Baked Sweet Potato – How to Bake Sweet Potatoes

A baked sweet potato is delicious! We will teach you how to bake sweet potatoes with this simple guide and they’ll be perfect every time!

A hot steamy sweet potato fresh from the oven is one of my favorite treats.  I have nailed down the perfect process! And bonus it’s really simple to bake a sweet potato! I like to enjoy mine with some whipped butter and a steak salad.  Mmmmmm.  You guys, my mouth is watering.

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Baked Sweet Potato

Oven Baked Sweet Potato Ingredients

• Sweet Potato – any size sweet potato works, but keep in mind the larger the sweet potato the longer it will take to cook.  When I first learned how to roast a sweet potato I would do the biggest one I could find.  But now I like to prepare a smaller sweet potato, or several, so they don’t take as long.
• Oil – We are fans of olive oil, but butter, ghee, rendered bacon fat, coconut oil, or other vegetable oil would work too.
• Optional: salt, butter, cinnamon, sugar

Preparation

Do you have to peel a sweet potato?

You do not have to peel a sweet potato!  In fact I do not recommend peeling a sweet potato before baking it.  All that does is remove nutrients and create more work for you.  So I will say definitively, don’t peel your potato!

How do you bake a sweet potato in foil?

In learning how to cook a sweet potato, I tried many methods, and while you can do it in foil, I actually prefer not to.  When you bake a sweet potato without foil, the skin crisps up nicely, and I feel like it even cooks just a little bit faster.

Not to mention, so much less waste if you’re not wrapping each sweet potato in foil.

What toppings to put on a baked sweet potato?

Traditional toppings are cinnamon, butter, and even marshmallows!  I am more of a savory sweet potato fan though, so I love a dollop of butter and some seasoned salt or a basic spice rub.  Yum.

Sometimes I’ll throw a scoop of Wendy’s chili or my favorite chili recipe (no beans) on top!

Nutrition

Are sweet potatoes healthy?

Sweet potatoes are very healthy, they contain high amounts of fiber, potassium, and vitamin A.  And they contain more overall nutrients with fewer calories as compared to their Russet counterparts.  Not to mention, a baked sweet potato will keep you full for a long time!

Finish this recipe with our serving suggestions

I love this sweet potato recipe alongside our healthy turkey meatloaf, or slow cooker crack chicken recipe, some easy roasted asparagus or classic green bean casserole, and a glass of wine.  Finish the meal off with our lemon mousse recipe (only 3 ingredients!).

More Sweet Potato Recipes

Grandma’s Sweet Potato Casserole | Sweet Potato Sausage Hash | Sweet Potato Peanut Curry Soup | Rack of Pork with Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes | Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds | Melting Sweet Potatoes | How to Bake a Sweet Potato in the Crock Pot 

Tools we love

• Vegetable Scrubber – Vegetable scrubbers are an easy way to get your veggies clean!  I also keep an extra one on hand for scrubbing my sink.  Don’t worry, I never use the sink scrubber for vegetable cleaning! Ew!
• Baking Sheets – I love my giant baking sheets and you see us use them on the live show all the time.  You just can’t beat that kind of surface area.
• Silicone Baking Mats – You guys. Nothing sticks to these.  Nothing.  Literally.  In the literal sense of the word.  Get you some and thank me later!
• Salt Grinder – There’s something weirdly satisfying to me about grinding salt.  I’m basically a pioneer.  Be like me. Grind salt and be awesome.

How to bake a sweet potato

5 from 2 votes

Baked Sweet Potato - How to Bake a Sweet Potato Perfectly

Created by: April Woods

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

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A baked sweet potato is delicious! We will teach you how to bake them with this simple guide and they'll be perfect every time!

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ Sweet potatoes
• ▢ Oil This time I used coconut oil, but olive oil is also delicious
• ▢ optional: seasoned salt cinnamon, butter

Instructions

• Scrub potatoes with cold water. Dry and set on a foil lined baking sheet. Poke lots of holes in your taters with a fork or paring knife. Be careful, these bad boys are dense.
• Rub potatoes lightly with oil (and optionally sprinkle with a little bit of seasoned salt).
• Bake at 400 degrees for 40 -60 minutes (depending on the size of your potatoes).
• Serve with a pat of butter and sprinkle of cinnamon.
• Enjoy!

Notes

Calories are automatically generated. For best results calculate based on your exact ingredients.

Nutrition

Calories: 130kcal

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Recipe FAQS

Can you eat the skin of a baked sweet potato?

Yes, not only can you eat the skin , but you should as it is full of nutrients.

What is the difference between yams and sweet potatoes?

While often used interchangeably (especially in the US), yams and sweet potatoes are different vegetables. Yams are more starchy (like yucca) and sweet potatoes have a sweet flavor.

Which is healthier sweet potato or yam?

A sweet potato contains more nutritional value than a yam.

 

 

originally published: Jul 8, 2012