How to Bake a Sweet Potato (2024)

By: April Woods On: 6/7/18 • This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

A baked sweet potato is delicious! We will teach you how to bake sweet potatoes with this simple guide and they’ll be perfect every time!

A hot steamy sweet potato fresh from the oven is one of my favorite treats. I have nailed down the perfect process! And bonus it’s really simple to bake a sweet potato! I like to enjoy mine with some whipped butter and a steak salad. Mmmmmm. You guys, my mouth is watering.

Baked Sweet Potato

Oven Baked Sweet Potato Ingredients

• Sweet Potato – any size sweet potato works, but keep in mind the larger the sweet potato the longer it will take to cook. When I first learned how to roast a sweet potato I would do the biggest one I could find. But now I like to prepare a smaller sweet potato, or several, so they don’t take as long.
• Oil – We are fans of olive oil, but butter, ghee, rendered bacon fat, coconut oil, or other vegetable oil would work too.
• Optional: salt, butter, cinnamon, sugar

Preparation

Do you have to peel a sweet potato?

You do not have to peel a sweet potato! In fact I do not recommend peeling a sweet potato before baking it. All that does is remove nutrients and create more work for you. So I will say definitively, don’t peel your potato!

How do you bake a sweet potato in foil?

In learning how to cook a sweet potato, I tried many methods, and while you can do it in foil, I actually prefer not to. When you bake a sweet potato without foil, the skin crisps up nicely, and I feel like it even cooks just a little bit faster.

Not to mention, so much less waste if you’re not wrapping each sweet potato in foil.

What toppings to put on a baked sweet potato?

Traditional toppings are cinnamon, butter, and even marshmallows! I am more of a savory sweet potato fan though, so I love a dollop of butter and some seasoned salt or a basic spice rub. Yum.

Sometimes I’ll throw a scoop of Wendy’s chili or my favoritechili recipe (no beans) on top!

Nutrition

Are sweet potatoes healthy?

Sweet potatoes are very healthy, they contain high amounts of fiber, potassium, and vitamin A. And they containmore overall nutrients with fewer calories as compared to their Russet counterparts. Not to mention, a baked sweet potato will keep you full for a long time!

Finish this recipe with our serving suggestions

I love this sweet potato recipe alongside our healthy turkey meatloaf, or slow cooker crack chicken recipe, some easy roasted asparagus or classic green bean casserole, and a glass of wine. Finish the meal off with our lemon mousse recipe (only 3 ingredients!).

More Sweet Potato Recipes

Grandma’s Sweet Potato Casserole|Sweet Potato Sausage Hash|Sweet Potato Peanut Curry Soup|Rack of Pork with Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes|Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds|Melting Sweet Potatoes |How to Bake a Sweet Potato in the Crock Pot

Tools we love

• Vegetable Scrubber – Vegetable scrubbers are an easy way to get your veggies clean! I also keep an extra one on hand for scrubbing my sink. Don’t worry, I never use the sink scrubber for vegetable cleaning! Ew!
• Baking Sheets – I love my giant baking sheets and you see us use them on the live show all the time. You just can’t beat that kind of surface area.
• Silicone Baking Mats – You guys. Nothing sticks to these. Nothing. Literally. In the literal sense of the word. Get you some and thank me later!
• Salt Grinder – There’s something weirdly satisfying to me about grinding salt. I’m basically a pioneer. Be like me. Grind salt and be awesome.

How to bake a sweet potato

Recipe FAQS

originally published:Jul 8, 2012