Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 07/15/21
Twice-baked sweet potato recipe
The Spruce / Diana Rattray
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 90 mins
Total: 105 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 4 sweet potatoes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
569 Calories
20g Fat
94g Carbs
8g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 569
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 25%
Saturated Fat 10g 49%
Cholesterol 38mg 13%
Sodium 400mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 94g 34%
Dietary Fiber 12g 44%
Total Sugars 44g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 67mg 334%
Calcium 164mg 13%
Iron 3mg 15%
Potassium 1682mg 36%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Baked sweet potatoes are great, but twice-baked sweet potatoes are even better. After the potatoes are initially baked, the flesh is scooped out and mixed with butter, brown sugar, and spices. The filling goes back into the potato shells and bakes to perfection with the addition of a crunchy pecan topping.

The sweet potatoes are an excellent side dish to bake for a holiday meal, and they're a nice alternative to a larger sweet potato casserole. They're great for everyday meals as well, and they pair well with baked ham, pork chops and roasts, steaks, and baked chicken or turkey. Or make it all vegetarian with a bean dish, pasta, or salad.

To make life a little easier, the sweet potatoes may be prepared a day or two in advance. Bake and fill them, and then add the topping and place them in a baking pan. Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Remove the foil and bake as directed in the recipe.

Ingredients

  • 4 large sweet potatoes (about 3 pounds)

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, divided

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 5 tablespoons butter, divided

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for twice-baked sweet potatoes
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  2. Heat the oven to 375 F. Scrub the potatoes and pat dry. Pierce the sweet potatoes in several places with a fork or skewer. Arrange them on a lightly greased or lined baking pan and bake for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until they are very tender.

    Scrubbed sweet potatoes on a lined rimmed baking sheet
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  3. Transfer the pan with the baked sweet potatoes to a rack to cool slightly. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut about 1/2-inch off the top of each potato. Scoop most of the flesh into a bowl, leaving about 1/4-inch around the sides of the shells.

    Sweet potato shells ready to be filled
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  4. Mash the sweet potato flesh with a potato masher or purée in a food processor. Add 1/4 cup brown sugar, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and 4 tablespoons of the butter. Mix well.

    fFilling for twice-baked sweet potatoes in a mixing bowl
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  5. Use a spoon or piping bag to fill the potato shells with the sweet potato filling mixture.

    Sweet potato shells filled with mashed sweet potatoes
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  6. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and the pecans. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and add it to the brown sugar pecan mixture. Mix until well blended.

    pecan topping for twice-baked sweet potatoes
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  7. Sprinkle the topping mixture over the sweet potatoes.

    twice-baked sweet potatoes ready for the oven
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  8. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

    twice-baked sweet potatoes out of the oven
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  9. Enjoy!

    twice-baked sweet potato on a plate with fork
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Recipe Variations

  • Streusel Topping: Add 2 tablespoons of flour and an extra tablespoon of melted butter to the brown sugar and pecan topping.
  • Marshmallow Topping: Omit the topping ingredients and finish the twice-baked sweet potatoes with mini marshmallows. Bake until the marshmallows are lightly browned.
  • Omit the pecans, or replace them with chopped walnuts.
  • For over-filled sweet potatoes, bake an extra potato. Add the flesh to the filling mixture, and discard the extra shell.
  • Skip the brown sugar topping mixture, and finish them with a pat of butter and a tablespoon or two of toasted pecans.

Why Would You Bake Sweet Potatoes Twice?

Baking the sweet potatoes twice gives you a chance to combine all the great flavors of a sweet potato casserole in their single-serve shells. It allows you to mix and mash, then bake with a crumbly brown sugar topping. 

How To Store Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

Place leftover twice-baked sweet potatoes in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, arrange the leftover twice baked sweet potatoes in a baking pan and bake in a 375 F oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until at least 165 F in the center.


Twice-baked sweet potatoes freeze beautifully. Just follow the instructions through step 4. Wrap the filled potato shells tightly with plastic wrap and foil. Defrost the sweet potatoes overnight in the refrigerator. When it's time to bake the sweet potatoes, arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet. Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the potatoes. Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the filling is hot.

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