Baked Sweet Potatoes with Warm Maple Drizzle and Toasted Pecans
Deliciously decadent, this side dish can be made with sugary substitutes or the real thing!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 small sweet potatoes or yams, all approximately the same size
- 1/4 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup sugar-free maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar substitute
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Smidgen of salt (about 1/8 teaspoon)
- 1 tablespoon brandy
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Rinse 4 sweet potatoes or yams under running water to wash off any excess dirt.
- Poke a hole in each sweet potato.
- Wrap each potato in aluminum foil and place on baking sheet.
- Bake in oven 45 minutes to an hour for small sweet potatoes or yams or up to 2 hours if the potato is large.
- Test for doneness with a clean knife inserted in the center; if the knife goes in easily, your potato is done!
- In the meantime, rough chop the pecans.
- Toast in dry, non-stick pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently; do not leave unattended or they will burn!
- Remove pecans from heat and set aside.
- Add remaining ingredients, except the brandy, to a sauce pan and whisk to combine.
- Heat over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until hot.
- Do not leave sauce unattended or it may burn, too!
- Remove from heat and set aside until ready to serve the potatoes; sauce can be reheated on stove top or microwave.
- If reheating sauce in microwave, transfer to microwave safe glass dish and microwave for about 30 seconds.
- When potatoes are done, remove from oven.
- Carefully remove foil wrapping and place each potato on serving plate.
- Cut each potato open with a knife and “fluff” the potato with a fork.
- Drizzle with warm maple drizzle and top with a scattering of pecans.
- Serve immediately.
