Healthy, paleo twice baked sweet potatoes are incredibly delicious and creamy – no junky topping necessary!
When I think about comfort food, one of the dishes that come to mind is twice baked sweet potatoes. There’s something incredible about the creamy, buttery mixture, baked twice to enhance the flavors and textures even more.
The ingredients needed for this recipe
You’ll only need a few ingredients to make this tasty side dish. Scroll down to the recipe card for exact amounts.
- Sweet potato
- Unsalted butter
- Maple syrup
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Cayenne
How to make twice-baked sweet potatoes
Scroll down to the recipe card for the details. The basics are simple:
- Bake sweet potatoes.
- Scoop out their flesh and mix it with butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne pepper.
- Add the mixture back to the shells, sprinkle with a little cinnamon, and bake until golden-brown.
What to serve with twice-baked sweet potatoes?
This is a very versatile side dish that goes with many main dishes. But since I make it in a 375°F oven, I like to serve it with a main dish that I can bake in the same oven. So I often serve this side dish with boneless pork roast, or with roasted leg of lamb.
Is this a healthy recipe?
This would depend on your definition of “healthy.” It’s not a low-carb recipe, so if you need to limit your carbs, it’s not appropriate for you. But it’s a paleo recipe, made with a short list of whole-food ingredients. And sweet potatoes have several health benefits.
The only ingredients in this simple recipe are sweet potatoes, butter, maple, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne. There’s truly no need for marshmallows or any other junk. These twice-baked sweet potatoes are incredibly creamy and delicious.
I love sweet potatoes in general – I often make microwave sweet potato and enjoy it with just a sprinkle of salt. But this recipe is especially addictive. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! 🙂
What about leftovers?
Leftovers keep pretty well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, in the microwave on 50% power. This is actually one of those dishes were leftovers are just as good as the freshly cooked recipe.
A low-carb alternative
If you’re looking for a lower carb alternative to twice baked sweet potatoes, how about cheesy, tasty twice baked spaghetti squash?
Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large sweet potato, 12 oz, scrubbed clean
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- Pinch cayenne
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Pierce the sweet potato with a fork. Place it on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake until soft, 60-70 minutes.
- After placing the sweet potato in the oven, place the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and leave at room temperature.
- Remove the baked sweet potato from the oven and let stand a few minutes, until cool enough to handle.
- Using a sharp knife, split the sweet potato in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, carefully remove most of the warm flesh to the bowl with the remaining ingredients, leaving the skin intact.
- Mix the sweet potato flesh with the remaining ingredients until smooth.
- Add the filling back to the sweet potato skins. Sprinkle with a little more cinnamon. Place back on the baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., has been following a healthy real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She has taken 
