Description
These Apple Spiced Stuffed Sweet Potatoes offer a delightful blend of tender baked sweet potatoes filled with a warm, spiced apple mixture. Enhanced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and optional nuts and dried fruits, this comforting recipe is perfect for a wholesome fall or winter side dish or a light vegetarian main course.
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Potatoes
- 4 medium-large sweet potatoes (1.5-2 lbs)
- 1 tbsp olive or avocado oil (optional)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, plus more
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter (optional, for mashing)
Apple Spiced Filling
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 medium sweet-tart apples (e.g., Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, diced
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice or ginger (optional)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts (optional)
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries or golden raisins (optional)
For Serving (Optional)
- Maple syrup or honey (optional, for drizzle)
- Greek yogurt or cream cheese frosting (optional, for topping)
- Fresh thyme or rosemary leaves (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare & Bake Sweet Potatoes: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Thoroughly scrub the sweet potatoes clean and prick each several times with a fork. Rub them with the olive or avocado oil, then season with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper if desired. Place them directly on the oven rack or on a baking sheet and bake for 45 to 75 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are very tender when pierced with a knife.
- Prepare Sweet Potato Shells: Allow the baked sweet potatoes to cool for 10 to 15 minutes so they are safe to handle. Carefully slice each sweet potato lengthwise, taking care not to cut completely through. Scoop out the soft flesh into a bowl, leaving about a 1/4-inch border of the skin intact. Mash the sweet potato flesh with 1 tablespoon unsalted butter if using, plus a pinch of salt and pepper. Set this mash aside.
- Make Apple Spiced Filling: While the potatoes cool, melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the diced apples and sauté for about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples begin to soften but remain tender-crisp.
- Season & Finish Filling: Stir in the packed brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, optional allspice or ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt to the skillet. Cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sugar has fully melted and the apples are soft and fragrant. Remove the skillet from heat and mix in the vanilla extract and fresh lemon juice. If desired, fold in the toasted nuts and dried cranberries or golden raisins. Set aside.
- Stuff Potatoes: Combine about two-thirds of the apple spiced filling with the mashed sweet potato flesh, mixing gently but thoroughly. Generously stuff each of the reserved sweet potato skins with this mixture, mounding the filling high. Then spoon the remaining one-third of the apple spiced filling on top of each stuffed sweet potato for extra flavor and texture.
- Final Bake/Broil & Serve: Place the stuffed sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and return them to the 400°F (200°C) oven. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until everything is heated through and bubbly. For a caramelized golden top, optionally broil the stuffed potatoes for 2 to 4 minutes—watching them carefully to avoid burning. Serve immediately, optionally drizzled with maple syrup or honey, topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt or cream cheese frosting, and garnished with fresh thyme or rosemary leaves.
Notes
- Use sweet-tart apples like Honeycrisp for the best flavor balance in the filling.
- Choose to include or omit nuts and dried fruit based on dietary preferences and texture desires.
- Omitting butter and using oil makes this suitable for a dairy-free version.
- Handle the baked sweet potatoes carefully when scooping to maintain the skins intact for stuffing.
- Broiling at the end is optional but adds a beautiful caramelized finish.
- Maple syrup or honey drizzle and creamy toppings add a lovely sweetness and contrast.
