatoes are rich in fiber (making them great for digestion), a variety of vitamins, and antioxidants like beta-carotene, which gives the potato its vibrant orange color!
- It’s super versatile. Enjoy a baked sweet potato plain with a pat of butter or stuff it with chicken and veggies for a filling, delicious meal. See more ideas below!
- It’s great for meal prep. I love scooping out the flesh for a quick version of mashed sweet potatoes and repurposing it for other meals throughout the week.
Baked Sweet Potato Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes: While orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are classic, you can use any variety or color of sweet potato in this recipe, from orange to white and purple!
- Salt, black pepper, and butter: A simple trio to enhance the flavor of the sweet potato flesh once baked.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to Bake Sweet Potatoes
- Step one: Give them a good scrub! Sweet potatoes may look clean at the store, but they’re often still dusty from the farm. Rinse them well under running water and use a scrub brush to remove any dirt. Pat dry with a paper towel.
- Step two: Grab a fork or sharp knife and poke each sweet potato 4 to 5 times. This helps steam escape as they bake, preventing any bursting.
- Step three: Place the potatoes on a baking tray and bake at 400°F (200°C) for about one hour. Since sweet potatoes vary in size, check for doneness by inserting a knife. It should glide in easily. If it’s still firm, let them go for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Cooking Tips
- Sweet potatoes sometimes ooze sugary juice while baking, which can caramelize and stick to your pan. To prevent a mess, line your baking tray with parchment paper.
- There’s no need to oil the skin or wrap it in foil. They bake up perfectly as-is.
- If baking multiple potatoes, try to choose ones that are similar in size so they cook evenly.
- Sweet potatoes are pretty forgiving with temperature. If you’re cooking other items in the oven at 375°F (190°C), add the sweet potatoes and cook them 15 minutes longer. If you’re cooking other items in the oven at 425°F (220°C), your sweet potatoes will be done about 15 minutes sooner. But again, this is all dependent on the size of your sweet potato.
The Difference Between a Sweet Potato and a Yam
Sweet potatoes and yams are both root vegetables, but they’re actually quite different. To make matters confusing, most yams sold in supermarkets in the United States are actually sweet potatoes, just marketed under the wrong name. But if you’ve bought what looks like the vegetable in these photos, odds are it’s a variety of sweet potato, even though it may have been called a yam in the store.
- Yams: These tend to have brownish, rougher skin and lighter flesh. They’re also starchier and drier when cooked.
- Sweet potatoes: These have more tapered ends, reddish-orange skin, and vibrant orange flesh. Though they can come in a variety of colors, from white to orange to purple. Sweet potatoes are also sweeter (hence their name) when they’re cooked.
Ways To Serve
- Make stuffed sweet potatoes. Fill them with shredded chicken, pulled pork, roasted chickpeas, or ground meat, plus sautéed veggies and your favorite toppings. Endless combos!
- Enjoy as a classic side. Serve them whole or scoop out the flesh and mash it with some herbed compound butter for a quick sweet potato mash. I also love adding this to my breakfast plate with fried eggs—it’s so delicious and filling!
Storage Tips
Just place whole or halved potatoes (or even the scooped-out flesh) into an airtight container and store in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
For longer storage, freeze the sweet potatoes in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, reheat them in the microwave for a couple of minutes or warm them in a 350°F (175°C) oven until heated through.
More Sweet Potato Recipes
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes: This diced sweet potato is a meal prep staple!
- Sweet Potato Soup: Perfect for chilly days.
- Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash: Most delicious fall breakfast.
- Sweet Potato Casserole: A must-make for the holidays.
- Or give these other sweet potato recipes a try!
If you make this baked sweet potato recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
Description
Video
Equipment
- Heavy Duty Baking Sheet My favorite set of sheet pans!
Ingredients
- 4 sweet potatoes
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- optional: butter
Instructions
- Scrub potatoes. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Give your sweet potatoes a good wash and scrub.
- Poke the potatoes. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and poke 4 to 5 holes in each sweet potato with a fork or sharp knife.
- Bake in the oven for approximately 60 minutes, or until soft. To test if they're done, poke them with a fork or knife. You should should feel very little resistance when inserted.
Lisa’s Tips
- Storage tip: Place whole or halved potatoes (or even the scooped-out flesh) into an airtight container and store in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze the sweet potatoes in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.Â
- The scrub brush I use for my sweet potatoes is a great tool to have in the kitchen for washing a variety of vegetables.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally posted January 2019, but updated with new photos and information for your benefit!
Roasting makes these easy and delicious! I love how the skin can be enjoyed right along with the sweet potato. Toppings are fun, but sweet potatoes prepared this way are also delicious on their own. Yum!
I couldn’t agree more, Suzanne! Baked sweet potatoes on their own are incredible.
So simple yet I had never tried to make them this way. I was shocked they turned out so soft and the skin peeled right off. Love it!
