12 Unique Toppings You Should Be Adding To Baked Sweet Potatoes

Welcome, the sweet potato: pacifier of picky eaters around the world, the subject of heated debate at the Thanksgiving dinner table, and one of the top foods to cook all wrong in the kitchen. Whether you are baking them whole, roasting them in cubes, making oven-baked fries, or even — heaven forbid — boiling them first, the right toppings can make all the difference when added to your baked sweet potatoes.

While you may be tempted to just plop some butter, sugar, and cinnamon on your tubers and turn them into a dessert, there's a world of flavors that can elevate baked sweet potatoes. As a cook of over 20 years and the author of At the Immigrant's Table, an international recipes food blog, and countless articles printed in magazines and newspapers around the world, I've made my fair share of baked potatoes for clients and my own family. Some stood out as failures, and others rocked our world with their outstanding flavor profiles.

From sweet to savory, creamy to crunchy, here are 12 unique toppings you should add to baked sweet potatoes to make them stand out. Whether you're an adventurous eater or simply someone looking for a new tried-and-true recipe, we urge you to give these unusual combinations a try with baked sweet potatoes, whether they be the American or Japanese variety.

Hot honey is a game-changer for baked sweet potatoes. You may think this is just the latest TikTok trend to grace the Internet, but you'd be wrong. This topping, drizzled on baked or roasted potatoes, adds just the right balanced touch of sweetness and heat, amplifying the natural flavors of the potato. Whether you're working with whole baked sweet potatoes, cubes, or slices, a drizzle of hot honey adds a complexity that's hard to beat. The sweetness complements the potato's natural sugars, while the heat provides a surprising kick that lingers long after the last bite.

Taking a page from the Deep South, I've discovered that adding a sprinkle of candied pecans brings a satisfying crunch and sweetness to baked sweet potatoes. While nuts of any kind can be lovely with sweet potatoes, pecans that have been cooked in melted sugars add just that extra touch that makes you feel like Edna Lewis just may be looking over your shoulder. These caramelized nuts provide a textural contrast that works really well when sprinkled over whole baked potatoes or mixed into cubed sweet potato dishes. The combination of the nuts' buttery flavor and caramelized coating perfectly complements the earthy sweetness of the potatoes. Try adding a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg while candying the nuts for an extra flavor boost.

Crème fraîche is a sophisticated touch to the humble baked sweet potato. While everyone knows of adding sour cream to baked potatoes, sweet potatoes deserve just a bit better — and creme fraiche, a sour cream substitute, is made with fattier cream that gives it a richer, softer flavor. Its rich, tangy flavor provides a beautiful contrast to the sweetness of the potatoes, while its creamy texture adds a luxurious mouthfeel. Try it swirled into a mash of baked potatoes, where crème fraîche brings a touch of French elegance to the table. For added depth, consider mixing in some fresh herbs like chives or dill. The slight acidity of crème fraîche also helps to cut through the denseness of the potato. And the best part is, this versatile topping works just as well in both sweet and savory preparations. To take cream and sweet potatoes to another level, you can try the Japanese trend of baking crème brûlée inside a sweet potato — it's honestly as good as it sounds.

Continuing our journey across the globe, we arrive in India, where the bustling streets of Delhi offer both tubers and curried butter in the form of murgh makhani, better known as butter chicken. Having once prepared simple microwaved sweet potatoes alongside my butter chicken, I discovered the transformative power of starchy potatoes when combined with curry and butter sauce. And thus, baked potatoes with curry butter was born.

Curry butter may sound surprising, but it's a simple yet transformative addition to your baked sweet potatoes. Simply mix butter with a few pinches of salt and your favorite curry powder — I like madras curry for this — and you've got an incredible seasoning that feels completely unfamiliar.

This flavor-packed compound butter will infuse your dish with warm, aromatic spices that both highlight and contrast with the sweetness of the potato, taking it in a decidedly savory direction. Whether you're slathering it on a whole baked sweet potato, drizzling it on sweet potato fries, or tossing it with cubes before roasting, curried butter has a depth of flavor that's hard to beat. The butter helps to crisp up the edges of the potatoes while the curry spices permeate the flesh. And if you love this twist, then go ahead and experiment with different curry powders to find your perfect match — from mild and sweet to hot and complex.

Looking like little jewels, pomegranate seeds offer a burst of tart sweetness and crunch atop your baked sweet potato dish. These ruby-red seeds, officially called pomegranate arils, not only add a pop of color but also provide a refreshing contrast to the potato's creamy texture. Crack open a ripe pomegranate or buy them shelled or frozen to avoid a giant mess, but know that this unique ingredient will taste amazing within the first day and not much longer. Scatter them over whole baked sweet potatoes or mix them into a salad of roasted sweet potato cubes to bring a lively, juicy element to the dish. Their slight acidity is a great contrast to the sweetness of the potato, giving it a more complex flavor profile. For an extra layer, try pairing the pomegranate seeds with a sprinkle of fresh parsley or a drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar.

Whipped goat cheese is a creamy, tangy touch that goes further than creme fraiche in offering an acidic contrast to the potato's inherent sugary nature. Its light, airy texture is amazing against the denseness of the potato, with its distinctive pungent flavor providing a savory counterpoint.

To make whipped goat cheese, simply beat your fresh goat cheese log with a handheld mixer. We recommend smearing it on a plate as a dip and then tossing roasted potatoes in a mound in the middle, along with a drizzle of honey, pomegranate molasses, or simply the above-mentioned pomegranate seeds. But you can also just dollop it on a whole baked sweet potato, or drop a few spoonfuls over roasted sweet potato slices, chips, or cubes.

