Hasselback Sweet Potatoes look gorgeous and are secretly so easy to make for your next holiday dinner! Once you learn how to cut the potatoes into slices, you can top them with butter, brown sugar, and spices, then let the oven turn them into a side dish worthy of the Thanksgiving or Christmas table!
The Best Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
As if sweet potatoes couldn’t get any better, why don’t we thinly slice, cover in a sauce full of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, and then bake until perfectly crisp and tender!
A bit of toasted pecans and a sprinkle of sugar are added just before serving.
Yup… these hasselback sweet potatoes sound like a pretty darn good Thanksgiving side dish to me – and I think you and your dinner guests will agree!
And dare I say they’re even better than the classic Sweet Potato Casserole?!
That might be a bold statement to claim, but if you prefer your potatoes on the crispy side, then I have a feeling you’re going to love this recipe variation.
They’re also a little bit healthier since less butter and sugar are used than the traditional recipe, and can easily be made gluten-free, vegan, and Paleo, too!
(If you’re a fan of the savory, you might want to check out these Loaded Hasselback Potatoes, instead.)
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes. Try to find jewel and garnet sweet potatoes, or yams, that are roughly 0.4-0.5 pounds each. Pick potatoes that are uniform in size so they cook evenly.
- Sugar. Brown sugar was tested in this recipe, but coconut sugar may be substituted if you are on a Paleo diet.
- Oil & Butter. A mixture of either olive or avocado oil and butter is made to coat the potatoes. You can also use all of one or the other, or even substitute with a plant-based butter alternative if vegan or dairy-free.
- Spices. A little or a lot of cinnamon can be added to the sauce mixture. You can also shake in a dash of nutmeg or cloves for more spice.
- Pecans. Coarsely chopped pecans are sprinkled on and baked just before serving for an added crunch.
How to Make Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
Please see the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and more detailed instructions.
Clean and Slice
Scrub the sweet potatoes thoroughly under running water with a vegetable brush and dry well. This is crucial since you’ll be baking the entire potato with the skin on.
The most important and difficult step is slicing the potatoes without accidentally cutting them all the way through. Avoid this hasselback disaster by cheating with chopsticks!
Lay two chopsticks on either side of the long sides of a sweet potato on a cutting board. Make sure to find chopsticks with squared ends so they do not roll around.
You can also use a wooden spoon on either side if you don’t have chop sticks, though the slices won’t be as deep.
Make even slits approximately ⅛ to ¼-inch apart starting at least ½-inch from the end of the potato. Keep the bottom connected by stopping your knife when it hits the chopsticks.
Slather with Sauce
Whisk together oil, butter, salt, sugar, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl.
Brush half of the mixture over all of the potatoes. Spread apart the slices using your fingers or a fork to ensure the sauce gets inside between the pieces.
Bake in the Oven
Cook in a preheated 425 °F oven for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and brush the remaining sauce over the potatoes. Return the potatoes to the oven for an additional 20-25 minutes.
Add the Pecans
Sprinkle on the chopped pecans and reduce the oven temperature to 375 °F. Return the potatoes to the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until the pecans are lightly toasted.
Garnish and Serve
Top with additional sugar and cinnamon if desired.
Hasselback potatoes are best when served immediately. The longer they sit out at room temperature, the less crisp they will become.
Meal Prep and Storage
- To Prep-Ahead: You can slice the potatoes ahead of time if needed, just be sure to keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to season and bake.
- To Store: Place leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Keep the toppings separate if they are not already added.
- To Freeze: Tightly seal un-topped hasselback sweet potatoes in a freezer-safe airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Warm on a baking sheet or in a baking dish in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes.
Dietary Modifications
The recipe you’ll find below is already vegetarian and gluten-free as written. Here are some adjustments and substitutions you can make to help it fit your other dietary requirements:
- Dairy-Free: Use all oil instead of a mixture of butter and oil.
- Vegan: Leave out the butter and make the sauce with all oil.
- Paleo: Omit the butter and swap out the sugar for coconut sugar.
- Nut-Free: Skip the pecans. If you still want some crunch, sprinkle on your favorite seeds.
- Refined Sugar-Free: Choose a coconut sugar instead of brown.
FAQs
This impressive dish consists thinly sliced sweet potatoes that are still held together at the base to create a fan-like presentation. They are filled with toppings like brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans.
These sliced and stuffed potatoes originated back in 1953 in a Swedish restaurant called Hasselbacken. Since then many variations have been created and enjoyed everywhere.
Yes you can! However, potatoes should always be cleaned thoroughly before eating.
Recipe Tips
- Go half pound. Keep a shorter cooking time by choosing smaller potatoes.
- Pick similar. For even baking, find potatoes close in size with a uniform thickness throughout.
- Make it foolproof. Use chopsticks to prevent cutting all the way through.
- Get spicy. Adjust the amount of seasonings to your liking by adding more or less. You can also add it other flavors, like maple syrup, garlic, or thyme.
- Work it in. Make sure butter sauce gets in-between each slice by applying it with a pastry brush.
