Air Fryer Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

Vegan Air Fryer Hasselback Sweet Potatoes topped with scallion pesto is I use baby sweet potatoes which require no peeling and are ready in just 20 minutes or less. Easy Thanksgiving side dish that doesn’t need an oven.

No Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner is complete without sweet potatoes!

If the sweet potatoes are hasselback, that makes them even more festive!

I am so psyched because I finally got to use my scallion pesto! It’s the BEST topping for hasselback potatoes.

Tips for making these sweet potatoes

• Make sure you wash the sweet potatoes. Even if they come in a bag that is labeled “ready to microwave”, you MUST wash them. They never clean it properly and there will always be dirt on them. Check out my guide to buying the best sweet potatoes
• Use mini sweet potatoes because they will be easy to cook in the air fryer. If you use the bigger sweet potatoes, you will have to adjust the ingredients and the air fryer cook time.
• Every air fryer is different. So, you may have to cook them longer or shorter. I think generally, the optimal temperature is 350°F and cook time will be about 15-20 minutes
• While you are cooking them in the air fryer, you need nothing but butter on it. Once you pull them out of the air fryer, then top it with the scallion pesto
• You should be able to cook about 6-8 at once. I cooked only 4 at once.
• I like to serve these hasselback sweet potatoes right out of the air fryer. I think they are at their best when served hot.
• I didn’t end up using all the scallion pesto I made. Lucky for me, it can be refrigerated and used to make more hasselback sweet potatoes in the future.
• Use chop sticks or metal straws to frame the bottom of the sweet potatoes. This will make sure you don’t cut the potato all the way through.
• I have a few more air fryer Thanksgiving recipes that are so very easy to make.

Topping ideas for these hasselbacks

• Bell pepper pesto
• Chimichuri
• Lemon balm butter
• Garlic butter
• Vegan Alfredo sauce
• Cilantro lime sauce
• Vegan cranberry sauce

I love scallion pesto on top of these sweet potatoes. But, there is no limit on what you can top them with. The bite in these scallion pesto is the perfect taste compliment to sweet potatoes.

Sound off in the comments below with your favorite!

Baby sweet potatoes

I always see these baby sweet potatoes in the grocery store like Publix and box stores like Walmart. They are usually in a steam bag, but you should be able to find loose ones too.

They cook really fast which is why I love recommending these recipe as a last minute side dish. When you don’t have a lot of time, you can easily whip them up in less than 30 minutes.

Plus, it gives your oven a break! It has enough to do during the holiday.

I have even more potato and sweet potato recipes to make this holiday season.

Step by step instructions with images

• You MUST wash these baby sweet potatoes first. I can’t stress it enough. These sweet potatoes were actually had dirt stuck on them when I removed them from the bag! Can you imagine cooking them like that???

• Once you have washed the sweet potatoes, cut a small piece of both sides of the sweet potato

• Place chop sticks (or metal straws) on the sides of the baby sweet potato

• Cut about 0.03″ or the width of the chop stick. You should be able to make about 12-15 cuts per sweet potato. Don’t worry if they are not the same size. It’s not about perfection!

• Place wax paper at the bottom of the air fryer basket. Make sure that the edges of the basket are not blocked by the wax paper. It should line just the bottom of the basket. Put the sweet potatoes on the top of the wax paper

• Melt 2 Tbsp of butter and generously baste the sweet potatoes. Get in between the cuts of the sweet potato

• Place the basket in the air fryer and set it to 350°. Set the time to 15 minutes.

• After 15 minutes, turn off the air fryer. Check to make sure that it has cooked all the way through. I like to do the knife test at the bottom of the sweet potato. If it goes through easily, it will be done. If not, let it cook for up to 5 more minutes.

• In a food processor, add the ingredients for the pesto. I used scallions, basil, pine nuts, cashews (optional), nutritional yeast, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, water, salt and lime juice

• Blend until it is a sauce. Open, add a little more oil, mix well and it’s ready!

• Place the sweet potatoes in a plate and top it with the scallion pesto. They are ready to be devoured!!

P/S: Have you tried cooking vegetables in the air fryer? It’s a quick and easy way to cook them.

A few more potato recipes to try

Air Fryer Potato Nibbles

How to cook potato nibbles in the air fryer. These nibbles are a must have at your Thanksgiving dinner table.

Instant Pot Purple Sweet Potatoes

Learn how to cook purple sweet potatoes in the air fryer. It’s a huge time saver and cooks them to perfection. They are moist, soft and delicious.

Air Fryer Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits

Have you made drop biscuits 1) with sweet potato flavor? 2) in the air fryer? This recipe makes use of both and makes the ultimate thanksgiving side dish for vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters.

Air Fryer Candied Sweet Potatoes

Candied sweet potatoes are not just on my Thanksgiving table. I make them all year round and they are perfect for cooking in the air fryer.

Air Fryer Whole Roasted Cauliflower

This whole cauliflower is a show stopper! It takes center stage at my Thanksgiving table because it looks so beautiful. It’s easy to cook in the air fryer and takes just a few ingredients.

I have an extensive collection of easy sweet potato recipes that you won’t be able to resist.

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