Here’s a simple, veggie-filled, healthy breakfast that you can make easily and quickly in the oven! Sweet Potato Toast is a delicious base for both savory and sweet toppings, depending on your personal preferences. Adding a quick pre-bake in the oven makes this recipe great for when you’re serving breakfast to a crowd (think holiday guests, tailgating, brunches) and planning meals ahead (aka meal prepping). And, unlike regular toast, sweet potato toast is naturally gluten-free, grain-free, Paleo, and Whole30 compatible.
This post was originally published on May 16, 2017; updated on August 6th, 2021.
SPT is Our Favorite Grain-free Breakfast
Ahh, Sweet Potato Toast. Also known as your new healthy breakfast obsession.
Before we jump right into what sweet potato toast is and how to make it using our meal prep-friendly oven-baked method, let’s talk a bit about where sweet potato toast (or “SPT” for those in the know) originated.
As early as 2015 Kendra over at Paleo Paparazzi has been sharing her oven-broiled SPT method on Instagram and her blog. The idea is simple: Slabs of raw sweet potato are baked or broiled until tender on the inside and crispy on the outside then loaded with all sorts of delicious whole-food toppings.
In our Oven-Baked SPT, you par-bake several slices of sweet potato at once then store, them in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make sweet potato toast. This simple prep step saves you tons of time in the morning and ensures sweet potato toast slices that are incredibly tender throughout. When you’re ready to make some, simply pop a slice or two of your pre-baked sweet potato slabs into a toaster (yes, upright in a toaster) or a toaster oven and ‘cook’ until they’re warm and crisped up on the edges. Take them out and, just as you would with toast, top them any way you choose.
First, we’ll show you how to make the “toasts” and then we’ll show you four healthy and delicious ideas for ways to top your SPT.
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Ingredients for Sweet Potato Toast (and 4 Ways to Top It!)
The base of this “toast” couldn’t be more simple: You just need one ingredient!
- Sweet Potatoes – choose a large sweet potato or yam (whichever is on sale). Look for sweet potatoes that are relatively tube-shaped so they’re easier to slice.
Next up is the fun part: TOPPINGS! Click on each link below to jump to the recipe within this post.
- Smoked Salmon Everything ‘Bagel’ Sweet Potato Toast
- The ‘Elvis 2.0’ Sweet Potato Toast
- ‘South of the Border’ Sweet Potato Toast
- ‘Blueberry Pie’ Sweet Potato Toast
How to Cut Potatoes for Sweet Potato Toast
- Scrub the outside of the sweet potatoes under running water, pat them dry, and trim the ends off using a sharp knife. A chef’s knife works best.
- A word about chef’s knives: A good one is an investment but worth every penny. We use and recommend this 8-inch chef knife from Zwilling for its excellent quality and the way it feels in your hand.
- Note: Don’t peel the skin on the sweet potatoes because it provides nutrients, too (namely fiber), plus we find that keeping the skin intact helps the sweet potato slabs hold up better during refrigeration.
- Slice the potatoes lengthwise to create toast slices that are even and about 1/4 inch thick. You can use a big knife or a mandolin slicer.
How to Make Sweet Potato Toast Ahead:
- Arrange the sweet potato slices on a wire rack placed over a large baking sheet.
- Bake the sweet potatoes in a preheated 350°F oven for 15-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender but not cooked all the way through.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Allow the slices to cool completely before storing them in a lidded container in the fridge.
When you’re ready to eat, simply add the desired number of sweet potato slices to the toaster or toaster oven. Toast away! We set ours on the highest setting and it takes only one toasting cycle to get them how we like them (warm, bubbly, and crispy on the edges). But yours may need more or less time, or a high or low setting, depending on your toaster.
Now the fun starts. You get to add toppings! Whether you go sweet or savory, the possibilities are pretty much endless! These four are our absolute favorite ways to make SPT for breakfast.
