Our Favorite Sweet Potato Side Dish
If you're looking for a sweet potato side dish that's anything but ordinary, this easy recipe will definitely fit the bill. With its light, souffle-like texture and bright citrus flavor, it's bound to become a new favorite at your holiday get-togethers.
To make it you simply bake your sweet potatoes until tender, discard the skins and whip them together with eggs, butter, cream, fresh orange juice, zest and spices.
You can bake these whipped sweet potatoes either in a family-sized casserole or in individual ramekins like we have pictured here. This dish reheats well too, so it's an easy one to make ahead, and that makes it a great choice for holiday dinners and stress-free entertaining.
PrintBaked Orange Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes whipped together with eggs, orange juice, zest and spices bake up to make a light and fluffy side dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
- Category: Side Dishes
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 4 or 5 sweet potatoes (2 to 2–1/2 lbs)
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1/4 cup half-and-half or light cream
- 2 tablespoons triple sec (optional – see notes for substitution)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until tender when pierced with a knife, about an hour. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
- Lower the oven temperature to 350°F and butter a 9 x 9-inch baking dish (see notes below).
- Scoop the flesh of the sweet potatoes into a large bowl and discard the skins. Add the butter and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Add the orange juice and zest, half-and-half, triple sec, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
- Beat to combine, then taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Add the eggs and beat on medium-high speed until the mixture light and fluffy, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes.
- Transfer the sweet potato mixture to the prepared baking dish and smooth the top with a spatula. Cover and bake until puffed and slightly golden, about 25 to 35 minutes.
Notes
About the triple-sec:
Triple sec lends extra pungent orange flavor to this dish, but it can easily be omitted. To substitute, just add an extra 2 tablespoons of orange juice, or for a creamier version, 1 tablespoon of orange juice and 1 tablespoon of half-and-half.
About the baking dish:
You can also bake the sweet potatoes in individual 1-cup ramekins. Just cut the baking time by 10 to 12 minutes.
Recipe Keywords: Thanksgiving recipe, Christmas recipe
JanK says
My family loves this recipe! The orange flavor goes so nicely with the sweet potatoes. I always make it in a casserole ahead of time and reheat. I think it tastes even better that way.
★★★★★