25+ Easy Sweet Potato Recipes (2024)

Sweet potatoes don’t have to be covered in marshmallows on your Thanksgiving table. This healthy and versatile root vegetable is great for any day of the year. Try one of these easy sweet potato recipes!

Sweet potatoes are full of orange goodness and are so unbelievably versatile. Don’t let sweet potatoes be held captive to Thanksgiving Day, blanketed under a layer of gooey white marshmallows. There are so many ways to enjoy them!

Sweet potatoes can be the star of any day. Enjoy them for breakfast, dinner, snacks and more. They can be baked, roasted, pressure cooked, air fried, or steamed. Enjoy sweet potatoes whole, mashed, sliced, cut into fries, or cubed. Sweet potato recipes can be savory or sweet, ranging from simple to complex.

Roast cubed sweet potatoes to add to salads or meal bowls. Microwave thinly sliced sweet potatoes for the best sweet potato chips. Make homemade sweet potato fries in your air fryer. Add sweet potatoes to easy sheet pan dinners. The possibilities are nearly endless!

Are Sweet Potatoes Good For you?

You’ll be glad to know that eating sweet potatoes can benefit your health in important ways (Healthline).

Fiber: Sweet potatoes have both soluble and insoluble fiber. Both kinds are essential for good digestion and gut health.
Antioxidants: Like most orange-colored foods, sweet potatoes contain beta carotene and anthocyanin, important antioxidants that convert to vitamin A in your body. They are important for maintaining good eye health and fighting against cancer. Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin C, too.
Minerals: Sweet potatoes are a good source of various minerals, such as potassium, manganese, and copper.

Remember, loading up sweet potatoes with lots of butter, sugar, and marshmallows will negate some of the health benefits. It’s best to cook them simply. Sweet potatoes are very flavorful so it’s not necessary to doll them up. A little olive oil, herbs, and seasonings will enhance but not mask their deliciousness.

Are Yams and Sweet Potatoes The Same Thing?

Often sweet potatoes are called yams, especially in the United States, but this is incorrect. They are both root vegetables but differ in many ways.

Yams are not sweet potatoes. They are in a different botanical family. Yams have rough brown skin that is tough, and dry white starchy flesh. They are usually boiled and mashed.

Sweet potatoes have tender skins and sweet flesh. There are five main types of sweet potatoes with lots of varieties included in each type. They may have orange, red, yellow, or purple skin, with orange, white, or purple flesh. The most common variety found in grocery stores, is the Beauregard, a large sweet potato with reddish orange skin and dark orange flesh.

How to choose and store Sweet Potatoes

How to Choose: Look for smooth-skinned, unwrinkled sweet potatoes. They should be free of blemishes, mold, or soft spots. Short plump sweet potatoes may have a sweeter flavor; long skinny potatoes tend to be a bit stringier.
How to Store: Sweet potatoes should be stored in a cool dry place with good air circulation. They’ll keep for up to two weeks, ready to use for any of the following easy sweet potato recipes.
What not to do: Do not store uncooked sweet potatoes in the refrigerator. They tend to develop an unpleasant flavor and hardness in the center, even after they’re cooked. Raw sweet potatoes should not be frozen. Cooked sweet potatoes can be frozen in a freezer safe container or bag for up to a year.
Want more info? For lots of interesting information about sweet potatoes, take a look at the U.S. Sweet Potato Council website.

Should I Peel Sweet Potatoes?

The skin of sweet potatoes is tender and totally edible so it isn’t necessary to peel them. Scrub the potatoes well with a firm-bristled brush under running water to remove any dirt. Trim any spots or eyes off with a sharp paring knife.

25+ Easy Sweet Potato Recipes

This round-up of easy sweet potato recipes is definitely a keeper. There’s a recipe for every occasion, from simple home-cooked dinners to holiday buffets.

You’ll want to bookmark this post so it’s always handy for the best sweet potato recipes!

Vanilla Bean Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Creamy mashed sweet potatoeswith vanilla bean paste taste like dessert. This easy sweet potato recipe will quickly become a favorite!

Check out this recipe

Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

Instant Pot sweet potatoes come out silky smooth every time. Pressure cooking sweet potatoes is so easy!

