These vegan potato skins are filled with vegan cheese and topped with dairy-free sour cream and fresh herbs. They’re crispy on the outside and warm and cheesy on the inside.
These vegan potato skins make a perfect appetizer or snack for casual parties, game-day gatherings, and tailgates! Nobody will know they’re made with vegan ingredients!
Potato skins are a cross between a potato chip and a baked potato. In this recipe, Yukon gold potatoes are baked, with the fleshy center scooped out then filled with cheese, and baked until warm and melted. Add your favorite toppings such as sour cream, fresh herbs, or vegan bacon bits.
This vegan version is made in the air fryer.
The air fryer is my all-time favorite appliance to use when I’m making potatoes! I’ve made air fryer potato wedges, air fryer tater tots, frozen French fries, and even air fryer baked potatoes!! But these potato skins might be my new favorite! They’ve got all my favorite elements of a cheesy potato, only much healthier! Looking for more party snacks? Here are some of my other favorite vegan party snacks!
💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple ingredients
- Quick and easy to make
- Crispy on the outside, warm and cheesy on the inside
- A cross between a baked potato and potato chips!
- Healthier than traditional potato skins
- Great for parties as an appetizer
- Enjoy as a side dish with dinner
🥔 Ingredients and Notes
Yukon Gold Potatoes: I like using Yukon gold potatoes, primarily due to their size, but also because they have a nice creamy texture. They are smaller than russet potatoes, which makes them a great bite-sized appetizer. If you’re making these as a side dish to serve with dinner, feel free to use russet potatoes. They will have nice crispy skin.
Vegan Shredded Cheese: There are many dairy-free cheeses to choose from, and not all are created equal. Many dairy-free cheeses are full of processed ingredients and don’t melt well. You can opt to make your own vegan shredded cheese, or I like Whole Foods Plant-Based Mozzarella Shreds, or So Delicious Cheddar Shreds.
Vegan Sour Cream: The same goes for vegan sour cream. You can make your own or buy a store-bought. Not all store-bought versions are created equal. You want to look for a brand without processed ingredients. My favorite brand of vegan sour cream is Kite Hill Sour Cream.
🛠 Tools and Equipment
Air Fryer: You’ll need your air fryer to create these fantastic potato skins! If you don’t have an air fryer, you can also bake these in the oven.
👩🏻🍳 How to Make Vegan Potato Skins in the Air Fryer
- Wash, scrub, and dry potatoes. Slice in half. Brush with oil—place in the air fryer, flesh side down. Do not overcrowd! Bake for 12 minutes at 400° Fahrenheit. Flip at 6 minutes.
- Scoop out the center of the potatoes when they are done and cool enough to handle. Be sure to leave enough flesh around the potatoes’ edge. Lightly brush the outside and inside of the potato with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
- Fill each potato skin with vegan cheese shreds. Don’t overfill!
- Place a single layer of potato skins in the air fryer. Bake at 350 F for 6 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Transfer the potato skins to a serving plate. Add a dollop of vegan sour cream and top with fresh chopped chives. Serve warm.
How to Prepare Vegan Potato Skins in the Oven
- After you wash and scrub the potatoes, cut them in half, brush them with oil, and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in a preheated oven at 400° Fahrenheit, and bake for 12 minutes, flipping them over at the 6-minute mark.
- After you’ve scooped out the center of the potato flesh, fill it with vegan cheese, and place them back in the oven at a reduced temperature of 350° Fahrenheit.
- Top with vegan sour cream and fresh chopped chives.
📝 Expert Tips
- Bake the potatoes before scooping out the flesh and adding the cheese.
- Reserve the potato you scoop out to make mashed potatoes!
- Leave a good amount of the potato flesh around the edge of the skins.
- If making for an appetizer, use smaller potatoes like the Yukon Golds. But if you’re making a side dish, use larger russet potatoes.
❓ Recipe FAQS
Yes, potato skins can be a healthy part of your diet when prepared properly. The skin of a potato contains several beneficial nutrients such as fiber, potassium, iron, and vitamin C. However, whether or not potato skins are healthy depends on how they are cooked. Potato skins that are baked or boiled are healthy to eat, while those that are fried have excess oil and are less healthy.