What to Serve with Hasselback Potatoes
Honestly, you almost can’t go wrong with picking a main dish to go along with these potatoes.
Traditionally these taste best when served at Thanksgiving with a big ole’ turkey and all of the other yummy sides (like a Cornbread Dressing, Brussels au Gratin, and Green Bean Casserole.)
But if you’re craving these on a day other than a holiday, these main dishes pair exceptionally well:
More Sweet Potato Recipes
Explore all the delicious ways to prepare sweet potatoes with these Sweet Potato Recipes:
- Sweet Potato Ground Turkey Chili
- Homemade Sweet Potato Pie
- Sweet Potato Hash Browns
- Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes
- Black Bean and Sweet Potato Veggie Burger
- Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato
- Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
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Ingredients
- 6 medium sweet potatoes about 2 ½ lbs. total
- 6 Tbsp. butter melted *
- 2 Tbsp. oil olive or avocado
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ½ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar, plus more for topping
- ¼-½ tsp. cinnamon to taste
- ½ cup pecans coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Prep the Potatoes: Wash potatoes, scrub, and dry thoroughly. Place two chopsticks on a cutting board and place one sweet potato in between them, with the long-axis of the potato running parallel to the chopsticks. Using a sharp knife, make cuts approximately ⅛-¼-inch apart starting at least ½-inch from the end of the sweet potato. Stop cutting when your knife hits the chopsticks so the bottom is still connected. Repeat this until the entire potato is sliced thinly. Do this with the other 5 potatoes. Place potatoes on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.6 medium sweet potatoes
- Brush with Sauce: Whisk together oil, butter, salt, sugar, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. Use a pastry brush and brush half of the mixture over all of the potatoes. Spread apart the slices using your fingers or a fork to ensure the sauce gets in-between the pieces.6 Tbsp. butter, 2 Tbsp. oil, ¼ tsp. salt, ½ cup brown sugar, ¼-½ tsp. cinnamon
- Bake in Oven: Cover the baking sheet with a piece of aluminum foil and bake in oven for 25 minutes. Brush remaining sauce over the potatoes and return to oven, uncovered, for an additional 20-25 minutes. Once potatoes are cooked through, sprinkle on chopped pecans and reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Return potatoes to oven for 5-10 minutes, or until pecans are lightly toasted.½ cup pecans
- Serve hasselback sweet potatoes with additional sugar and cinnamon, if desired, and serve immediately. Enjoy!
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Notes
Meal Prep and Storage
- To Prep-Ahead: You can slice the potatoes ahead of time if needed, just be sure to keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to season and bake.
- To Store: Place leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Keep the toppings separate if they are not already added.
- To Freeze: Tightly seal un-topped hasselback sweet potatoes in a freezer-safe airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Warm on a baking sheet or in a baking dish in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These were a huge hit at our Thanksgiving feast. Usually I make Sweet Potato Casserole but this was a real game changer. Thankfully I made more than enough. We’ll be making these throughout the year.
Safety is of great importance though. I use an extremely sharp, large Rocker Knife that I won’t let anyone else use. Yes, I now have a minor (thank goodness) battle wound but it was well worth it. Next time, probably Christmas I’ll use the Chop Sticks. Highly recommended. At 72 I finally found a new and delicious way to serve Sweet Potatoes.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! I’m glad you’re ok! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
Sweet potatoes so hard there was no way to “separate” with fingers or knife without snapping. All snapped apart 🙁
Hi Shannon! Did you try the “chopstick” method? This keeps the knife from completely slicing the potato apart. This is definitely a more challenging recipe Having a very sharp knife helps, too!
After slicing as directed I then partially baked them, then carefully slightly pulled the slices apart a bit to add a 1/2 pat of butter in between each.
I added my brown sugar, finely chopped pecans and a few dashes of cinnamon to a baggie to combine easier.. then I spooned the mixture in between. This method made it easy and less messy. Hoping this helps. Happy Holidays and thanks to our Author.
I use the handle end of my wooden spoons, one on each side so you never cut thru the bottom. It makes it so much easier!!
What a great idea!! I will have to try that out next time to make it a bit easier 🙂 Thanks for the tip!
Do you think you could do ahead, maybe thru step 6? Then finish off day of?
Hi Cheryl! Yes, you can definitely prepare these ahead of time through step 6. Just make sure they come to room temperature the day of before popping them back into the oven.
Think I could pre roast these then just top with the butter and brown sugar and bake 10-15 min day of serving? I don’t have oven space for the entire cook time at once!
Hi Austin! Yes, I absolutely think you can. Just make sure you bring them to room temperature before baking them the last 10-15 minutes. Can’t wait to hear what you think!!
I love everything about this recipe! Can’t wait to try it.
Can’t wait to hear what you think!!
Sweet potato casserole is BY FAR my favorite din on turkey day! Loved how you improvised and made the same magical flavors into a hasselback form! These are genius!
Thanks so much, Bethany!! Ya, sweet potato casserole is like a dessert that somehow got snuck into the main meal 🙂 lol