Sweet potatoes, like the name implies, are a bit sweeter in flavor than their red, white or gold cousins. Sweet potatoes are also packed with vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber, making them a nutritious vegetable choice. Sweet potatoes are not just for enjoyment on Thanksgiving, and can be cooked in a variety of ways. Baking sweet potatoes is a popular, healthy and easy way to prepare the vegetable, and a 400-degree Fahrenheit oven helps dense sweet potatoes cook relatively quickly.

  Advertisement
 
Step 1
     Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit while you prepare the potatoes.

  Advertisement
 
  Video of the Day
  
Step 2
     Scrub the sweet potatoes with a vegetable brush and cold water. Remove any fiber-like eyes that may protrude from the vegetable. Pat the sweet potatoes dry with a paper towel.

  Advertisement
 
Step 3
     Poke each potato several times with a fork. The small vent holes will prevent the sweet potatoes from exploding in the hot oven.

  Advertisement
 
Step 4
     Wrap each sweet potato in aluminum foil if you prefer eating a softer skin, or keep the potato unwrapped to enjoy a crispier skin.

  Advertisement
 
Step 5
     Place a baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven. When baking "naked" sweet potatoes in a 400-degree Fahrenheit oven, oozing of the potato's natural sugars may occur; use the baking pan to catch the drippings.

  Advertisement
 
  Advertisement
 
Step 6
     Place the sweet potatoes on the middle rack of the oven and set a kitchen timer for 40 minutes. Tubers on the small side may be tender and ready within this time frame; larger specimens could bake for up to an hour before they are tender.

  Advertisement
 
Step 7
     Pierce the potato's skin with the fork to check for doneness; the potato's flesh should allow the utensil to slide in and out easily without resistance.

  Advertisement
 
Step 8
     Cut open the baked sweet potatoes and season them with a variety of toppings, including margarine, cinnamon or salt.

Things You'll Need

Vegetable brush Paper towel Fork Foil Baking sheet Kitchen timer Margarine Cinnamon Salt Tip You can brush a light coating of olive oil onto the potato’s skin to enhance its flavor and crunchiness if you desire.

  Advertisement
 
  Advertisement
  
  references
  
      Clemson Cooperative Extension: Sweet Potato Basics
    
      PBS: Save Time with Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
    
      Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Sweet Potatoes and Yams Look Alike to Me — Are They Different?
       




  references
  
      Clemson Cooperative Extension: Sweet Potato Basics
    
      PBS: Save Time with Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
    
      Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Sweet Potatoes and Yams Look Alike to Me — Are They Different?
  • Vegetable brush
  • Paper towel
  • Fork
  • Foil
  • Baking sheet
  • Kitchen timer
  • Margarine
  • Cinnamon
  • Salt

You can brush a light coating of olive oil onto the potato’s skin to enhance its flavor and crunchiness if you desire.

      Clemson Cooperative Extension: Sweet Potato Basics
    
      PBS: Save Time with Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
    
      Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Sweet Potatoes and Yams Look Alike to Me — Are They Different?