Hi Suleika – This is such a simple way to enjoy sweet potatoes! Glad you love it. Enjoy!
A happy Thank You for your recipes. I have been cooking for 60 something years and your recipes are fresh, full of flavour and simple. I do appreciate the up to date arrangements of the recipes and your Notes are a brilliant are on. Ruth, Brisbane, Australia.
Oh, you’re so sweet. Thanks so much, Ruth! I appreciate the kind words and I’m thrilled that you love my recipes. :)
I haven’t seen anyone yet mention my fave recipe for sweet potatoes, which is to add butter, brown sugar or maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Doesn’t anyone else eat them this way?
Hi Manon – that combination sounds really similar to my candied yams recipe. Have you tried that one yet?
Made these sweet potatoes tonight. Easy prep and cooking these baked sweet potatoes. They peaked away from the skin so easily and were cooked perfectly! I’ve always used foil, but not anymore!!
I’m glad you enjoyed this baked sweet potato, Susan!
I am trying this tonight. It looks so good and super easy. Thank you
hi , Wow this is super easy. Thanks for the help
I would like to buy your cookbook please but I live in south Australia
Can u help me
Hi Debbie – make sure to click the cookbook link at the top of my website. You’ll find information for international orders.
I honestly just eat baked sweet potatoes plain, and a way since I was a kid is to split a whole one in half after the outside is cool enough to touch, and eat it like an ice cream cone, sometimes with a spoon…. sometimes not ;)
Here in Canada we have it the opposite way, sweet potatoes are white and yams are red 😂Â
Haha! It seems to be very different everywhere!
This worked great and the baked sweet potatoes were super tasty! Thanks for the tips!
Wonderful! I’m happy you enjoyed the baked sweet potatoes and found the tips helpful, Erin!
I love baked potatoes, skin and all. Can you eat sweet potatoes skin like you can a regular potatoe?
yes you can. Just be sure to wash before baking.
I made the sweet potatoes like the recipe called for! They turned out great 😊Â
Wow this is super easy. Thanks for the help
I adore sweet potatoes but never would have thought to add BBQ chicken to it! Fantastic!
I enjoy sweet potatoes. I buy large sweet potatoes, nuke it, then just eat half. Next day, when I reheat the potato, it appears to have shrunk.
Am I better off nuking just a half at a time?
Hi Sharon – I think it’s probably still easier to microwave a whole potato, and reheat leftovers.
I bake 1-2 medium-sized sweet potato(es) in the Microwave for ca. 8-9 minutes.
First time baking sweet potatoes and it did not disappoint! Super easy to make!
Perfection once again! I baked these and then skinned then before smooshing them into a small container to store for an easy breakfast option. I love sweet potatoes in my breakfast bowl with a plain Greek yogurt, fruit, sausage, nuts or nut butter.
Hi Jess – Sounds like the perfect Downshiftology breakfast bowl :) I’m glad you loved this recipe!
Lisa I’m am officially addicted to sweet potatoes now! This recipie is so verities and very delicious on its own. Sweet potatoes are now my favorite food. Thank Lisa!
Hi Tim – Happy to hear you love sweet potatoes as much as I do now! They are such a versatile spud, so you’ll definitely have to try my other sweet potato recipes soon :)
Wow just baked my first two sweet potatoes ever, nice big fat ones too! Just some butter and a pinch of brown sugar, absolutely amazing with baked chicken and summer squash/zucchini :) wifey loved it as well! New favorite healthy carb! (As long as I go easy on the brown sugar lol)
Hi Benny – Congrats on baking your first sweet potatoes! I’m glad you and your wife loved this recipe :)
Delicious
Thanks Debbie! Glad you enjoyed the sweet potatoes. :)
Super easy and delicious.
Thank you, Adriana! I’m so glad you loved the sweet potatoes! :)
I find it’s easier to poke the medium size sweet potatoes with a steak knife and then wash & cotton towel dry them .Afterwards coat then in Smart Balance, sprinkle cinnamon powder and Splenda or Stevia on them,tap each one in Aluminium foil, wrapped side up.bake at 400F.for 1hour,in a black iron skillet, use mittens to pull out oven,afterwards .
Hi Brenda – Thanks for sharing your sweet potato baking tips with the community. :)
Thank you for linking the baking sheet used in this recipe! Are there any other baking sheets you have linked on the website? I’m in the market for new ones (for cookies, veggies, etc) and am hoping to find some that will last me a good while!
Hi Carly – all of the products I use and recommend can be found on the Shop page on my website. :)
I love sweet potatoes so much I sometimes have them on their own for dessert. :P I have some chilli in the fridge and I’m now thinking I may use it for dinner, over a perfectly baked sweet potato, with maybe some of your cashew cream, lime and cilantro on top…? Thank you for the inspiration, Lisa!
With a little sprinkle of cinnamon I think they definitely pass for dessert. ;) And love them stuffed with chili as well – that sounds delicious. Enjoy!
