Learn how to make perfect hasselback potatoes with this baked purple sweet potato recipe! Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, these beautiful purple taters make a delicious vegetarian side dish.
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You guys…purple sweet potatoes. I repeat, PURPLE sweet potatoes!! Please tell me you have tried them?! If you haven’t, well you need to, and this recipe for Hasselback Purple Sweet Potatoes will do the trick.
I stumbled upon my new favorite vegetable at the Wedge Co-op last week, and just KNEW I had to create something for the blog. Little did I know how good these purple sweet potatoes would taste though! Check out this info from Frieda’s Specialty Produce if you want to learn more about them.
Will and I split one with dinner, and we were so pleasantly surprised by the flavor. Imagine the taste regular ol’ sweet potato, but with a creamier flesh and stunning color. Sounds pretty good, huh?
Ok that’s enough about my love affair with purple sweet potatoes. Let’s talk about how I prepared them. According to my very brief Internet research, Hasselback potatoes originated in Sweden. Aren’t they cool looking?!
The tiny slits allow the edges of the potato to get extra crispy, while the middle stays soft and tender. Um, yum!! But to ensure that the edges get crispy enough, you also need to brush each potato with butter, oil, or in my case, ghee!
Purple Sweet Potato Nutrition
Before I get to the recipe, let’s chat about the colorful taters and the nutrition that comes along with their purple hue!
Purple sweet potatoes, also referred to as purple yams, are rich in fiber, vitamin C, and energizing carbohydrates. They get their purple color from anthocyanins, a group of plant compounds that act as antioxidants in the body. Consuming anthocyanins may help improve blood sugar control and protect against cancer.
How to Make Hasselback Purple Sweet Potatoes
The key tool for this purple sweet potato recipe is a pair of wooden chopsticks! Next time you order Chinese takeout, don’t throw the chopsticks that they give you away…you can use them for hasselback potatoes. Here’s how you use them:
- Scrub each purple sweet potato clean. Depending on the shape of the potato, cut off a thin piece from the bottom so that the potato lays flat on the cutting board.
- Put a wooden chopstick on each side of the potato. Use a sharp knife to cut 1/4″ slits. The chopsticks will stop your knife from cutting completely through the potato. Pretty awesome, huh??
- Transfer the potatoes to a greased square baking dish. Brush with a mixture of ghee, salt, and herbs.
- Cook for ~45 minutes, until tender.
Expert Tips for Preparing Purple Sweet Potatoes
- If you don’t have chopsticks, you can use a couple of wooden spoons to help you cut the potatoes.
- Using a silicone brush really helps with spreading the ghee/herb mixture inside the potato slits and on the surface. Be sure to reserve some of the spread to add halfway through baking and for serving.
- Ingredients:
- You can substitute butter or oil for the ghee, as well as other fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme. For more ideas, check out my Vegetable Seasoning Guide.
- This purple sweet potato recipe would also work with other types of sweet potatoes.
- Serving and Storing:
Want another purple vegetable recipe while you’re here?! Check out the Purple Radish Salad with Sesame Dressing.
Where to Buy Purple Sweet Potatoes
It can be challenging to find purple sweet potatoes. As I mentioned earlier, I got mine at the local foods community co-op. Fortunately, Frieda’s (a company who sells purple sweet potatoes) has a store locator on their site.
When purchasing purple sweet potatoes, look for ones that are firm to the touch and do not have brown or black spots on the skin. Even if you do get ones with healthy skin, I recommend scrubbing them clean before cooking.
More Baked Vegetable Recipes
- Savory Roasted Root Vegetables
- Roasted Turnips and Pears with Rosemary Honey Butter
- Roasted Golden Beets with Maple Miso Sauce
- Whole Roasted Kohlrabi with Pomegranate Reduction
I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.
Hasselback Purple Sweet Potato Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large purple sweet potatoes - or 4 small; scrubbed
- 4 tablespoon ghee - melted; can sub butter or oil
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley - chopped; more for serving
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt - more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a square baking dish.
- Prepare the potatoes by slicing off a tiny bit on one side, so the potato stays flat when you put it down and does not roll away. Put a chopstick or the handle of a wooden spoon on each side of the potato, and use a sharp knife to make 1/4" slits. The chopsticks or spoon handles will stop you from slicing through the potato.
- Mix together the melted ghee, parsley, and salt, and use a brush to spread about 1/2 of the mixture over the potatoes. Be sure to get some of the mixture in the cracks!
- Bake for 30 minutes, remove from oven and spread the rest of the ghee mixture over potatoes. You may need to reheat it if it hardens. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until middle of potatoes are as tender as desired. Sprinkle with salt, and brush with additional ghee and parsley to taste.
Notes
- Nutrition facts are based on regular sweet potatoes and may be slightly off, since purple sweet potatoes are not included in the nutrition database.
- Serve them on the side of a lean animal protein with a non-starchy vegetable for a complete meal.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes on high.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2018. It was updated with new photos and expert tips in February 2020.
Happy hump day! – Lizzie
