Looking for a new sweet potato recipe for your holiday meal? This Hasselback Sweet Potatoes recipe is great for your Thanksgiving, Christmas or Sunday dinner. These Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with brown sugar and pecans are easy to make, and can also be prepped in advance.
Looking for a new way to enjoy sweet potatoes at your holiday dinner? This Hasselback sweet potatoes recipe is topped with a delicious brown sugar pecan crumble that’s amazing as a side dish or dessert.
Made by simply peeling and slicing sweet potatoes and topping with the pecan crumble, this baked sweet potato recipe can be served right in the baking dish, going from oven to table.
What do I need to make Hasselback sweet potatoes?
Here’s a quick reference shopping list of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. Note that I’ve linked my favorite ingredients for this recipe from Target (affiliate links.) Target is great when you need ingredients last-minute, as you can do Target pick-up, Target drive-up or even delivery. All of these options can be done the same day.
- Sweet potatoes – fresh, whole sweet potatoes from the produce section is what you’ll need. I don’t recommend canned yams or sweet potatoes, as these will be too mushy for this recipe. You’ll need about 3 lbs or 6 medium potatoes
- Brown sugar – you can use either light or dark brown sugar for the crumble topping. To reduce the calories, you can also use Swerve Brown Sugar alternative which is a great healthier option.
- Chopped pecans – you can purchase either whole pecan halves or pre-chopped pecans.
- All-purpose flour – simple all-purpose flour is needed for making the crumble topping.
- Butter – feel free to use either salted or unsalted butter for this recipe. I prefer using salted butter for most cooking, as I feel it has the best flavor.
- Cinnamon – ground cinnamon adds an amazing flavor to the crumble topping and perfectly compliments the sweet potatoes.
- Nutmeg – along with the cinnamon, adding nutmeg to the crumble topping mixture will add an amazing depth of flavor to the crumble topping.
- Salt – salt is helpful in bringing out the sweetness and flavor in the crumble topping. Don’t leave this out.
- Non-stick baking spray – I like and prefer avocado oil cooking spray, as it is better for you AND doesn’t leave a stick residue on your baking dishes.
For exact ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the post for the recipe. Thanks!
How do I make Hasselback sweet potatoes?
The first step to making Hasselback sweet potatoes is to wash, peel and slice sweet potatoes. You can use a regular vegetable peeler to remove the outer skin.
To slice the sweet potatoes, I recommend using a large Chef’s knife or a Santoku knife, which I use and prefer. Slicing the potatoes approximately 1/8″ thick is ideal.
Do I leave the skin on sweet potatoes when making a Hasselback sweet potato recipe?
Leaving the skin on Hasselback potatoes is optional. For many Hasselback sweet potato recipes, the skin is left on and the potatoes are sliced three-quarters of the way through, leaving the potato in tact at the bottom.
However, many find the skin of sweet potatoes tough, chewy and dry, especially after baking. I find it best to peel the potatoes fully before slicing, having a more appetizing potato.
Love cooking with sweet potatoes? Check out my Ruth’s Chris Sweet Potato Casserole, Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes, Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows, Sheet Pan Maple Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Sheet Pan Chicken and Sweet Potatoes, which is an amazing one-pan dinner recipe!
Place the sliced sweet potatoes into a baking dish. A 12″ baking dish is what I use, however, you can also use an oval baking dish or a 9×9″ pan. Placing the potatoes on their side will help the potatoes retain their shape while baking and give you that “Hasselback” appearance.
Next, mix together the brown sugar pecan crumble. In a bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add in the melted butter, and stir together with a fork. Texture will be crumbly.
Adding the brown sugar pecan crumble to the Hasselback sweet potatoes:
Once you’ve made the brown sugar pecan crumble, simply crumble over the top of the sliced sweet potatoes. This does not have to be perfect. Simply place the crumble over the top and sides of the sweet potatoes.
Important Step: Cover the baking dish with foil before baking. Because the pecans will toast and brown well before the sweet potatoes are done baking, covering the dish with foil is important. The foil will keep the pecans from over-browning/burning.
The last 10 minutes of baking you can remove the foil and allow the pecans to toast before removing from the oven.
Frequently asked questions about Hasselback potatoes:
Hasselback potatoes were first introduced in the 1940’s at a restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden. The restaurant’s name was the Hasselback which gained notoriety for using this simple slicing technique to potatoes, vegetables and meats.
Sweet potatoes will have a reddish skin and bright orange flesh. Yams have a dark brown skin and have a lighter beige colored flesh. Yams will also grow much larger in size than a sweet potato.
The best and easiest way to cut Hasselback potatoes is to place chopsticks on either side (long side) of the potato. Slice with a Chef’s knife or Santoku knife, using the chopsticks to stop the cut near the bottom of the potato.
Yes, Hasselback sweet potatoes can be made in advance. This is a good options for a holiday meal, when you have limited oven space and time on the day of the dinner. Prep and cook the potatoes fully, cover the baking dish tightly with foil and refrigerate. Reheat the potatoes at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes (covered with foil) or until fully warmed through.
Oh, this is a very controversial question, and one that many people have very different opinions on! Many consider sweet potatoes as a side dish, like mashed potatoes. However, when topped and baked with marshmallows or a brown sugar pecan crumble, it becomes very sweet, like a pumpkin pie, crumble or crisp. Many enjoy sweet potato casserole served with whipped cream or ice cream, thus making it a dessert. Either way it is served, it’s absolutely delicious!
What are Hasselback sweet potatoes served with?
Sweet potatoes are a great side dish served with just about any meal. Here are a few holiday dinner ideas where this sweet potato casserole would be the perfect pairing:
- Garlic Herb Roast Beef
- Oven Baked Snow Crab Legs
- Apple Cider Turkey Brine
- How to Dry Brine A Turkey
- Easy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
- Citrus Turkey Brine
- Balsamic Steak Marinade for delicious grilled steaks!
If you loved this sweet potato recipe, check out some of our other holiday side dishes:
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Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar Pecan Crumble
Equipment
- Oval Baking Dish This 9" Oval Baking Dish by Staub is ideal for any side dish or casserole.
- Santoku Knife This 5" Henckels Knife also comes with a smaller 3" knife. A fantastic deal on quality knives!
Ingredients
- 3 lb. sweet potatoes rinsed, peeled and sliced
Brown Sugar Pecan Crumble Topping:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar you can also use Swerve Brown Sugar alternative
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 3 Tbsp. butter melted
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 12" baking dish (rectangular or oval), with non stick baking spray. (You can also use a 9×9" pan or baking dish.) Set dish aside.
- Rinse and peel the sweet potatoes. Using a Chef's or Santoku knife, slice the peeled potatoes into 1/8" slices. Place the sliced potatoes on their side, keeping the potato shape, in the baking dish.
- Make the brown sugar pecan crumble: to a bowl, add the brown sugar, flour, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir together with a fork to combine. Pour the melted butter over the top of the crumble and mix. Mixture will be crumbly and gravel-like.
- Top the sweet potatoes with the pecan crumble mixture, placing the crumble on the tops and sides of the potatoes. Cover the baking dish with foil. (Covering the dish with foil is important, as it will prevent the pecans from over-browning and burning.)
- Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes to toast the pecans. (Total bake time will be 45 minutes.)
- Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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