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How To Cook Sweet Potatoes

5 from 116 votes

How to cook sweet potatoes that will yield the absolute BEST sweet potatoes you’ve ever tried in your life: 

how to bake sweet potatoes
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The Best Baked Sweet Potatoes

These 3 easy tricks will revolutionize the way you think of sweet potatoes – If you’re anything like me, prepare to become completely obsessed.

And if you think there’s no way you could love sweet potatoes more than you already do, just wait.

It’s highly likely you’ll suddenly find yourself craving sweet potatoes at every single meal and dreaming about them between meals as well.

If you think I’m exaggerating… this is something you just have to try in order to believe the shocking difference in results.

Instead of only slightly sweet or unevenly cooked sweet potatoes, these three small changes in how to cook sweet potatoes will yield sweet, sticky, wonderfully caramelized sweet potatoes that taste almost like candy.

Sweet, sticky, gooey, candy-like sweet potatoes…

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how to cook sweet potatoes

Okay, so if I’ve caught your attention, here are the 3 tricks!

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Trick One:

Choose thinner sweet potatoes.

I know this sounds counter-intuitive, and conventional wisdom will tell you to go for the fattest, juiciest-looking sweet potatoes at the store, ignoring the picked-over, anemic, and shriveled ones.

But that would be a mistake, and here’s why:

While baking, the heat will evenly cook even the very center of the thinner potatoes, getting them all hot and caramelized; whereas with the fat potatoes, the outsides will be done well before the centers have a chance to cook through.

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sweet potatoes

(That middle sweet potato is the perfect size and shape.)

Trick Two:

Don’t just poke a few holes with a fork; use a large knife to slash about a third of the way into the potato 8-10 times on both sides.

Why this works: It helps the heat get all the way into the centers of the potatoes, once again ensuring they will cook evenly.

It also allows moisture to escape so you don’t end up steaming the potato and getting stuck with a watered-down result.

baked sweet potatoes

Trick Three:

Cook longer and hotter.

Just like with my tutorial on How To Cook Spaghetti Squash, you want to forget the tutorials that tell you to bake at 350. Go big or go home.

How big?

I’m talking 450 F – a full hundred degrees more. And start the potatoes in a non-preheated oven, which will cook them more evenly while also saving energy.

Baking at a higher temperature will really caramelize the natural sugars in the sweet potatoes.

sweet potatoes tahini

Sweet Potato Recipes:

sweet potato brownies

Sweet Potato Brownies

kathy patalsky

Sweet Potato Burgers

sweet potato salad

Sweet Potato Salad

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My all-time favorite way to enjoy the baked, caramelized sweet potatoes is slathered in tahini.

Please please please try it this way, at least once in your lifetime!

Seriously, you will not regret it!!!

sweet potatoes

One of the best things about sweet potatoes is that they can be frozen and then thawed quickly any time you haven’t made a meal and come home hungry.

I’m pretty sure there are at least seven pyrex containers of roasted sweet potatoes in my freezer right now, and I don’t expect the containers to be there for long!

Leftover roasted sweet potato? Use it up in my favorite Veggie Burger Recipe!

How To Cook Sweet Potatoes The Best Recipe
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How To Cook Sweet Potatoes

How to cook sweet potatoes in the oven, the best way.
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour
Yield 1 recipe
5 from 116 votes

Ingredients

  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Large Knife
  • Parchment Paper
  • Toppings of choice

Instructions

  • Be sure to use parchment paper to line the pan. As they caramelize, the sweet potatoes release their natural sugars, which can be a pain to clean if you don’t line the pan. With parchment, you can just throw the paper away, making cleanup super easy.
    Line a baking pan with parchment paper, and set aside. Start with thin, evenly shaped sweet potatoes. Slice the knife into each sweet potato 8-10 times per potato, going about a third of the way down with each cut. Place potatoes in the pan, then place the pan on the oven center rack. Now turn the oven on to 450 F. Bake 30 minutes, then turn (unless they are very small, they’re probably not done yet) and continue to bake until sweet potatoes are soft and you can see that some of the natural sugars have spread onto the parchment paper (see photo). This means the potatoes are starting to caramelize. Sweet potatoes can be served immediately, or you can refrigerate or even freeze for a later date. Serving suggestions are listed in the post – my favorite way to eat roasted sweet potatoes is covered with tahini.
    *Instant Pot Version: Place the steamer rack in the Instant Pot and add 1 cup of water. Place 3 medium sweet potatoes onto the rack, and cook on high manual for 20 minutes. Finally, do a natural pressure release. Thanks to reader Jamie for creating this version and letting us know how to cook sweet potatoes in an instant pot!
    View Nutrition Facts

Notes

Try serving the sweet potatoes with this homemade Coconut Curry Recipe.
 

