Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Sweet potatoes baked whole then scooped and mashed with cream cheese, butter, salt, and a nutty cinnamon-brown sugar mix; refilled and baked again topped with toasted marshmallows. Pecan nuts swapped for walnuts for texture variation. Timing adjusted slightly to rely on softness by touch and marshmallows golden hue. Key technique is not overstuffing the skins. Brown sugar split to layer flavor and crunch. The process teaches watchful baking, aroma cues, and doughy marshmallow signs. Substitutions suggest Greek yogurt or mascarpone for cream cheese. Visual and tactile clues govern success, not clocks.
Prep:
25 min
Cook:
Total:
Servings:
4 servings
#American cuisine
#baking
#vegetarian
#holiday side
#dessert-adjacent
Sweet potatoes roasted till soft then scooped out. Mixed with butter, cream cheese, salt, and a sweet nutty sugar-cinnamon blend. Mashed but chunk not pureed. Piled back and baked again. Marshmallows go on top, turn golden, sticky. Past tries taught me don’t rush cooling or stuffing. Watch sugar burn carefully. Texture contrast in sugar divided between filling and topping is crucial. Walnuts swap in for pecans can shift taste. Timing less about clocks, more about feel and smell. Hot kitchen aromas play cues. Hands-on sense over timers any day.
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 ounces cream cheese (or mascarpone or Greek yogurt)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, divided
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (swap for pecans)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup miniature marshmallows
About the ingredients
Potatoes vary; aim for medium-sized, not too big or small, so baking is even. I choose firm cream cheese for tang but mascarpone or thick Greek yogurt work well–adjust moisture thoughtfully. Butter can be salted if careful with salt added. Nuts ideally toasted beforehand if time. Brown sugar can be mixed with coconut for deeper flavor. Mini marshmallows essential here; big ones don’t toast evenly. Got no foil? Use parchment or a clean tray to prevent burning sugars. If nut allergies present, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds toast fine here too. Salt enhances sweetness—don’t skip or just use a pinch. Butter and cream cheese balance moist texture and binding.
Method
- Start by setting oven to 405°F. Rinse each potato carefully, scrub to remove grit. Lay them spaced on baking sheet lined with foil to catch drips. Slide into oven where heat surrounds. Bake about 55-65 minutes. Test softness by stabbing knife mid-potato—should slide like butter. If firm, return and check every 7 minutes. Smell will sweeten subtly; skins will wrinkly slightly. Let cool until comfortable to touch. Don't rush or scoop hot filling—burns trap.
- While cooling, mix the chopped walnuts with two-thirds of the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Keep the remaining third separate; that’ll go on top later. Nuts add crunch and toasted notes, walnuts shift flavor from pecan’s buttery sweet to woodier.
- Slice a slit lengthwise along cooled sweet potato, gently pry open without breaking skin structure. Scoop out flesh carefully with a spoon—avoid tearing skins which hold everything together during second bake. Toss scooped flesh in a medium bowl with butter, cream cheese, salt. Then fold in most of the nut and sugar mixture—this layering of sugar ensures texture contrast, also distributes spices better. Mash just until creamy but retain some chunkiness, makes for interesting mouthfeel.
- Spoon the filling back into the potato skins. Don’t overfill or the skin will crack during bake. Dust each stuffed potato with remaining sugar-nut mix—creates crunchy topping once baked. Return potatoes to baking sheet, slide back into oven for about 15 minutes. Watch edges for slight browning and filling firming—a sign mixture isn’t too wet.
- Pull out, top each potato with about a generous handful of mini marshmallows. Bake again at 400°F for another 5 minutes, keep close—marshmallows should puff and turn golden brown quickly. Avoid overbaking as burnt marshmallow ruins flavor and texture. Serve straightaway while marshmallow crust is soft inside but crisp on top.
- If needed, swap brown sugar for coconut sugar for earthier tone or maple syrup mixed into filling, but reduce liquid butter slightly. For dairy-free, use coconut cream cheese alternative carefully as moisture differs.
