Melting Sweet Potatoes - The Original Recipe (2025)

Published: · Modified: by Christina Lane · This post may contain affiliate links · 82 Comments

The first thing everyone reaches for on my Thanksgiving table is not the turkey or even that green bean side dish. My melting sweet potatoes are everyone's favorite side dish! The potatoes are delicately crisp on the outside and fluffy and velvet-like on the inside. You can serve them with maple pecan sauce, or plain--they're great either way!

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These oven roasted sweet potatoes are my favorite part of my small Thanksgiving for two menu.

The business of making a starch melt in your mouth is actually quite simple. The only technique required is roasting in the oven with butter. A long time ago, we stopped drizzling things with melted butter before roasting in the oven. Also a long time ago, oven fries died.

I'm not sure when oil became the only acceptable thing with which to roast, but its heyday has come and gone in my kitchen.

I love neutral oils as much as the next chick, but golden brown and crispy, it does not make my starches. Ergo, I'm back to the butter.

The Ingredients

  • Sweet Potatoes. We need two pounds of fresh sweet potatoes. You can double this recipe and use two roasting pans and 4 pounds of sweet potatoes. I reach for the orange variety, and please note that I have not tested this recipe with any other variety of sweet potato. If you do, let us all know in the comments.
  • Butter. Yes, we really need a half stick of butter. We're roasting in all butter today, which is key for the texture of these melting sweet potatoes.
  • Salt. A pinch of sea salt before roasting brings out the sweetness of the tubers.

Optional Maple Pecan Sauce Ingredients:

  • Maple Syrup. I commonly reach for grade B maple syrup because I love the smokiness, but anything you have is fine. However, please don't use pancake syrup with imitation maple flavor.
  • Pecans. Chopped pecans that have been toasted gently in a skillet or low oven until they smell very fragrant.
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How to Make Melting Sweet Potatoes:

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  1. First, peel and chop your sweet potatoes into 1" round disks. For Thanksgiving, I would use slightly less than one pound of sweet potatoes per person. As a side dish to a meal, I would plan on one pound per person.
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2. Spread the disks on a roasting pan, making sure they are not touching. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter per pound of sweet potatoes, and drizzle it on top.

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3. Toss the slices together with the butter.

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4. Spread them back out in an even layer, not touching. If you're making the wet pecan sauce, add a small sprinkle of salt. If not, add ¼ teaspoon of salt per pound.

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5. After roasting for 20 minutes at 425, flip each melting sweet potato disk over. They will be nice and golden brown on the first side. It will be hard to resist eating one, but just you wait--they're going to get even better.

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6. After 20 minutes roasting on the other side, they look like this. Which is glorious, in case you couldn't tell.

I kinda sorta forgot to take photos of the wet pecan sauce, but it's very simple.

  1. Gather your ¼ cup of chopped pecans and ¼ cup of maple syrup per pound of sweet potatoes.
  2. Bring the maple syrup to a boil in a small pan. Add the chopped pecans. Bring it back to a boil, then cook for 1 minute, and you're done!
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You can use all of the sauce for the melting sweet potatoes, but I think the recipe makes a bit much. (I didn't want you to be lacking on the big day).

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The pecans do get softer and softer the longer they sit in the maple syrup, so try to use it up in 2 days.

Drizzle it over the melting sweet potato disks, and serve with a smile.

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These melting sweet potatoes are so good that I made them 3 times in one week. The texture of the sweet potatoes indeed is like velvet. I love them on top of Buddha Bowls for lunch, and with fried eggs for breakfast. Yes, they are that good.

And we haven't even talked about the sauce. I made a wet pecan sauce to top them for your Thanksgiving festivities. It's entirely optional, but when you see that it only has 2 ingredients and comes together in 7 minutes, you won't be one to opt out.

Yield: 4 servings

A small Thanksgiving: Melting Sweet Potatoes (with Maple-Pecan Sauce)

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These melting sweet potatoes topped with pecans and maple syrup are a delicious side dish everyone will love.

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time40 minutes

Total Time50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds of sweet potatoes
  • 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • ½ teaspoon salt

For the maple pecan sauce:

  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • ½ cup chopped pecans

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425. Have ready a roasting pan.
  2. Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into 1" thick slices, and scatter them on the roasting pan, not touching.
  3. Melt the butter, and drizzle it on top of the sweet potatoes. Sprinkle on the salt. Toss to coat, and then redistribute on the pan in a single layer, not touching.
  4. Roast for 20 minutes.
  5. Flip with tongs, and roast for another 20 minutes.
  6. The potatoes are done when they're golden brown and crisp, and the insides are light and fluffy.
  7. To make the maple pecan sauce: bring the maple syrup to a boil in a small sauce pan.
  8. Add the pecans.
  9. Wait for the sauce to come back to a boil, cook for 1 minute, and then remove from heat.
  10. Pour the sauce over the sweet potatoes and serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 505Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 352mgCarbohydrates: 76gFiber: 9gSugar: 40gProtein: 6g

Did you make this recipe?

