Cranberry Apple Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes (Printer View)

Tender roasted sweet potatoes filled with caramelized apples, cranberries, and pecans, seasoned with warm spices and finished with maple syrup.

# Components:

→ Sweet Potato Base

01 - 6 medium sweet potatoes, uniform size
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Apple Cranberry Filling

04 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - 2 large apples, peeled and diced (½-inch pieces)
06 - 1 cup fresh cranberries
07 - ¼ cup light brown sugar
08 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
09 - ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
10 - ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
11 - ½ cup pecans, chopped and toasted

→ Optional Enhancements

12 - 2 tablespoons maple syrup
13 - ¼ cup sliced almonds
14 - Fresh thyme leaves for garnish
15 - Flaky sea salt for finishing

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Scrub sweet potatoes thoroughly and dry completely.
02 - Pierce each sweet potato several times with a fork. Rub all over with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Arrange on prepared baking sheet with even spacing.
03 - Roast sweet potatoes for 40–45 minutes until very tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
04 - While potatoes roast, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced apples in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes to caramelize.
05 - Stir apples, then add cranberries, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and kosher salt. Cook stirring occasionally for 5–7 minutes until cranberries begin to burst and apples are golden and tender.
06 - Stir in toasted pecans during the final minute of cooking. Remove skillet from heat.
07 - Once sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut each lengthwise down the center. Use a fork to gently fluff the interior, pressing ends toward the center to widen the opening.
08 - Spoon apple cranberry filling generously into each sweet potato, mounding it high. Return filled potatoes to the baking sheet.
09 - Bake for an additional 10 minutes at 425°F until heated through and filling edges are slightly caramelized.
10 - Remove from oven and rest for 2–3 minutes. Drizzle with maple syrup, garnish with additional toasted pecans, sliced almonds, fresh thyme leaves, and flaky sea salt if desired. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The combination of warm spices and bright cranberries hits that perfect balance between comfort food and something special enough for company
  • They reheat beautifully, so you can actually enjoy your own party instead of being stuck in the kitchen
  • Everyone gets their own personal portion, which somehow makes people absurdly happy
02 -
  • Do not skip the initial roasting step trying to cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave first results in weird texture and they wont hold the filling properly
  • The apples should still have some texture when you stuff the potatoes, theyll continue cooking in the second bake and you want them to hold their shape not turn into applesauce
  • These are best served within 30 minutes of the second bake while the edges are still caramelized and the filling is bubbling, though they reheat surprisingly well at 350°F for about 15 minutes
03 -
  • Use a kitchen towel to hold the hot potatoes while cutting and scooping, it saves your fingers and gives you better control
  • If the filling seems too loose, stir in a tablespoon of flour or cornstarch during the last minute of cooking to help bind everything together
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