Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes are the perfect Thanksgiving side dish, featuring a smooth, creamy filling and a topping of either toasty marshmallows or crunchy pecan streusel!

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with text overlay

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If you enjoy sweet potatoes, you'll also love Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole, Savory Roasted Sweet Potatoes, or Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole!

November has arrived and that means one thing...time to start thinking about the ol' Thanksgiving menu. And this year, that menu is going to include these delectable Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes!

Close-up topped with toasted marshmallows.

I don't know about y'all, but one of the dishes I must have on my Turkey Day table each year is sweet potatoes. I realize that some people are solidly in the mashed potatoes camp -- and don't get me wrong, I love those, too! But growing up, my mom always had some sort of sweet potato side dish to accompany the turkey. So to me, Thanksgiving just wouldn't feel like Thanksgiving without them!

Close-up of pecan streusel.

Topping Options

When I was a kid, our sweet potato casserole was typically crowned with fluffy, puffy marshmallows. And as yummy as those were, in recent years, I've taken to finishing off my sweet potatoes with a pecan streusel topping instead.

So when I had the idea to create some Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes for y'all today, I couldn't decide which direction to go with the topping...gooey, toasty marshmallows or buttery, sugary pecan streusel?

So guess what? I did both! What's nice about this recipe is that you can make as many individual potatoes as you need, and you can top some with marshmallows and some with pecan-packed streusel so that everybody gets what they want. And while the filling tastes like smooth, creamy, sweet potato casserole, the presentation is a bit more special.

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes on wooden board topped with marshmallows and pecan streusel.

How to Make Them

I started out prepping these babies in the same way you would fix regular twice-baked potatoes.

  1. First, simply scoop out the flesh of the sweet potatoes, making sure to leave a sturdy shell.
    Twice-Baked Sweet Potato Shells, reading for filling.
  2. Mash the sweet potato flesh and add maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and spices, butter, and a touch of cream cheese (for extra creaminess). Then whip until light and fluffy.
  3. Scoop it into a gallon-sized plastic baggie...
    Sweet potato filling in a bowl....and snip a hole in the corner, creating an easy, disposable piping bag.
    Filling in baggie, ready to pipe into shells.This allowed me to pipe the sweet potato filling back into the shells. Now I didn't do this step to get all fancy on you…I just found it to be quicker, easier, and less messy than using a spoon to get all of the sweet potato filling where it belonged.
    Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes ready to be topped and baked.
  4. Now it's time for the best part...the topping! If you prefer to go the marshmallow route, simply cram as many as you can fit on top of the filling. Mini marshmallows would work great, but I only had jumbo marshmallows on hand, so I sliced them in half and placed them cut-side-down onto my sweet potatoes.If streusel is more your thing, all you need to do is cut together some butter, flour, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, and salt, and pile it on top for a caramelized veneer of pecan deliciousness. Doesn't get much easier than that!
    Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes topped with marshmallows and pecan streusel.
  5. A final stint in the oven and your Thanksgiving menu is complete!
Twice-Baked Sweet Potato on plate with missing bite.

Actually, these would make a tasty accompaniment to just about any meal, whether it's a special occasion, a holiday, or just a regular weeknight dinner.

Because not only are those toasty marshmallow tops pretty, and not only is that crunchy pecan streusel to-die-for...but who's going to argue with a side dish that tastes like dessert?

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes on plate with pecan streusel.

And now I've got to know...what's your preference? Marshmallows, pecans, or are you indecisive like me and planning on going for both? 😉

More Thanksgiving Recipes

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes ~ the perfect Thanksgiving side dish, featuring a smooth, creamy filling and topped with toasty marshmallows or crunchy pecan streusel | FiveHeartHome.com

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes are the perfect Thanksgiving side dish, featuring a smooth, creamy filling and a topping of either toasty marshmallows or crunchy pecan streusel.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 566kcal
Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

  • 6 medium-sized sweet potatoes
  • 6 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

FOR PECAN STREUSEL:

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 6 tablespoons brown sugar
  • ½ c. finely chopped pecans
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • teaspoon salt

FOR MARSHMALLOW TOPPING:

