Get a sweet dose of fall and make dinner extra special with these Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes. Perfectly cooked sweet potatoes are mixed with warm spices, then topped with candied pecans and toasted marshmallows. But fair warning the candied pecans are seriously addictive. Try not to eat them all at once! And of course I’m a lover of all things sweet potatoes, so believe me when I say these did not last long :)
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What Are Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes?
Twice baked sweet potatoes are sweet potatoes that are baked twice in the oven. They’re first baked whole until the insides are tender. Then the creamy flesh is scooped out and mixed with butter and warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. The perfectly flavored filling is then stuffed back in the sweet potato and baked a second time in the oven. The best part is you can top it with your favorite toppings! It’s seriously divine ;)
Ingredients For Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Of course the sweet potato is the key ingredient, but the spices and toppings are what really make these sweet potatoes stand out! Here’s what we used:
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg
- Vanilla Extract
- Just a little salt
- Candied Pecans
- Mini Marshmallows
But feel free to use your favorite sweet potato spices and toppings. Some other great options are pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup, or try our streusel sweet potato topping! If you’d rather go the savory route, try these turkey chili smothered sweet potatoes or these kale & cranberry stuffed sweet potatoes.
Money-Saving Tip!
I made four servings with this twice baked sweet potatoes recipe, because I simply like the presentation of keeping the sweet potatoes whole. But you can certainly make your dollar stretch by creating eight servings like we did with these russet twice baked potatoes. Once the sweet potatoes are done baking, just slice them in half lengthwise then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
Storage & Reheating
Store twice baked sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a preheated 350°F oven until warmed through. Just make sure to store the candied pecans or marshmallows separately and add them right before serving.
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Servings 4Ingredients
- 4 sweet potatoes (about 3lbs. total) ($3.56)
- 4 Tbsp butter, room temp ($0.52)
- 4 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.56)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.03)
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon ($0.10)
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg ($0.05)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract ($0.45)
Candied Pecans
- 1/2 Tbsp butter ($0.10)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.28)
- 1 pinch of salt ($0.02)
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans ($1.27)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash and dry the sweet potatoes well, then use a fork to prick each potato several times. Place the sweet potatoes on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet.
- Bake the potatoes for 50-55 minutes, or until they can be pierced easily with a fork or knife and are soft all the way through. Total baking time will depend on the size of your sweet potatoes.
- While the potatoes are baking make the candied pecans. In a small non-stick skillet add the butter, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. Heat over medium heat and begin to stir.
- Once the butter and brown sugar begins to melt add the chopped pecans to the skillet and stir with the brown sugar mixture. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring every 10-15 seconds until the brown sugar fully melts (looks glossy instead of grainy) and completely coats the pecans.
- Remove the skillet from the heat immediately and transfer the candied pecans to a parchment lined baking sheet. Spread the pecans out evenly in a flat layer and allow them to cool for 10 minutes while the candied coating fully hardens.
- Once the sweet potatoes are done baking, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes. Slice them open lengthwise, but not all the way through. Carefully scoop out the sweet potato flesh, leaving a thin rim of potato (about ¼ inch rim) around the edges to help the skin hold it's shape.
- Place the scooped out sweet potato flesh in a bowl and add the butter, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Mash and stir the ingredients together with a fork or spoon until well combined.
- Divide and spoon the sweet potato mixture back into the empty potato skins. Top with marshmallows (optional) and place the stuffed sweet potatoes back in the oven.
- Bake for 8-10 more minutes until the sweet potatoes are heated all the way through and the marshmallows are lightly toasted on top.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and top with candied pecans or any other final toppings. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup, optional, and enjoy!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Enamelware Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Mixing Bowls
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash and dry 4 sweet potatoes, then use a fork to prick each potato several times all the way around.
Place the sweet potatoes on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 50-55 minutes, or until they can be pierced easily with a fork or knife and are soft all the way through. Total baking time will depend on the size of your sweet potatoes.
While the potatoes are baking make the candied pecans. In a small non-stick skillet add 1/2 Tbsp butter, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. Heat over medium heat and begin to stir.
Once the butter and brown sugar begins to melt add 1/2 cup chopped pecans to the skillet and stir with the brown sugar mixture. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring every 10-15 seconds until the brown sugar fully melts (looks glossy instead of grainy) and completely coats the pecans.
Remove the skillet from the heat immediately and transfer the candied pecans to a parchment lined baking sheet. Spread the pecans out evenly in a flat layer and allow them to cool for 10 minutes while the candied coating fully hardens.
Once the sweet potatoes are done baking, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes. Slice them open lengthwise, but not all the way through. Carefully scoop out the sweet potato flesh, leaving a thin rim of potato around the edges to help the skin hold it’s shape.
Place the scooped out sweet potato flesh in a bowl and add 4 Tbsp room temperature butter, 4 Tbsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 3/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Mash and stir the ingredients together with a fork or spoon until well combined.
Divide and spoon the sweet potato mixture back into the empty potato skins. Top with marshmallows (optional) and place the stuffed sweet potatoes back in the oven. Bake for 8-10 more minutes until the sweet potatoes are heated all the way through and the marshmallows are lightly toasted on top.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and top with candied pecans or any other final toppings. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup, optional, and enjoy!
This came out great. I did a few tweaks but for the most part followed the recipe exactly. Everyone liked having the option to choose their own topping amounts. I will definitely make this again. Crowd pleaser and definitely budget friendly. Mini marshmallows toasted up perfectly.
Mods: My sweet potatoes were small so I took them out around 45 min and baked an extra to have more filling. I did the first bake and the scoop out the day before. The next day I warmed the filling and piped it into the skins. I will say the skins are a more delicate if you split up the steps like this. Next time I would do it the same day, and cover the skins with neutral oil and coarse salt to get them crispy.
Can I bake the sweet potatoes, mash the mixture the day before, and thenassemble them and pop them in the oven to heat on Thanksgiving?
Perfect for Thanksgiving! A nice alternative to the classic Casserole 🍠😍