I Asked 7 Farmers the Best Way To Cook Sweet Potatoes—They All Said the Same Thing

There are countless ways to cook and eat sweet potatoes, but there’s one that sweet potato farmers prefer above the rest. Here’s how the pros recommend cooking the fall root vegetable.

Overhead view of a white cutting board with a large knife and two sliced sweet potatoes — Simply Recipes / Eliezer Martinez

I love sweet potatoes as one of few fall vegetables that, when stored properly, can last throughout the winter. These festive root vegetables are one of my favorites to serve to a crowd as they pack a punch when it comes to flavor and presentation thanks to their show-stopping bright orange color. The versatility of sweet potatoes is hard to beat, too, as they can be seamlessly integrated into both sweet and savory dishes.

And while I have my own rolodex of go-to sweet potato recipes, I thought it would be fun to see what dishes those most knowledgeable about the fall-time treasures usually turn to. So, I asked seven sweet potato farmers what their favorite way to cook these tubers is and, shockingly, they all said the same thing!

The Sweet Potato Farmers I Asked

Jim Jones: Owner and Farmer at Jones Family Farms
Jennifer Daniels: Farmer at H & D Farms
Jacy Barnes Clapp: Marketing and Third-Generation Owner at Barnes Farming & Farm Pak
Robin Narron: Marketing Director at Nash Produce
Kim Kornegay LeQuire: Vice President, Customer Service, Human Relations, Community Relations, and Office Manager at Kornegay Family Produce
Dae Wood: Domestic Engineer for Chief Operator at JR Wood Farms
Amy Hill: Domestic Engineer at Tull Hill Farms

Overhead view of a baking dish of cubed baked sweet potatoes and wooden serving spoon — Simply Recipes / Ali Redmond

The Best Way To Cook Sweet Potatoes, According to Sweet Potato Farmers

When it came to these hardworking farmers’ most beloved sweet potato preparation method, they all agreed that baking is their all-time favorite cooking method. Some opt to cook them at a lower temperature, while others opt for higher-temperature baking, also known as roasting.

“Diced and roasted sweet potatoes are my favorite because they are tasty and easy, no need to overcomplicate,” said Daniels.

Clapp also loves to get a good crunch on her sweet potatoes by baking them at a high heat after dicing them and tossing them with olive oil, salt, pepper, minced garlic, and thyme or rosemary. “It’s a quick and delicious side but also can be added to a grain bowl or salad,” she added. Wood also agreed, “I love them diced, tossed with olive oil, salt pepper, and garlic, then roasted at 400°F to 410°F for approximately 20 minutes.”

For a lower-temperature preparation, baked sweet potato wedges are a go-to for Narron. “I love these because they are savory, not sweet. They have a bit of heat from red chili flakes that make this dish a must-try,” she said.

Some farmers like to utilize baked sweet potatoes as part of a more intricate dish. “I bake my sweet potatoes at 400°F for about 40 minutes, let them cool, peel, and slice into rounds. Then, I fry them in hot bacon grease until the sweet potatoes begin to caramelize, remove from heat, and enjoy. So simple, but so delicious,” said Jones.

Likewise, LeQuire and Hill use baked sweet potatoes in a classic sweet recipe: candied sweet potatoes. “I have too many favorites, but at the top would be grandma Margaret Hill’s candied sweet potatoes,” said Hill. To make this family-famous recipe, she pours a combination of sugar, water, salt, butter, lemon juice, and cinnamon sticks over boiled sweet potatoes and bakes it at 350°F for about an hour to produce the most scrumptious—and nostalgic—side dish.