Description
This Easy Baked Sweet Potato recipe offers a simple and nutritious way to enjoy sweet potatoes with minimal ingredients and effort. Baked to tender perfection, sweet potatoes are seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and can be customized with your favorite toppings like butter, sour cream, maple syrup, or cinnamon to suit your taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 to 4 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Optional Toppings
- Butter
- Sour cream
- Maple syrup
- Chives
- Parmesan cheese
- Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) to prepare for baking the sweet potatoes.
- Clean Sweet Potatoes: Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes thoroughly to remove any dirt, then pat them dry with a towel.
- Prepare Potatoes: Use a fork to poke holes all over each sweet potato; this allows steam to escape during baking.
- Season Potatoes: Rub each sweet potato with olive oil, then sprinkle evenly with kosher salt and black pepper to enhance the flavor.
- Arrange for Baking: Place the sweet potatoes directly on the oven rack or on a parchment-lined baking sheet to catch any drips.
- Bake: Bake the sweet potatoes for 45 to 60 minutes, until they are tender and can be easily pierced with a knife.
- Cool and Fluff: Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Slice each potato open and fluff the inside with a fork for a light texture.
- Add Toppings and Serve: Add your choice of toppings such as butter, sour cream, or cinnamon, and serve the sweet potatoes warm.
Notes
- Cooking time may vary depending on the size of the sweet potatoes.
- Check tenderness by inserting a knife; it should slide in easily.
- Try different toppings like cheese or herbs for variation.
- To speed up cooking, microwave the sweet potatoes for 5 minutes before baking.