Vegan Air Fryer Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with a crispy texture is a delicious way to use an ordinary sweet potato. It’s my favorite way of serving them is to top them with scallion pesto. No Oven is needed, it’s an easy simple dish to make for Thanksgiving.

No Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas dinner, or any holiday dinner is complete without sweet potatoes!

If the sweet potatoes are hasselback, they make special occasions feel even more festive!

It’s a fun twist on the traditional Hasselback potatoes. I consider it to be a very delicious side dish that everyone will love.

Top view of 4 small sweet potatoes hasselback on a white plate topped with pesto
These hasselback sweet potatoes are ready in just 20 minutes

Baby sweet potatoes

I always see small sweet potatoes in grocery stores like Publix and box stores like Walmart. They are usually in a steam bag, but you should be able to find loose ones too. If you can’t find the small ones, use the medium sweet potatoes and cut them into thick slices.

They cook really fast which is why I love recommending this recipe as a last-minute Thanksgiving side dish. When you don’t have a lot of time, you can easily whip them up in less than 30 minutes. Don’t like sweet potatoes? You can use regular small potatoes in air fryer too.

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

Top and closeup view of one hasselback sweet potato on a white plate. It has a scallion pesto topping
Baby sweet potatoes are the BEST potatoes for hasselback recipes. This photo is proof of that!!

🛀 Handy Tip: 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.

Topping ideas for these hasselbacks

Top view of 4 baby hasselback sweet potatoes with a scallion pesto topping on a white plate
These hasselback potatoes have become my family’s favorite savory side dish.

👩‍🍳 Substitution tip: Use mini sweet potatoes because they will be easy to cook in the air fryer. For medium sweet potatoes, you will have to adjust the ingredients and cooking time.

Step by step instructions with images

Top view of Boyette Brothers Sweet Potatoes package with sweet potatoes coming out of it.
The baby sweet potatoes are easy to find in any grocery store.
  • Once you have washed the sweet potatoes, cut a small piece of both sides of the sweet potato
Top view of a baby sweet potato with small ends cut off. A chopping knife is next to it.
Cut off the ends of the baby sweet potatoes to get a uniform-looking hasselback
  • On a cutting board, place chop sticks (or metal straws) on each side of the potato. Make sure the chopsticks extend to the length of the sweet potato. If you don’t have chopsticks, use a wooden spoon or wooden skewers.
Top view of one baby sweet potato cradled by two chopsticks and sitting on a white chopping board. A large chopping knife is next to it.
Use the chopstick trick to make sure that you don’t cut through the sweet potatoes
  • Using a sharp knife, cut into 0.03″ thin slices 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!
Top view of a knife cutting the baby sweet potato into hasselback style
Cut them into about 0.03″ sizes. They don’t have to be perfect.
  • Place an air-fryer safe baking sheet at the bottom of the basket. Place potatoes with the flat sides at the bottom (cut side up). You should be able to cook about 6-8 at once, but, I cooked only 4 at a time. Be sure that they are in a single layer.
Top view of cut hasselback sweet potatoes in the air fryer basket
Look how pretty those sweet potatoes look!
  • Generously brush potatoes with melted butter (use unsalted butter). Give them a delectable butter bath by get in between the cuts of the sweet potato. My air fryer is (Affiliate Link) The COSORI Air Fryer.
Top view of buttered hasselback sweet potatoes in the air fryer basket
These sweet potatoes are about to be air fryed!
  • Place the basket in the air fryer and set it to 350°. Set the time to 15 minutes. Do not cook them for a long time.
front view of the display panel of the COSORI air fryer displaying the tempreture of 350°F and cook time of 15 min
See, it doesn’t take long to make the hasselback sweet potatoes
  • 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 they need more time, don’t cook for more than 5 minutes. When they are golden brown and have crispy skins, they are ready to serve.
top view of 4 air fryed sweet potatoes with hasselback cut
I had to restrain myself from just picking them out of the basket and popping them in my mouth
  • Here is my easy recipe for the scallion pesto. In a food processor, add: scallions, basil, pine nuts, nutritional yeast, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic cloves, water, 1 teaspoon salt (kosher salt), black pepper, and lemon juice. Optional Ingredients – Cashews and fresh parsley (or any fresh herbs.
Top view of the ingredients needed to make the pesto. The ingredients are in a food processor
Just a few everyday ingredients needed to make this scallion pesto
  • Blend until it is a sauce. Open, add a little more oil, mix well, and transfer to a small bowl! Leftover pesto can be stored in an airtight container.
Top view of a blended scallion pesto sauce in the food processor
LOVE that bright green color of the scallion pesto!
  • Place the sweet potatoes on a plate and top it with the scallion pesto. They are ready to be devoured!!

So, what do you think of this fun way of making savory hasselback sweet potatoes?