Have you made this recipe?

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More About The Cookbook

Published on November 22, 2016

Meet Katie

Chocolate Covered Katie is one of the top 25 food websites in America, and Katie has been 
featured on The 
Today Show, CNN, 
Fox, The 
Huffington Post, and 
ABC's 5 O’Clock News. Her favorite food is chocolate, and she believes in eating dessert every single day.

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132 Comments

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  1. Pixie @ Cheerfully Vegan says

    Ah, perfect! Today I was going to bake a 10-lb bag’s worth that I got at Costco (so much for selecting skinny ones), so perfect timing. I usually bake them at 400, so I guess I’ll ramp up the temp this time. Cutting into them sounds like a perfect plan. When done like this, do they not bubble out all of the sweet juices that puddle under them and turn to rock afterwards? I really bake them a long time until the centers are soft, so they make a mess on my foil-covered pans.

    • Katy says

      I wouldn’t ramp up the temp I burnt all mine at 450. checked after 30 minutes turned temp down I might have to start over

      • Julie Dove says

        Did you start at 450 or preheat it? It should not be a problem if you start it at 0 and then turn the oven on when the sweet potatoes go in. I’ve made them this way and have never had an issue, even with tiny potatoes. Even asparagus wouldn’t burn that quickly if the oven is not preheated.

      • charlotte says

        Some ovens use both the top element (broiler) and the bottom element while preheating. This may be why your potatoes burned.

  2. Geoffrey Levens says

    Tip #4:
    http://www.thekitchn.com/this-one-tip-helps-you-cook-the-sweetest-sweet-potatoes-101646
    “Raw sweet potatoes are mostly starchy fibers, but they also contain an enzyme that will break down the starch into sugar at certain temperatures. According to food scientist Harold McGee, this enzyme happens to work best when the sweet potato is between 135°F and 170°F.”

    So first bake at the above temp until starting to get soft (by then the enzymes are likely exhausted) you will maximize the sugar content. THEN crank it up to 11 (see Spinal Tap)

  3. Deanne says

    Absolte wow! I tried this straight away for Lunch and used 2 sweet potatoes as my husband was due home for lunch ( I did brush with olive oil and DRIZZLE a little raw honey over the top slits) … I thought it would be a boring lunch on its own but ymmy plus… slightly crunchy skins and caramelised juices .. my husband was LATe coming home so poor thing.. there was none left .. I ATE THEM BOTH they were so good LOL – that’ll teach him to be late .. But he made me promise to cook more tomorrow so he can try . A simply , delicious and healthy lunch.. and I was full ( no wonder eating 2 )
    Thanks Katie.. awesome stuff!

  4. CAROL J SHOOK says

    I USUALLY BAKE MY SWEET POTATOES ON TOP OF THE STOVE . I HAVE WATERLESS COOKWARE AND THEY COOK BEAUTIFULLY. I LIVE ALONE AND IT SAVES FROM TURNING ON THE BIG OVEN. BUT YOUR IDEAS SOUND REALLY LIKE GOOD ONES IF COOKING FOR MORE THAN ONE PERSON. THANKS FOR THE TIPS. BY THE WAY MY POTATOES GET DONE ARE VERY SWEET. THE SUGAR OOZES OUT INTO MY SAUCE PAN & BURN ON THE BOTTOM. BUT OH SO GOOD

  5. Bing says

    You were not kidding! I made these last night and the sweet potatoes did caramelize so well that they were perfect as is and I did not actually put anything on them. My sweet potatoes were double the size of what you showed above so it took about 1.5 to 2 hrs, I think. The leftovers, I put in the refrigerator and they are going fast. Again, no toppings what so ever and eating them cold. Perfect, healthy dessert for me!
    HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

  6. Ariel says

    great tips! I’m a big fan of your recipes
    I’ve heard about quinoa brownies a couple times, do you have a recipe? If so, please share!
    Have a great Thanksgiving, I will definitely try this recipe!

