Stuffed Sweet Potatoes With Apples (Printer-friendly)
Baked sweet potatoes stuffed with cinnamon apples, walnuts, and maple for a cozy vegetarian main or side.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables & Fruit
01 - 4 medium sweet potatoes
02 - 2 large apples, such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, diced
→ Nuts & Seeds
03 - 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
→ Dairy & Alternatives
04 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan alternative
→ Sweeteners & Flavorings
05 - 2 tablespoons maple syrup
06 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
07 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
08 - Pinch of salt
→ Garnish (optional)
09 - 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
10 - Fresh parsley, chopped
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Scrub sweet potatoes, pierce each several times with a fork, and arrange on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until easily pierced with a fork.
02 - While sweet potatoes bake, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced apples, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until apples soften slightly.
03 - Stir in walnuts and maple syrup. Continue to cook, stirring, for 2 additional minutes then remove from the heat.
04 - When baked sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut a slit lengthwise in each and gently open to expose the flesh. Fluff the inside lightly with a fork.
05 - Spoon the warm apple-walnut mixture evenly into each sweet potato. Top with dried cranberries and chopped parsley if desired.
06 - Serve warm as a vegetarian main or hearty side dish.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The cinnamon-laced apple and maple syrup filling tastes like fall in every bite without being overly sweet.
- You can make the whole dish with one pan and a baking sheet, making cleanup a breeze.
02 -
- If you rush the sweet potato bake, the insides won’t fluff as beautifully and the skins lose their snap.
- Adding maple syrup before the apples are tender will make the whole filling too sticky—wait until the end.
03 -
- Skip the foil on your baking sheet so the bottoms crisp up against the pan instead of steaming.
- Real maple syrup—not pancake syrup—makes all the difference in richness and fragrance.