Yes, potatoes are vegan. However, the way that they are prepared is not always vegan. Most potato skins are not vegan because they are prepared with regular cheese, sour cream, and bacon. Any animal products that are added to potatoes makes them non-vegan.
💪 Are vegan potato skins healthy?
- Less Fat and Calories-Potatoes are baked, not fried, using a small amount of oil that reduces the overall calories and fat.
- Lower in Cholesterol-Most potato skins are made with loads of cheese, sour cream and bacon bits, which makes them high in cholesterol. This version uses dairy free ingredients which is lower in cholesterol.
- Rich in Vitamins and Nutrients-While potatoes are thought to be an unhealthy food by some due to their high carb content, they are actually very high in many nutrients. A typical potato has 5 grams of protein, 4.8 grams of fiber, and are rich in vitamin C, B6, potassium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, niacin, and folate.
🍴 How to Serve
Serve on a platter topped with sour cream and sprinkled with fresh herbs. If you want to add some bacon flavor, I recommend topping it with some vegan bacon bits.
Serve warm. They’re great for casual parties, like tailgates and Super Bowl parties. But they can also be made for any get-together like New Year’s Eve, a backyard picnic, or a gathering at the park.
This is a great recipe when you’re away from home at a park or tailgate because you can quickly bring your air fryer, plug it in, and make these warm and fresh on the spot!
🫙 How to Store and Keep
Store: If you have leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container. It’s best to store these without the added sour cream and herbs on top, as they will keep longer and reheat better.
Keep: These will keep refrigerated for 3-4 days if they are not already topped with sour cream.
Reheat: When ready to enjoy again, remove from the container, pop them back in the air fryer, and warm for 5 minutes at 375° Fahrenheit. They should crisp back up and become nice and melty again. Then add your sour cream and chives.
😋 More Vegan Air Fryer Recipes!
🎥 Video
Recipe
Vegan Potato Skins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 small Yukon Gold Potatoes
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ cup vegan shredded cheese or regular
- ¼ cup vegan sour cream or regular
- 2 tablespoon fresh chives finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt optional
- ¼ tsp black pepper optional
Instructions
Preparing in the Air Fryer
- Wash, scrub, and dry potatoes. Slice in half. Brush with oil. Place in air fryer, flesh side down. Do not overcrowd! Bake for 12 minutes at 400 F. Flip at 6 minutes.
- When the potatoes are done and cool enough to handle, scoop out most of the center. Be sure to leave a good amount left around the edge of the potatoes. Lightly brush the outside and inside of the potato with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Fill each potato skin with vegan cheese shreds.
- Place potato skins in the air fryer in a single layer. Bake at 350 F for 6 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Transfer to a serving plate. Add a dollop of sour cream, and top with fresh chopped chives. Serve warm.
Preparing in the Oven
- After you wash and scrub the potatoes, cut them in half, brush them with oil, and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Place in a preheated oven at 400° Fahrenheit, and bake for 12 minutes, flipping them over at the 6-minute mark.
- After you've scooped out the center of the potato flesh, fill it with vegan cheese, and place them back in the oven at a reduced temperature of 350° Fahrenheit. Top with vegan sour cream and fresh chopped chives.
Notes
- Bake the potatoes before scooping out the flesh and adding the cheese. These are almost twice-baked potatoes; you don’t use the rest of the meat from the potato.
- Reserve the potato you scoop out to make mashed potatoes!
- Leave a good amount of the potato flesh around the edge of the skins.
- If making for an appetizer, use smaller potatoes like the Yukon Golds. But if you’re making it for a side dish, use larger russet potatoes.
- Don’t add too much cheese!
- If you have leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container. It’s best to store these without the added sour cream and herbs on top, as they will keep longer and reheat better.
- These will keep refrigerated for 3-4 days if they are not already topped with sour cream.
Emily Flint
I can’t wait to make these in my new air fryer I got for Christmas!!
Devy
Never thought of making potato skins using air-fryer. I will surely try, especially I’ve got potatoes to finish at the moment. Crispy potato skins are always loved.
Irina
I am falling in love with this easy recipe to make around this holiday season! I love the idea and anticipate the taste 🙂
Alina
I love simple potato recipes, especially with cheese! These potato skins are so good served as appetizers.
Jessica Formicola
I just got a new air fryer for Christmas, so I can’t wait to use it to make these potato skins!