  7. Bites for Foodies says

    I’ve heard of (and used) most of the tricks, and they work! They only one I haven’t tried is not placing them in a preheated oven. Side note, roasted caramelized sweet potatoes (and cauliflower!) are to die for!!

  8. Leslie Felton says

    When you say “bake 30 minutes, then turn”, what exactly do you mean? Rotate the pan 180 degrees? Turn the potatoes upside down?
    Thanks!

  9. Ashley says

    I did this just today! I took advantage of the prices ($.88/lb.) on sweet potatoes and baked up a whole bunch of them this afternoon. This week my lunches will be especially good 🙂

  10. bethany says

    Hi Katie. this is unrelated to the post but helping you (or anyone else!) can help me out. I want to buy your new cookbook for my mom for Christmas but she’s a grain free vegan and i’m not sure how many, if any, of your recipes in that book are grain free. So if you could let me know (ASAP please!) how many recipes that she could even use i’d greatly appreciate it….I don’t want to get her a book that she wont be able to use ’cause that would be a terrible waste =( Thanks bunches!

    • Julie Dove says

      Hi, definitely there are some grain free recipes in there, including a whole chapter on shakes and smoothies! But it is an ebook, just wanted to clarify, and some of the recipes such as the oatmeal chapter and baked good chapter, do have flour, so maybe it wouldn’t be the best fit for her 🙁

  11. Cheryl says

    Tried this today and Katie’s advice is right on- will be baking them this way all the time! Delicious plain!!! Now where can I buy affordable tahini??

  12. Cassie Tran says

    Peanut butter and cinnamon are the BEST with sweet potatoes! No wait, chocolate is! No, granola is! Heck, ANYTHING with sweet potatoes are the best. Now I’m getting SO hungry!

    • Elizabeth says

      So funny, I have an old glass bottle that, in the 1950s held Skippy peanut butter. It has a recipe for sweet potatoes with peanut butter, which I always thought sounded like a gross idea some marketing person had come up with to try to sell peanut butter before it got popular. But reading that a modern person thinks sweet potatoes and PB are a good idea – maybe I’l try that 60+ year old recipe after all!

  13. Kathryn says

    This is a really good method! I would always roast at 400, or even 425, but never at 450- it makes a delicious difference!

  14. SP says

    Oh! I can’t believe I’ve never thought to cook SPs like this (I cook pretty much all veggies at 450, haha). I normally make SPs in the slow cooker, but this sounds even better!

    I love putting peanut butter and sesame seeds on them — yet I’ve never thought to try tahini. Great tip!

  15. Cynthia M. says

    Thanks for the tips. Never thought of freezing portions… as I live alone that might be great.
    I like to slice them in half long-wise, rub the cut surface with oil… and bake at a high temp… Then I get carmelized goodness on the whole surface, and I only usually eat half anyway.

    Never thought of Tahini…mmmmm…will have to try.

  16. Diana says

    I just baked a sweet potato using your tips and it came out amazing! I was skeptical that tahini would taste good but I took your advice and tried it, wow what a great flavor combination! Thank you!

  17. Krithika says

    I’m trying out the GM diet and was looking for a good way to cook up a potato or sweet potato. Saw this and and knew I had to try. I baked one up yesterday night so I could bring it for breakfast this morning. I wish I could have eaten it right out of the oven, smelled so good! Chomped down the whole thing with a touch of tahini and lemon juice on top. So good!! I will be trying this again!

  18. Geoffrey Levens says

    I have found that starting with a long, long temp bake first, to convert the starches to sugars and THEN go hot/big to caramelize works even better! 250 or even 200 for a couple hours, until fork soft then crank it up for a little while…. There’s an enzyme in them that activates with heat and does the conversion but as soon as it gets too hot, the conversion of starches to sugars stops! So low and slow then hot and fierce.

  19. Jenna says

    Thanks for the great tips 😉 Plus, I had no idea you could freeze sweet potatoes so easily…do you cut them first or freeze the cooked sweet pot in its entirety?

  20. Joanne says

    I absolutely LOVE sweet potatoes with tahini!! It’s one of my favorite food combos! I have yet to try baking these with your tricks though, but I’ll get to it one of these days!

  21. Nicki Green says

    I have a baked sweet potato topped with almond butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon every morning. I also have added sliced bananas or raisins. Filling, nutrition without the carb crash from boxed cereal and gluten and dairy free.

