Baked Sweet Potato is quite possibly the most delicious and nutritious veggie ever! A delicately sweet taste and fluffy interior make these oven baked sweet potatoes the perfect side dish for your next meal!
There are endless recipes that call for sweet potatoes! Sweet Potato Casserole, sweet potato pie or roasted sweet potatoes are all delicious options!
I have to admit though that, while I love these dishes, I love a simple baked sweet potato topped with a little bit of butter and sour cream even more!
Sweet Potato (or Yam?)
Sweet potatoes are a starchy and sweet-tasting root vegetable and similar to a regular potato they can be boiled, fried or baked.
Many people mistake sweet potatoes for yams. While both are root vegetables, there is a difference between sweet potatoes and yams. Sweet potatoes have a general shape and size of a regular potato, but the ends come to a bit of a point. Yams, however, are narrower and more cylindrical in shape. Often sweet potatoes are labeled as yams in supermarkets, leading to more confusion!
The sweet potato is a nutritional powerhouse; they are a good source of fiber, vitamins such as Vitamin B and C, as well as minerals like calcium and potassium. They are also known for their antioxidant, beta-carotene which helps with healthy skin, helps with our immunity and overall good health.
How to Store Sweet Potatoes
Raw Sweet Potatoes: Raw sweet potatoes should be stored in a cool, dark, dry and well-ventilated place. Avoid storing them in a refrigerator as this changes the cell structure of the potato making them take longer to cook and affecting the flavor.
Cooked Sweet Potatoes: Once cooked, you can store sweet potatoes just like any other potato. They will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or you can freeze them for 3-4 months in an airtight container.
How to Bake Sweet Potatoes
Learning how to bake sweet potatoes in the oven is one of the easiest things to do!
- Foil: You can cook them in foil but don’t have to (I prefer a crisper skin so I don’t bother with foil).
- Prep: Season and poke the sweet potato with a fork a few times (to allow steam to escape).
- Bake: for about 1 hour or until tender when the sweet potato is pierced with a fork.
If you use the flesh in another recipe, you can allow it to cool completely and then peel the skin off.
How to Bake Sweet Potatoes in Foil: Use the exact method as above wrapping in foil before cooking. The skin will be softer if foil wrapped.
How Long to Bake Sweet Potatoes
A higher oven temperature when making baked sweet potatoes gives a crisper exterior.
If you have other items in the oven, like Oven Fried Chicken or Lemon Roast Chicken, the temperature will be at 375°F which is what I bake sweet potatoes at. If you’re cooking at a different temperature, adjust to the cooking times below.
Baked Sweet Potato Cooking Times
- 350°F 60 to 75 minutes
- 375°F 50 to 60 minutes
- 400°F 40 to 50 minutes
Keep in mind sweet potatoes can vary in size which can change the cooking time slightly. You’ll want to make sure they’re soft when poked with a fork.
Sweet potatoes are such a versatile vegetable and can be used in many recipes.
What do you put on a baked sweet potato if you choose to enjoy it by itself? I like to top it just like I would top a regular baked potato. A little butter and sour cream is so delicious!
Other Toppings for Baked Sweet Potatoes:
- Butter, cinnamon, brown sugar
- Pulled pork, corn and cheddar
- Ground Beef Taco Meat and all the taco fixin’s
- Marshmallows, pecans and butter (cut the sweet potato and allow them to melt)
- Buffalo Shredded Chicken – The spice is amazing with sweet potatoes!
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 sweet potatoes or as many as desired
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Wash and dry the potatoes. Poke about 3-4 times on each side.
- Rub the skin with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake 50-60 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Allow to cool 5 minutes before cutting open.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Side Dish
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More Side Dish Recipes You’ll Love
- Easy Baked Zucchini – Summertime favorite
- Roasted Root Vegetables – Sweet and flavorful
- Sweet Potato Salad – Best ever bbq side dish!
- Twice Baked Potatoes – Make ahead and freeze
- Roasted Butternut Squash – Leftovers are delicious in salads
I baked the sweet potatoes as written and then pushed the perfectly tender flesh through a ricer. They were so good that I put them on the table without adding butter or sugar!
For toppings, consider
1. honey mustard/Dijon chicken (with sauce, chives, and corn),
2. black bean or regular chili (with corn and sour cream),
3. Not a topping for the potato but the potato as a topping for toast (and if you want to get hearty, add baked beans and sautéed mushrooms and/or bacon).
Thanks for sharing the great topping ideas!
This baked sweet potato recipe is really an amazing recipe. Thanks for sharing this recipe with all of us. Also do check out my special baked sweet potato recipe as well.
This recipe was amazing! My family loved it. We are all vegetarian so we had the regular toppings like green onions sour cream and cheese but replaced the meat with veggie sausage. Even the vegetable haters in my family loved it! I have to say I much prefer these sweet potatoes to normal baked potatoes as they’re full of flavor. I will definitely make theses again.
So happy to hear you all loved it Audrey!
I’m sorry to inform you. But your completely off on knowledge of sweet potato. We have no yams in the U.S. Only different varieties of sweet potato. Within those varieties is where you get ahapea ,color and texture.These varieties are called many things. I dont know which is correct. I do know that is is a blond one that is smooth and creamy. A orange inside one that is a bit grainy and less creamy and a ruby colored one I have not tried. Hope this knowledge is helpful.
Thanks for the info Kandace, you are in fact correct and this aligns with the information in the post. A true yam is not as common in North America, but you can find them in specialty or international stores.
Sweet potatoes are often mislabeled which certainly causes even more confusion. Various sweet potatoes can certainly have a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. You can find more details regarding differences here.
You are absolutely WRONG. In KROGER, we have a variety of yams AND sweet potatoes. Before you start spreading your lies, learn your own facts first.
Try a little butter and then some quacamole and a spoon full of salsa and a sprinkle of Colby jack cheese. My daughter came up with this and I love it
That sounds like such a good topping for these sweet potatoes! Thanks for sharing!
I baked them just like you said very good but i put butter, honey, cinnamon, and walnuts. Mmmgood
Yummy topping ideas Gary!
I’ve never heard if sour cream on sweet potatos
It’s delicious!
I also had never heard of sour cream on a baked sweet potato. Ordered one at a restaurant and there was a mixup on my toppings, it came with sour cream and chives. I sent it back. Butter and cinnamon is how we like ours.
To each his own!!
The cooking times worked, but I can’t stop laughing at seeing butter and sour cream on a sweet potato! I’ve never met another person on earth that eats sweet potatoes the same way they eat regular baked potatoes. Some people put ketchup on fried eggs though so I guess it takes all kinds… literally none of the suggested toppers are even listed on a menu I’ve ever seen in Georgia. Clarified butter and light brown sugar or bust!
:) I love the savory toppings with my sweet potatoes, especially the combination of tart sour cream!
At home, I grew up with butter, salt, and pepper on a baked potato,and just brown sugar, a little cinnamon, and butter on a sweet potato. Maybe it’s a Northern thing, but sour cream on a baked potato was a ritzy thing lol. After getting older and with my tastes mature, I find I eat my whites and sweets with sour cream as often as I do butter, and my choice depends on how I fel that day, or what my main dish is. But, no matter what, I love a crisp skin.
Sounds perfect to me Sheryl! Thank you for sharing.
Hi, I really think this could help this website
I do baked sweet potatoes as a side dish at least once a week. My fiance and I LOVE them. I like your method – normally I wrap in foil, but this way turned out even better!
So glad you both loved them Heather, we love them too!!