Loaded Sweet Potato Skins make a hearty, substantial meal. The vegan and gluten-free toppings make this super hearty, filling, and so delicious. Nearly everything in this dish is whole food so it’s healthy and good for you!
Can You Eat Sweet Potato Skins?
Are sweet potato skins edible? Sweet potato skins are totally edible. When cooked, the skin has the same caramelized sweetness as the flesh. Just wash them well before baking. Sweet potatoes do grow in the ground and need a thorough wash to remove any dirt, pesticides, or debris. Simply scrub under running water with a vegetable brush. Don’t worry about damaging them, they have thick skins!
Are Loaded Sweet Potato Skins Healthy?
Sweet potatoes are healthy. They’re full of fiber, complex carbohydrates, and tons of the antioxidants we all know and love, beta carotenes. The skin is the same. It has even more fiber than the flesh.
More Sweet Potato Recipes!
Should sweet potatoes be boiled or baked?
For this recipe, the sweet potatoes should be baked. Boiling sweet potatoes is a great way to prepare them for other recipes, but for this one baked is definitely the way to go.
How do I cook sweet potatoes for skins?
Start by piercing the skin of clean sweet potatoes. Potatoes of any kind are full of water that will turn to vapor as they cook. So piercing the skin allows some of that steam out and is supposed to keep the skin from exploding. (Shh, don’t tell anyone, but to be honest, I usually don’t pierce and have never had anything happen.)
Then, bake the sweet potatoes at 400 degrees F for about 40 to 50 minutes, or until tender. These can also be baked in the air fryer and they will cook just a little bit faster. Air fry at 400 degrees F for about 30 minutes.
Cut the Sweet Potatoes in Half and Scoop Out the Flesh
Once the sweet potatoes are cooked to the point of being tender all the way through, cut them in half and scoop out most of the sweet potato flesh. Leave a thin layer of flesh lining the skins. This just makes them a little more sturdy to hold lots of yummy toppings. Then pop these in the oven for about 10 minutes to let them start to get crispy before piling the mashed sweet potato and toppings on …
Place the scooped-out flesh into a bowl and mash. Add in the maple syrup and mash until smooth. Then stir in the cheese.
Sweet Garbanzo Beans and Onion
I mixed up some garbanzo beans, onion, a dash of maple syrup, and spices and spooned this on top of the stuffed sweet potatoes. This tasty mix adds some protein to make it a more substantial meal.
Just Add Toppings!
Just add toppings until you’re happy with it. As you can see from my pics, I added toppings until you couldn’t tell there were sweet potatoes underneath it all. Which worked out great, tbh. It was a great main dish for dinner. I added vegan yogurt, the garbanzo bean/onion mix, avocados, vegan cheese, sliced jalapenos, and squeezed a generous amount of lime juice over the whole thing.
Tasty Topping Ideas for Baked Sweet Potato Skins
Chopped Avocado
Vegan Yogurt or Sour Cream
Garbanzo Beans
Sliced Red or White Onions
Cilantro
Lime
Vegan Cheese
Vegan Bacon Bits
Sliced Green Onions
Sliced Jalapenos or other Peppers
Loaded Sweet Potato Skins (Vegan and Gluten-Free)
Loaded Sweet Potato Skins make a hearty, substantial meal. The vegan and gluten-free toppings make this super hearty, filling, and so delicious. Nearly everything in this dish is whole food so it's healthy and good for you!
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes, washed and scrubbed
- 1 can garbanzo beans
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup vegan cheese shreds
Toppings
- Chopped Avocado
- Vegan Yogurt or Sour Cream
- Garbanzo Beans
- Sliced Red or White Onions
- Cilantro
- Lime
- Vegan Cheese
- Vegan Bacon Bits
- Sliced Green Onions
- Sliced Jalapenos or other Peppers
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes. Pierce them with a fork. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for 40 to 50 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are very tender all the way through.
- Cut the sweet potatoes in half and scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a thin layer along the skin (see photo above). This will help the sweet potato skin stay sturdy enough to stand up to lots of toppings! Brush the inside of the skins with a small amount of oil and bake at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes.
- While the skins are baking, mash up the sweet potato flesh until smooth. Stir in the maple syrup and vegan cheese. Use this mix and fill the potato skins.
- Stir together the garbanzo beans, onion, and spices. Then spoon that over the stuffed sweet potatoes.
- Add cheese, if desired as well as jalapenos or other peppers.
- Bake the stuffed sweet potatoes at 400 degrees F for about 15 minutes.
- Add any remaining toppings like vegan yogurt, bacon bits, green onions, etc.
- Enjoy!
Hello! I’m Lisa, a vegan artist, photographer, author, Vegan Life Coach Educator, and RYT 200 yoga teacher. I love showing others how simple and delicious a plant-based diet can be. I draw and paint, cook, write, take lots of pics, eat lots of chocolate, and practice gratitude daily.