Sweet Potato Facts

Learn fun sweet potato facts and general information about sweet potatoes. This page includes how sweet potatoes grow, how to choose and store them, nutrition facts, and easy recipe ideas.

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Fun Sweet Potato Facts

Sweet potatoes grow on trailing vines.
They are harvested in the fall but available year round.
Sweet potatoes can be baked, mashed, grilled, or turned into chips.
They can be used in both savory side dishes and sweet desserts.
Sweet potatoes are known for their naturally sweet flavor and bright orange color.

How Sweet Potatoes Grow, Buying Tips, and Storage

When Sweet Potatoes Are Available

Sweet potatoes are available year round, but they are harvested in the fall.

How Do Sweet Potatoes Grow?

Sweet potatoes grow on trailing vines that cover the ground.

What to Look for When Buying

Select sweet potatoes that are firm with bright skin. They should have no spots or mold.

Sweet Potato Storage Tips

Store sweet potatoes in a cool, dark, dry place.

Kid Tip: Choose sweet potatoes that feel heavy for their size and have smooth skin.

How to Cook Sweet Potatoes

How to Use Sweet Potatoes

Wash the sweet potatoes well.
Pierce the skin with a fork if baking whole.
Bake, steam, grill, or microwave until tender.
Mash, slice, restuff, or use in casseroles, chips, and desserts.

Cooking Tip: Sweet potatoes can be cooked much like white potatoes, but their flavor is naturally sweeter.

Sweet Potatoes vs. White Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are sweeter, often orange inside, and commonly used in both savory and sweet recipes.

White potatoes are milder in flavor and often used for mashed potatoes, fries, and baked potatoes.

Both can be baked and mashed, but sweet potatoes have a sweeter taste and softer texture.

Food Science: Why Sweet Potatoes Taste Sweet

Why Are Sweet Potatoes Sweet?

Sweet potatoes naturally contain sugars and starches. When they cook, those starches can taste even sweeter.

That is why baked sweet potatoes often taste sweeter than raw ones.

Mini Activity

Sweet Potato Shape Check

Look at two sweet potatoes side by side.
Notice whether they are long, short, curved, or straight.
Compare the skin color and size.
Talk about how vegetables of the same kind can still look a little different.

This activity helps kids observe variation in produce and practice describing shape and size.

Sweet Potato Nutrition Facts

Sweet potatoes are high in fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and calcium.

Sweet potatoes contain fiber.
They are high in vitamin A.
They also provide vitamin C, iron, and calcium.
Sweet potatoes are a nutritious side dish choice.

More Food Fact Resources

Sweet Potato Recipes

Baked Sweet Potatoes

A simple baked sweet potato recipe mashed with butter, cinnamon, and heavy cream, then restuffed into the skins.

Category: Side Dish
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes
Butter
Dash of cinnamon
Heavy cream

Directions

Prepare 2 sweet potatoes by piercing the skin with a fork in several places.
Bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees.
Let cool slightly so you can handle them, then cut in half lengthwise.
Take the sweet potatoes out, leaving the shell intact.
Mash the sweet potatoes with butter, a dash of cinnamon, and heavy cream.
Re-stuff the potatoes and warm again in the oven.

Serving Tip: Serve with steak or another main dish for a simple dinner side.

Sweet Potato Ice Cream

A simple sweet potato dessert made with baked sweet potatoes, vanilla ice cream, and crushed graham crackers.

Category: Dessert
Prep: 10 minutes
Chill: 30 minutes or longer
Yield: Varies

By: Sam, China

Ingredients

2 baked sweet potatoes
3 cups vanilla ice cream
4 graham crackers

Directions

Scoop the baked sweet potatoes out of their skins and place them in a mixing bowl.
Add the vanilla ice cream and mix together until well blended.
Place the mixture in a serving dish or individual cups and let chill.
Crush the graham crackers into crumbs.
Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs evenly across the top to make a crust-like topping.
Chill again until ready to serve.

Serving Tip: This is a fun way to turn sweet potatoes into a cool dessert.

Sweet Potatoes Dish

A sweet potato casserole-style dish with orange juice, cinnamon, oats, brown sugar, and nuts.

Category: Side Dish
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: Varies

Ingredients

5 large sweet potatoes
1/2 cup butter melted
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 large eggs
2/3 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup oats
1/3 cup chopped nuts

Directions

Bake sweet potatoes at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until fork tender. Let cool.
Cut sweet potatoes in half and scoop out pulp into a bowl.
Add butter and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and beat together.
Add eggs, orange juice, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Mix until smooth.
Pour into a baking dish and smooth the top.
In a separate bowl mix flour, oats, nuts, remaining sugar, and remaining cinnamon, then blend in butter until crumbly.
Sprinkle over top and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Make-Ahead Idea: This dish can be prepared a day ahead and baked shortly before dinner.

More Sweet Potato Ideas

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Learn how to make mashed sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potato Chips

Thinly sliced sweet potatoes can be fried into crisp homemade chips.

Sweet Potato Pie Video

Watch a sweet potato pie cooking video for another recipe idea.