Go Back Email Link
+ servings
A baked sweet potato with a crispy skin.
Print Recipe
5 from 33 votes

The Perfect Baked Sweet Potatoes

Learn how to make the perfect baked sweet potatoes every time! Sweet potatoes are a great canvas to build so many meals around.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 142kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400º F.
  • Wash sweet potatoes, and brush lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, to taste.
  • Baked sweet potatoes for 40 minutes - 90 minutes, or until the flesh has reduced and is very soft. The skin will very easily pull off the potatoes when they are ready. Smaller potatoes (less than 3 inches in diameter) will take closer to 40 minutes. Very large potatoes will take 90 minutes.

Video

Notes

Do a "poke test" to see if they are ready -- they should greatly yield to the touch. The skins will "puff up" around the flesh and an air pocket forms around the reduced flesh.
This takes a bit of practice! They will start to feel this way about 30 minutes before they are really done. Just be patient, and keep baking them.
I like to pull on the skin. If the sweet potatoes are ready, the skin pulls off very easily.
When you cut open the sweet potato, you want it to very easily "squish" and come off a fork very creamy.
If you're baking a purple sweet potato, the process is slight different, because they are lower in sugar and have a more dry texture.

Nutrition

Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 71mg | Potassium: 438mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 18445IU | Vitamin C: 3.1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 0.8mg