Check out this recipe

Scalloped Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Gruyère

A sweet potato recipe for special occasions, decadent scalloped sweet potatoes are resplendent with rich Gruyère cheese and flavorful bacon.

Check out this recipe

Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole

A gluten-free, nut-free, and dairy-free alternative to classic sugar-laden sweet potato recipes. You'll love the crunchy streusel topping!

Check out this recipe

Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes

FAQs

How many sweet potatoes do I need for 25 people? ›

“A general guideline to estimating how many sweet potatoes you need when hosting friends or family for a meal is one medium sweet potato per person,” Burgess says, as if she's done this many times before.

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Why do you soak sweet potatoes before baking? ›

TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: The main secrets to achieving that incredible crispy texture, is to soak the cut sweet potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes. This helps remove the starch from the sweet potatoes so they´re not limp & soggy.

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Is it better to microwave or bake a sweet potato? ›

It's really the best way. Microwaving sweet potatoes cuts down cook time by 45 to 55 minutes, and, according to a 2018 study, helps maintain the potato's nutritional value. All cooking methods cause foods to lose some of their nutrients, but the quicker your potato cooks, the more nutrients it will retain.

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Is it better to boil sweet potatoes or bake sweet potatoes? ›

Baking can also cause an 80% drop in vitamin A levels, twice as much as boiling. Therefore, from a nutritional standpoint, boiling rather than baking should be recommended for cooking sweet potato.

Can you prepare sweet potatoes in advance? ›

Prep sweet potatoes: You can peel the sweet potatoes a day ahead of time and keep them in a bowl/pot filled with water in the refrigerator to keep them from browning. I would not boil the potatoes ahead of time because the potatoes need to be warm when mashed.

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How many pounds of potatoes do I need for 26 people? ›

Plan on 1/3 to 1/2 pound potatoes per person for your feast.

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Why is boiling a sweet potato better than baking? ›

Boiling sweet potatoes retains more beta-carotene and makes the nutrient more absorbable than other cooking methods such as baking or frying. Up to 92% of the nutrient can be retained by limiting the cook time, such as boiling in a pot with a tightly covered lid for 20 minutes.

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Is it better to peel sweet potatoes before baking? ›

The first step in getting perfectly roasted sweet potatoes is to peel them. Technically, you can leave the peel on, but I've found that it's still tough and chewy even after cooking which I don't enjoy. I start by peeling my sweet potatoes using a vegetable peeler which makes the process incredibly easy.

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Is it OK to soak sweet potatoes in water overnight? ›

Types of Potatoes to Soak

"Sweet potatoes can also be peeled and stored in water for up to 24 hours."

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What is the healthiest way to eat sweet potato? ›

The healthiest ways to prepare sweet potatoes are to steam or boil them. You can also bake, roast, or fry sweet potatoes, but you should take care to limit these preparation methods, which will cause the sugars to break down in different ways and often include extra recipe ingredients like oil, butter, or sugar.

Do sweet potatoes get sweeter the longer you cook them? ›

Harold McGee in On Food and Cooking explains that the enzyme becomes active at around 135° and stops at around 170°. This means that if you bake your sweet potatoes low and slow, the enzyme will have more time to break down more starch and the finished potatoes will be very sweet.

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Is it OK to eat skin of sweet potato? ›

The Bottom Line. You can eat sweet potato skin. It's a good source of fiber, a nutrient that may help lower the risk of heart disease and keep you feeling full for longer periods of time. The next time you make a sweet potato dish, whether it's a roasted side dish or a hearty, cozy casserole, leave the peel on.

Do sweet potatoes cook at the same time as regular potatoes? ›

However, as a general guideline, sweet potatoes typically take about 45 minutes to 1 hour to bake at 400°F (200°C), whereas regular potatoes may take closer to 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes to bake at the same temperature.

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Do I peel sweet potatoes before boiling? ›

There is not much difference between boiling sweet potatoes with the skins on versus peeling them, but you will get a boost of fiber and potassium if you keep the skin on. The skin also adds a subtle texture to each bite. If you're looking for a smoother mash, peel the potatoes first before boiling.