Smoked Salmon ‘Everything Bagel’ Sweet Potato Toast Recipe
Ingredients:
- Smoked salmon (Vital Choice doesn’t contain any sugar)
- Smashed avocado
- Red Onion
- Capers
- ‘Everything But the Bagel’ Seasoning (optional but awesome!)
Admittedly, this is our numero uno fave when it comes to SPT. Everything bagels with lox, cream cheese, red onion, and capers (and tomatoes when they’re in season) are the things dreams are made of. And those ingredients are the inspiration for this Whole30 sweet potato toast that finds itself on our breakfast plates at least once a week.
In the photo, we used cold-smoked nova lox with does have brown sugar in the brine – a Whole30 no-no. So if you want to keep this Whole30 compliant it’s worth getting some no-sugar smoked salmon like this one from Vital Choice foods. Under the salmon, there’s smashed avocado. On top, there are thin slices of red onion, a few capers, and this life-changing ‘Everything But the Bagel’ seasoning from Trader Joe’s.
The ‘Elvis 2.0’ Sweet Potato Toast Recipe
Ingredients:
- Cashew butter (or almond butter)
- Sliced banana
- Crumbled crisp-cooked bacon
Because peanut butter isn’t Whole30-compliant we’ve swapped cashew butter for peanut butter in this SPT. We’ve affectionately dubbed it the ‘Elvis 2.0′ – an homage to the hip-shakin’ rock-n-roller’s purportedly favorite Peanut Butter + Banana + Bacon sandwiches.
What makes it 2.0 is the cashew butter that stands in for the PB, which you then top with thinly sliced bananas and a liberal sprinkle of crisp-cooked bacon.
‘South of the Border’ Sweet Potato Toast Recipe
Ingredients:
- Sliced or mashed avocado (or homemade guacamole)
- Thinly sliced radishes
- Crushed red pepper flakes or hot sauce
- Squeeze of lime juice
If you love Mexican-inspired food as much as we do, then you’re going to love this veggie-packed number. This version of sweet potato toast includes creamy avocado, crisp radishes, red chili flakes or hot sauce, and fresh lime juice (which makes all the flavors pop).
‘Blueberry Pie’ Sweet Potato Toast Recipe
Ingredients:
- Almond butter (or cashew butter)
- Fresh blueberries (or frozen and thawed blueberries)
- Ground cinnamon
This one is so simple: Top your sweet potato toast with your favorite nut butter, some fresh berries, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
In case you’re wondering how to choose which one to make since they all look good, we’ve got a little tip for you: Give yourself options!
Toast up 2 slabs of sweet potato toast and then make one with a savory topping and one with a sweet topping. The order in which you choose to enjoy them is entirely up to you. Sometimes we like to start with the sweet one then finish with the savory option but the other way around is great, too. There’s no right or wrong here … only delicious!
Video: How to make sweet potato toast
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Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Toast 4 Ways
Sweet Potato Toast is the answer to your healthy-delicious breakfast prayers! Get just the right texture and doneness for your sweet potato toast. In this recipe you par-bake the slabs of sweet potato so all they need is a quick trip through the toaster before adding your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato, washed and dried
Toppings:
Toppings for Smoked Salmon ‘Everything Bagel’ Sweet Potato Toast:
- Avocado, peeled and thinly sliced or mashed
- Smoked salmon (Vital Choice is made without sugar)
- Red onion, thinly sliced
- Capers, drained
- ‘Everything But the Bagel’ Seasoning (optional but awesome!)
Toppings for ‘South of the Border’ Sweet Potato Toast:
- Mashed avocado
- Radishes, thinly sliced
- Crushed red pepper flakes or Hot sauce of choice
- Lime wedges
Toppings for ‘The Elvis 2.0’ Sweet Potato Toast:
- Cashew butter (may substitute peanut butter if not for Whole30)
- Banana, sliced
- Crumbled crisp-cooked bacon
Toppings for ‘Blueberry Pie’ Sweet Potato Toast:
- Almond butter (or your favorite nut or seed butter)
- Fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) blueberries
- Ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Place a wire rack on a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Trim both ends from the sweet potato using a knife.