  22. H Wiese says

    I didn’t care for cutting them this way. I like to bake them them remove the skin to mash. It was really difficult to get the skin off and they were dried out. Not very satisfying.

  23. Simon says

    Some good tips, but sorry if your one tip is to cut with a knife don’t show pictures of the finished product that wasn’t poked/cut. That one actually looks better.

  24. Natalie says

    Hello,

    Do you have any recommendations on how best to reheat these sweet potatoes after freezing them?

    Thank you!
    Natalie

  25. Clyde Bain says

    Daddy was from Louisiana and learned to cook with a woodstove. At home he would cook them at 425 until they shrivled a bit.

  26. Maret says

    I am looking forward to trying your method, but I’m confused by the accompanying photos. The instructions state (and photos show) cutting the sides, but the photo of the 2 halves (slathered with tahini?) doesn’t appear to have those cuts. Am I missing something? Or was that potato baked without the side cuts for a nicer visual presentation?

  27. Barbara says

    I like the way you suggest cooking sweet pototos with the slicing. However you show an equal number of photos without the slicing, which is correct ? A picture is worth a thousand workd

  28. Jenny says

    I know this is a little late after the post, but I got some gorgeous purple sweet potatoes, and they were so good with this recipe. They are SO COOL that I feel like there must be something else I can do with them. Does anyone have ideas for me? They are really really purple. Thank you!

    • Jason Sanford says

      When you put the potato in. But different sized potatoes will take different amounts of time so there’s really no set amount of time. The 30 minutes is a usual!

    • Jason Sanford says

      Hmm, I’ve never had a problem with mine and always bake at super high heat. But your comment made me look on the box, and mine says that too. Maybe they have to say it for legal reasons? In any case, I will still cook with mine the same as usual because I’ve never had an issue, but if you’re worried then maybe use aluminum foil? I did also find this from the Cooks Illustrated website in case it can be helpful:
      “Most parchment paper is rated for use at temperatures no higher than 420 to 450 degrees. But we occasionally recommend using this liner for bread and pizza baked as high as 500 degrees.
      Phone calls to manufacturers, including Regency and Reynolds, put any safety worries to rest: Using parchment at higher-than-recommended temperatures does not release noxious chemicals, and the paper will not burn.”

  29. Patti says

    I want to make these tomorrow night but there will be a space of 35 minutes for another dish to cook at a lower temreature. So how do I heat these up again after they have been out of the oven for at least 35 minutes?

    Thanks!

    • Jason Sanford says

      I’m not a professional, just speaking from experience that I think parchment paper companies say this just to cover themselves. Chowhound, Cooks Illustrated, and other reputable sources all say it’s ok to cook at higher heats, and I always have. But it is absolutely your call, and do not take my words as those of a professional. Here is what Cook’s Illustrated has written: “Most parchment paper is rated for use at temperatures no higher than 420 to 450 degrees. But it’s true—we occasionally recommend using this liner for bread and pizza baked as high as 500 degrees. … Using parchment at higher-than-recommended temperatures does not release noxious chemicals, and the paper will not burn.”

  30. TJ says

    Katie, I read this article last fall and standard sweet potatoes are awesome with these tips. ….I’ve
    been using these tips ever since. However, I tried the tips today with Japanese sweet potatoes and the results were very dry. Should I have changed the temp setting for the texture of the Japanese sweet potatoes?

  31. Lisa says

    Cooking sweet potatoes like this is a total game changer! I love sweet potatoes and now even more so. I tried serving with tahini and it is so delicious.

  32. Adriana says

    Ok, I admit, I thought the tahini thing sounded weird but I was open…. I tried it and I’m never going back. I don’t think I can eat a sweet potato/yam WITHOUT tahini ever again!
    And these tricks totally worked.

  33. Jameca Hall says

    OMG!!!!!!! THIS IS THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME THAT WAS SO DELICIOUS I AM OBSESSED!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH

  34. Jacque says

    I enjoyed this article regarding baking the sweet potatoes.
    When freezing should you scoop out the sweet potatoes or freeze in the shins? Which is best?
    Thankyou

    • Jason Sanford says

      Either – if you plan to peel, then do so before freezing. But if you plan to eat the skins that’s fine too. We personally like to eat the skins 🙂
      Jason

      • Liv12♥ says

        Hi Mr. Jason, are you and Katie sisters? You love her blog and are very helpful on CCK! Please send her all my love!!!!

