Spicy Vegan LOADED Sweet Potatoes

These vegan loaded sweet potatoes are perfect if you’re looking for a simple vegetarian dish that can easily be customized! I love making a big batch of these and using them for meal prep throughout the week. Not only are they quick to assemble and highly satisfying, they also contain a great variety of essential vitamins, high fiber values, and are rich in minerals and antioxidants.

Six washed and uncooked sweet potatoes sitting in a large cast iron pan

The Do’s and Don’ts of Potato Baking

Before we get into it, we need to break down how to bake the perfect sweet potato!

Do’s 🙂

We want to see puffy, fluffy potatoes with crispy skin, and sweet caramelized edges… So now how do we do this?

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  2. Scrub each sweet potato clean, and dry them thoroughly
  3. Prick each potato with a fork, placing them onto the lined sheet
  4. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes, or until you can pierce them with a fork without resistance

It is important to place those sweet potatoes onto the baking sheet bare, without any oil or seasoning. Once they are done, they can be split in half, fluffed and seasoned with salt, pepper, or any other of your favorite toppings.

Don’ts 🙁

I’m not entirely sure when the trend of wrapping potatoes in aluminum foil before setting them into the oven to “bake” became a regular occurrence but that is a culinary crime. Can we all make a promise to each other that we’re going to keep that trend in the 1970s’? This is important for all baking potatoes, including these sweet potatoes. I’m not trying to shame anyone on here but please think of the potatoes, and what wrapping them in foil causes.

So many of the characteristics that we love and expect (crispy skin, fluffiness, nice seasoning) are lost when they are wrapped in foil because they become softened by steam, and do not develop a crispy skin.

I wanted to mention this before getting into the recipe because not only is this important knowledge for all potato baking, but especially sweet potatoes. When sweet potatoes are steamed and wrapped in foil, the skin will become moist, and slightly slimy. This is not good for the style of potato we’re going for.

MEal Prep Saviour

This recipe makes preparing lunches for work, or a quick dinner really easy. My partner and I cook up about 6 potatoes between the two of us and we get creative with them throughout the week. Having a batch of the spiced bean mixture with veggies found below, and a handful of sweet potatoes in the fridge helps us make smart and nutritious choices when we’re hungry and short on time.

We love throwing some of our favorite chunky salsa (ours is PC brand Extra Chunky), hot sauce and sliced avocado on top, but feel free to add your favorite toppings and customize to your liking!

an avocado that has been cut in half resting on a cutting board, one half has been peeled, sliced horizontally and fanned out

Vegan Loaded Spiced Sweet Potatoes

We love piling our ingredients high over these tender sweet potatoes, and calling it a day! They are simple, comforting, and customizable! I love that I can have all of my toppings prepared by the time the potatoes are ready to come out of the oven.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican, Tex-Mex, Vegan
Keyword: black beans, plant based, sweet potato, vegan
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 6 medium sweet potatoes scrubbed clean
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 540 ml can of reduced sodium black beans
  • 2 yellow or red bell peppers seeded and chopped
  • 2 small yellow onions chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic minced

“Tex-Mex” seasoning

  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground black peppers
  • 1 pinch of ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch of ground cloves
  • 1 tablespoon Kosher salt

For serving (recommended, but customizable and optional)

  • Ripe avocado sliced
  • Kosher salt
  • Dash of hot sauce
  • Freshly squeezed lime juice
  • Cilantro leaves
  • Chunky Salsa

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 425° (215°C). Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
  • 2. Prick each of the clean and dried sweet potatoes with a fork multiple times. Place the sweet potatoes onto the lined baking pan, then into the oven. Bake until fork tender, about 50 minutes.
  • 3. While the potatoes bake, combine all of the ingredients for the “Tex-Mex” seasoning. Be mindful that this is a large batch of the seasoning, and there will be some leftover. Store in a sealed jar, or metal tin to preserve the quality of the spice blend. Set aside.
  • 4. Heat the avocado oil in a medium frying pan, on medium-high heat. Combine the bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Cook until they are al dente. Add 1 tbsp of the prepared “tex-mex” seasoning, and remove from the heat. Set aside.
  • 5. Prepare additional toppings by slicing fresh ripe avocado, limes for freshly squeezed juice, and chopping cilantro leaves.
  • 6. Serve each sweet potato by slicing along the top, pulling the skin back and splitting the potatoes in half to make space for the prepared fillings. Top by adding the spiced vegetable mix, and sliced avocado, freshly squeezed lime juice, a generous pinch of kosher salt, cilantro and chunky salsa.