Name: Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 95 min
Ingredients: 6 medium sweet potatoes (roughly uniform in size, scrubbed clean); 1 tbsp olive oil (for rubbing the skins); 4 oz cream cheese (softened to room temperature); 3 tbsp unsalted butter (softened); 3 tbsp brown sugar (packed, light or dark); 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/4 tsp fine salt; 1/4 tsp vanilla extract; 2 tbsp heavy cream or whole milk (to loosen the filling if needed); 2 tbsp chopped pecans (optional, for topping)

From the roundup: 24 Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes Classic Enough to Please Every Table

Jump to Recipe

Twice-baked sweet potatoes with cinnamon cream cheese have become my go-to Thanksgiving side for one very practical reason: the first bake takes about an hour, but I can do it the day before. By the time the holiday chaos actually starts, the hard work is already done and the skins are sitting in my fridge waiting for their filling.

The filling itself comes together in one bowl. Cream cheese, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, a little vanilla, and the scooped-out flesh get beaten together until smooth and fluffy, then spooned back into the skins and baked a second time for about 20 minutes. Each potato becomes its own individual portion, which makes serving at a full table a lot less stressful than passing around a casserole dish.

Total time runs just under an hour and a half if you do it all at once, but only about 35 minutes of that is active. The rest is the oven doing its job.

How these ended up on our table

A few Thanksgivings ago I completely underestimated how long my oven would be occupied with the turkey. By 2 p.m. I had four side dishes that all needed oven space at the same time. I ended up baking the sweet potatoes the night before out of desperation, and the second bake the next day took less than 25 minutes while everything else rested. It worked so well that I have done it that way on purpose every year since.

My youngest will not eat sweet potatoes in any other form, but she asks for these by name. I think it is the cream cheese. I am not going to argue with it.

Why you will love this

The first bake can be done a full day ahead, which frees up serious oven and counter space on the day of the meal.
Individual portions mean no scooping or slicing at the table, which matters when you are feeding a crowd.
One mixing bowl, a spoon, and optionally a hand mixer. Nothing complicated.
The filling is creamy and a little sweet but not dessert-sweet, so it sits comfortably next to savory dishes without fighting them.
The skins crisp up slightly on the second bake and hold their shape well, so they travel from oven to table without collapsing.

Tips for success

Bake the sweet potatoes until the skins are visibly wrinkled and a fork goes in with zero resistance, even at the thickest end. Pulling them early makes the flesh harder to scoop and the filling will be lumpy no matter how long you beat it.
Let the potatoes cool for at least 15 minutes before scooping. Trying to scoop them hot tears the skin, and I have lost more than one shell that way.
Make sure the cream cheese and butter are both fully softened before mixing. Cold cream cheese leaves streaks in the filling that do not smooth out, even with a mixer.
Leave a 1/4 inch wall of flesh when you scoop. It sounds like a lot to leave behind, but thinner shells buckle under the weight of the filling during the second bake.

What to serve alongside these

These pair well with a simple herb-roasted turkey or pork tenderloin. The sweetness of the filling does not compete with savory pan drippings.
A green vegetable with some bitterness, like roasted Brussels sprouts or green beans, balances the richness of the cream cheese filling.
If you are serving these outside of Thanksgiving, they work as a side next to grilled chicken or even a simple weeknight pork chop.
Leftover filling, if you have any extra, is good stirred into oatmeal the next morning. My kids have approved this use.

Substitutions

If cream cheese is not an option, mascarpone works and gives a slightly less tangy result. Full-fat ricotta also works but the filling will be a little less smooth. For a dairy-free version, full-fat coconut cream can replace the cream cheese, though the flavor will be milder and less rich. Maple syrup can stand in for the brown sugar, start with 2 tablespoons and taste as you go. A pinch of nutmeg or a small amount of allspice can replace or join the cinnamon if you want a warmer spice flavor.

The pecans on top are optional and easy to skip if you are cooking for anyone with a nut allergy. A few mini marshmallows pressed into the top before the second bake will make the picky sweet-potato-skeptics at your table much more willing to try one.

Make-ahead and storage

Bake the sweet potato shells the day before, cool them completely on the counter, then refrigerate uncovered until firm and covered after that. The next day, make the filling, stuff the skins, and proceed with the second bake. You can also stuff the skins the morning of your meal and refrigerate them covered until you are ready to bake. Add 3 to 5 extra minutes to the second bake if they are going in cold from the fridge.

Fully baked leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350 degree F oven for about 15 minutes, or microwave on medium power until warmed through. The filling does not freeze well once assembled. The texture turns grainy after thawing, so skip the freezer on this one.

Brittany Stage