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Oven Baked Sweet Potatoes

This oven baked sweet potato recipe is easy, has a hands off cook time, and goes perfectly with almost anything.

main image of oven baked sweet potato

Today’s recipe is simple with a foolproof method of cooking. It only has 4 ingredients, 5 minutes of hands on prep time, and is absolutely delicious.

If you are looking for a truly simple side dish, it does not get any easier than this oven baked sweet potato recipe. 

While there are different ways you can bake a potato, this is my favorite way to prepare whole sweet potatoes.

Just be sure to use fresh sweet potatoes. This recipe really highlights the natural sweetness in this vegetable.

If you have baked sweet potatoes in oven before, you will know it really is the best way to give you a great dish that you don’t have to work hard at.

4 washed and cleaned sweet potato

What ingredients are in oven baked sweet potatoes?

  • Sweet Potatoes: pick root vegetables that are firm all over without any cuts or cracks
  • Butter: just a little butter adds a great creamy note over the baked potato
  • Salt: this will take your dish from average to fantastic; do not skip this ingredient!
  • Black Pepper: a hint of spice that also helps your body absorb nutrients from the other food you eat

Pro Tip: Depending on the size of your potatoes, baking times may vary. Try to pick ones that are the same size.

If you cant find ones exactly the same size, get ones where the thickest part of the potato is similar so that one doesn’t need a long time to finish cooking.

fork pricking holes into sweet potatoes prior to baking

How to bake sweet potatoes in the oven:

  1. Heat oven and wash, dry, and poke holes in each sweet potato.
  2. Bake on a sheet pan until tender enough for a large fork to poke easily.
  3. Remove and let sit.
  4. Split open potatoes and add toppings to the sweet potato halves.
  5. Serve while warm!

Pro Tip: While these do not make much of a mess, I always like to line my baking tray with parchment paper. It makes the clean up so easy!

Are sweet potatoes healthy?

Yes! Sweet potatoes have so many great nutrients including vitamin c which is a powerful antioxidant. That makes them a really great choice for a healthy lifestyle.

They are also a good source of fiber. High fiber foods help you feel full longer so your blood sugars don’t drop as fast and you don’t have as many snack cravings. 

fork pricking holes into sweet potatoes prior to baking

Are oven baked sweet potatoes healthy?

Yes! Even with the added tablespoon butter and seasonings, this is still a great way to eat sweet potatoes. It is not overloaded with extra ingredients. 

Do you have to wrap oven baked sweet potatoes in aluminum foil to cook?

No! If you wrap your potatoes in foil, they will steam instead of bake. Because there is so much water in them, it will almost be like boiling your potatoes and they can end up soggy.

For the best texture on the skins of sweet potatoes, leave them unwrapped while baking.

prepared sweet potatoes in casserole dish

Can I make oven baked sweet potatoes ahead of time?

Yes! This is a meal prep game changer since it’s a great savory side for any main dish. Just make a big batch of them since the total time doesn’t change if you make one or if you make 15.

Then let them cool and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. When you are ready to use them, heat them in the oven until warmed through, slice, top, and serve with whatever your main meal is that day.

Can I eat sweet potato skin?

Yes! The skin has most of the nutrients, so if you are eating your sweet potato to be healthy, be sure to eat the skin!

Pro Tip: Be sure to let the seasonings drip over the side of the baked sweet potato in oven onto the crispy skin to give it a great burst of flavor when you eat it!

baked sweet potato in casserole dish

Can dogs have oven baked sweet potatoes?

Yes, but only as a small treat. Do not use sweet potatoes as a meal supplement for your dog.

While sweet potatoes have a lot of important vitamins and minerals in it, it also has too much starch for your pet’s needs. Too much starch can lead to problems like yeast infections.

If your dog enjoys sweet potatoes, go ahead and feed it to them, but not as the only item in their diet.

Also if you are making an oven baked sweet potato for your pup, do not add any extra seasonings like you would for your human friends. The cooked potato is enough for them.

sweet potatoes fresh out of the oven, cut open to show fluffy filling

Are yams and sweet potatoes the same?

No. But if you live in the United States of America, they probably are labeled and described the same way. 

True yams have skin that looks more like tree bark. They also have a really white, starchy fiber inside that is not sweet.

If you buy canned yams, the ingredient list is sweet potatoes. So it is confusing, but just know that most candied “yams” you think of are actually sweet potatoes.

But baked oven sweet potatoes will never be confused with yams, so that is another reason to always serve them baked!

dollops of butter on top of opened sweet potato

What to serve with oven baked sweet potato:

  • Fish: salmon, trout, halibut, cod
  • Steak: try swapping an oven baked sweet potato for a regular potato; you will love how the flavors work together
  • Chicken: grilled, roasted, rotisserie, bbq chicken, however you love it
  • Veggies: portabello mushroom, squash, carrots, green salads, your favorite vegetable

How long do sweet potatoes last?

Raw sweet potatoes can be stored in a food pantry or cellar in perfect conditions for up to 6 weeks. Some places they can go longer.

But if you live in a hot or humid climate, your sweet potatoes might only last a week before going bad.

Oven baked sweet potatoes can last a week in the fridge before needing to be used or frozen.

3 sweet potatoes on a plate cut open and ready to eat.

What do you do with leftover oven baked sweet potatoes?

If you don’t want to save them for easy side dishes later in the week, baked sweet potatoes are the perfect leftovers to turn into one of these other dishes:

  • Sweet Potato Fries
  • Sweet Potato Casserole
  • Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
  • Sweet Potato Cubes in a Breakfast Hash

Is sweet potato a vegetable?

Yes! It is one of the starchy vegetables, but it is a vegetable. 

zoomed in image of sweet potatoes with fluffy filling

More Sweet Potato Recipes You’ll Love…

This oven baked sweet potato is a perfect side dish and an easy recipe for any time of the year.

Yield: 4 Servings

Oven Baked Sweet Potatoes

zoomed in image of sweet potatoes with fluffy filling

This oven baked sweet potato recipe is easy, has a hands off cook time, and goes perfectly with almost anything.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Additional Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425*F
  2. Wash each sweet potato and pat dry.
  3. Prick each sweet potato 5 - 6 times with a fork all around.
  4. Place potatoes in a 9x13 casserole dish.
  5. Bake for 45 minutes or until they are soft to a fork.
  6. Once cooked through, remove from the oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
  7. Once cool enough to touch, cut down the center and press ends towards the center to split the potato.
  8. Add 1 Tablespoon butter, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper to each potato..

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 102Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 620mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g

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