Sweet potatoes baked for hours to perfection until the potato’s sugary sweetness caramelizes and flesh turns a rich, darker hue. The end result is unbelievably tasty.
A slow and low baking method (from mom) that can be employed for any sweet potato, but preferred for slim-shaped sweet potatoes. Examples include:
- Orange flesh sweet potatoes – Jewel, Red Garnet, Beauregard
- Yellow/white flesh sweet potatoes – Japanese white
- Purple flesh sweet potatoes – Okinawan, Stokes Purple
Our favorite go-to sweet potato snack is an Okinawan purple sweet potato. It is so good that my husband says time and again we should sell it on the side. Baking sweet potatoes require a lot of patience, but the end result is well worth it.
Kids love this healthy “dessert.”
Notes about baking sweet potatoes
Instant potting or microwaving sweet potatoes cannot replicate the low and slow baking method.
The baking temperature can range from 270-300 F in a small toaster oven. The amount of time depends on size and thickness of the sweet potato. When a sweet potato is done, it will be “smooshy” to touch.
Choose smaller, slim potatoes that are firm, smooth and free of mold, bruises and lacerations.
The skin can be eaten as well.
Equipment used
Small toaster oven (preferred over an oven since baking time is long)