Handy Tip: Since every air fryer is different, your cook time will vary. The optimal temperature is 350°F, with a cook time of 15-20 minutes.

Top view of 4 small sweet potatoes hasselback on a white plate topped with pesto
These hasselback sweet potatoes are the perfect vegan Thanksgiving side dish

A few more potato recipes to try

Front view of tiny potatoes in a garlic butter sauce put on a wax paper

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

top and closeup view of candied sweet potato pieces in a tray with a seviing spoon on the side.

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.

Top, closeup view of the biscuits on a wire rack

Making drop biscuits in the air fryer is a very zen experience! And, the drop biscuits taste so good.

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

I have a few more air fryer Thanksgiving recipes that are so very easy to make.

Collage of 6 images with the title of "Cheap & Easy Thanksgiving side dishes" written below the images.
a collage of 5 images with the words "Delicious and easy 50+ vegan Thanksgiving recipes" written on it
Collage of 3 images and the title of Thanksgiving Recipes that are not mashed
A collage of 4 vegan air fryer thanksgiving recipes
Top view of 3 brown sweet potatoes on a chopping board. On the side, there are sliced sweet potatoes, peeling knife and chopping knife

Sharing is caring!

Don’t be shy, chime in below in the comments. Let me hear your opinion on this air fryer hasselback sweet potatoes recipe. If you enjoyed this, please give it a star rating, then share it on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram.

Top and closeup view of one hasselback sweet potato on a white plate. It has a scallion pesto topping

Air Fryer Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with Scallion Pesto (Vegan)

Rini
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 Vegan Thanksgiving side dish that doesn't need an oven.
5 from 9 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people
Calories 200 kcal

Equipment

  • COSORI Air Fryer
  • Food chopper or Food Processor
  • 2 Chopsticks

Ingredients
  

For the baby sweet potatoes

  • 4 baby sweet potatoes thoroughly washed
  • 2 Tbsp vegan butter or regular butter

For the scallion pesto

Instructions
 

To make the sweet potatoes in the air fryer

  • Cut a small piece of both ends of the sweet potato
    4 baby sweet potatoes
    Top view of a baby sweet potato with small ends cut off. A chopping knife is next to it.
  • Place chop sticks (or metal straws) on the sides of the baby sweet potato
    Top view of one baby sweet potato cradled by two chopsticks and sitting on a white chopping board. A large chopping knife is next to it.
  • Cut about 0.03″ or the width of the chop stick
    Top view of a knife cutting the baby sweet potato into hasselback style
  • Place parchement paper at the bottom of the air fryer basket (optional) and put 4 of the cut sweet potatoes on it
    Top view of cut hasselback sweet potatoes in the air fryer basket
  • Melt and baste the butter on top of the sweet potatoes
    2 Tbsp vegan butter
    Top view of buttered hasselback sweet potatoes in the air fryer basket
  • Place the basket in the air fryer and set it to 350°. Set the time to 15 minutes.
    front view of the display panel of the COSORI air fryer displaying the tempreture of 350°F and cook time of 15 min
  • After 15 minutes, turn off the air fryer. Remove from the basket. See Note #1
    top view of 4 air fryed sweet potatoes with hasselback cut

To make the scallion pesto

  • While the sweet potatoes are in the air fryer, make the pesto. Put the ingredients in a food processor
    1 bunch scallions, 1 cup basil, 1.5 tsp pine nuts, 2 Tbsp cashews, 1 tsp nutritional yeast, 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 5 cloves garlic, 3 Tbsp water, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp lime juice
    Top view of the ingredients needed to make the pesto. The ingredients are in a blender
  • Blend the ingredients until it's a sauce consistency
    Top view of a blended scallion pesto sauce in the blender
  • Drizzle the sauce over the baby sweet potatoes and serve immediately
    Top view of 4 baby hasselback sweet potatoes with a scallion pesto topping on a white plate

Notes

**** CALORIES INFORMATION IS APPROXIMATE.  CONSULT A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION.
Notes
#1 – Do the knife test by poking the bottom of the roasted sweet potato to see if it goes through easily.  If not, put it back in the air fryer for up to 5 more minutes.
TIPS
  • 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.
  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcal
Keyword air fryer hasselback sweet potatoes, Air Fryer Recipes, Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
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20 Comments

  1. I never made Hasselback sweet potatoes in an air fryer. I will give this recipe a try for sure. Looks delicious. It’s a perfect easy family dinner.

  2. These hasselback sweet potatoes look so savory and delicious! Love the addition of the pesto for a little extra flavor.

  3. What a delicious combination! I love pesto and I’m always interested in trying different variations, this one is a winner. I think the sweet potatoes and pesto go really well together.

  4. One of the best air fryer recipes I have tasted! This makes my work so much easier, yet gives such a delicious outcome!

  5. These Hasselback sweet potatoes look scrumptious and the air-fryer looks like such a clever way to cook them! Grateful for this tip!