These Baked Sweet Potato Halves roast cut-side down until the natural sugars caramelize into a deeply golden, glossy surface. This simple sheet pan method transforms sweet potatoes into something incredibly soft, rich, and almost candy-like.
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Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItThese Baked Sweet Potato Halves (inspired by this recipe) are ridiculously delicious. I’m not usually one to jump on viral recipes, but this one caught my eye on Instagram and I had to try it.
That deeply caramelized surface and no-fuss method have me making them on repeat as an easy side dish. Like my Roasted Sweet Potatoes, they work well with a wide variety of main dishes and go perfectly with chicken, steak, or pork.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- Cut-side down caramelization: Placing the sweet potatoes cut-side down allows the natural sugars to caramelize as they roast, creating a deeply golden surface.
- No flipping needed: Leaving them cut-side down the entire time ensures even cooking and prevents breaking up that caramelized layer.
- Simple ingredients, big flavor: A light coating of olive oil and a little seasoning is all you need to enhance the natural sweetness and create rich, concentrated flavor.
- Soft, creamy interior: The longer roasting time allows the inside to become perfectly tender with a smooth, almost custardy texture.
Ingredient Notes
- Sweet Potatoes: Look for medium sweet potatoes that are similarly sized so they cook evenly. Red-skinned sweet potatoes (often labeled garnet or jewel) have a naturally sweet, creamy texture that works especially well here.
- Olive Oil: A light coating of olive oil helps the cut surface caramelize and prevents sticking.
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper: Season the cut side before baking to enhance the natural sweetness and add a little contrast. You don’t need any cinnamon or additional spices. Keep it simple and let the flavor of the sweet potato shine.
Prepping the Sweet Potatoes
Scrub the sweet potatoes under cool water and dry them well before slicing. Use a sharp knife and cut them in half lengthwise, pressing down carefully to cut straight through.
How to Make Baked Sweet Potato Halves
- Rub the halved sweet potatoes with olive oil, coating both the skin and cut sides. Season the cut sides with a sprinkle of kosher salt and black pepper.
- Place the sweet potatoes cut-side down on a baking sheet.
- Bake at 375 degrees F until very tender, keeping them cut-side down the entire time.
- Remove from the oven and let them rest for a few minutes, then flip over and serve.
Serving Tip
The caramelization adds so much flavor, you can serve them just as they are. But, I like to put out a little softened butter on the side for the butter lovers.
FAQ
No, but I recommend it for easier cleanup. Baking the sweet potatoes directly on an unlined baking sheet will give you deeper caramelization, but the sugars can brown more quickly, so keep an eye on them near the end of the cooking time. I don’t recommend foil as it can stick to the caramelized surface.
I tested them at a higher temperature and don’t recommend it for this method. In order for the interior to become really creamy and the cut sides to caramelize properly, I found 375 degrees to be the sweet spot. Increasing the temperature will make them cook more quickly, but you won’t get the same texture and you risk burning the sugars.
They should be very tender when pierced with a knife, with a deeply golden, caramelized surface on the cut side. The interior should be soft and almost creamy.
Yes! Letting them rest after baking allows the texture and flavor to develop even more. They’re also great reheated the next day. Just warm them in the oven to help restore the caramelized edges, or slice them up to add to a salad or meal prep lunches.
Storage and Reheating Tips
Store leftover sweet potato halves in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To reheat, place them on a baking sheet and warm in a 350 degree F oven until heated through. This helps restore some of the caramelized texture. They can also be reheated in the microwave, but the texture will be softer.
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Baked Sweet Potato Halves (Viral Method)
Ingredients
- 2 medium red-skinned sweet potatoes
- 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, or as needed
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 °F with a rack set in the center position.
- Scrub the sweet potatoes under cool water and dry them well with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice each one in half lengthwise.
- Drizzle the cut side of each sweet potato half with olive oil, using your hands to lightly coat both the cut side and skin. Season the cut side with kosher salt and pepper, to taste.
- Place the sweet potatoes cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until very tender and deeply caramelized on the cut side. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your sweet potatoes.
- Let the sweet potatoes rest for a few minutes before removing them from the baking sheet. Serve as is or with butter, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
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