- Don’t throw out scooped skins if broken; patch with foil or use for smaller stuffed bite-size snacks baked briefly. The key is to respect heat and moisture balance: overbaking dries filling, underbaking makes it unstable. Smell cinnamon toasted with sugar-touched nuts is good cue for doneness.
- Watch out: spooning while warm might collapse skins, so cool enough but not cold. You want slight softness in filling during final bake to meld flavors. Play with nuts and spices for your own twist; cardamom or allspice swap well in fall versions.
- Scoring skins before first bake helps even cooking but I found it often lets juices escape which dries flesh. Let potatoes stay whole for juicier soft interiors. Practice with potato size affects timing; thin ones cook faster and can crumble if baked too long in step two.
- Use foil on the baking sheet to catch sugars and butter drips—easiest cleanup and stops smoking. Also reduces crust burning below. Don’t skip resting after first bake; it firms potato enough for filling without heat burns.
Cooking tips
Oven temp slightly above stated works better to get skin crisp without overbaking flesh. Check softness by visual shrinkage and gentle squeeze or knife slide. Potato flesh should mash without liquid pooling, indicating overcooked or wet. Scoop carefully to keep skins intact—ripping leads to frustrating fillings that spill. Mixing nuts and sugar in two parts controls layering texture and flavor. When returning stuffed potatoes to oven, set timer but watch edges and filling changes closely. Marshmallow tops toast fast; stay close, use oven light to judge golden. Remove as soon as browned. Cool after first bake prevents burns and keeps filling stability. Skipping cooling risks flesh too hot to mix nicely, ruining texture. Use foil-lined sheet tray—clean up saved. Nuts add crunch contrast; mixing into mash ensures flavor depth inside versus crunchy sugar on top. Multipurpose step and timing tweaks based on sizes and oven reliability.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Oven temp matters—405°F first bake for crisp skin but soft flesh. Test softness by knife sliding in center. If firm, add 7-minute intervals. Wrinkled skin and sweet aroma help gauge doneness. Don’t rush cooling or scooping—hot filling burns fingers and ruins texture.
- 💡 Divide brown sugar carefully: two-thirds mixed in nuts and filling; last third dusted top for crunch. Layer contrast crucial. Toast walnuts first if possible for smoky notes; swap pecans easily. Keep marshmallows mini size—large ones brown unevenly, risk burnt spots.
- 💡 Scooping? Gently pry lengthwise slit, preserve skin integrity. Tear skins and filling spills, frustrate bake and mess texture. Mash filling creamy but chunk retention adds mouthfeel. Cream cheese variance changes moisture; mascarpone or Greek yogurt needs adjustment to avoid runny filling.
- 💡 Stuffing—don’t overfill skins or filling cracks while baking second time. Watch edges closely, slight browning signals firm base. Marshmallows toast fast at 400°F. Stay near oven, visual cues beat timers here. Puff, golden tops only, or flavor and texture falls flat.
- 💡 Alternatives: swap brown sugar for coconut sugar for earthier tones. Maple syrup in filling needs butter reduction to avoid soggy. Dairy-free? Coconut cream cheese can substitute but moisture varies—test and adjust. Nut allergies? Use toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds; maintain crunch contrast. Foil-lined baking sheet saves cleanup; parchment if no foil.
Common questions
How to know sweet potatoes are done first bake?
Knife slide in center key. Flesh should feel soft but not mushy. Wrinkled skin and subtle sweet aroma clues. If it resists, put back 5-7 mins, watch closely. Visual shrinkage helps. Timing varies by size.
Can I use bigger marshmallows?
Risk uneven toasting. Miniature marshmallows toast evenly, puff quick. Larger ones burn outsides, stay raw inside. If only large, cut smaller chunks and watch oven. Keep eyes on color; golden all over means success.
What if skins crack during scoop?
Happens if rushed or potato too soft. Cool fully before scooping to avoid spills. Broken skins patch with foil for baking. Smaller skins can be used for bite-size snacks. Avoid tearing else filling leaks and bakes unevenly.
Best way to store leftovers?
Cool completely before fridge. Wrap stuffed potatoes tight or use airtight container. Reheat in oven 350°F till warmed through; marshmallows get soft. Microwave makes marshmallows rubbery. Freeze not ideal due to texture changes.
