Cranberry Apple Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes (Printable)

Tender sweet potatoes filled with caramelized apples, cranberries, and pecans.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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

# Steps:

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 to 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 to 3 minutes to caramelize.
05 - Stir apples, then add cranberries, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and kosher salt. Cook stirring occasionally for 5 to 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 center. Use fork to gently fluff interior, pressing ends toward center to widen opening.
08 - Spoon apple cranberry filling generously into each sweet potato, mounding high. Return filled potatoes to baking sheet.
09 - Bake for additional 10 minutes at 425°F until heated through and filling edges are slightly caramelized.
10 - Remove from oven and rest for 2 to 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 contrast between creamy sweet potato and tart cranberries creates the kind of flavor balance that makes people go quiet around the dinner table
  • You can prep everything ahead of time and just do the final bake when guests arrive, which means less stress and more time with people you actually like
02 -
  • The filling can be made up to a day in advance, which I actually prefer because the flavors have time to meld together
  • If you are using dried cranberries instead of fresh, reduce the brown sugar by about a tablespoon or the filling will be too sweet
03 -
  • Use a pastry brush to evenly coat the potatoes with olive oil, it is faster and more thorough than using your hands
  • If your sweet potatoes are particularly thick, they might need an extra 5 to 10 minutes in the oven
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