Baked Sweet Potatoes

Freshly baked vegetables straight from the oven, topped with melting butter.

5 from 11 votes

Cutting sweet potatoes in half is the secret to perfect baked sweet potatoes in less time! Roasting halves gives you caramelized edges and a soft, fluffy interior—delicious and quick!

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Baked Sweet Potatoes

Servings: sweet potatoes

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $4.61

Equipment

Sheet pan (15" x 10")
Parchment paper or silicone baking mat

Ingredients

4 (10 to 13 ounces each) medium sweet potatoes not yams, scrubbed clean and halved lengthwise
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

US - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large, dark, sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. The parchment paper helps the potatoes cook evenly without the cut side getting too hard.
Thoroughly scrub potatoes in cold water to remove all dirt and debris. Completely dry potatoes and cut them in half lengthwise.
Place potatoes flesh-side down on sheet pan. Pierce the skin side of the potato 3 to 4 times with a fork. Flip potatoes flesh-side up. Drizzle oil over potatoes and take your time to rub the oil into both sides of the potatoes so all parts are covered. Evenly sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon salt over potatoes (3/4 teaspoon for all potatoes, not each). Add 1/8 teaspoon pepper to the flesh sides of potatoes. Flip again so potatoes are flesh-side down. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper over skins of the potatoes.
Bake 30–37 minutes (depending on size of potatoes/personal preference for tenderness) until skin looks shriveled and potatoes are tender. A 5 to 6-ounce potato will cook in around 25–27 minutes, 6 to 8 ounce in around 30 minutes, and 9–11 ounce in around 33–37 minutes. Potatoes are done when a fork inserted into the biggest potato goes in easily. If not, bake 5 more minutes and repeat.
Remove from oven and serve with your favorite toppings. I like a pat of butter and sprinkle of brown sugar with a little sea salt!

Video

Notes

Storage: Baked sweet potatoes are best the same day. Let them cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container for 2–3 days or freeze wrapped in foil or plastic for up to 3 months.

Nutrition