Baked Sweet Potatoes
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How to make the BEST baked sweet potatoes! We’ll give you hints on how to get a crispy crust and fluffy potatoes inside.
Sometimes simple is the best. You don’t have to make fancy side dishes to bring smiles to your family’s faces. These baked sweet potatoes are easy and only take 5 minutes prep. Don’t forget to poke holes in the potatoes to prevent a mess in the oven.


Sweet potatoes can be your new favorite side dish.
I didn’t eat too many sweet potatoes when I was growing up, but we eat them on a weekly basis now.
I love how they are naturally sweet…and their vibrant color is hard to pass up. They are versatile and can be used in sweet potato breads and sweet potato pie. But today we’re keeping things simple and teaching you how to make THE BEST baked sweet potatoes.
For a crispy skin, don’t wrap the potatoes in foil before baking. This will “steam” the skin and will not produce a crispy crust. Some will say the potatoes cook faster if they are wrapped in foil, but fast is not our goal here. Crispy skin and amazing flavor is our goal!
Baked sweet potatoes are a great base for just about anything. We’ve topped them with pulled pork, taco fixings and even roast beef. If you’re looking for something a little simpler, try butter, maple syrup, brown sugar or a sprinkling of cinnamon.
Enjoy! -Julie
Do you poke holes in potatoes before baking?
Yes!!! In all honesty, we’ve never had a potato explode, but we’ve heard the horror stories. Poking holes in the potato helps steam to escape which will hopefully prevent potatoes being splattered all over your oven. Take the time to poke holes. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.


Baked Sweet Potatoes
How to make the BEST baked sweet potatoes! We’ll give you hints on how to get a crispy crust and fluffy potatoes inside. Plus the best sweet potato toppings!
Servings 4
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 whole sweet potatoes (washed and dried)
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Wash and dry the potatoes. Pierce the potato 2-3 times with a fork. 4 whole sweet potatoes
- Rub oil all over the potatoes. Rub salt all over the potatoes. ¼ cup oil, 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
- Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for about 45-60 minutes. The exact baking time will depend on how large the potatoes are. The potato should be tender inside if you poke a fork into it.
- Serve with butter, maple syrup, brown sugar or cinnamon.
Video
Notes
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the recipe making 4 potatoes, with 1 serving being 1 baked potato. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. **
Nutrition
Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 1868mg | Potassium: 762mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 32063IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 1mg
Other Recipes to Love
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole
- Our Favorite Potato Recipes
- Use sweet potatoes with our pulled pork baked potato recipe!







Thank you for explaining why holes are needed. I have never baked any potatoes before so I appreciate the detailed instruction. Also, you and your daughters are too cute! Love the family pic.
Awesome!!! This was just like restaurant style! Thank you so much for sharing!
Vet informative and helpful, and a great video Julie. I’ve included your page in a mini sweet potato recipe roundup for flexitarians.
Simply wonderful! My favorite potato! Thanks for the idea and the simple way to prepare these!