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Melting Sweet Potatoes - The Original Recipe (2025)

FAQs

Why do you need to soak sweet potatoes before cooking? ›

Some recipes for homemade sweet potato fries ask you to soak the fries before cooking. The theory is that soaking draws out starch from inside the potatoes, helping them crisp up.

Is it better to boil or bake sweet potatoes? ›

Baking can also cause an 80% drop in vitamin A levels, twice as much as boiling. Therefore, from a nutritional standpoint, boiling rather than baking should be recommended for cooking sweet potato.

Why are my sweet potatoes not caramelizing? ›

The key to perfect Caramelised Sweet Potatoes is to cook them slowly so that they have time to caramelise and turn a beautiful golden brown colour. If you cook them too quickly, they'll just end up being roasted sweet potatoes. Another tip is to make sure you drizzle the honey on before you put them in the oven.

Why is boiling not good for sweet potatoes? ›

Despite their sweet taste, these potatoes have an intermediate glycemic index (GI) level, meaning they are digested and absorbed fairly slowly, leading to a more gradual increase in blood sugar levels. But, a lot of these benefits, including nutrients and taste, can be lost by boiling sweet potatoes.

What happens if you don't soak potatoes? ›

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

Do you peel sweet potatoes before boiling them? ›

There is not much difference between boiling sweet potatoes with the skins on versus peeling them, but you will get a boost of fiber and potassium if you keep the skin on. The skin also adds a subtle texture to each bite. If you're looking for a smoother mash, peel the potatoes first before boiling.

Can you overcook sweet potatoes? ›

If you're boiling, make sure to cut your sweet potatoes into equally sized pieces so they cook at the same rate. (Another hot tip if you're boiling your sweet potatoes: Don't overcook them! They tend to absorb water, which could make the filling watery.)

Do sweet potatoes get sweeter the longer you cook them? ›

A study from 2012 found that the sugar content of one type of sweet potato was almost five times higher after baking for 90 minutes, mainly due… to an increase in maltose. A fragrant aroma and soft texture are also important to the experience, and the cooking method has a big effect here.

What is the difference between sweet potatoes and yams? ›

No, yams and sweet potatoes are not the same. Yams have rough, dark brown skin that is often compared to tree bark, and their flesh is dry and starchy like a regular potato. Sweet potatoes have smooth reddish skin, softer flesh (when cooked), and a sweet flavor.

Should you rinse starch off sweet potatoes? ›

To remove excess starch, place cut sweet potatoes into cold water making sure the cut surfaces are submerged. This step is especially recommended for "kinton" (Japanese-style mashed sweet potato) and other lightly seasoned dishes where a delectable color is desired. Soaking time of about 5 minutes is sufficient.

What enhances the flavor of sweet potatoes? ›

We've been playing around with forms of mashed sweet potatoes for over 200 years, enhancing them in different ways with butter, cream, sugar, honey, milk, molasses, egg whites, rose water (yep), and, of course, alcohol.

Is it better to bake sweet potatoes in foil or not? ›

Wrapping sweet potatoes in foil helps in a few ways. It prevents the exterior of the tuber from drying out and overheating too quickly, which would minimize enzymatic activity; it also results in a more evenly cooked texture.

Why do you soak sweet potatoes? ›

TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: The main secrets to achieving that incredible crispy texture, is to soak the cut sweet potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes. This helps remove the starch from the sweet potatoes so they´re not limp & soggy.

How long can you leave sweet potatoes soaking in water? ›

Types of Potatoes to Soak

"Sweet potatoes can also be peeled and stored in water for up to 24 hours."

Do you need to soak sweet potatoes to remove starch? ›

To remove excess starch, place cut sweet potatoes into cold water making sure the cut surfaces are submerged. This step is especially recommended for "kinton" (Japanese-style mashed sweet potato) and other lightly seasoned dishes where a delectable color is desired. Soaking time of about 5 minutes is sufficient.

Why won't my sweet potato chips get crispy? ›

Know that chips that are too thick in parts won't crisp up all the way. Still delicious, just not "chip" crispiness. Toss slices in a touch of olive oil to lightly coat, then sprinkle with salt.

Why do sweet potatoes need to be cured before eating? ›

You need to cure them after harvest for several reasons. First, curing allows any cuts, abrasions or bruises to heal which allows for better storability of roots. Second, curing is when the roots develop their flavors and starches are converted into sugars that give sweet potatoes their sweetness and flavor.

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