Hasselback sweet potatoes are a classic twist on a classic side dish. Thinly sliced sweet potatoes are cut into thin slices and stuffed with a maple syrup pecan crumble that looks so impressive but is actually really simple.
Sweet potato recipes can't be forgotten on the Thanksgiving table. We love to eat sweet potatoes all year round, but we especially love them as part of a holiday dinner, including our sweet potato bites as an appetizer and vegan sweet potato pie for dessert.
These Hasselback sweet potatoes are impressive enough for special occasions and definitely deserve a spot on the Thanksgiving menu. They're a fun twist on the classic sweet potato casserole. They feature all the same flavors and ingredients, but the crispy skins and tender potatoes give them a different texture. Not to mention, they look beautiful!
What are Hasselback Potatoes?
Hasselback potatoes are thinly sliced potatoes cut just over halfway through the length of the potato to create fan-like slices. The increased surface area makes it a delicious way to add a crispy exterior and more room on the inside stuff with sweet flavors. A Swedish chef created the Hasselback style potatoes in the 1950s at the Hasselbacken restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden.
Cutting Hasselback Potatoes
Successfully cutting the potatoes is one of the trickiest, and most important parts to a great Hasselback potato recipe. Nail this step and you're well on your way to a delicious side dish. It's not the easiest technique, but we'll walk you through it!
Place potatoes on a cutting board and place a wooden spoon on each side of the potato. You can also use other utensils with flat sides like wooden skewers, chop sticks, or even two knives. These act as your guards and help you evenly slice them without accidentally cutting them all the way through. Here are a few additional tips to help:
- Place the flattest side of the sweet potato down on the cutting board for more stabililty.
- Cut the potato slices evenly and as thin as possible to help the potatoes cook evenly and quickly.
- Use a very sharp chef's knife because sweet potatoes are firm and can be difficult to cut through.
- Don't rush it! Give yourself time to slowly and carefully
Ingredient Notes
Here are the key ingredients to make Hasselback sweet potatoes. Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Sweet potatoes: try to get potatoes that are the same size so they cook evenly. Another great tip is to find ones that are somewhat flat on the bottom to cut them evenly.
- Brown sugar: we used light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar, coconut sugar or maple syrup are great options.
- Oats: they add a great texture to the crumble. We used Bob's Red Mill GF Rolled oats.
- Raw pecans: make sure they're unsalted so we can control the amount of salt in the dish. Make your life easier and buy pre-chopped pecans.
- Butter: unsalted butter, vegan butter, or olive oil are good options.
- Kosher salt and cinnamon
- Fresh rosemary: fresh herbs make every recipe better!
How to Make Hasselback Sweet Potatoes & Video Tutorial
These step-by-step photos walk you through how to make these delicious Hasselback sweet potatoes. You can also watch us make it in our video tutorial.
- Prep and slice the potatoes: Place a wooden spoon, or another flat utensil, on each side of the sweet potato. Use a sharp knife to cut them into about 1/ 8-inch slices, along the length of the sweet potato. The flat utensils act as a guide to help you avoid accidentally cutting all the way through the potato.
- Butter mixture: mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, salt, and rosemary in a medium bowl and mix well to combine. Brush potatoes with half of the mixture.
- Bake: place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 40 minutes.
- Pecan oat topping: Add the oats and chopped pecans to the rest of the butter mixture and stir well.
- Top sweet potatoes: After 40 minutes, carefully remove the sweet potatoes from the oven to top with the pecan crumble. To do this, place a fork underneath the sweet potato and lift up slightly to help fan out the potato slices. Sprinkle the pecan crumble on top of each sweet potato, doing your best to coat the inside of each potato slice. Repeat the process with the remaining potatoes.
- Finish baking: place the sweet potatoes back in the oven and bake for 20-25 more minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender and golden brown on top.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
- Make ahead: Follow the directions through step 3 and partially bake the sweet potatoes. allow them to cool then cover them tightly and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. When you're ready to serve, mix the crumble, stuff the sweet potatoes and continue baking.
- Store: place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Warm them all the way through in the oven at 350°F or in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
A Swiss chef in training invented the Hasselback technique at the Hasselbacken restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden.
Sweet potato skins are completely safe to eat. Just make sure to wash and scrub them well prior to eating or cooking.
Russet potatoes take slightly longer to cook than sweet potatoes. The cooking method really depends! We're par cooking these sweet potatoes by boiling them slightly first so we don't have to roast them quite as long.
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
More potato recipes
- Scalloped sweet potatoes
- Healthy sweet potato casserole
- Rosemary roasted sweet potatoes
- Sweet potato gnocchi
- Sweet potato puffs
- Sweet potato bites with honey and goat cheese
Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- ½ cup maple syrup, coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter (or vegan butter) melted
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary
- ⅓ cup rolled oats (we used gluten free)
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Recommended Equipment
- Baking Sheet
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and spray a 9x13 inch casserole dish or sheet pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes really well. Place the flattest side of one of the sweet potatoes on a cutting board and place a flat wooden spoon, or another flat utensil, on each side. Use a sharp knife to create ⅛-inch slices through each potato, stopping when the knife hits the utensils to avoid cutting all the way through. Repeat with each sweet potato and place them on the prepared sheet pan.
- In a small bowl, mix together the maple syrup (or sugar), melted butter, salt, cinnamon, and rosemary. Brush half of the mixture generously on top of and inside of the sweet potato slices. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
- When the time is up, add the oats and pecans to the remaining butter and syrup mixture and stir well.
- Carefully remove the sweet potatoes from the oven to top with the pecan crumble. Place a fork underneath the sweet potato and lift it up slightly to help fan out the potato slices. Sprinkle the pecan crumble on top of each sweet potato, doing your best to stuff it into the inside of each potato slice. Repeat the process with the remaining potatoes.
- Bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender and the tops are golden brown. Check 5-10 minutes before the time is up and cover with foil if they're looking too brown. Serve right away.
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