Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes topped with a brown sugar pecan topping is the ultimate and delicious sweet potato side dish recipe. It’s the perfect side dish for Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners, holiday potlucks and more.
I am obsessed with this twice baked sweet potatoes recipes. Once you take a bite of that flavorful flavored mashed sweet potatoes loaded onto crispy potato skin, topped with that crunchy pecan topping, there is just no turning back!
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Pecan Topping
These twice baked sweet potatoes are the sweet potato version of the famous twice baked potatoes.
It combines the best of all worlds – bringing together baked sweet potatoes and mashed sweet potatoes into one yummy package.
We bake the potatoes twice. First scooping out the sweet potato interior and mashing them with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, then fill the sweet potato skins to make sweet potato boats.
Next we cover the mashed sweet potatoes with a game-changing brown sugar pecan topping before sending the loaded sweet potatoes back into the oven.
The result is crunchy, chewy, toffee topping complementing the sweet creamy sweet potatoes.
Twice baked sweet potatoes have a sweet bend to it, and taste kinda like sweet potato casserole with slightly more texture due to the potato skin.
I call it dessert sweet potato.
Serve twice baked sweet potatoes as a side or eat this on its own – totally appropriate because it can totally stand on its own.
Ingredients
A short list of ingredients for twice baked sweet potatoes:
- sweet potatoes – I typically use medium size sweet potatoes for this recipe. Try to pick sweet potatoes of similar sizes so they cook at the same rate and time in the oven.
- egg – any large egg works fine. Egg helps bind the sweet potatoes filling together.
- brown sugar – used in the filling and also when making that amazing pecan topping.
- unsalted butter – using unsalted butter instead of salted butter helps control the amount of salt in the mixture.
- ground cinnamon – a little bit goes a long way. The cinnamon flavor in twice baked sweet potatoes shouldn’t be overwhelming. It is used to bring out the sweetness in the sweet potatoes.
- pecans – a key player in that pecan topping. You need pecan pieces, so chop up those larger, full pecans if that’s what you have
- salt – just a little is used to open up the flavors of the other ingredients
How to make twice baked sweet potatoes
Let’s make some twice baked sweet potatoes!
Prepare sweet potatoes: Rinse the sweet potatoes to remove dirt on the skin, and shake off excess water.
Bake round 1 of sweet potatoes. Bake the sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet. I like to place aluminum foil underneath the potatoes for easy cleanup. Bake for 45-1 hour until potatoes are soft and cooked through. I always check for doneness by piercing potato to see if its fully cooked.
Make pecan topping. As the potatoes are baking, in a small bowl toss together chopped pecans and brown sugar.
Assemble Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes. Once sweet potatoes are baked, let them sit for a few minutes before handling. In fact, if you can wait till they are completely cool, they are even easier to handle.
When ready, cut each sweet potato open lengthwise, and scoop out the majority of the flesh, leaving about 1/2-inch in tact, and transferred them into a large mixing bowl. Avoid breaking apart skin potato skin.
Then mash the sweet potatoes. I always have it mashed it with a potato masher, but use a hand mixer if you prefer mashed sweet potatoes finer.
To the bowl of mashed sweet potatoes, add whisked egg, cubed unsalted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.
Whisk together until mixture is smooth.
Then spoon the sweet potatoes mixture back into the potato skin.
Next, gently press the pecan streusel into the sweet potatoes with your hand.
Bake round 2: Bake your twice baked sweet potatoes one more time until topping is nicely brown and golden brown.
Serve: When it is done remove sweet potatoes from the oven, then serve and enjoy!
Variations and Other Toppings
Other toppings to add to this twice baked sweet potato recipe:
- mini marshmallows – top it on top of the sweet potato boats during the last 8-10 minutes of the baking time.
- dried fruits – top with fried cranberries, raisins, dates after removing from the oven.
- maple syrup – drizzle the pecan topping with maple syrup before baking.
This twice baked sweet potato recipe is a sweet version, but feel free to make savory versions too.
Here is a savory twice baked sweet potato method: combined mashed sweet potatoes with creme fraiche or sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and salt, then with bacon and more cheese.
Making Ahead and Reheating Instructions
If you are pressed for time on the day of, this recipe can actually be prepared a day or two in advance.
Assemble sweet potatoes but do not top with pecan crumble.
Make sure sweet potatoes cool and store them in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in freezer for up to 2 months.
Store pecan crumble in an air tight container in room temperature.
To reheat, bring frozen twice baked sweet potatoes to a defrost/room temperature. If possible, let it sit overnight in refrigerator.
Reheat sweet potatoes in the oven at 350℉ until it is heated through, an additional 10-15 minutes of heating time is needed since we are cooking from a chill state.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can microwave them if you want to. Microwaving the potatoes would speed up the cooking process, but baking does make the sweet potatoes’ flesh roasted and caramelized, thereby enhancing their flavor.
Protein dishes such as Pork Tenderloin with Apples, Italian Grilled Chicken, Steak or Lamb Chops goes great with it. Other yummy veggies to serve alongside it: Oven Roasted Green Beans, Garlic Sautéed Spinach and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon.
Yes, please see make ahead and reheating instructions in the section above.
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More Holiday Side Dishes
- Milk Bread Rolls
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Garlic Parmesan Hasselback Potatoes
- Cranberry Relish
- French Onion Mac and Cheese
Twice Baked Sweet Potato
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
- 5 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
Topping
- ½ cup pecans chopped
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Clean sweet potatoes by scrubbing them under warm water.
- Place on a baking sheet and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until cooked all the way through.
- Meanwhile, prep the topping by tossing together the pecan pieces and brown sugar. Set aside.
- Once potatoes are cooked. Allow them to cool for a few minutes. Cooling longer will make handling them even easier.
- Slice each potato in half lengthwise. Scoop out the flesh making sure to leave a lining of flesh to help the skin hold its shape. Place the scooped flesh into a medium sized bowl.
- Mash the scooped flesh until you have a smooth consistency.
- Add in the remaining ingredients: egg, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and salt. If the potatoes are not warm enough to melt the butter, be sure to melt it before adding. Mix until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Return the mixture to the sweet potato skins. Top with the prepared topping.
- Keeping the oven at 400℉, bake for another 15 minutes or until pecans are slightly caramelized.
- Remove from oven. Serve and enjoy!
