Crispy edges, tender centers, and a hint of cinnamon and brown sugar, these Sweet Potato Stacks are an easy Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving side dish that will impress without stress.

Easy Sweet Potato Stacks

Recently I mentioned that I’ve been busy curating a Friendsgiving menu that’s more casual, and not as involved as a traditional Thanksgiving Day feast. Don’t get me wrong – I will be enjoying those family heritage dishes on November 27th with said family (and on the good China). But this gathering is informal, so everyone agrees that it’s okay to not be so married to those things.

I thought it would be fun to share all of my Friendsgiving recipes right here (spoiler alert to my guests!). So far, the menu plays on traditional Thanksgiving flavors. But instead of Grandma Ruby’s sweet potato casserole, we’ll have these Easy Sweet Potato Stacks. They look like you spent hours layering them by hand, but really you just sliced, tossed, and baked. No fussy ingredients, and no stress. I’m making them because they’re exactly what a side dish should be: low effort, a little elegant, and so delicious.

Easy Sweet Potato Stacks

Prep Your Sweet Potatoes

Start with 4 large sweet potatoes, about 2 ½ pounds total. A quick scrub is fine, and then go ahead and peel them. Slice them into thin rounds about 3 mm thick. A mandolin will make quick work of it – but be so careful using one. They are sharp as all get-out. Or, if you’re slicing with a knife by hand, keep them as even as you can. The uniform thickness helps the stacks cook evenly (and prevents any undercooked bites).

Toss Together

Transfer the slices to a big mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Add the good stuff: melted butter (for buttery flavor), brown sugar, cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, plus salt and black pepper. Use your hands to gently toss everything together – it’s the easiest way to coat every slice without snapping them into pieces.

Layer in a Muffin Tin

Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin with olive oil, then stack the sweet potato slices into each cavity. Don’t be shy about stacking them high! They shrink as they bake, so stack them at least as tall as the top of the muffin cavities. This muffin tin trick is what gives you those irresistible crispy edges while keeping the centers buttery soft.

Bake at 375

Bake them in a preheated 375°F oven for about 45 minutes. The stacks are ready when the tops are caramelized and a skewer slides through the centers without resistance. If the tops start looking too dark before the middle is cooked, just tent loosely with foil.

To crisp the edges up even more, you can lightly run a chef’s torch around the edges to caramelize them even more. It’s optional, but highly recommend!

Easy Sweet Potato Stacks

Serve

Run a knife around the edges to loosen any caramelized sugar, then gently lift each stack out with a fork. Skewer them with rosemary sprigs for a festive look, or keep it simple with toothpicks if you’re feeding a crowd. They’re not quite finger food, but these little towers work beautifully as either a holiday side or an hors d’oeuvre.

Easy Sweet Potato Stacks

Sprinkle with flaky sea salt just before serving. The salt is so thin and crunchy, it adds a nice pop of flavor and texture. These roasted easy sweet potato stacks have crispy tops, chewy edges, and are buttery soft through their centers. I can’t wait to share them with my friends!

Related Recipe: Sweet Potato Sage Scones

Easy Sweet Potato Stacks

Heather Baird

These Easy Sweet Potato Stacks are the perfect holiday side – crispy edges, buttery centers, and a hint of warm spice. Thin slices of sweet potato are tossed with olive oil, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then layered into a muffin tin and baked until caramelized and golden. They look elegant but come together with simple ingredients, making them just as welcome at Thanksgiving dinner as they are at a casual Friendsgiving.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Course Brunch, Friendsgiving, Side Dish, Thanksgiving

Cuisine American

  • standard muffin tin

  • mandolin slicer optional

  • 4 large sweet potatoes about 2 ½ lbs, unpeeled weight
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for greasing
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of ground nutmeg optional
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons fine grain salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 12 rosemary sprigs
  • flake sea salt such as Maldon
  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin with olive oil.

  • Peel the sweet potatoes. Slice into thin rounds, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. A mandolin works best for uniform slices, but a sharp knife will do.

  • Place the slices in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Toss well. Add melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg (if using), salt, and pepper. Gently toss with your hands until all slices are evenly coated.

  • Stack the slices into the muffin tin cavities, filling each one to the top (they will shrink as they bake).

  • Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the edges are crisp and caramelized and a knife easily pierces through the centers. If edges brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil.

  • Let cool for a few minutes, then run a knife around the edges to loosen. Use a fork to gently lift the stacks out of the muffin tin.

  • Sprinkle with the optional flaky salt. Serve warm, adding rosemary sprigs or toothpicks after baking, if desired.

  • Savory variation: Skip the sugar and cinnamon, and season with garlic powder, smoked paprika, or fresh thyme.
  • Extra-Crispy Edges: To crisp the edges up even more, you can lightly run a chef’s torch around the edges to caramelize them even more. Recommend! 
  • Make-ahead tip: Bake them in advance, let them cool slightly in the tin. Remove them from the pan and place them on a 9×13 baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate up to 2 days. Before serving, return to a greased cupcake pan and bake in a hot oven to heat through and crisp again (10-15 minutes). 
  • Avoid: You may be tempted to slice and assemble the potatoes in the pan in advance, but they will brown over time. 
  • Crowd-size adjustment: Recipe makes 12 stacks; double if you’re cooking for a big holiday table.

Keyword brown sugar, Celtic sea salt, cinnamon, easy side dish, easy sweet potato stacks, easy thanksgiving side dish, extra virgin olive oil, nutmeg, sweet potato stacks, sweet potatoes, unsalted butter



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