Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato

Whether you’re serving them as a side dish, stuffing them to create a meal, or mashing them up for a casserole, this air fryer-baked sweet potato recipe will come in handy! In less time, with less oil, you’ll have perfectly baked sweet potatoes with crispy skin and a warm and fluffy center!

Not too long ago I posted my air fryer baked potato recipe. It’s my new favorite way to cook baked potatoes in less time, and they turn out perfect with crispy skin, and a light and fluffy center.

So, why not do the same with sweet potatoes? In fact, we enjoy sweet potatoes regularly here in my house like with this simple sweet potato saute.

It’s one of our staple foods. You can always find them in my pantry with my other sturdy vegetables like onions, and squash.

I find that they are great to have on hand. I use them in curries, and soup, mash them as a side dish, stuff them with beans and spices, or eat them simply baked with a little vegan butter and coconut sugar!

Any way you like them, making them in the air fryer speeds up the cooking process and allows you to cook them with less oil!

Why you’ll love this Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato Recipe…

• Only four simple ingredients
• Crispy skin
• Light and fluffy center
• Use in all your favorite recipes
• Or enjoy them as a side dish
• Takes less time than oven-baked
• Frees up the oven for other baked recipes
• The air fryer doesn’t overheat the house in the summer months

Recipe Ingredients and Notes

Sweet Potatoes: Depending on the size of your air fryer, choose sweet potatoes that will fit. I have a rather small air fryer, and have had the experience of choosing sweet potatoes that were way to big to fit! If you have a large air fryer this won’t be a problem. When choosing your sweet potatoes at the store make sure they are firm. This will ensure that they are fresh!

Olive Oil: If you like a crispy skin on your baked sweet potatoes, massaging a bit of oil will help give them that nice crispiness. You don’t need a lot! I recommend about ½ a teaspoon per potato.

Salt and Pepper: Sprinkling the outside of your sweet potato with salt and pepper will give it nice bit of seasoning.

Tools and Equipment

Air Fryer: There are so many air fryers to choose from on the market today. Some are simple with a temperature and time gauge, while others are more complicated with pre-set buttons, and multifunctions. Choosing the right air fryer for you will depend on how many people you plan to serve regularly, and whether you want pre-sets, or other functions.

How to Make an Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato – Step by Step

Step 1: Wash and dry sweet potatoes. Rub ½ a teaspoon of olive oil into the skin of the sweet potatoes using your hands.

Step 2: Sprinkle with salt and pepper evenly.

Step 3: Place in the air fryer basket. Be sure not to overcrowd.

Step 4: Set the air fryer to 400 F. Bake for 40 minutes. At the 20 minute mark flip the potatoes over using tongs. Check for doneness at 40 minutes by piercing them with a fork. If they are not fully cooked, add an additional 10 minutes, or until the skin is crispy and the center is cooked through.

Step 5: Slice down the center, fluff with a fork, and add your favorite toppings such as vegan butter, and coconut sugar.

Top Tips for Making an Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato

• Choose the right size sweet potato for your air fryer.
• Make sure to thoroughly clean your sweet potatoes. They may have quite a lot of dirt and grime. Using a vegetable brush will help remove any dirt. Dry them with a kitchen towel. Be sure they are completely dry before adding the oil, salt, and pepper. If they are wet the skin will not crisp.
• I do not recommend poking them with holes or wrapping in foil. This will steam the potatoes. If you want crispy skin, leave them as is when you put them in the air fryer. You can however line the bottom of your basket with aluminum foil to help with clean-up.
• Do not overcrowd or stack the potatoes on top of one another. They need space in the air fryer to cook evenly.
• Flip the potatoes halfway through the cooking time to ensure an even bake on all sides.
• Do not try to flip with your bare hands! They are hot! Use tongs.
• Cut the skin down the center, and fluff the flesh with your fork. Add your favorite toppings! See below for some of my favorite variations!

What makes this air fryer sweet potato recipe healthy?

Rich in Vitamins and Nutrients: If you’re enjoying a baked sweet potato, eat the skin too! It’s full nutrients! A 200 gram sweet potato has 4 grams of protein, 6.6 grams of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, vitamin B6, potassium, copper, and niacin.

Helps with Gut Health: Because sweet potatoes are so high in fiber, and also are high in antioxidants, they help promote the growth of good bacteria that helps with a healthy gut!

Promote Healthy Vision: Sweet potatoes are high in beta-carotene which helps prevent vision loss.

How to Serve

After baking these sweet potatoes you can serve them as a side dish. Here are some of my favorite variations…

• Butter (vegan) and coconut sugar. (As featured in the photos).
• Filled with your favorite bean chili.
• Chopped pecans and a drizzle of maple syrup.

You can also bake them and then use the filling to make mashed sweet potatoes or a hearty soup!

Variations

No air fryer, no problem! Of course, you can bake sweet potatoes in the oven if you do not have an air fryer. I recommend placing them on a baking sheet and baking for 60 minutes at 400 F.

Don’t want crispy skin? If you prefer skin that is easy to peel off your sweet potato, then you might not want crispy skin. In that case, wrap your sweet potatoes in aluminum foil, and poke a few times with a fork. This will steam the potatoes and create soft skin.

How to Store and Keep Leftovers

Store: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Keep: They will keep for 3-4 days when stored in the fridge.

Reheat: When ready to eat again, transfer to the air fryer, and bake for 10 minutes at 350 F. It will warm up the center, but the skin will not be as crispy as it was when it was made fresh.

Check out these other healthy sweet potato recipes!

• Vegan Loaded Sweet Potatoes
• Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Brussel Sprout and Sweet Potato Hash
• Vegan Curry with Sweet Potatoes
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup

If you’ve tried this Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato recipe, please rate the recipe and let me know how they turned out. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more plant-based vegan family recipes your whole family will enjoy!

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