Charred Honey Sweet Potatoes Recipe and Technique

I've been to some weddings and other fancy catered events that had sweet potatoes cooked to perfection. Soft and creamy in the middle, crisped up and lightly charred edges. I'd tried making it at home many different times, but it never came out quite how I'd wanted it. But after the last event I went to and had these amazing sweet potatoes, I knew I had to figure it out. And I did. I was so excited about it and I'm thrilled to share it with you. 

If you're the type of person that just looks at ingredient lists and not instructions, you'll be disappointed in these, because the instructions matter almost more than the ingredients.

These make the perfect side dish, and since they're gluten free and allergy friendly, you can serve pretty much anyone with them, as long as they aren't low carb. And while I haven't made it this way yet, I am absolutely positive you can replace the honey with jaggery syrup, date molasses, or maple syrup and get very similar results, with a delicious vegan end product.

Charred Honey Sweet Potatoes Recipe and Technique

Ingredients:

4 medium sweet potatoes cooked
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic
Spread on cut in half sweet potatoes, baked until soft, approx 30 mins
Bring to below the heating element, broil for 10-15 mins until carmelized

Instructions:

1. Wash your sweet potatoes and pierce each with a knife or a fork

2. Bake in a baking pan at 350 for approximately an hour. You need to make sure its partially cooked, but not all the way. You should be able to press your finger into the sweet potatoes and feel some give, but not too much.

3. Slice your sweet potatoes in half lengthwise with the cut side upwards. You probably can also cut it into circles, as I've had them at events like that, but then you'd need to adjust cooking times, I assume.

4. Mix the oil, honey, salt, and garlic powder.

5. Brush onto the top side of the sweet potatoes with a pastry brush.

6. Bake some more until soft (you're able to put in a fork easily).

7. Turn your oven to the broiler setting, raise your tray with your sweet potatoes until right below the heating element or flame, and broil until the edges start to blacken, or until your desired doneness.

Just note, this black isn't burnt sweet potatoes- it is the sugar in the honey carmelizing, so it doesn't actually taste burnt.

Enjoy either hot or cold!

Are you a fan of sweet potatoes? What is your favorite way to serve them? Have you had charred sweet potatoes before? How do you make yours? Does this look like a recipe you'd try?