  • Mini marshmallows or jumbo marshmallows, cut in half

Instructions

  • Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Wash sweet potatoes, scrubbing off any dirt, and pat dry. Prick each sweet potato 5 or 6 times with a fork or a sharp knife. Arrange sweet potatoes on prepared baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until very soft and tender (a fork or sharp knife inserted in the center of the largest sweet potato should not meet any resistance). Once the sweet potatoes are done, reduce oven temperature to 375°F.
  • While the potatoes are baking, prepare pecan streusel by using a fork or pastry blender to cut together butter, brown sugar, pecans, flour, cinnamon, and salt until well blended. (Or you may pulse the streusel together in a food processor, if that's easier.)
  • Using an oven mitt or kitchen towel to handle hot potatoes, slice a thin piece off the top of each sweet potato and discard. Scoop out the flesh from each sweet potato, leaving a ¼-inch layer intact to create a sturdy shell. Transfer the potato pulp to a bowl and mash well with maple syrup, butter, cream cheese, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger, stirring until smooth and well blended (I use an electric stand mixer for this step).
  • Scoop the sweet potato mixture into a gallon-sized plastic baggie and twist the top closed to create a piping bag. Cut a 1-inch piece off one corner of the bag and pipe the mixture into the sweet potato shells, evenly dividing it between them (alternatively, you may use a spoon to fill the shells).
  • Top each sweet potato with pecan streusel. Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes. If desired, broil for an additional 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned. If using marshmallows, bake for 7 to 10 minutes, watching closely until desired level of toastiness is reached.

Notes

  • If some of your potatoes are larger than others, you may have to pull the smaller ones out of the oven after an hour and bake the remainder for an additional 15 minutes.
  • Since the size and sweetness of sweet potatoes can vary, add the ingredients gradually and adjust the maple syrup and seasonings to taste. I typically start with 4 tablespoons maple syrup and ¼ teaspoon salt. I add additional maple syrup (1 tablespoon at a time) and more salt (¼ teaspoon at a time) until everything tastes just right.
  • The pecan streusel recipe above is enough to top 6 sweet potatoes. If you want to top some of your sweet potatoes with marshmallows, reduce the streusel recipe accordingly.

Nutrition

Calories: 566kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 352mg | Potassium: 593mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 19165IU | Vitamin C: 3.3mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 1.6mg
Made this recipe? I'd love to see on IG!Mention @FiveHeartHome or tag #FiveHeartHome!

 

This recipe was originally shared as a contributor post at Lil' Luna.

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20 Comments

  1. OMG, those look amazing Samantha!! I actually use both on top of my sweet potatoes, and they are my favorite part of Thanksgiving! No one else in the family likes them, so they are all for me! 😉

    1. All for you, Lisa? You lucky thing. I have to fight off the kids from the sweet potatoes on my plate with a fork... 😉

  2. These look delicious! Thank you! I found you from the Inspiration Party at MeeganMakes and you definitely inspired me to try these!

    1. Thanks so much, Kim! I'm very happy that you hopped over. Hope you have fun trying these and that you're having a great week!

    1. Thank you, Taylor! My family members all agreed that these were quite yummy. 😉 And I love linking up with y'all each weekend...thanks so much for hosting!

  3. I love sweet potatoes and this is a great idea! Love the different toppings! Saying hello from inspiration Mondays and I am feeling inspired! PINNED! 🙂
    Cathy

    1. Thanks so much, Cathy...I'm glad you hopped over! And I agree that the toppings take these sweet potatoes from good to great. 😉 I appreciate the pin and hope you've been having a fabulous week!

  4. amazing!! I love the ones with the crumble topping!!! thanks for linking up to the Create LInk Inspire party. You are being featured today on Nap-Time Creations in some great fall food!! Check it out! Emily

    1. Thanks so much, Emily! I appreciate the feature and the fact that you stopped by to let me know. 🙂 Hope you're having a fantastic week!

    1. Thanks so much, Carol! These are definitely like having a side of dessert with dinner...with which I would never be one to argue. 😉 Hope you've been having a great week...happy Friday!

  5. What a beautiful presentation these are! I love sweet potatoes, but the casserole is usually almost too rich for me. These look and sound perfect. Pinning!

    1. Thank you, Kelly! It sounds like these will be perfect for you. 🙂 I appreciate you stopping by and pinning...happy (almost) Friday!

  6. These look great Samantha! I posted Thanksgiving sweet potatoes today too. I'm over the casserole and totally down with the real deal.

    1. I saw your hasselback sweet potatoes, Bri...what a brilliant idea! I totally agree that it's nice to change things up after so many years of sweet potato casseroles...but I probably wouldn't turn that down either if somebody plopped it on my plate. 😉

  7. Samantha, way to kill me with that pecan topping! I can't believe I haven't eaten sweet potatoes this way for my whole life and that needs to change immediately 🙂 I am firmly in the mashed potato camp but I could make more than one exception for these bad boys!

    1. Ha, Amy...you definitely need to try sweet potatoes with some brown sugary/pecan goodness on top! It just might make you reconsider your Thanksgiving mashed potato allegiance...or at least split it 50/50 with sweet potatoes. 😉

    1. I rather agree with you, Stephanie...I enjoy the turkey, but it does typically take a backseat to sides like this! Hope you have a chance to try these, and that you enjoy them if you do! 🙂