Name: Healthy Sweet Potato Skins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: Healthy
Ingredients: 5 small sweet potatoes, scrubbed and dried; 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/3 cup vegan sour cream; 1/2 cup black beans; 1 small or 1/2 large tomato, diced (about 1/2 cup); 1 jalapeño pepper, minced (about 3 tablespoons); Optional: 1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese; For topping: extra vegan sour cream and sliced green onion

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A perfect appetizer for game day! These healthy sweet potato skins are crispy, filling, satisfying, and vegan friendly!

two rows of sweet potato skins on a sheet pan with scallions and melted vegan cheese

Love potato skins but struggle to find a plant-based version? I feel you.

When I was vegetarian, I really missed potato skins and that’s what originally inspired this recipe! Plus, my vegan loaded sweet potato recipe has always been a reader favorite so I figured these would be a hit too!

This recipe recently got a makeover because it had been a minute…or six years since I originally published. This version is much easier to make, requires way less ingredients and costs way less to make. And…wait for it…it’s just as delicious. Or, in my humble opinion, even better than the original!

These sweet potato skins are perfect for vegetarians, vegans, or those just trying to eat more plant based. The crispy skins are packed with creamy mashed sweet potato, black beans, diced tomato, and jalapeño for a little heat! Topped off with sour cream, green onion and some melted shredded cheese if you wish.

These are the perfect appetizer for game day. And being in the middle of playoff season (GO BILLS!), there’s no better time to make them.

Ingredients You’ll Need

green onions, sweet potatoes, tomato, jalapeño, and vegan shredded cheese laid out on counter

Notes on Ingredients

Sweet potatoes: Try to look for small potatoes so they are more appetizer friendly. Plus, this will help with the ratio of filling to sweet potato called for in this recipe.

Vegan sour cream: I used store-bought vegan sour cream but I’ve seen some cashew-based recipes out there. If you’re not vegan, feel free to use regular sour cream or Greek yogurt as a substitute!

Black beans: I used canned, drained and rinsed, but you could cook them from dry if you have the time.

How to Make Sweet Potato Skins

Start by roasting your sweet potatoes (whole) in the oven. I like to rub the skins with olive oil and salt before roasting.

Then, cut the sweet potatoes in half and let them cool briefly so you can handle them. A serrated knife works well here so you don’t break the skins!

I like to take a paring knife and cut a 1/4-inch border around the potato and then scoop out the middle. Place the sweet potato flesh into a medium mixing bowl and mash well.

Brush the inside and outside of the skins with more olive oil. This will help them to crisp up! Throw ’em back in the oven for another 10 minutes or so.

In the meantime, add your beans, tomatoes, jalapeño and sour cream to the mixing bowl. Mix with the sweet potato until combined.

Fill sweet potato skins with the mashed sweet potato mixture. Top with shredded vegan cheese if desired. Bake in the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until skins are crispy and cheese has melted.

Top with more sour cream and/or green onions, as desired! Serve hot.

Baked sweet potatoes on sheet pan. Black beans, jalapeño, diced tomato, and mixed together in bowl.

Sweet Potato Skins FAQs

I only have large sweet potatoes. What should I do?

You’ll just want to adjust the other ingredients accordingly – you’ll want to use more sour cream, beans, tomatoes and jalapeño.

What makes these healthy sweet potato skins?

Sweet potatoes are a good source of fiber, good source of potassium, and are high in vitamins A and C! Black beans are a good source of plant-based protein and fiber and tomatoes are high in vitamin C and antioxidants like lycopene.

Didn’t this recipe used to call for cashew cheese?

Yes! But I found the cashew cheese to be more ingredients and steps to make and I liked this version better (easier on the wallet too!). If you really liked the OG version, mix 3/4 cup cashew cheese with the sweet potato and add any other mixings your tastebuds call for!

How do you make this recipe vegetarian?

You can use dairy sour cream or Greek yogurt instead of vegan sour cream. You can also top with shredded cheddar cheese instead of a non-dairy alternative.

Is this recipe gluten-free?

Yes! But be sure to double-check the labels if you are using vegan sour cream and vegan cheese as some brands contain wheat.

For more game day inspiration, check out my other recipes below!

Sweet potato skins with black beans, green onions, vegan shredded cheese, and vegan sour cream.

If you like this recipe, please be sure to give it a 5 star rating below. If you make it, share it on instagram and tag me @karalydonrd and I’ll re-share it with my followers! If you want to save this recipe for later, be sure to pin it on Pinterest!