These Cranberry Apple Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes are the perfect blend of sweet and savory, making for a truly special side dish. The fluffy, mashed sweet potato filling is studded with tender apples and tart cranberries for a bite of pure comfort. It’s a simple recipe that feels wonderfully festive.
These sweet potatoes take me right back to my dad, James. On crisp autumn Sundays, he’d call them the perfect partner for his famous roast. He loved how they were both “sweetness and substance”, a little extra love that made our family dinner feel so special.
Why This Recipe is So Special
- Flavor Profile: A beautiful balance of earthy sweet potato, tart cranberries, and sweet apples, warmed with cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Perfect for Holidays: This dish is a standout side for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any special fall or winter meal.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: You can prepare the filled potatoes a day in advance, making meal prep much easier.
- Customizable: Easily adaptable with different spices, nuts, or sweeteners to suit your taste.
What to Gather from Your Pantry and Cupboards
For the Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 apple, diced
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
A Couple of Helpful Tools
- A Sturdy Baking Sheet: A good, heavy-bottomed baking sheet ensures your potatoes cook evenly without any hot spots.
- A Simple Potato Masher: I find that using a simple potato masher, instead of a mixer, gives the filling the perfect fluffy texture without making it gummy.
Let’s Get Started, Step by Step
Giving the Potatoes Their First Bake
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Give the sweet potatoes a good scrub under running water and pat them dry. Pierce them a few times with a fork, this is important to let steam escape so they don’t burst! Bake them directly on the oven rack or on a baking sheet for 45–50 minutes, or until you can easily pierce them with a knife.
Warming the Apples and Spices
While the potatoes are getting tender and sweet in the oven, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add your diced apple and let it cook for 3–4 minutes. You want it to be just a little soft, but not mushy. Stir in the cranberries, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. The kitchen will start to smell absolutely wonderful! Once everything is combined, take it off the heat and set it aside.
Making Our Sweet Potato Boats
Once the potatoes are baked and have had a few minutes to cool down (so you don’t burn your fingers!), slice each one in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, carefully scoop out the soft flesh into a mixing bowl. Be gentle here, you want to leave a sturdy border, about a ¼-inch thick, to create a little potato boat for the filling.
Whipping Up the Perfect Filling
Add the butter to the bowl with the warm sweet potato flesh. Mash everything together until it’s nice and smooth. This is where that simple potato masher comes in handy! Now, stir in about half of that lovely apple-cranberry mixture you made earlier. Give it a taste and add a little more salt or cinnamon if you think it needs it.
Filling Them to the Brim
Carefully spoon the mashed sweet potato filling back into the empty potato shells. I like to mound it up a little. Top each filled potato with the remaining apple-cranberry mixture, making sure every bite will have that delicious fruity topping.
A Final Touch of Warmth
Place the filled sweet potatoes back on the baking sheet and pop them into the oven for about 10 more minutes. This final bake is just to heat everything through and let the flavors meld together perfectly. Before you serve them, sprinkle a little fresh parsley on top for a touch of color and freshness.
A Note on Nutrition
Please note that the nutritional information provided is an estimate and can vary based on the specific ingredients and quantities used. The values are calculated per serving for informational purposes only.
A Few Lighter Swaps You Can Try
- Reduce the Sugar: For a less sweet version, you can reduce the maple syrup by half or omit it entirely. The apples and sweet potatoes provide a lovely natural sweetness on their own.
- Swap the Butter: You can easily substitute the butter with coconut oil for a dairy-free option or use a heart-healthy olive oil for a different flavor profile.
- Use Fresh Cranberries: Instead of dried cranberries, which often have added sugar, you could use fresh or frozen ones. Just cook them down with the apples for a few extra minutes until they begin to burst.
My Favorite Ways to Serve This Dish
- Holiday Feast: These potatoes are the absolute perfect companion to a Thanksgiving turkey or a Christmas ham. They bring such a beautiful color and festive flavor to the holiday table.
- Sunday Supper: Just like my dad, I love serving these alongside a simple roasted chicken or pork loin. Add a side of steamed green beans for a complete, comforting meal.
- Hearty Vegetarian Main: For a light and satisfying lunch, serve one of these potato halves with a crisp green salad tossed in a simple vinaigrette.
A Little Advice from My Kitchen
- Don’t Make the Shells Too Thin: Be careful not to scrape the potato skins too clean when you’re scooping out the flesh. Leaving a sturdy wall ensures your potato boat won’t tear or collapse when you refill it.
- Keep the Apples Crisp-Tender: Sauté the diced apples just until they are tender-crisp. If you cook them for too long, they can turn to mush and lose their pleasant texture in the final dish.
- Always Taste as You Go: Always taste your mashed filling before spooning it back into the shells. This is your chance to adjust the seasonings, maybe it needs another pinch of salt or a dash more nutmeg to be perfect.
How to Keep Your Leftovers Fresh
If you have leftovers, they store beautifully. Allow the potatoes to cool completely, then place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, you can either warm them in the microwave or, for a crispier skin, place them in a 350°F (175°C) oven until heated through.
From My Kitchen to Yours
Food, for me, is all about memory and connection. It’s about recreating the warmth of a Sunday dinner or the joy of a holiday gathering. I hope this recipe brings a little of that warmth into your home. May it be a part of new memories you create around your own table, shared with the people you love most.
Your Questions, Answered
What are the best apples for this recipe?
I prefer using a firm, crisp apple that holds its shape well when cooked, like a Honeycrisp, Gala, or Braeburn. A tart apple like a Granny Smith also works wonderfully if you want to balance the sweetness of the potatoes and cranberries.
Can I prepare these ahead of time to save on stress?
Absolutely! This is a great make-ahead dish. You can complete the recipe right up until the final bake, then cover and refrigerate the filled potatoes for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to serve, just pop them in the oven and add a few extra minutes to the baking time to ensure they are heated all the way through.
How can I make this recipe vegan-friendly?
Yes, it’s very easy to adapt. Simply substitute the dairy butter with your favorite vegan butter substitute or coconut oil. The rest of the ingredients are naturally plant-based, making it a simple and delicious vegan side dish.
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Cranberry Apple Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Cranberry Apple Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes are the perfect blend of sweet and savory, making for a truly special side dish. The fluffy, mashed sweet potato filling is studded with tender apples and tart cranberries for a bite of pure comfort.
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 apple, diced
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Scrub and dry sweet potatoes, pierce with a fork, and bake for 45–50 minutes until tender.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced apple and cook 3–4 minutes. Stir in cranberries, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat.
- Once potatoes are baked and cooled slightly, slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out flesh into a bowl, leaving 1/4-inch border for potato boats.
- Add butter to warm sweet potato flesh and mash until smooth. Stir in half of the apple-cranberry mixture. Adjust seasoning as needed.
- Spoon filling back into potato shells, mounding slightly. Top with remaining apple-cranberry mixture.
- Return filled potatoes to baking sheet and bake 10 minutes until heated through. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Notes
For best results, keep potato shells sturdy, sauté apples until just tender, and taste filling before baking to adjust seasoning.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed potato half
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
Keywords: sweet potatoes, cranberry, apple, twice baked, holiday side dish