      • MELANIE HOLM says

        Hi Jason & CCK community: how do you reheat? Do you microwave (covered? uncovered?) from frozen or thaw in the fridge first?
        Many thanks,
        Mel

  35. Sarah Maxwell says

    Could someone please provide directions for using frozen sweet potatoes? What thawing/defrost techniques have you tried? How long & oven temp for re-heat? Anyone tried re-heat in microwave, etc.
    Thanks muchly!!

  36. Mandy says

    I love sweet potatoes too! I won’t turn the oven on though, to roast just 2 of them. My tip is to roast as many as you can for up-coming meals too so you don’t waste energy….and then lunches and dinners are almost ready whenever you want! No starting from scratch each time. Roast some heads of garlic at the same time too! Always great in sauces and toppings!

    • CCK Media Team says

      Just plain tahini, spread on the sweet potatoes :). Or you could thin it out with water or sesame oil if needed, and maybe a little lemon juice.

  37. Tess Stahl says

    I’ve made these with this recipe several times now and they’re wonderful every time. The only time I had the skins burn was when I left them in too long.
    Thank you!

  38. Melissa says

    Lunch is served! I was skeptical b/c there is nothing wrong with my method for baking sweet potatoes but the picture of your sweet potatoes Katie is what lured me to try a new way. And I am so glad I did! What could be easier than slicing, ripping off a piece of parchment paper, tossing in the oven with timer on and then going to find something else to do in the meantime? Absolutely delicious and yummo.

  39. Anne Z says

    When do I start keeping track of the 30 minutes? Right when I turn on the oven, or when the oven has reached 450°?

  40. jeanette breznau says

    I really like this info…very well presented…clear, well labeled and written and clear. thank you very much!

  41. Amanda says

    This recipe is amazing! Made it last year and glad I remembered where this yummy recipe was on the WWW! 😂 question: last time I cut the slits, flipped the potatoes, cut again. Is that right?? Just made it a little difficult to get the skins off. 🙂 Or do we just cut one side?? thanks!!!

  42. Rachel says

    LOVE this way of preparing sweet potatoes, and you are so right about slathering them with tahini. This has become one of my go-to filling breakfasts. I roast a bunch of them at once, put a few in the fridge to eat over the coming days, and put the rest in the freezer. 2 minutes in the microwave and a dollop of tahini, and I’m full until lunch. I give them a good scrub before roasting, because I eat the skins also. So good!

  43. Oura says

    Hello Katie!
    Wonderful and amazing article, I really love this article as it contains sweet potato dish and I love each and every recipe s of sweet potato. I am damn sure that my family will also love this yummy recipe. It looks so delicious and tasty.
    Thanks for sharing this article with all of us

  44. Ae says

    So the baked version of this is amazing. The instant pot version turned out terrible and super mushy. 20 minutes is WAY too long. Id say knock it down to maybe 6.

    • Upsey Daisy says

      Did you cook the sweet potato on the Instant Pot rack, as was suggested, or was it sitting directly in the water instead?

  45. Cook from Toronto says

    5 stars
    Oh my! So great! Will never make them any other way! Rubbed olive oil and sea salt on the outsides after creating the cuts as described. Delicious!

  46. barb says

    I love sweet potatoes. Is the 2nd photo on the title graphic cooked in the Instant Pot? I don’t see the slashes on it as the one on the top/recipe.

  47. G says

    5 stars
    Lesson learned: Check the maximum temperature safety for your parchment paper. Mine only goes up to 425F, and I almost torched the place!

    Cooked at 400F and the yams came out perfect.

  48. Rachel says

    I make my sweet potatoes like this, ever since I saw this method , I haven’t used any other method . I love them. Sweet potatoes are very versatile, healthy and yummy!
    Thanks for sharing.

  49. Jackie says

    Contradictory directions: do they get baked 1 hr. or 30 min.? Is it 30 min., then turn them, and bake another 30 min.? Confusing so I haven’t done it.

  50. Rachel says

    My favorite way of baking my sweet potatoes/yams !
    After I made them this way I have shared it with others and
    It continuous to be my favorite sweet potato recipe. Thanks.

  51. Katt says

    Do you wait til after the oven reaches 450 to start the 30 minutes, or time from when the potatoes go in the cold oven?

    • CCK Media Team says

      Hi, you start it right away. But after turning the sweet potato when time’s up, it will still need to cook longer before it caramelizes.

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