Any way you use it, whipped goat cheese will add a gourmet touch to your sweet potato dish. For added complexity, consider folding in some fresh herbs like thyme or chives, or adding a drizzle of honey for a sweet-savory balance.

If you're a fan of the classic baked potato with bacon, then this is the sweet potato topping you've been waiting for! Crispy prosciutto brings a salty, savory crunch to baked sweet potatoes that's simply irresistible, transforming your dish from a basic side to a standout meal.

Whether crumbled over a whole baked sweet potato or mixed fresh into cubes prior to roasting, the prosciutto adds a salty, umami-laden touch and a satisfying textural contrast. Like a salted caramel praline, the saltiness of the prosciutto beautifully balances the natural sweetness of the potato. For best results, crisp up the prosciutto in the oven, an air fryer, or even a pan before adding it to your dish to really intensify its flavor. It will also go lovely with the whipped goat cheese we mentioned earlier.

A fan of the salty flavors with your baked sweet potato? Then you're going to love our next topping: miso butter. This is an especially umami-rich addition that goes further than the curry butter to add a complex salinity to our side. This savory compound butter infuses your dish with a deep flavor that feels decidedly Japanese-inspired.

Whether you're slathering it on a whole baked sweet potato or tossing cubes in it before roasting, miso butter adds a sophisticated touch that will have your guests guessing what you did differently. The butter helps to crisp up the edges of the potatoes while the fermented miso imparts a rich, salty-sweet flavor that permeates the flesh.

The uniqueness here comes from playing around with different types of miso — from mild white to robust red — to find your perfect match. Each miso will have its own unique flavor, some even making your sweet potatoes feel more like dessert than a side.

Okay, now we're really going crazy here! For a topping that feels like it comes straight from the mellow beaches of the Caribbean, try some toasted coconuts on your sweet potatoes. Inspired by the traditional combination of sweet potatoes with rice and coconut, adding toasted coconut to your roasted taters will give your dish a tropical twist.

The nutty, slightly sweet flavor of the toasted coconut enhances the potatoes' sweetness while adding an aromatic touch and even a bit of texture to every bite. Whether sprinkled over whole baked sweet potatoes or tossed over cubes, toasted coconut brings a new dimension to your dish. The process of toasting intensifies the coconut's flavor and creates a crispy texture that contrasts beautifully with the soft potato. Add a drizzle of coconut milk to your sweet potatoes to really ramp up these notes.

This Middle Eastern-inspired addition is a completely different topping that combines the creaminess of crème fraîche, the saltiness of miso, and the sweetness of candied pecans into one amazing condiment. Maple tahini is a unique combination that brings together the nutty richness of sesame with the sweet depth of maple syrup, creating a topping for baked sweet potatoes that somehow feels both completely surprising and also wholly familiar at the same time.

Spoon it onto whole baked sweet potatoes, toss it with cubes or fries, or use it as a dipping sauce for wedges. In any case, maple tahini offers the ultimate balance of sweet and savory. The creamy texture of the tahini really works with the soft flesh of the potato, while the maple syrup goes well with the natural sweetness. Don't forget a pinch of chili or a sprinkle of sea salt to elevate all these flavors even further.

The first sweet potatoes can be traced back to Peru in 750 B.C., so it's to South America that we go for the inspiration for our next topping. As you know by now, I love adding some creaminess to my sweet potatoes. Add a touch of heat, and that luxurious pillowy texture becomes just so much more pronounced! After all, there's just something about that combination of pleasure and pain that sets our tastebuds tingling, as we know from the Chinese flavor sensation of mala and the Japanese flavor profile of kokumi. 

Chili lime crema incorporates a zesty kick to baked sweet potatoes that is a simple addition but somehow tastes complex. This tangy, spicy topping provides a refreshing contrast to sweet potatoes, whether drizzled over whole baked sweet potatoes or used as a dip for wedges. The creamy base helps to cool the heat from the chili, while the lime adds a bright, citrusy note. For best results, make your crema with fresh lime juice and adjust the heat level to your liking. 

After taking you all around the world in search of inspiring ingredients and unique cooking techniques, it's time to come home to the United States for something that feels comforting and familiar. There's just something about the combination of sweet potatoes and rosemary that feels like fall encapsulated. Rosemary is the perfect aromatic herb to pair with the sweetness of this potato; its minty but woodsy scent somehow does not feel as overly obtrusive as other seasonings, like sage. But we wouldn't be ourselves if we didn't find a way to make it just that much more sophisticated — and my solution is to infuse it into oil.

Rosemary oil is a simple yet elegant addition that can be made either quickly or slowly. For the quick way, simply heat some oil in a saucepan, then add a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and maybe a clove of garlic or two, let it all simmer for five to ten minutes, and then drizzle over your mashed or roasted potatoes. For the slow method, fill a bottle or small jar with olive oil, and add a few branches of rosemary. Store it, sealed, in a cool, dark place for at least a month, letting the natural permeation of flavors do its thing. This makes for a great edible DIY holiday gift, too!

Once ready, this aromatic oil will infuse your sweet potato recipe with the herbaceous notes of rosemary, creating a sophisticated flavor profile that complements the sweetness. Honestly, the simple flavors of rosemary oil add a depth of flavor that's hard to beat, without the very strong, slightly soapy flavor of biting into an oversized twig of rosemary that someone didn't chop enough. When tossed with sweet potato cubes before baking, the oil also helps to crisp up the edges of the potatoes while the rosemary imparts its distinctive flavor throughout.