- Slice sweet potato lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slabs using a knife or mandolin slicer.
- Arrange slabs in a single layer on the wire rack.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender but not fully cooked (watch to be sure they don’t burn!)
- Remove pan from oven and allow potatoes to cool on a wire rack completely before transferring to a lidded container storage container. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To make Sweet Potato Toast
- Place the desired number of sweet potato slices into a toaster or toaster oven. Toast until hot and edges are crispy. The length of toasting time required will depend on your toaster.
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Alea says
Ooh…loving this modified version. It works way better for my “meal-prep or die” lifestyle! I’m on my first Whole30 journey and am trying to drag my family along with me. So I’m gathering new options that they might not be so resistant to. I think this will hit the spot!
And (as a blogger myself) I just wanted to say that I so love your writing style! I don’t think that very often when I’m checking out one of the millions of recipes I look at on a daily basis. So refreshing!
Stacie Hassing says
Hi Alea! Happy to hear you love this modified version of SPT! I hope it is a hit for your family…I mean, I don’t know why it wouldn’t be?! Can’t beat SPT! Thanks for your kind words about our blog. That means a lot especially coming from another blogger 🙂
Michael B says
Piece of cake to make! Learned that using a mandolin to make a slightly thicker cut than by hand is easier to accomplish… and makes a better slice for the toaster. I love sweet potatoes anyway, so this is a great accompaniment to my breakfast…
Jessica Beacom says
Hey Micheal,
Yay for learning a new kitchen trick! I love the mandolin for slicing potatoes, so much easier and safer. Glad you loved the recipe.
Heather says
Once u toast them and add the topping, can it be picked up like a piece of toast or is it limp and will need to be cut with a knife and fork??
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Heather,
How thinly you slice the sweet potatoes and how much you toast them will ultimately dictate whether they’re ‘toast-like’ or limp. I can pick mine up like toast when I slice them ¼-inch thick and reheat them in the toaster oven.
Julia says
Hi there! I am absolutely enamored with the idea of these, however I really struggled with execution and could use your advice. How on earth did you manage to cut these long-ways on your mandolin?? The finger guard on my mandolin is only large enough to allow potatoes to be cut on the short end, in round coin-like shapes. I tried to slice these longways without the finger guard and ended up nicking my wrist on the blade before giving up. How did you manage to pull this off? The 2 I managed to slice were so delicious that I’m not ready to give up hope on this concept. Thank you so much for your insight!
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Julia,
Great question! The mandolin I have has a blade cover/guide that I actually remove in order to cut the sweet potatoes into planks because like you noted, a large sweet potato won’t fit in there the long way. Now, this does increase the chances of cutting myself but when the potato is big there’s plenty to hold on to so my fingers aren’t anywhere near the blade until the potato gets smaller and smaller… and then I take my chances.
I would recommend a cut-resistant glove (like this one) to protect your hands and give you a little peace of mind. These also come in handy if you don’t have a mandolin and want to slice the potatoes with a knife instead.
I hope that helps!
Amy says
Just putting this out there…Last year I “partially amputated” my finger trying to cut sweet potatoes with a mandolin. I was using the guard. I was the third person that week in the ER with the same injury. For those who aren’t experienced with using them I recommend extreme caution, or a knife 🙂
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Amy,
I’m sorry to hear about your finger – that’s awful. Both methods, knife or mandolin, can be dangerous so like you said – extreme caution is in order whenever you attempt to cut something hard and awkwardly shaped like a sweet potato. Cut resistant gloves are also helpful and inexpensive. They just take a few minutes to get used to wearing.
Kristen E says
My new favorite way to eat toast. YUM! Tasty, simple, healthy.
Jessica Beacom says
Yes!! We love hearing this!