Thanks for the reminder about how delicious and nutritious ‘simple’ food can be. Soo good! Good fiber too. Also, thanks for the tip about the veggie scrub brush.
You’re welcome! And yes, great fiber in the sweet potatoes. That veggie brush is the best as well! :)
Lisa, I love your videos, recipes, blog posts, all of it! The drone footage was especially beautiful. You are lucky to live near such a beautiful and peaceful place.Â
I have a question about cooking potatoes (sweet and regular). Do you not use a microwave for some health reason? I live alone most of the time and find it easier to cook a single potato in the microwave for the meal I plan to eat at that time.Â
I know you cook for one, also, and I do love your tips on meal preparation. When you bake 4 sweet potatoes in the regular oven, how long will they keep in the fridge afterwards? (It’s probably in one of your videos, but I’ve missed it.) Do you warm them in the regular oven or microwave before eating, or do you eat them cold?
Hi Gwen – I’m so happy you enjoy all my recipes, videos and content! I do use a microwave and you could certainly “bake” them in the microwave. But I had a few requests about baking sweet potatoes in the oven so that’s what prompted using the oven. In terms of storage, you can keep them for 3-4 days in the fridge. After I shot that video I scooped out all the sweet potato, mashed it up and separated it into a few smaller storage containers in the freezer. It will keep for a couple months in the freezer. And then yes, I do use the microwave for reheating as well. Hope that helps! :) x
We love sweet potatoes in our house! Love how you broke the whole process down.
Thanks Sabrina! Glad to hear you’re a sweet potato lover as well. ;) x
First I’d like to say I love your site so much. I just happened to be reading the September/October 2017 issue of Cooks Illustrated, and they had an article on baking a sweet potato…
“Not long ago, we discovered that baking a russet potato in a 450-degree oven for about 45 minutes produced an ideally fluffy interior (see our complete findings at work in our Best Baked Potatoes recipe). But when I followed the same approach using a sweet potato, the interior was dense and watery. Meanwhile, I tried a handful of baked sweet potato recipes and came upon one from chef Michael Solomonov of Philadelphia’s Zahav restaurant that revealed how truly extraordinary a baked sweet potato can be. After the spuds had spent about 3 hours in a 275-degree oven, their interiors were not just tender but downright plush, and their flavor was concentrated to the point of tasting caramelized, with hints of molasses. These were unlike any sweet potatoes I’d ever eaten.”
They then went on to develop a recipe that gave the same results but was faster than 3 hours:
Any variety of orange- or red-skinned, orange-fleshed sweet potato can be used in this recipe, but we highly recommend using Garnet (also sold as Diane). Avoid varieties with tan or purple skin, which are starchier and less sweet than varieties with orange and red skins. When shopping, look for sweet potatoes that are uniform in size and weigh between 8 and 12 ounces (we prefer smaller potatoes). Top potatoes as desired or with one of our two sauces, Garam Masala Yogurt or Garlic and Chive Sour Cream (see related content).
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Place potatoes on large plate and microwave until potatoes yield to gentle pressure and centers register 200 degrees, 6 to 9 minutes, flipping potatoes every 3 minutes.
2. Set wire rack in aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet and spray rack with vegetable oil spray. Using tongs, transfer potatoes to prepared rack and bake for 1 hour (exteriors of potatoes will be lightly browned and potatoes will feel very soft when squeezed).
3. Slit each potato lengthwise; using clean dish towel, hold ends and squeeze slightly to push flesh up and out. Transfer potatoes to serving platter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
I have yet to try this, but I plan to. I thought you might find this interesting. If you have access to Cooks Illustrated, the article is very informative.
A devoted fan,
Lani
Hi Lani – thanks so much for the comprehensive info! It’s always fun to see what others recommend doing and I’ll definitely have to give that approach a try next time. I know many of my readers don’t have microwaves or choose to not use them, but for those who do, it would be an interesting comparison for sure. :) x
What a great idea! Plus it’s good to add protein to carbs, right?!!
Lovely filling ideas.
Yes, it definitely makes it a more complete meal with the BBQ chicken. And with a side salad even better. ;)
I never knew there was a difference between a yam and a sweet potato. I always thought they were one in the same. Excellent tips! I love baking sweet potatoes.
Yes, and it doesn’t help that our supermarkets tend to confuse the matter even more by mislabeling them. ;) I’m glad you enjoyed the tips and hopefully your next baked sweet potato will turn out wonderful! x
Now I’m craving sweet potatoes… this is a great post with lots of helpful tips! Love the idea to use foil to make cleanup easier on your baking sheets.
You could certainly use foil though I prefer parchment paper. Either works though!
I’ve never been a sweet potato fan but I love the idea of this! I’ll have to try it!
You can definitely stuff the sweet potato with a variety of ingredients to jazz up the flavor. :)
I love baked sweet potatoes! They’re so versatile! Thanks for the tips!
They sure are! And I love them *all* the ways. ;)