Whole Baked Sweet Potatoes

Written by
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about our editorial process
Diana Rattray
Portrait of Diana Rattray smiling
Published on 09/20/19 by Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats's Editorial Process

Updated 09/20/19

Baked Sweet Potato With Cinnamon Sugar
Diana Rattray
  • Total: 55 mins
  • Prep: 10 mins
  • Cook: 45 mins
  • Yield: 4 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
1074 Calories
116g Fat
11g Carbs
1g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 servings
Amount per serving
Calories 1074
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 116g 149%
Saturated Fat 11g 54%
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 95mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Protein 1g
Calcium 19mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

One of the easiest ways to cook sweet potatoes is to bake them in the oven. There's no need to wrap them individually in foil, either. The whole potatoes bake perfectly fine on a sheet of foil and this particular recipe is even more delicious.

After baking, butter is added to the sweet potatoes, then they're seasoned. You can choose to go simple with salt and pepper or savory with paprika. They're also delicious with cinnamon sugar for a sweetly-spiced flavor. The options don't stop there, and there are more ways you can dress up this easy side dish so it suits any family dinner.

Unlike white potatoes, sweet potatoes are firm and somewhat grainy. They're closer in texture to butternut squash or a turnip than a white potato, which is why they take a bit longer to cook. Also, their skins can be tough and lumpy. Make sure to give them a good scrubbing to make the skins palatable.

Ingredients

  • 4 medium sweet potatoes (uniform in size)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or olive oil)
  • 2 tablespoons butter (or to taste)
  • Salt (to taste)
  • Ground black pepper (to taste)
  • Optional: paprika or cinnamon sugar

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place a sheet of foil on the oven rack or line a baking pan with foil.

  3. Scrub the sweet potatoes thoroughly and rub vegetable oil all over each potato. Prick each potato in several places with a fork to aerate.

  4. Arrange the potatoes on the foil and bake for about 45 minutes, or until they are fork-tender. 

  5. Cut a 1 1/2-inch "X" in the center of each baked sweet potato. Hold a potato with a potholder and press upwards until the filling "bursts" up through the cuts. Alternatively, cut the baked sweet potatoes in half lengthwise to serve.

  6. Top with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper or paprika or a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.

  7. Serve and enjoy!

Tip

  • Try to find sweet potatoes that are uniform in size so they will bake evenly. The skin should be firm and smooth with no wrinkles. Store sweet potatoes in a cool, dark place.
  • To make the cinnamon sugar, combine 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar with 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Blend well.

Recipe Variations

  • Top the finished sweet potatoes with shredded Swiss cheese and cooked crumbled bacon. Put them on a foil-lined baking sheet and place them under the broiler just until the cheese has melted.
  • Sprinkle the sweet potatoes with cinnamon sugar and put a few miniature marshmallows on each one. Place them on a foil-lined baking sheet and place them under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the marshmallows.
  • Alternatively, after sprinkling each buttered sweet potato lightly with cinnamon sugar, drizzle a teaspoon or two of maple syrup or honey on top.
  • To give the potatoes a more savory flavor, use coconut oil instead of butter, and sprinkle with a teaspoon each of curry powder and cumin. Replace the sugar with brown sugar.

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