These vegan black bean stuffed sweet potatoes have the flavors of Mexico! They're filled with hearty black beans, corn, peppers, and optional tomatillos. Top them with fresh tomatoes and guacamole for a quick vegan meal.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Southwest flavors! All your favorite Mexican flavors in one tidy packet.
- Nutritious: Sweet potatoes are a rich source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Black beans are a complex carbohydrate. They're provide plant-based protein and they digest slowly, keeping you feeling full and preventing a spike in your blood sugar levels.
- Quick and easy: While the sweet potatoes are baking in the oven, you can make the rest of the filling in one pan on the stovetop. These stuffed baked sweet potatoes are topped with a quick fork-mashed guacamole.
- Prep ahead of time: Bake the potatoes, prep the filling, and store separately in the fridge. When you're ready to eat, assemble and reheat in the oven.
- Warm comfort food, vegan style!
- Vegan stuffed sweet potatoes are perfect for Meatless Monday! If you're looking for more meat-free ideas to add to your weekly meal rotation, check this collection of Meatless Meals - You Won't Miss the Meat.
Love sweet potato recipes? You might also like this Vegan Sweet Potato Corn Chowder, these Rosemary Garlic Smashed Sweet Potatoes or Roasted Sweet Potato Spinach Salad, too.
🛒 Ingredients
Before we get to the full recipe for these vegan black bean stuffed sweet potatoes in the recipe card below, here are a few notes about some of the main ingredients and possible substitutions.
- sweet potatoes: Choose those that are more round instead of those that are narrow and elongated, so that you'll have a larger area to stuff. Check for potatoes without bruises or cracks.
- black beans: To keep this as an easy dinner recipe, use canned black beans that have been drained and rinsed.
- aromatics: red onion, shallot, fresh garlic. You can substitute yellow onions for the red onions.
- red bell pepper (or any color pepper)
- tomatillos (optional) Fresh tomatillos add to the hearty Southwestern flavors in this recipe
- corn: fresh corn or frozen corn kernels
- cherry tomatoes: Top your stuffed sweet potato with raw halved cherry tomatoes before adding a delicious dollop of guacamole.
- smoked paprika: A small amount of smoked paprika adds a wonderful smoky flavor.
- quick guacamole: avocado, lime juice, cilantro, garlic and sea salt. Simply mash with a fork.
🔪 Instructions
1. Bake your sweet potatoes
- Scrub the skins to remove any traces of soil or dirt. Pat dry.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Sometimes sweet potatoes will release their juices during baking. These will drip and caramelize on your pan. Lining your pan prevents a mess and makes for easy clean-up.
- Poke the potatoes with a fork four or five times. Pricking them allows the steam to escape so they don't burst. Poking a few small holes also reduces baking time.
- Oil, yes or no? If you plan to eat the skin (which is full of nutrients) you may want to rub or brush the potatoes with a small amount of olive oil or avocado oil. Oil adds flavor and will make the skin a little crispy. It's not necessary to wrap the potatoes in aluminum foil.
- Bake until they're tender. Insert a fork in the thickest part of the potato. It should go in easily and feel soft.
2. Make the filling and stuff the sweet potatoes
- Sauté onions, then add red pepper and tomatillos. Cook till almost tender, then add garlic and cook for one minute longer.
- Add black beans and corn and cook for 3 more minutes.
- Prepare a quick guacamole. Mash the flesh of one or two avocadoes, then add lime juice, fresh cilantro, freshly minced garlic or garlic powder and sea salt to taste.
- Slice open the sweet potatoes. I like to mash the insides a little with a fork to loosen them from the skin.
- Fill the insides with the black bean mixture.
- Garnish! Top with halved cherry tomatoes, then add a generous dollop of guacamole on top. Add a sprinkle of freshly chopped cilantro leaves. Done!
👍🏼 Helpful Tips
If you're in a hurry, you can bake the sweet potatoes in the microwave to save time. Remember to prick them with a fork first to prevent them from exploding.
You can also bake them in your Instant Pot. They'll stay moist and deliciously tender. Check Perfect Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes over at Sweet Peas and Saffron for baking times.
🔁 Possible Variations
Pile on the toppings! Add vegan grated cheese before adding the tomatoes and guacamole. Top with vegan sour cream if you'd like, or add a dollop of dairy-free yogurt.
Add Quick Refrigerator Pickled Jalapeños or Easy Refrigerator Pickled Red Onions for extra spiciness!
This easy vegetarian dinner is just as delicious with stuffed baked russet potatoes, too!
🥶 Storage and Reheating Instructions
If you plan to reheat these, store them covered in an airtight container without the guacamole. Reheat gently in the microwave or in the oven at 350°F. for 15- 20 minutes or until heated through.
🍽 How to serve stuffed baked sweet potatoes
Serve with or without vegan sour cream or vegan cheese. I like to serve stuffed sweet potatoes in shallow bowls.
Add a refreshing side salad, like this Kiwi Cucumber Salad.
🗒More black bean recipes you might like
When you make these black bean stuffed sweet potatoes, please leave a comment and a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 star rating below. Subscribe to my weekly newsletter and get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
📖 Recipe
Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes - Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, or avocado oil
- ½ cup red onion, diced
- ½ cup red pepper, diced
- 2 small tomatillos, optional
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup corn kernels, fresh, frozen or canned
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
Topping
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 or 2 large avocados, peeled, seed removed, and mashed
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, freshly squeezed
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt, or Kosher salt
Instructions
Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Heat oven to 400°F.
- Scrub the skins to remove any traces of soil or dirt. Pat dry.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Sometimes sweet potatoes will release their juices during baking. These will drip and caramelize on your pan. Lining your pan makes for easy clean-up.
- Poke the potatoes with a fork four or five times. Pricking them allows the steam to escape so they don't burst. Poking a few holes also reduces baking time.
- Oil, yes or no? If you plan to eat the skin (which is full of nutrients) you may want to rub or brush the potatoes with a small amount of olive or avocado oil. Oil adds flavour and will make the skin a little crispy.
- Bake until they're tender, about 40 - 50 minutes depending on the size of the sweet potatoes. Insert a fork in the thickest part of the potato. It should go in easily and feel soft.
Black Bean Filling
- Sauté onions, then add red pepper and diced tomatillos. Cook till almost tender, 3 - 5 minutes, then add minced garlic and cook for one minute longer.
- Add rinsed and drained black beans and corn kernels and cook for 3 more minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare a quick guacamole. Mash the flesh of one or two avocados, then add lime juice, garlic, cilantro and sea salt to taste.
- Slice open the sweet potatoes. I like to mash the insides a little with a fork to loosen them from the skin.
- Fill the insides with the black bean mixture.
- Garnish! Top with halved cherry tomatoes, then add a generous dollop of guacamole on top. Done!
Lori
Loved these! Lots of southwestern style flavor, and so easy to whip up. I didn't have tomatillos, so I just added another pepper. I think it would be good with green pepper, too. Thanks!
Elaine
Hi Lori, Great idea to add green pepper!