These Cinnamon-Drenched Baked Sweet Potatoes Are Easy, Delicious and Good For You

These baked sweet potatoes are my go-to comfort food when I want something that tastes decadent, don't have a lot of time or energy to cook and want something healthy and nutritious.

Nutritious

Let's start off with why these potatoes are good for you. Sweet potatoes are loaded with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and blood sugar-regulating nutrients. Sweet potatoes are excellent sources of vitamin A.  Just 3 1/2 ounces of sweet potato provides between 35% and 90% of daily Vitamin A. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta carotene, a precursor to Vitamin A, which promotes healthy skin, mucous membranes, eye health and boosts the immune system.   Tip: Add a little fat, such as olive oil or butter, to your sweet potatoes to increase the uptake of beta carotene.

Add a Whole Lot of Ground Cinnamon

I call these baked sweet potatoes "dirty" because I literally douse them in ground cinnamon, which also has strong anti inflammatory properties. My rule of thumb is that when you think you've added enough cinnamon, add a little more.

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What is Hasselback?

Hasselback is a cutting technique where by you slice the potato in thin slices but leave the bottom of the potato intact so that the top of the potato fans out in a series of slices. A good sharp knife will make this job easy. Some people place chopsticks on either side of the potato to prevent cutting all the way through. I don't find this necessary if you have a sharp knife that gives you good control.   Interestingly, this technique has become quite popular in recent years, but dates back to the 1940's and a potato dish served at the Hasselback hotel in Sweden. You can hasselback many vegetables and fruits including: potatoes, turnips, carrots, beets, zucchini, apples and pears. The beauty of hasselbacking is that the thin sliced vegetable or fruit becomes crispy on the outside, while staying tender on the inside. Plus, the spaces between the slices become little pockets you can load with whatever goodness strikes your fancy. In the case of my Dirty Hasselback Baked Potatoes, the pockets hold a little bit of butter and a whole lot of cinnamon.

Measurements

I forgo measurements for this recipe as you really don't need them and amounts will depend on the number and size of the sweet potatoes you are cooking and your personal preference for butter and cinnamon.

What to Do With the Leftovers?

I always make more of these potatoes than I plan to eat as they make fabulous leftovers. I eat them cold for breakfast or a midday snack.  I slice them into a bowl of oatmeal and topped with yogurt and sometimes spinach for a savory oatmeal. These sweet potatoes are great added to a salad. I promise any leftovers will not go to waste!

The Difference Between Sweet Potatoes and Yams

Most of the yams sold in the U.S. are actually sweet potatoes, even when they are labeled yams. Many people think that sweet potatoes have brown skin and are golden inside and yams have red skin and are orange inside. Nope, both are sweet potatoes. The brown-skinned sweet potatoes are firmer and the red-skinned sweet potatoes are softer. Yams are native to Asia and Africa and unless you are shopping at an ethnic market, you probably are buying different kinds of sweet potatoes and not yams.

More Sweet Potato Recipes

Orange and Bitters Glazed Sweet Potatoes Sweet Potato, Prosciutto and Caramelized Onion Pizza Print