Sweet, creamy, decadent, and reminiscent of sweet potato casserole but individually portioned! FAST and EASY enough for family dinners or make them for more formal holiday celebrations!
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr10 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr25 minutesmins
Course: Sides
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked sweet potatoes with marshmallows, easy sweet potatoes with marshmallows, how to make sweet potatoes with marshmallows, sweet potato and marshmallow, twice baked sweet potatoes
Servings: 6
Calories: 320kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
4 to 6medium/large sweet potatoesscrubbed well
½cupbrown sugarpacked* (See Notes)
⅓cupunsalted butterdiced into large cubes
½teaspoonspumpkin pie spice**See Notes
2tablespoonsheavy creamhalf-and-half may be substituted
½teaspoonkosher saltor to taste
2cupsmini marshmallows
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425F and line a 9x13-inch baking pan or large casserole dish with heavy duty aluminum foil (optional but keeps cleanup easier); set aside.
Scrub the sweet potatoes well, and then pierce them in about 6 places with a fork or paring knife so they don't explode.*** (See Notes)
Place potatoes in the baking pan and roast for about 1 hour, or until fork tender. A paring knife or fork should be able to be inserted easily without resistance when they're done. Note that more medium sized potatoes may cook in 45-50 minutes whereas really large ones will take over an hour, 60 to 75 minutes.
After the potatoes have baked, cut them vertically down the center with a sharp knife, the sharper the better so you don't mutilate the skins too much because you need to save them. Note - remember the potatoes will be extremely hot as you pull them out of that 425F oven where they were for an hour. Use tongs when handling them. Additionally, I always wear a pair of latex Handsaver Kitchen Gloves for jobs like this which saves my fingers from getting burnt. You can allow the potatoes to cool somewhat before handling them, but not completely because the butter won’t melt nor will the cream combine as nicely if they’re too cold.
Reduce the oven temp to 350F.
Carefully scoop out the flesh from the sweet potatoes and place it in a large bowl, taking care not too scoop every last bit of it nor go too shallowly, because the skins will not hold their shape if you do so.
To the bowl with the sweet potato flesh, add the brown sugar, butter, pumpkin pie spice, cream, salt, and beat with a handheld electric mixer on medium-high speed until as smooth as desired. Alternatively, you can mash by hand with a potato masher if you prefer a chunkier texture.
Evenly divide and spoon the mixture back into the potato skins and place filled potatoes back in the original baking pan.
Evenly top with the marshmallows, return to the oven (note the reduced oven temp to 350) and bake again for about 10 minutes, or until the marshmallows are as golden browned as desired; keep a close eye on them as marshmallows are prone to burning.
Serve immediately.
Notes
*I use dark brown sugar because it imparts a richer and deeper caramel flavor than light, but light brown sugar is fine.**I really love the flavor of pumpkin pie spice which is a mixture of cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves because there is just more depth to the finished potatoes. However, you can use solely ground cinnamon if you prefer.***Optionally, in order to get the sweet potato skin crispy, rub with skins with coconut oil. Avocado oil or even olive oil may be substituted but I really enjoy the complementary flavor profile of sweet potatoes and the subtle coconut hint that coconut oil imparts. Then, roll them in large grain sea salt or a coarse Kosher salt like Diamond Crystal. This is what will give you that crispy, crusty, salt skin. However, this is optional.Storage: Extra potatoes will keep airtight in the fridge for uo to 5 days. Allow them to come to room temp on the counter, then heat gently in the microwave or in the oven (cover the tops with foil so the marshmallows don't burn).