Rather than making an entire sweet potato casserole this year, why not try a fun presentation with these easy Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes! Topped with toasted marshmallows and filled with creamy, buttery yams, these are perfect for your Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter dinner, or any night when you are craving a delicious and unique side!
When you are planning out a dinner menu for a special occasion, some of our other simple but elevated favorites are Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles, Easy Creamy Corn Casserole, and Southern Cornbread Dressing.
These individually portioned twice-baked sweet potatoes are going to be the star of your holiday feast! They are a like a sweeter, Fall version of my favorite Twice Baked Potatoes. There is a casual sophistication to serving creamy mashed sweet potatoes in their own skins!
And who doesn't love toasted marshmallows on top of their sweet potatoes? I mean, maybe my dad, but pretty much everybody else, right? I know I do!
Twice baked sweet potatoes are fantastic served with Brown Sugar Glazed Ham and Italian Peas, or with other festive main dishes like a Juicy Roast Turkey with a Butter Herb Rub, Garlic Herb Butter Beef Tenderloin Roast, or Pan Seared Lamb Loin Chops.
Why this Recipe Works
- It's easy to scale up or down depending on how many you are serving.
- Picky eaters love this approach because the sweet potato skin shells keeps foods from touching on crowded Thanksgiving plates.
- Mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top is practically like eating dessert for dinner, but it's perfectly acceptable because sweet potatoes are "good for you."
Ingredient Notes
- Sweet potatoes: Look for sweet potatoes that aren't too large. Keep in mind that most people will just eat ½ of a regular sized sweet potato when made this way. Those giant potatoes are better used in a Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows and Pecans or for making Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries.
- Brown sugar: The naturally sweet flavor of sweet potatoes is complimented and enhanced by the molasses flavor of the brown sugar.
- Marshmallows: Fresh marshmallows are the best and will toast and melt better to create a wonderful topping for your twice baked sweet potatoes. Feel free to sub with pecans though, if you prefer.
How to Make this Recipe
Start by really cleaning the outside skin of the sweet potatoes. Dry them well, then pierce the sweet potatoes several times on the top, bottom, and sides with a sharp knife or fork. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil (no need to wrap them).
Bake until soft enough to easily pierce with a sharp knife, then remove from the oven and slice each sweet potato in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the soft flesh of the sweet potatoes into a large mixing bowl (Be careful! It's hot!). Try to leave the sweet potato skins intact by not trying to scrape out every last bit of sweet potato for the filling so they will hold their shape better once you refill them with mashed sweet potato.
Add the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and heavy cream to the bowl with the baked sweet potato centers and mash or beat with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth. Spoon the filling back into the sweet potato skins, arranging them on the baking sheet.
Sprinkle a generous amount of marshmallows on top of each sweet potato and return them to the oven. Bake just until the marshmallows are melty and toasted on top. Watch them carefully so the marshmallows don't burn.
Recipe FAQ's
Yes! You can make these to the point of mashing the baked sweet potatoes and refilling the sweet potato skins, but wait to add the marshmallows. At this point, you can refrigerate the sweet potatoes for 4-5 days or even freeze them for 2-3 months. Thaw completely, then bake in a 375 degree F oven until warm before topping with marshmallows and toasting to finish and serve.
Sure! If you are planning to eat the skins, then I would recommend rubbing the outside of the potatoes with some coconut, avocado, or even olive oil and generously sprinkling them with a coarse or flaky salt before baking. If you don't plan on eating the skins, you could skip that step.
You can tell that your sweet potatoes are done when a sharp knife inserts easily with very little resistance when testing the potatoes. When in doubt, I recommend erring on the side of baking the sweet potatoes a little longer just to be sure they are done all the way.
Recipe Tips
- When preparing to cook the sweet potatoes use a fork to puncture the skin in 6-8 places on the top, bottom, and sides of each potato.
- Don't wrap the sweet potatoes in foil. The outside skin actually needs to dry out a bit, rather than steam, in order to not fall apart when scooping out the insides to make the filling.
- Variation: Feel free to swap out the marshmallows for the pecan streusel topping I use in my sweet potato casserole recipe instead.
- Want to add a little maple flavor to your twice baked sweet potatoes? Feel free to replace the brown sugar with an equal amount of maple syrup!
More Side Dish Recipes
- Creamy Potluck Potatoes
- Italian Sausage Stuffing
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Apples
- Scalloped Potatoes [Au Gratin Potatoes]
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 sweet potatoes
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- â…“ cup salted butter
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Wash the sweet potatoes and pierce them all over several times with a sharp knife or the tines of a fork. Bake for 1 hour or until tender and a sharp knife slides easily into each of the potatoes.
- Transfer the baked sweet potatoes to a cutting board and use a large sharp knife to cut them in half lengthwise. Scoop out the center of potatoes with a spoon into a large bowl, leaving a sturdy shell about ¼-inch thick. Be very careful as the potatoes will still be hot.
- Add the brown sugar, butter, pumpkin spice, and cream. Beat with a hand mixer until creamy and smooth.
- Replace the sweet potato skins onto the lined baking sheet and then fill them with the mashed sweet potatoes and top with marshmallows.
- Lower the oven temp to 350 degrees F. Bake just until the marshmallows are toasted, about 5-8 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
- Will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 5-7 days.
- Will also freeze well for up to 3 months, although I recommend freezing without the marshmallows on top. To thaw, place in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat in the oven or in a microwave safe dish, then top with the marshmallows to finish in the oven until toasted.
- If you want to eat the sweet potato skins, I recommend rubbing the sweet potatoes with coconut, avocado, or olive oil and sprinkling with a generous amount of coarse or flaky salt before baking.
